Giant Pandas at the National Zoo
I had a few minutes on Tuesday after my meeting at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington DC ended and walked up Connecticut Avenue to the National Zoo to see and sketch the Giant Pandas. More than 20 years ago, I sat with my young daughter and sketched a Panda eating bamboo - and it didn't move for 20-30 minutes. The Panda Habitat has been recently renovated and there is a baby that was born in July 2007. I was able to see Mom, Dad, and Baby (who appears fully grown) and they were all in perpetual motion!
Here are a few quick sketches that I did when they stopped for 30 seconds!
There are 3 cameras in use at all times to track the pandas and volunteers (working in 3 hour shifts)move the cameras around continually to keep the Pandas in view on the screen. If you Google Panda cam you can see the 2 from the National Zoo and the 3rd that is sponsored at the zoo by Animal Planet.
I still love watching them - and was thrilled to have the time to walk up to the Zoo.
Comments
So cute and adorable, and your expressions are priceless. What fun to see them while they were active!
Posted by: Jenny | November 9, 2007 6:36 PM
Great drawings shirley. The panda evokes the same warm feeling in me that the penguin does...love them, they are adorable. You've captured a cute expression in the face in the first sketch.
ronell
Posted by: Africantapestry | November 10, 2007 1:53 AM
I love these pandas! They could be illustrations in a very charming children's book.
Posted by: sharon | November 10, 2007 5:02 AM
Shirley, these are wonderful! There's so much expression in their faces and postures. Congratulations on drawing them so well when they were moving around too.
Posted by: Casey | November 10, 2007 5:07 AM
What gorgeous panda sketches, Shirley! I'd love to be able to see them in real life ... one day perhaps :) And thank you for the comment on my blog, I'm never sure if visitors just want to see the drawings without added daily 'babble' or not, but find that more and more I'm tempted to fill everyone in on aspects of my life and my discoveries, so I may begin adding a bit here and there after all.
Posted by: Mariana | November 10, 2007 6:26 AM
I love your panda bears! beautiful in their simplicity...
Posted by: bec | November 10, 2007 10:48 AM
Oh! These guys are adoreable! How lucky you got to see them in person. Thanks for sharing with the rest of us.
Posted by: juj | November 10, 2007 10:51 AM
These are WONDERFUL! Thank you so much for sharing them. What a cheery site this grey morning! How did you capture so much personality in such quick sketches! Your ability to simplify made it possible and was very instructive for me. I got so lost in the details but seeing what you've done just reinforces how unimportant those little details are compared to capturing the big shapes (and the funny little expressions--love the smirk on the first one!).
Posted by: Jana Bouc | November 10, 2007 1:57 PM
These are just wonderful! Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: TaraLin | November 10, 2007 8:47 PM
I think you did an amazing job. It sure wasn't easy with the pandas moving around so much.
Posted by: Ella | November 11, 2007 4:35 AM
So simple and so expressive!
Posted by: Katherine | November 11, 2007 8:26 AM
I just smiled and smiled when looking at these. How wonderful that art at times makes us cry, laugh, gape, sigh and this today.........GRIN. You have captures this little (big) family and have told us a story with just a simple line and color. I've missed you!
Posted by: mARTa | November 11, 2007 10:30 PM
You perfectly captured these lumbering beasts, I visited the San Diego Panda exhibit and saw them, they were rather dirty and lazy, but I did see them :-) (and p.s. thank you for the always encouraging comments on my blog - you are among the dear friends I have made through EDM !)
Posted by: sandy | November 12, 2007 2:58 PM