Cotton-Top Tamarin Exhibit

This mural was going to be for the Three Toed Sloth, which I was kind of excited about because I like sloths and I felt sorry for this one because before they changed the lighting and before I painted it the exhibit was really dark and ugly and she spent a lot of time huddled on the floor.  However, the plan changed so now only the Cotton-top Tamarins will be living in here.  I guess I am fine with that.  At least she is in an exhibit with a skylight now.

Source: Mickey Samuni-Blank

Cotton-tops are cool too.  They have great hair. 

Now I am working on another exhibit at the Herpetarium, of which I will probably be posting pictures soon.  This one is for one of my all time favorite animals: the Ozark Hellbender Salamander. 

Mang Viper Exhibit--finished

Here are some pictures of the finished Mang Viper exhibit that I forgot to post before.

Mang Viper Exhibit

I am currently working on a mural for the Mang Viper Exhibit at the Herpetarium.  The mang viper is a beautiful snake that lives in the Hunan Province of China, known for its unique mountains and rock formations (it's where James Cameron got his inspiration for the floating islands in Avatar)

I Began with a quick and small color sketch on paper to get an idea of what the composition should be.

In the exhibit, I started by painting the sky and the most distant mountains.

Then I began painting the closer, darker mountains and adding trees, foliage, and mist.

Now I just need to add some final details to the foreground and I think I will be done. 

Spider Monkey Exhibit

I painted this mural for the spider monkey exhibit in the Primate House a while ago and forgot to post pictures, so I am doing that now.  

I included a lot of detail in this mural.  The fungus near the upper right corner of the picture above is supposed to be a cordyceps fungus growing out of a beetle.  If you haven't heard of cordyceps, it is a very strange variety of mushroom that infects insects.  It's pretty cool.  Follow this link if you want to hear David Attenborough talk about it:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuKjBIBBAL8

I have hidden two other things in this mural, but I am not posting pictures of them so if you want to know what they are you will have to waltz over to the primate house and find them for yourself! 

Armenian Viper Exhibit and Spider Monkey Exhibit

The St. Louis Zoo Herpetarium is highly involved in conservation and protecting endangered herps (snakes, turtles, lizards, amphibians, etc.)  One of the species Jeff Ettling and other members of the herpetarium have worked hard to protect is the Armenian Viper, so I was very excited to paint the mural for this awesome snake.  

I did my best to include as many of the native plants and landscape features of the viper's habitat in Armenia.  The poppies and other flowers were a fun excuse to include colors I don't usually get to work with.  Rocks are fun too.

Although the mural is done, the exhibit is still being worked on, so if you want to see the vipers in their new home you may need to come back in a week or two.

I am currently working next door on the Spider Monkey exhibit in the Primate house.  The spider monkeys are in the the last exhibit I painted: the Tamarin exhibit (no idea where the tamarins and sakis are).  

I am painting another amazon rainforest scene.  This time I am depicting the deep forest on a wet and misty day, so there are a lot of cool colors.  The exhibit rocks are very hard to move around on without tripping and almost landing on my head, so progress has been rather slow but it's coming along.

Thank you to everyone who has been sending or posting encouragement and praise!  It is always nice to hear what people think about what I'm doing.

Golden Lion Tamarin exhibit and Armenian Viper exhibit

I recently finished this rainforest mural for the Golden Lion Tamarin and White-faces Saki exhibit at the Primate House.  If everything goes as planned, I will apply the final coat of varnish tomorrow.

Here is one of the Golden Lion Tamarin monkeys who will be living in the exhibit.  I hope she likes it!

The Sifaka lemurs next door were very interested in what I was doing.  They kept sitting on the door between the exhibits and watching me paint.

I am also currently working on a mural for the Armenian Viper exhibit at the Herpetarium.  The picture below was sent to me by Patrick Ferguson.  Thanks Patrick!

New Pictures of Old Jobs

I've been in between jobs but I am about to start a new mural in the primate house this Wednesday.  It will be my first outside the Herpetarium.  

 In the meantime, here are some new pictures of old jobs.

This is the Mexican beaded lizard exhibit, which I finished in December.  

Below is a panoramic view of the Herpetarium from inside the beaded lizard exhibit. 

(click image for closeup)

Here is a panoramic and closeup of the Arizona Lizards exhibit.

And finally, here is an old box that one of the keepers found in the attic of the Herpetarium that apparently once contained a "Posinous Coral Snak," sent to the St. Louis Zoo by a J.E. Wallace from Florida.