Perceptive Primates
Acrylic on Canvas
2023
24" x 36"
As humans, we put value on beauty whether it be jewelry, cars, or people themselves. I believe this idea relates to nature and animals. Gorillas are one of the thousands of species on the critically endangered list yet they are continually hunted for meat to serve as a delicacy to the wealthy. From what I have gathered as the popular opinion, gorillas are not considered beautiful but rather scary or ugly. In my painting, you can see two gorillas staring at the audience waiting to see what the people will do to either help them or pronounce them unworthy of it because of their outer appearance.
Beautiful Birds
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Mysterious Mammals
Mixed media on canvas
2023
24" x 30"
As a kid, I looked at the foreign animals around the world and I remember thinking that they were incredible. The pangolin was among these, though I didn’t know the name of them at the time. Pangolins are hunted for their unique scales and another mammal affected by habitat loss. Other people may look at this scaly creature with disgust but I think that it’s not fair to judge animals by their classification and appearance. I hope that viewers will take a second look before deeming an animal ugly and consider the wonderful attributes of every species.
Mystifying Mammals
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Captive Cetaceans
Acrylic on Canvas
2023
12" x 30"
Have you ever heard of the vaquita porpoise? I hadn’t before I chose it as the fifth painting in my series. Vaquitas are considered the most endangered marine animal with only an estimated ten left in population. The main cause of death for these porpoises is the use of illegal gill-nets to catch fish and shrimp. My hope for this painting is that the audience will realize the severity of certain endangered species and choose to act. Please consider all of the beautiful creatures we lose everyday and how our world will look when they are no longer here to inhabit it.