Fueled by Clouds & Coffee: A Sunny Afternoon at the Zoo

5/7/15 Diamine Chocolate Brown ink, Caran d'Ache
Museum colored pencil, Canson XL 140 lb. paper

The afternoon turned out so warm and beautiful that Greg and I took a spontaneous trip to Woodland Park Zoo. Me with my sketchbook and him with his long zoom lens, we were delighted to catch quite a few animals enjoying the sunshine, too. Otters, a hippo, two giraffes, two warthogs and especially a young (but now full grown) tiger were all rare sightings and a treat to see.

I had the most fun watching the Humboldt penguins feed. Calling each by name, the keeper dropped small fish into the penguins’ mouths. (I sketched only a few, but there were dozens of them.) Native to South America, they all seemed to have Spanish names. Meanwhile, several opportunistic gulls, crows and even a heron grabbed fish that the penguins missed! We also enjoyed a fascinating presentation outside the raptor house, where a keeper told us all about the Aplomado falcon on her arm.

My favorite sketch of the day was of the hippo. Despite her ample girth, she has a certain grace and dignity to her movements.