Checked out

Missed Wednesday's post last week - got the pipefish painting checked by Sam from the Aquarium and  he picked up on the tail section. I had found it very hard to get any reference either from the live animal or from any photo's that I took myself or found on the internet. Sam pointed out that the fish was more sectioned and square rather than round as I had done it. So I looked again at the live animals trying to work out what was happening. It has differing 'planes' to its body that change as it passes the dorsal fin. So I tried again, and again.. finally think I got it on the fourth try at the tail from the dorsal fin back.

So took it back to the Aquarium today for Jonny to see and check. Thankfully I had managed to get it right this time...

Scanned it to the computer and blacked out the background in Photoshop and then dropped the finished picture document into the ID document and printed, then laminated and trimmed it and put it up next to the tank the fish are in in the underwater area of the Seal and Penguin Coasts exhibit. This is how the illustration looks like as the ID sign.

I also managed to get the red-bellied lemur illustration checked and ok'd and also printed off three copies of that ID - one to put up now and two more to go up in the Lemur Walkway when it reopens for the school half term at the beginning of February. 

Emily from the Mammal Section checked the illustration for me whilst we stood by the indoor area of the ring-tailed lemurs. The young ring-tail, a female called Dizzy, was bouncing around the wooden poles and other adults like a looney. Her name certainly suits. I recalled how, a few months ago, I watched her pogo-ing the distance of several feet between two adults (one of whom was her Mother) during her early forays and adventures off her Mum.  

I also had a meeting today with Ben who works with Projects. They are planning some alterations in Bug World and this means moving interior walls to accommodate new tanks and make the keeper's areas bigger for better husbandry and access. Unfortunately in the area there is to be a lot of work one of my life size murals will be affected. The giant squid covers the walls and in some parts the ceiling so there will be a lot of repainting of said squid... if we keep it. So the meeting was to discuss what was involved and any other ideas.