Big Bird is an Emu. My sister had sent me a picture of this emu over the internet one day. I took one look and smiled. I had just started painting with watercolor and was experimenting with the paint and different papers. I had never painted an animal before and I wanted to capture the "look" of the bird. Big Bird was soon sold and went to live in South Carolina. I do miss him. I am thinking of painting him again, acrylic on canvas ---and bigger!