Tuesday 27 September 2011

Well I wasn't expecting that..


What a day!  I have been working on and off on a small mural at Bristol Zoo - I went in today to start on the final stretch.  It was mentioned it'd be nice if it could have a tapir on it..so of I went with me sketchbook to scribble some down....


Got carried away with sketching, and wound up sketching the gorillas.  There was just one sat out in the sun on their own, almost as if they were biding their time waiting for something to happen...

 There was a bit of excitement with keepers and staff running round in a very purposeful 'can't tell you why' kinda way, so I hung around for a bit.  Glad I did, because i got a chance to see  this gorilla (Salome?) step out into the sun clutching her literally just born baby.  In celebration I did a terrible sketch - doesn't quite capture it but it was an amazing moment!

6 comments:

Keith said...

Double envy. That you got to witness that moment, and that you have a whole zoo to sketch from at your disposal. Great sketches too, the back view of the tapir is cracking.

Isn't Bristol zoo famous for it's gorillas ? And are they one of your main clients, you seem to do quite a bit for them.

And where is 'world of noses' ?

Great post.

Sam Church said...

First up , World of Noses..not sure whether to underwhelm you with the original doodle page the idea came from or to cook up somehting new to fit the title. Either way I'll sort it out soon!

Secondly, glad you liked this post. Full disclosure, yep the zoo is one of my clients but i also work there 2 days a week doing adminny type stuff. I have spent woefully little time sketching there recently and this has kinda got me back into it.
Thirdly are you all done working in Durham now? I'm heading back up there again in November for a book launch (yay!)

Keith said...

Achhh. Back in London now. Pity. Was the book Durham specific then ?

And get you, working in a ZOO. How cool is that.

The WV is tomit, which is one t short of a snigger word

Sam Church said...

He he, yep the book is a kids guide book for the World Heritage Site area (Cathedral, Palace Green, Durham Castle), so couldn't be more Durham specific!

PS re the WV :tsk tsk, how juvenile :)

June said...

How wondeful that you were there for that special moment. Salome has done the whole of Bristol proud :o)

It has been too long since I visited the zoo... time I corrected this.

Frances Cony said...

Lovely sketches, Sam. Love the side view of the tapir.

Went to the zoo, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to see the OTHER gorillas, but Penny thought she saw SOMETHING in presumably Salome's (not Salami as I keep mispronouncing her name) arms on Tuesday evening, not then knowing about the babbie.

On Wednesday at the zoo, I saw the top of a head à la your sketch and a pink hand and pink feet emerging from under a hairy arm.