109cm x 92cm. Coloured pencil on Fabriano Artistico cotton paper, mounted in relief.

At the same animal sanctuary in Costa Rica I was describing for the Toucan, at one point we were surrounded by hummingbirds that were darting in and out of the hibiscus bushes. Unlike their larger cousins that I’ve depicted, their presence didn’t hold the same gravitas of intelligence or deliver the same moment of connection. Instead, they seemed to occupy almost another mode of time with lightening fast mechanical precision. It was as if we as human beings didn’t exist or at least operate on a time level that would appear glacial to them, their single minded purpose solely to extract the nectar offered by the hibiscus and brugmansia flowers. I’ve tried to capture an essense of their speed. It’s also no accident that I chose to depict these as my wife and I have been cultivating these two favourite flowers of ours in our home in London. These flowers take on a personality of their own and exhibit an essence that is every bit as alluring to us as to these hummingbirds.