Wednesday 13th June

One of my first jobs this morning was to put a square banner up for the Dino Party Room. There is an old shop that has been converted into a small room for children's party's and as we have dinosaurs in the zoo this summer the marketing Dept. have converted it into the Dino Party Room. The banner goes on the front of the building to brighten it up and give the space its new identity. Firstly I went down with Phil, Graphics Manager, to see where it was to go and to check the banner fitted the window onto which is was to be stuck. The window was rather mucky from dust and sticky fingers so I went back to clean it before starting on the banner. I put double-sided tape round the edge of the banner and, with Anna to help, it was stuck to the window with no hitches or snags... so nice when a job is straightforward.

Then I had an ID sign to do... a Palawan peacock pheasant had been moved into one of the garden Aviaries, this species is elsewhere in the zoo so there would be an ID file on the computer. I went to check the aviary to see what other signs were up and if I had to re-jig them. Sure enough the holder had three species already in there. The holder has room for four single IDs so there would be room once I changed one of the present IDs for the Bali starling from a double sign (with text) to just a single (without text).

Back to the studio I checked my 'hardcopy' file cabinet and found that there was an ID for the Bali starling so that was one less to print off and laminate. The Palawan peacock pheasant computer file was a Quark file so had to be redone as an Illustrator file before I could print it out. This is because I am going through the slow process of gradually changing all the ID files that have been done in Quark, Freehand or InDesign over to an Illustrator file. This is so that not only everything is done the same way but that printing issues are lessened as our printer does not like Quark and won't print A4 files done in this software.

When I popped out to put the two new signs up on the aviary I spotted the female Palawan foraging through the long grass in the aviary. She is a beautiful bird in her own right, but the male is absolutely stunning with irridescent blue on its head and in 'peacock' eyes on its tail feathers.

Whilst out I popped into the Butterfly Forest to check on how many Butterfly Guides they had left. There wasn't many and they were looking a little tatty; they would need some more. Back in the studio I pulled out the hardcopy of the A4 butterfly guide and ran off 32 copies on the photocopier. These then needed laminating, which took me up to and just after lunch. When they were all done I dropped them off in the Butterfly Forest. I do like going in here and envy the staff and volunteers who work in there as it is always lovely and warm, even toasty hot on some days.... perfect! Add to that the beauty of all the butterflies flitting around or sitting on the foliage and food... makes for a lovely working environment I should think. There was a new batch of butterflies just emerging from their chrysalis' - beautiful large white with black veined wings.

Finally about mid-afternoon I was able to get back to the rockpool painting. I continued working on the rocks and seaweeds at the back and, as I am painting, I hold a ruler across the 'waterline' so that I can see just where the seaweeds would float or be exposed and where to stop with the rock highlights etc. I am having fun doing this, it is so nice to not have the normal constraints I have when illustrating a species of animal, which I have to do as precisely as I can and am bound by colour, pattern, form and size. This, I am making up as I go along, albeit following my 'rough sketch idea' for basic composition... but the details I can be pretty free with... putting the seaweed where I like, however many limpets as I like.. the colour of the rocks, the form of the rocks... aaaah... it is a delight!