2 Comments
The fauna of the Iberian Peninsula has a wide diversity that is due largely to two factors ; the geographical position of the Iberian peninsula between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and between Africa and Eurasia, and the great diversity of habitats and biotopes , the result of a considerable variety of climates and distinct regions. The woodlands of the Iberian Peninsula are distinct ecosystems. Although the various regions are each characterized by distinct vegetation, there are some similarities across the peninsula. While the borders between these regions are not clearly defined, there is a mutual influence that makes it very hard to establish boundaries and some species find their optimal habitat in the intermediate areas. I have started this new Iberian Fauna Project to help to disseminate the current knowledge of the animal world of my country to the general public at large. My plan is to replicate the big mammals, and perhaps also birds, at 1:20 scale Among the large carnivores are two species disappeared from much of Western Europe: the brown bear , which survives in the Cantabrian mountain range and in certain Pyrenean enclaves , and the Iberian wolf , endemic subspecies of the Peninsula. Although the most emblematic carnivore is undoubtedly the Iberian lynx, the most endangered feline within the European continent . Far more numerous are the populations of wild cat, red fox and some mustelids : badger , polecat and weasel ; somewhat less numerous are the otter , marten and marten . Viverrids are represented by the genet ; and mongooses , by the Meloncillo . Herbivores are represented by fairly widespread species , as some adj deer : red deer , fallow deer and El Corzo. There are endemic populations and Pyrenean ibex and chamois Cantabrian redoubts . Also widespread is the Boar These are the models I have replicated up to now…I hope you find them interesting and enjoyable. THE KHARITES, or Graces, were three goddesses of grace, beauty, adornment, joy, mirth, festivity, dance and song. The usual list, from youngest to oldest is Aglaea ("Splendor"), Euphrosyne ("Mirth"), and Thalia ("Good Cheer"). The three Graces presided over banquets, dances, all activities and enjoyable celebrations. In short, everything that the world might be nice, pleasant, interesting, attractive... The three Graces granted to gods and mortals not only joy but also the eloquence, the generosity and wisdom. Believed that they had the ability to give the genius to be an exceptional artist. Perhaps that is the reason why artists of all time (Greeks, Romans, Botticelli, Raphael, Rubens, Renoir, Picasso, Dalí...) made so many artistic representations about this group of goddesses, usually forming a group in a circle, ready to start dancing. As a sculptor of animals, I would like to modestly participate in this tribute to the joy and the gracefulness, and no animal can better represent these qualities than the slender and elegant giraffes... Here is my contribution: three giraffes in circle in permanent suggestion of initiating the subtle movements of an spontaneous dance, where vertical lines of their refined figures can intertwine each other in a perfect way, decorated and extolled by the air that surrounds them. So, my Kordofan giraffe woukd be “Good Cheer” as Thornicroft´s would be “Mirth” and the reticulated one “Splendor”…nice names for so beautiful species! I hope you like!!! They reached Europe from Africa, safely, more than one thousand years ago. They had a job to do, and they did it perfectly. Now they are living in Spain and Portugal perfectly integrated with the natural environment. In fact they can be considered pure Iberians. Another Iberian species, with all the credit!. A good example to follow, I Think... Iberian Mongoose or Andalusian ichneumon (Herpestes ichneumon widdringtonii) is a subspecies of the Egyptian mongoose which is the only mongoose that lives in Europe, particularly in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. It is called “Meloncillo” in Spanish and " Sacarrabos " in Portuguese. In this video you can see an Andalusian Ichneumon, what is not so easy in the field… Meloncillo would have been introduced in the Iberian peninsula during the Arab occupation, which started in 711 AD, more than one thousand years ago. The Moors may have imported this mongoose to hunt rats. Some individuals, escaping captivity, would have become feral and developed to a singular subspecies. Meloncillo differs from the other Egyptian Mongoose subspecies in its larger size and its significantly stronger dentition. So, these are the sketches that I prepared for two different versions of Meloncillo 1:20 scale. One walking and the other standing up in the distinctive way how all the mongoose do. Fortunately these small mustelids reproduce easily ... see!: The challenge from the point of view of the sculptor is that the model looks as elusive as all mongooses are...and this is the final result of my work:
After a lot of work , I have already completed two of the nine figures comprising this crazy project . I had to reform the hooves of my giraffes because in the initial model I did not put enough attention and the feet looked more like being for cows or horses than for giraffes . Now they can be seen with their proper giraffe hooves, which have a peculiar morphology , probably because of the need to support such a huge and slender body . Here you can see some pictures of my first two models together. I have to say that I was a little bit struggled to clearly determine the morphological differences between this two subspecies. The only noticeable one is that Kordofan giraffe has normally a well developed medium lump while it is usually underdeveloped in the Thornicroft´s one. However, it has been relatively easy to discern the color and shape of the spots of each of them, despite I’ve noticed that, even in the same litter, two individuals may have differences with each other. This is what is called polymorphism, so clearly marked in the human species and also be found in the giraffes, although to a much lesser proportion. To explain polymorphism, I always show the following video, where you can see different lions, each of them with their own personality, as if they were persons. Some of them are fat, others thin. Some are beautiful others… no so much. Some has a big head or short manes, others…no. So reality is diverse and that is why realistic Art should be also diverse That is what I try, making Art with diversity…making DIVARTSITY!!!
