Male Red Bird of Paradise

Drawing of male Red Bird of Paradise

I often go to Raja Ampat to guide tourists who want to watch birds in the forest. One of the most important watching targets is Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra). The bird lives in the islands of Waigeo, Gam and Batanta. They can be found deep in the forest. We have to wake up at 04.30 to make preparations such as wearing dark green t-shirt and hiking shoes. Before leaving for the observation site, we need to drink some coffee, tea and eat biscuits or bread. 

At 05.00 we usually start hiking to the lek of Red Bird of Paradise. It takes approximately 1 hour to reach it. The footpath is narrow and it is still dark when we walk. We have to use flashlight. Some parts of the path are steep. One hour later, we will arrive at the lek. The light from the rising sun begins to reach the canopy of the forest. It is the time when male Red Birds of Paradise fly to their lek and begin calling their female counterparts. 

I usually bring a pair of 10×42 mm Visionking binoculars. This birding device greatly enhances my birdwatching experience. The tour participants who I guide bring even better binoculars such as the ones that are manufactured by Nikon, Leica or Swarovski. 

When the female Red BOP comes, the male ones will start performing their courtship dances. They compete one another to win the heart of the female Red Bird of Paradise. Sometimes hey fight. The male Red Bird of Paradise that presents the best dance and beautiful feather will receive green light from the female Red BOP for mating. The whole show ends at 09.00. Its the time when we walk back to the beach and return to the guesthouse where we stay.

In my opinion, Red Bird of Paradise is a very beautiful bird. So, it will be nice if I can make some drawings of the bird. I have made some drawings of paradise birds that I upload into my accound in redbubble shop. The drawing in this post was created on 29 July 2019. 

It is now available as prints on various products such as t-shirts, mugs, water bottles, iPhone or Samsung Galaxy skins/ cases, pillows, scarfs, and even spiral notebooks, tote bags, zipper pouch, and laptop sleeve. 

If you are interested in buying some of them, please, visit my redbubble page: Red Bird of Paradise.
If you are interested in visiting Raja Ampat islands to enjoy swimming, snorkeling, as well as hiking and watching Red Bird of Paradise, please, contact me by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Rhododendron

I have just created a digital drawing of flower today. Its name is Rhododendron zoelleri. The flower plants live Arfak mountains. I saw the flowers when I guided 2 American tourists on a five day hiking and birding trips. The rhododendron flowers have got bright color petals.

Rhododendron flower

In the mornings when the weather is good and bright, and the sunlight reach the flowers, birdwing butterflies can often be seen hopping or hovering from one flower to another to collect nectar.
Drawing has been my favorite hobby for years. Visitors of this blog who wants to see my visual artworks open this web-page: drawing portoflio.

Rain Lily

Here is the digital illustration of Rain Lily (Zephyranthes rosea). It is a grass flower. I created it using Inkscape - a vector drawing program. The flower is small and can easily be seen in the front-yard of houses in tropical region. It is very beautiful pink/ red flower. That's the reason I make this drawing. It looks fresh in the morning light after a good rain in the previous night.

Rain Lily

I like drawing with the classic media using pencil and colored pencils or watercolour on paper but I also know how to draw digitally. Now, I use Autodesk Sketchbook if I want to make a digital artwork. My device is Samsung Galaxy Tab A with S-pen. 

The Rain Lily is available in prints on various kinds of products of Redbubble from poster, canvas print, and art board to sticker, throw pillow, t-shirt. Please, visit my online Redbubble shop to have a look at them: Rain Lily.

Pale Blue Monarch

I have just completed drawing a bird called Pale Blue Monarch. First, I created a sketch using ordinary graphite 2B pencil on a small piece of paper. I considered it as a kind of practice to study the shape of the body, wings, head, legs and claws of the bird. The Pale Blue Monarch is a bird that lives in lowland rainforest of Sulawesi. It is a beautiful bird.
I saw it when I was guiding Taiwanese tourists on a birdwatching trip to Dumoga Bone National Park and Tangkoko Nature Reserve in the province of North Sulawesi, Indonesia. He was hopping from one branch of a tree to another.

