We’re right in seal-whelping season so I thought I’d share this adorable little seal pup I painted. I’ve been on a wild animal kick lately. My whole life I’ve been focused on drawing horses, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I’m enjoying branching out. It’s fun and challenging to draw new animals. I’ve been rather surprised and delighted how cool the pictures come out!
Brush shaped markers have always been among my favorite tools. Almost two years ago my husband got me a set of water-soluble brush pens, then my brother got me an expansion. I love mixing them with proper watercolors like I did for this adorable little guy. His background is watercolor, primarily Daniel Smith brand, but he himself is brush pen. The brushes fit with the way I think about light and dark, allowing me to put down color in dark places and bleed it gently away.
When I was a kid, we used to visit Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute‘s tiny public aquarium, which always had two seals. I’m utterly embarrassed that I couldn’t tell you what type of seal they were–probably harbor seals, because this is New England. I loved watching the seals swoosh by through the water with no effort at all. So sleek and fast! I have always wanted to touch one to find out what they feel like. Is it like wet dog??? If any scientist out there knows, please tell me. (But nobody go harassing these adorable creatures in the wild. It’s sort of like any other cute little ball of fluff in the wild—if you touch it, you probably just ruined its chances at survival.)
Harbor seals are protected species nowadays, threatened by habitat degradation, chemical contamination, collisions with ships, entanglement in nets, and illegal feeding and harassment from people. They provide food for sharks and killer whales, making headlines on Cape Cod by bringing Great White Sharks (back?) to the region.
Harbor seals live up and down the Pacific coast, Alaska, and New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. The Marine Mammal Center estimates there are only 500,000 harbor seals worldwide. Pretty crazy to think about, actually.
They are remarkable animals, born swimmers (literally), able to hold their breath for at least 2 minutes when they are only days old, and then even in their sleep (up to 30 minutes!) once they are adults. They also molt. Which. I just find interesting.
Anyway, this fun little piece is available on all sorts of things on Redbubble (you know the drill) and I’m also selling fine art giclée prints through my Etsy shop.
Do you have a favorite Marine animal? Tell me about it, maybe I’ll give painting it a try!