This unique Asian feline contradicts the belief that cats dislike water. He can be found from the island of Bali to India and from Java to Indochina living near rivers , streams , swamps and mangroves . It is a strong swimmer and feeds mainly on fish. His condition is precarious and its two subspecies are endangered . It is not really a small cat. Bigger and heavier than jaguarondi, and about twice the size of a domestic cat. Its length between head and body ranges up to 85 cm with a relatively short tail of 30 cm. This means that at 1:20 scale it could be up to 5.8 cm. Being a cat, it is incredible he can swim long distances, even underwater, and catch many of slippery kinds of fishes... so his name: the Fishing Cat!! However, it has often been incorrectly credited with physical adaptations to these habits. While webbed feet have previously been noted as a characteristic of the fishing cat, the partial membrane between the toes is in fact no more developed than in other wild or domestic cats From the sculpting point of view it is interesting to not how robust this cat is, having a long stocky body and relatively short legs, a short thick tail, a broad and long head and elongated muzzle slightly tilted down and the top and front of the skull significantly flat.
Here you can see my model and some pictures of the sequence of the sculpting and painting process. I hope you like When I first considered the possibility to make a Giraffe model I was not sure which of the nine recognized subspecies I should select Nine? Yes! Nine! There are NINE subspecies of giraffes….I didn´t know. I thought there were not more than three… Any way, there are no significant morphological differences between the diverse subspecies of giraffes, apart from some discussed variations regarding the ossicones and the mediam lump on the skull However, the pattern of the skin offers many beautiful options and it was not easy to select one of them. At the beginning I thought that those elaborate patterns on the Masai giraffe could be quite fun to paint. Later I considered that the Rothschild giraffes was really unique, especially those with unusually dark markings, also interesting for painting. However, I always liked the Reticulated giraffe–it is probably my favorite- although is a fact that most companies produce only Reticulated giraffe models for their catalogues. So, I would prefer to make something different. So, I started to make an studio about the real differences between all the subspecies of giraffes from the artistic point of view. These are my conclusions: 1. Nubian giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis camelopardalis)
2. Reticulated or Somali giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis reticulate)
3. Angolan or Namibian giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis angolensis)
4. Kordofan giraffe(Giraffa Camelopardalis antiquorum)
5. Masai or Kilimanjaro giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis tippelskirchi)
6. Rothschild's , Baringo or Ugandan giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis rothschildi)
7. South African giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis giraffa)
8. Rhodesian giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis thornicrofti)
9. The West Africa, Niger or Nigerian giraffe (Giraffa Camelopardalis peralta)
Finally, after a long meditation, when I was almost quite convinced to make a Kordofan giraffe… I have made a decision: I am going to do all of them!!!! However, from what I have been investigated, it would be worthy to start making the six subespecies that are generally recognized as been the most distinctive from them. These are the subspecies I choose to star with:
I will keep you informed about the project in followings posts... Bye!! From my point of view, one of the beauties of small replicas is to feel them in your hands.
Since I was a child whenever I saw animal figurines I feel the irrepressible impulse of touching them with my hands. I suppose many people feel the same as in many places you can see a sign saying something like this: “PLEASE DON’T TOUCH”. However, the fact is that I can feel something special -difficult to describe- when I catch and feel these figurines with my hands. Definitively I like to see them ON MY HANDS: |
AuthorI love animal replicas. I make them since I was a child an now I have restarted this passionate hobby. Archives
October 2016
Categories |