Painting Pandas

Memories influence my work.

When I was a child, I had a collection of stuffed animals which included a panda I named, well, Panda, and I remember visiting the National Zoo in Washington DC for a momentous occasion when two pandas, Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling, were given by China to the US in the 1970’s. It was a big deal- Pat Nixon received them, and it was all over local news. I still remember the crowds hovering at the windows for a glimpse of the furry diplomats as they rolled around and played with their metal feeding bowls.

Why paint pandas now?

In the last month, as I questioned my art-making and social media fight with algorithms, I returned to the quiet of my studio to play with watercolor. It’s time to play again, I thought.

Who better to emulate “play” than these toddler- like animals who amuse themselves, eat, and poop all day.

Just look at these goof- balls of fur…

It is the playfulness of pandas that inspires me. The sheer fact that they have survived is amazing as they seem so ill- prepared to face the trials and problems of their natural world. It’s a testament to humans for helping panda generations last even though there are so few in the wild. We can just watch videos and photographs of them playing, grabbing and rolling and climbing lazily to know they are kids at heart. That’s why I paint them. They remind me of children who just want to explore and enjoy life, something that often adults have lost. It’s important to grow up, but it’s also important to play like a child. Playing is experimenting, discovering, creating and it takes a certain amount of trust and sense of security to free oneself to play this much. These silly looking creatures have much of it even though their survival is not easy. They rarely mate and carry to full term, their babies are tiny so mothers have to give constant care,and although they are omnivores, 99% of their food is bamboo, all in a diminishing habitat. SO, IN THE END, THEY TEACH ME ABOUT RESILIENCY AS WELL AS PLAYFULNESS.

Don’t forget I’ve recently published a children’s book about a sweet dog looking for a home. Go to this link to read more and purchase it.

Thanks for reading and I’ll be posting more regularly again, as I’m back on track “playing” with new projects and paintings- including editing a new book, painting more animals, and creating some handmade cards and landscapes for sale.- See you next time!