8 x 10 Colored Pencil on Acid Free Museum Board
This is one of my first colored pencil attempts. Colored pencils are pretty cool but they are a lot more physical work then I imagined. All that covering and burnishing can where you hands out if you're unaccustomed to it.
I captured the photo while visiting the Knoxville Zoo with my husband and my two lovely little nieces. The Knoxville Zoo has a pretty cool observation window tucked into a man-made cave. Two huge panes of glass sit side by side overlooking a small rolling field. All four of us went into the cave to see the ape but we couldn't detect him in the field of view. Within a minute this massive guy steps into view from the left and goes running down the hill with some lunch in his hand. He sat at the distance and ate it for a few minutes and then turned and looked up the hill at us.
Slowly he rises from a squat and starts to lumber up the hill using his the first of his right hand to ambulate. Before he reached the top my nieces screamed and ran out of the cave with my darling husband in tow. The gorilla came and sat down on the ledge on his side and leaned back against the glass. I don't know if he could see me or not but I know that he knew I was there. We sat together for maybe five minutes.
Not all of my shots turned out but I managed to get a drawing out of it.
2 comments:
Clare, what a gorgeous portrait of Bantu! You really captured his personality, too, and those beautiful eyes. Thank you so much for sharing it, and I hope you had a wonderful visit.
Sincerely,
Tina
Tina Rolen
Assistant Director of Marketing
Knoxville Zoo
WOW! I'm glad I found out his name. I was going to write you guys to find out.
I had a fabulous time! You have a fantastic zoo. If I lived in Knoxville I'd be there all the time.
Bantu was so cool. He slowly ambled up the hill and sat down with his back to the glass and looked at me. I thought the glass was tinted and he just sensed me really. But he let me take his photo, from which I drew this picture. I had my little neices with me and they were too scared to stay in the cave.
So glad you approve!
I'll be drawing or painting those rhinos soon. They were in the midst of a quarrel when I went by there. What awesome beasts!
My brother lives in Knoxville and every time I visit them I also visit the zoo. Years ago when I attended ORHS I used to skip school to visit the zoo. It sure has grown and improved over the years.
Thanks for your comment.
Clare
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