Return to OZ

I don't get over to the Oakland Zoo as often, but I have a couple of trips' worth of drawings saved up from there as well.

August 3, 2016: A nice day out with fellow artists Ben Jelter and Alexa Dunham! The baboons put on a great show for us.

 

 

  

February 22, 2017: Finally, a break in the rainy weather! I needed to practice camels, I wanted to draw elephants in memory of Judi Reynolds, and I did some tigers since I'd been discussing them with George Cwirko Godycki. But if I had my druthers, I'd be happy to draw hyenas all day long...

 

Oakland Zoo: Summer Solstice

After wrapping up my spring teaching duties and finishing up a huge pile of freelance work, I had a little room in my schedule to get over to the Oakland Zoo for the first time in about a year...

My photographer buddy Grace and I were especially keen to see the baby warthogs, and they were everything we could have hoped for!

The baboons were hanging back a ways, so these are really just loose impressions rather than detailed likenesses.

I keep meaning to draw the hyenas, so that's one thing off my bucket list! The camels continue to elude my pen, however.

And of course I had to visit my beloved sun bears.

I went back a couple of days later, and ended up drawing a lot of the same critters I drew last year. I'm so predictable.

 So sue me, I can't get enough of those giant tortoises.

The gibbons are always reliably entertaining. I love the way the male perches in the treetops and regally surveys his domain.

The ever-popular trio of lady elephants. It's fun trying to capture their very distinctive individual likenesses.

Loitering after closing time, I jotted down a very quick scribble of the charismatic male warthog.

Oakland Zoo 05/23/2015

In which Julie and I return to OZ to celebrate some elephants! Volunteers were on hand to share their pachyderm knowledge, and remind us to support California's SB 716 (banning the use of bullhooks) and AB 96 (cracking down on the state's shameful ivory trade).

The utterly adorable white-handed gibbons. The blond one doesn't seem to be quite as extroverted, but they're both serious swingers.

More sun bear fun, plus a recognition guide and your daily reminder to seek out products that use sustainable palm oil.

My main goal for today was to learn how to tell the elephants apart. Here's Donna eating a yummy cardboard box, plus a basic recognition crib sheet.

We signed up for the once-a-year tour of the elephant barn, and saw Osh getting his daily pedicure and checkup. Tomorrow, he turns 21!

Oakland Zoo 05/07/2015

At last, I made my first ever field trip to the beautiful Oakland Zoo! All via public transit, no less.

At first it seems like they're just hanging out, but if you stick around a while, you'll see the fruit bats doing all kinds of fun stuff! Now I know they pee upside down, but poop right-side up.

The fossil recreations, and the mini-doors for the Reptile & Amphibian House, seem like great kid-pleasing features. But sometimes you just want to hang out and eat some strawberries.

I ducked into the Reptile & Amphibian House to wait out the rain. The gila monster eluded me, but here are some chuckwallas and what I believe is a Colorado River toad.

I think I've fallen in love with the Aldabra giant tortoise. And maybe it's just my fancy, but from the way he kept looking at me, I think it's mutual.

As I recall, using sustainable palm oil was one of Tony Barnosky's top ten tips for saving the world. The sun bear will thank you, and if you're very lucky, she might give you a flash of her amazing termite-catching tongue.

Last but never least, I spent the final hour hanging out with the elephants. These are really just preliminary studies - I'll have to go back soon and really observe these beauties! I've since identified the ones shown here as M'Dundamela (top left), Lisa (top right and bottom left), and Donna (bottom right).