Pale Blue Monarch from Sulawesi island

Birds play important role in maintaining and preserving rainforest. They disperse seeds from the fruits that they eat. They also work as pest controller. They eat flies, beetles, work, butterflies, spiders and other small insects. By eating insects, birds curb the exploition of insect population thus maintaining the balance of forest ecosystem.
After creating the sketch on paper, I photographed it and transferred it into my tablet. I used Samsung Tab A with S-pen. It was a great tablet. The drawing application that I used was Autodesk Sketchbook. Because I made this drawing in my leisure time, it took around 2 weeks for me to finish it. Actually, I could finish it in one or two days.
Now the higher resolution version of the above drawing is available in prints on various products such as mug, studio pouch, iPhone skin, t-shirt, draw-string bag and a lot more. Please, visit my Redbubble Shop to order the artwork: Pale Blue Monarch

Old Wooden Harbor

Approximately in 2011, I guided a German girl who was traveling to Manokwari as a tourist. We visited islands, forest and some interesting places inside this small town. Pelabuhan Anggrem was one that we visited. It was a small wooden harbor for boats that transported goods and people along the coastal villages of Manokwari regency.

Anggrem Harbor in Manokwari city

The harbor was very basic. It was only made of wooden pillars and planks nailed together to provide a stable platform for people to get into and out of the boats or load and unload cargoes. I made a drawing of the harbor on a small sized paper. I used Derwent watercoloured pencils.
Several years later the whole landscape changed. The wooden structures have been replaced by concrete platforms. The harbor can serve bigger vessels now.
When I see my drawing again, I smile. My town that was slow, and little has now grown into a city that is growing larger and larger. The above drawing is now available on such print on demand products as mugs, t-shirt, dress, drawstring bag, and etc. at this link: Wooden Jetty.

Moorish Idol

I have just uploaded a drawing to my Redbubble account. Its title is Moorish Idol. It is now available in the various kinds of Print On Demand products such as women's t-shirt, leggings, iPhone case, and even clock. To make this drawing, first, I drew a sketch on my book using graphite 2B pencil. After that I redraw it again on my tablet using Autodesk  Sketchbook app. When it was ready, I uploaded the digital illustration into Redbubble website.
Moorish Idol a is tropical fish that lives in tropical waters especially in coral reef environment. The fish is believed as the Bringer of Happiness.

Moorish Idol

I saw the fish when I went snorkeling and freediving in coral reef area near my hometown Manokwari. It was swimming in the drop off part of the coral reef.
This beautiful fish looks similar to butterflyfish. Actually they are from different species. Moorish Idol and other tropical fish are often caught by fish hunters to be sold to aquarium owners. This practice often causes serious damage to the environment. The fish is omnivore. In most cases, Moorish Idol cannot survive in a small aquarium because of the lack of food.
We need to preserve this important marine habitat by stopping all activities that are harmful to the environment. We also must reduce the use of plastics.
Please, support this effort by clicking this Moorish Idol and buying one of the available products that you like.

Clownfish and Anemone

When I guide tourist on a snorkeling tour in Raja Ampat islands, Tambrauw coast and Manokwari beach of West Papua, I will always look for clownfish. This small fish usually lives in a small colony of anemone. Because a sting from an anemone is harmful to other fish, clownfish that have developed certain resistance on his body makes anemone as its home. Anemone provides protection and the clownfish provide food from the leftovers that it releases. So, the fish is also called anemonefish.

I usually approach anemonefish at depths of 2 to 10 meters below sea surface. With an underwater camera, I take a picture of this beautiful fish. Some anemonefish will hide deeper inside the tentacles of the anemone but other species tend to chase me in order to drive me away from their territory.
Today I made an illustration of this marine animal and uploaded it into my Redbubble account. So, its prints are now available on such products as pillows, clock, sticker, studio pouch, drawstring bag, and a lot more. Please, click this link anemone clownfish to buy some of them.
If you are interested in traveling to West Papua province of Indonesia to enjoy snorkeling over pristine coral reef, you could hire me as your guide. The snorkeling tours can be combined with hiking, birding and wildlife watching tour in the rainforest of Tambrauw mountains or Manokwari. Please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.

Also read:

• Baby Turtle Crawling to the Open Sea
• Dolphins jumping out of the waves

Surgeonfish and Coral Reef

Tonight I upload another drawing again into my Redbubble account. It is the picture of Surgeonfish in the coral reef. I only added another species of fish to the previous illustration. The new fish is Convict Surgeonfish. There are some hard corals and water-plants in the new artwork. So, there are now two fish in the picture, i.e.: Striped-Surgeonfish and Convict Surgeonfish.

