Isle of wight zoo live painting session lemurland

A4 acrylic on canvas board, one hour painting of lemurs eating and in background sunbathing, these little critters sure move around fast, caught the one in the foreground nibbling on apple sections, he has one arm, his name is Berenty and I believe he lost his arm in a domestic dispute where by he was going to the rescue of one of his siblings. His arm was so badly mauled it had to be removed.

In captivity he does fine I doubt he would have survived long in the wild.

Grumbly Grimms day out to the isle of wight dinosaur museum by isle of wight artist veronica grimm

Grumbly Grimm's day out to the isle of wight dinosaur museum leaves her scared and slightly in awe of the mighty creatures that used to chase, bully and eat Grumbly Grimm's.
Each critter she see's gets a universal flag of grimmdom.
Some days the whole museum can be a flutter with tiny flags, big humans bend trying to read and understand the very miniscule scraps of paper to no avail.
Hand made canvas on wood six feet x 2.5 feet acrylic and pen.

Custom Huck Gee sculpt by isle of wight artist veronica grimm

Given an all over jaguar custom, she now sits upon her bomb redesigned to wipe out human vermin.
sculpt made and designed by Huck Gee customized vinyl by veronica grimm.
Another grimm tale.

Lemur painted portrait Isle of wight Zoo

From a pencil sketch of one of the lemur's at the isle of wight zoo, unfortunately I as yet cannot identify each lemur.

The lemur posed just long enough to make a good sketch the finished painting was completed back at the studio. 10x14 inches acrylic on canvas.

3 live paintings of tiger @ isle of wight Zoo

Two preliminary sketch paintings on canvas paper very quick and fluid to get me tuned in, followed up with a longer painting on box canvas, quickly completed with brushes only.

In an impressionisic style that I tend to adopt for fast outdoor moving scenes.

I have completed a more detailed pencil sketch which I am in the process of redrawing onto canvas for a larger version of the stretching tiger.

Box canvas 20x20inches, canvas paper A5 size.

The good thing about this enclosure is you can sit at the back of a seated stand area where the keepers give talks affording me protection from any bad weather.

Painting of Tiger Islands 2 male lions from on site pencil sketch.

From the pencil sketch dated 28 feb 2008, I captured Snoopy and Charlie brown watching intently the passing tourists totally unaware of the raw power these two hold.

I completed the acrylic on canvas in the studio making slight alterations from the original pencil. (24x36inches)

On another sketching foray of these two I was standing close to the fence trying to capture Snoopy ontop of the landrover but he was fidgity and kept moving position, as I fought with the line drawing my head was down making alterations, the next time I looked up he was there, right in front of me face to huge face. The gap between the fence and the public here is very close and we were almost touching.

He stared into my eyes for almost 2 minutes and I could sense his superiority over me, however I was intent on sketching it all down and therefore did not waver my stare, this was not going down very well with Snoopy.

Eventually he moved away with a huffy roar and tail wag.

I heard that when they roar the sound waves can vibrate your internal organs, which makes you freeze for a second, enough time for a kill, like a rabbit in headlights. I am glad on that day he did not roar.

Original painting and pencil sketch nahla the lioness at Tiger Island

From a live study, pencil sketch made on the 2nd March 2008 in the afternoon, took around an hour to complete. It was when I was doing this study that I noticed Zena the one eyed tiger perching herself on her rock. (On previous blog entry).

The painting was completed from the pencil sketch and memory for the colours,

Siesta, all the animals had settled down to bask in the spring sun.

24x 36 inch acrylic on canvas.

Zena, Tiger Islands one eyed White Tiger captured in one afternoons drawing and painting.

From the outset I was drawing the female lions enclosure when I noticed in the distance through the back of her enclosure zena the white Tiger was basking on her rock.

I first made a couple of hurried sketches but soon realised she was there for the duration so I settled down and completed an A4 acrylic on canvas card, from this I completed the 24x36inch canvas of Zena.
The

pictures on the blog are slightly darker,why, I do not know.

Plush Bashing. FAT Collector gets his Grumbly Grimms by isle of wight artist veronica grimm

For every three Grumbly Grimms born the FAT Collector has to have Two to keep his bulbous body big.
surviving Grumbly Grimms by law must not congregate into groups of more than two. If they do this suggests a terrorist act is being planned against the FAT Collector and any Grumbly Grimm suspected of a terrorist act will be handed over to the FAT Collector and incarcerated forth with.
Plush bashed using recycled materials stands over two feet tall.

Original Painting Isle of Wight Zoo Zena the one eyed warrior princess of Tiger Island

Painted in acrylic on canvas 24 x 36 innches. Zena the one eyed tiger.
I drew a few pencil sketches on site then built up this picture in the studio

over a period of a week. She has been very good at posing, the last week has been sunny in the afternoons and she frequently lounges over a large rock in her enclosure, several more sketches are in the process of being upgraded to paintings.

She loves the attention all those wicked fights for dominance has left her scarred or thats what she would like us to believe. In fact she had to have her eye removed due to a disease.

On site life painting of Lemur at Tiger Island Isle of Wight Zoo

On A4 canvas board in acrylic. Why Oh Why did I choose for my first out doorsie painting at the zoo the lemurs.
They move very swiftly and never stand still, the buckets where some of their food is kept is however stationery.
The lemur in the painting is made up of several members of the group who took it in turns to look in the bucket although it could well be the same lemur having several looks. I got confused!
The painting took just over an hour on a bright and sunny afternoon.

Charlie Brown Dozing Isle of Wight Zoo painting of male lion

From on site sketch made on the 29th february 2008, afternoon windy but bright, sketch took just over an hour between 13.30 and 14.40.

the painting took several days, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 36 inches.

Charlie Brown was dozing in the sun light, a chunck of meat was attracting the crows but weary of the big brown stone they just circled or watched from timber poles.

Female Tiger (Aysha) painting on site study isle of wight zoo

From a pencil study I made on the 25th February 2008 (top picture), she was peeking around the temple like structure in the Ranthambore National park enclosure.

I have been going down to Tiger Island most afternoons, I now have around thirteen sketches I can turn into paintings.

Drawing the pictures is averaging out at around an hour, the painting of these sketches takes considerably longer and some of my most recent sketches have got very complicated compositions.

Aysha took around four days to complete, 50 x 50 cm, acrylic on box canvas . Finished 3rd March 2008

Tiger Island, Isle of Wight Zoo life painting of lion

Lioness, Nahla does not normally pose, she tends to wander off away from me, sitting in areas of her enclosure where I cannot get a good picture capture. On this day she endeavoured to approach me slowly along the fence.

It was a quiet afternoon and when Nahla has not seen many visitors she is more inquisitive.

I made a quick pencil sketch on A4 canvas card then went back to the studio and completed the painting whilst the image was still fresh in my mind.

Acrylic on canvas 10 x 14 inches