Week 17th - 19th June

Monday 17th

Having cleared the job of replacing signs last week it was time for another illustration, the blue spiny lizard... this one I am not really looking forward to, as I foresee the same problems I had with the great plated lizard. But it still needs to be done and now it was next on the list. I looked over the reference images I had taken of the animals previously... checking that I could get the details I shall need from a combination of the various photo's noting where they are lacking and then went over to the reptile house to try and get more photo's and get a real good look at the animal before I start drawing. Unfortunately the lizards are a smallish species so the animal I could see towards the back was not helpful to me as itwas too far away for close observation. There was an animal close to the front... but just as I was starting to look him over it decided to move on and clambered down to hide under a rock. Darn! I waited but it jever resurfaced.. so my mission had failed. I will come back another time to see if I can get a better view. In the meantime there was always the internet. 

Back in the studio I did a search and was surprised that there were relatively few images of this species. I wanted in particular to get a better idea of the blue colour the males have. I shall have to chat to Tim to see if the colour is enhanced in breeding condition and dull the rest of the time.

The few photo' I had I uploaded and cropped, deleted, adjusted as necessary and then printed a seletion from those that I have now accumalated.

I did a few other little jobs around the studio and also went to check on the progress of the Round Aviary alterations. Nigel (Curator of Birds) ad said that there was a possiblity the aviary may be completed and the birds in over the weekend or on Monday (today). But a check revealed that there is still some work to be done before the birds go in. 

At 5pm there was a small gathering in the Maintenance workshops for a member of staff from that department who is retiring. Richard has been at the zoo about 15 years and is a very well liked man. He is always cheerful and ready to help however he can. A real ray of sunshine. So there were drinks and cakes on offer and a little gathering with speeches and a display of photo's of Rich past and present. It is very sad to see him go; I, along with many others will miss him greatly.

Tuesday 18th

An email from Jonny from the Aquarium has added a few more fish species to my 'to do list'. One being the pot bellied seahorse. This is a species we have had before at the zoo only back then, in 2002, it was referred to as big bellied seahorse. Many species have different common names, depending on the area they are found or who is referring to them. There is only one scientific name and that changes rarely - only when changes are made to its taxonomic classification. So a quick check of the old ID sign showed the smae scientific name but no image on file. It was some years ago and very likely done as a copy trans before we started producing images digitally. However a look through my illustrations of fish brought the worrying fact to light that the illustration is missing. I spent some time looking in all possible places but could not find it or indeed another species of seahorse. They were possibly used and have not been put back where they should be. I did find the copy trans (positive colour film) and so scanned the illustration from that. It took some tweeking to get the settings to scan it well but eventually got there.

The background was black of course but not 'pure black' so I needed to change that. This time instead of using the mouse to guide the pen tool in photoshop, I got to play with the new tablet and pen. Unfortunately as my operating system on my computer is older than the specs need, I could not get all the functions to play with and learn, but I could do a straight trace around the illustration and change the background. It took longer than normal as it was all new and different to handle, but great fun and I should think once I get used to handling the tablet and pen it wil be quicker. I followed a tutorial on YouTube to et to basics which was very handy and helpful to do.

I compuled a new ID sign document for the seahorse, putting in the info Jonny had given me and placing teh illustration on to it as well and then printed it and laminated it. Although it is made in the format for backlit signs (as all the fish signs are) there is no light box for the display tank that these fish will be in. They are in a tank in the undreground area of Seal and Penguins Coast.

Last week I had suggested to Phil that maybe we could do something a little more interesting with the 'blanks' we use to fill spaces in ID holders where there is no ID sign to go. These have up to now been plain pieces of paper, either white or a salmon colour (for birds), but I thought it might be more asthetically pleasing to have a subtle pattern on them. The zoo logo has a lovely design of the letters being made up of a jumble of interlocking animal and plant images. So Phil put a copy of the logo image file onto my computer and I took a portion of it and placed it onto a new template for blank signs.... I then played with some colourings and degrees of tone until I got two versions (one on white and one on salmon) and then printed a small supply. I had a few new blanks to go up as part of the sign replacement I have been doing., so I put up the first of the new style blaanks today.

I finished the day continuing with my backup of files to the zoo's server. I managed to get all the fish and herps(reptiles and amphibians) done.

Wednesday 19th

I have a half day today. This evening I am off up to Gloucester to do a painting demonstration to an art group in my capacity as a wildlife artist. So I took the afternoon as holiday.

As Phil was out at the Hollywood Tower Estate this morning I went to the Ops Meeting in his place. Anna,the other designer, usually goes in his place but she is on holiday this week so that leaves me. It's been some years since I have gone to an Ops Meeting. I had nothing to report from the Graphics Section but wrote a few notes on what other sections had to report so Phil was aware.

I had seen Nigel and after a brief chat about the status of the Round Aviary alterations and bird moves I had two more ID signs to print ready for the white winged wood duck. These will be going in with the black hornbills (their signs are ready and waiting to go up) The birds should be in very soon.

Whilst I was out I cleaned off some graffitti from an ID sign, luckily it came off easily with some lighter fluid.

I finished the morning by continuing and finishing my back up to the server.