Back to the Zoo

 

9/10/21 Humboldt penguin

Animals have always been a favorite sketching subject. During my first couple years of sketching, I spent a lot of spring and summer days at the Woodland Park Zoo. Even in cold, wet weather, I headed straight for sheltered areas and some happy sketching time. I think the zoo is where I first began gaining experience in life drawing – life that moves quickly and doesn’t pose. Back then, I was still a bit self-conscious sketching on city sidewalks, but I felt relaxed at the zoo, where it seemed natural to spend time observing animals by sketching. As I grew more comfortable sketching in different urban environments, I spent less time at the zoo, but I still love drawing animals.

One day recently, I realized that it had been more than two years since I last sketched at the zoo. Now that school is back on, the weekday crowds are gone. We had let our membership lapse during the pandemic, but last week we renewed it and made our first post-vax visit.

Compared to the Before Times, I didn’t feel I could leisurely linger at exhibits as I used to because most visitors are courteously distancing, and we felt compelled to keep moving. Even so, I managed to grab these gestures quickly. Compared to jays and squirrels, these furry and feathered critters were sloth-like! I hope to make a few more visits before the weather goes bad.

Gray wolf

Great gray owl

Steller's sea eagle

I left most of the photography to Greg, but I did snap this one of a pair of
gray wolves. We saw three that day.