“Art is as natural as sunshine and as vital as nourishment.”
– MaryAnn F. Kohl
SMUG
Once my spirit became attached to the idea of being an artist, I became drawn to reference images that were highly detailed and intricate. There was no gradual ‘snowball roll’ into layers and layers of fur or feathers. I wanted to challenge myself immediately. So I happened upon the work of photographer, Mogens Trolle on Instagram and I was so drawn to his primate photography, particularly his photography of an especially smug looking mandrill. I could feel that mandrill’s soul through his eyes. It was with this piece that I developed my love for eyes with meaning—a love that guided how I chose reference images from there on.
TITLE: SMUG
MEDIUM: Acrylic on Panel
DIMENSIONS: 16” x 20”
SUBJECT: Male Mandrill
DATE: 04-2019
STATUS: Unavailable
DID YOU KNOW?Mandrills are the largest of all monkeys.
Average life span of a mandrill in the wild is about 20 years while the average lifespan in captivity is about 46 years.
They are native to Equatorial Africa in Southern Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and the Republic of Congo.
They are easily identifiable by the blue and red skin on their faces and their brightly hued rumps. These distinctive colors become brighter when they’re excited.
Mandrills are omnivorous animals and therefore eat almost anything. The mandrill primarily feeds on fruits, berries, seeds, nuts, roots and even small mammals and reptiles.
They have extremely long canine teeth which can be over 2 inches long.
The mandrill is considered vulnerable by IUCN and is affected by deforestation. However, hunting for bushmeat is the more direct threat.
Though Rafiki of the ‘Lion King’ is often referred to as a baboon, his physical features are that of a mandrill.