At The Zoo

Drawings and paintings of live or fossil animals made on-site.

It is always a pleasure to go to the zoo or museum to draw or paint. The play of light on an animal, and even small movements reveal the form under fur, feathers and scales. But it’s also a challenge since even a sleeping animal is always moving.

Because the places I draw and paint in are cramped, I stand as I work. I don’t paint from photographs because working directly from life is more exciting and requires me to work quickly and concentrate, to get to the essentials without over-thinking.

Some visitors come over to talk and encourage me. They murmur to each other as they try to peer over my shoulder; they may even try to photograph the piece as I try to catch a pose before it’s gone. If things are going well, I am pleasant enough, but I get pretty grumpy if I’m struggling.

I painted most of these watercolors on all-media spiral books with hard covers. The drawings are mostly done in black ballpoint pen on soft-cover sketchbooks. Most of the papers are acid-free.