Surgeonfish in Coral Reef

I frequently see these fish and hundreds of other species when I guide tourists on sightseeing, and snorkeling tours in Raja Ampat, Tambrauw and Manokwari. To take pictures of the marine life, I bring a small action camera. It is a Brica B-Pro5 Alpha edition. The camera is not for professional underwater photographer. But it is good enough to show how an underwater coral reef environment looks like. I will buy a better camera such as Fujifilm XQ2 and its waterproof housing. I hope it will give higher quality photographs which I could study as my reference for creating more artworks.l
If you are interested in taking a snorkeling, birding, and sightseeing tour with me in West Papua, you could contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to: +6281332245180.
If you just want to enjoy my artworks, please, support this blog by buying some products in the form of t-shirt, mugs, spiral notebook, or iPhone/ Samsung cases, please, visit my online artshop in Redbubble under this name: Tropical Art

Also read:

• Swimming with Manta
• Two Dolphins at Sea

Striped Surgeonfish

Last month I guided a Dutch lady for two weeks. We went to Waigeo island Raja Ampat and Sapormangganauw beach of Tambrauw. We visited the nearby beach for snorkeling during the trip. We also did hiking in the forest to watch paradise birds. It was nice to have some fun during the trip. We saw this beautiful Striped Surgeonfish at depths of between 1 to 6 meters. Using my underwater action camera Brica B-Pro5 Alpha Edition, I took pictures of the fish and the marine life as a whole. There are also a lot of other fish such as butterflyfish, black-tip shark, and grouper. Below is the picture of Striped Surgeonfish.

After completing my two weeks trip, I decided to make some drawings based on what I saw. The first one was Frigatebird. I uploaded it in my previous post in this blog. Now I upload the Striped Surgeonfish in the form of a digital illustration. I created it using Autodesk Sketchbook. I also uploaded the same artwork to my digital artshop in redbubble. You could click this link: Tropical Fish Art to buy the following digital illustration in the form of T-Shirt, mugs, throw pillow or drawstring bag. In addition to this fish artwork, there are other drawings as well such as orchid, whaleshark, birds of paradise, butterflies, and human figure.

Striped Surgeonfish is a tropical fish that lives in coral reef environment. I often see it when I guide tourist on a snorkeling, and freediving tour in Raja Ampat, and Tambrauw regency. Its body is decorated with blue and yellow lines. Its tail is blue.

Striped Surgeonfish (Acanthurus lineatus)

Striped Surgeonfish Art

I work as tourist guide in my daily life but I like drawing a lot. While guiding tourist in the forest or at the beach, I see wildlife which later will become inspirarations for my next art projects.
If you are interested in art and wildlife tour and want me as your guide while traveling to West Papua province of Indonesia. Please, contact me (Leo Roring) by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or email to: leororing@gmail.com

Frigatebird - The Symbol of Freedom

I haven't made any drawings for quite long. After traveling to Raja Ampat islands and coastal area of Tambrauw, I decided to make more drawings again.
This time I draw Frigatebird. This is a sea bird that I often see when I conduct tours around the tropical karst and open sea of West Papua. The bird is very big compared to other land birds. Its plumage is black but has got some white underparts especially on its chest, belly, and some parts of the wings.
Sometimes frigatebird flies alone but most frequently they fly in large group. Frigatebirds could fly to distant ocean without having to perch on a tree or a rocky island for taking a rest. This bird really symbolizes freedom.

Frigatebird Flying Free T-shirt
by tropicalart

The wingspan of this bird could reach more than 1.5 meters. They look like kites. They also do circle flying when they look for fish. Once they spot schooling fish on sea surface, they will dive to catch the fish and then quickly glide up again with the prey on their bills.
To watch frigatebirds, I go to the beach where I could see open sea and then wait for them. They usually appear in the mornings and in late afternoons soaring high in the sky.
I used to take pictures of the frigatebirds when I go to Tambrauw regency. The coastal area of Tambrauw is very beautiful and good for birdwatching, swimming, snorkeling and fishing.
Please, order the above frigatebird drawing in the form of t-shirt if you are interested to wear it as a symbol of freedom, creativity and love of nature. Just click the link provided under the photograph. The artwork is also available in my Redbubble artshop: Frigatebird Flying Free in the Sky
Interested in taking a birding tour in West Papua with me as your guide? Please, contact me by email to: leororing@gmail.com or whatsapp to: +6281332245180

Also read:

• Male Lesser Birds of Paradise
• Lesser Birds of Paradise (watercolor on paper)