Rusty was my first Gang-gang cockatoo. I fell in love with the sheer red-ness of him. That incredible head and crest, the upright pose, the almost regal way he holds himself. He's not trying to impress anyone. He's just doing his thing and looking fabulous while he does it.

He also earned me a Highly Commended Award at the 2025 Thirroul Art Festival. I was completely floored. There were extraordinary paintings in that room, and Rusty held his own among all of them.

But more than that, he started something. He inspired me to paint Banjo, who went on to win the People's Choice Award at Thirroul in 2026, and eventually Sparky, a commission that came from someone seeing Banjo.

One magnificent red head, and the beginning of a story I didn't know I was starting.

Acrylic and oil on canvas · 20 × 25 cm (8 × 10") · Original

Painted from a reference photograph from Shutterstock.