This Botswana colony of Carmine Bee-eaters were cozying up and taking a break from hunting insects and preening in the sun. A Bee-eaters gregarious way of life set up a scene that no artist could resist. They looked like roses on a thorny stem. Their color is second to none in all of the bird world and set off by a beautiful iridescence. I painted them at rest but at the same time I wanted to convey how lively and diligent they are. The circular motion of the composition can keep your eye moving around and around and resting only for a moment. Just like Bee-eaters!