BILI APE/STUDIO UPDATE
The Bili Ape was discovered in 2003 in the Northern Congo. It is ground dwelling like the gorilla but looks like a large chimpanzee. Bili Apes do not behave aggressively towards humans but they do hunt lions. Yup.... Lions. They are also bi-pedal and use tools. I am fascinated by the link we share with primates. This particular species seems to recognize that link as they are known to surround humans and watch the curiously but not harm or bluff charge them. Primates tend to thrive in moist environments for obvious reasons (hence the lack of the giant desert panda) which results in a majority of primate bones being claimed by the earth and not fossilized for us to use to piece back together our biological lineage. The number of species that humans may have coexisted with at one time is a curious and thought provoking subject that conjures up imagery so ancient and ingrained in our DNA that we see it reproduced time and time again in art, media and literature. I am fascinated by this planet and the depth and breadth of life that it host.
I am going to be doing quite a bit of animal based art this year as well as getting back to some figure drawing and painting. It has been a year or more since my last figure drawing session and I imagine I am getting rather awkward with my life drawing through lack of practice. Audio books and podcast have replaced most of my music during painting and commuting over the past couple of years. There is a vast amount of fascinating information that is available for free/very cheap and the older I get the more I value getting to absorb new ideas, concepts and stories. I am going to be in the studio this weekend and already have an idea of where I want to go with my next painting, of course I never know if my idea is going to have much to do with the finished product and I often begin painting with no concept of how to proceed.
I will beusing this blog to discuss the creative and technical process of my painting as well as exploring some more of my thoughts or maybe just writing to myself. I do feel it important to document the creative process. There are definitely more important things in the world than what I am doing in my studio, but it is none-the-less important to me all the same.
Please feel free to comment or contact me with questions and dialogue .
- Caleb
Really Though...