Terryl Whitlatch joins Art Explorers

It is with great honor and admiration that we proudly announce our newest Art Explorers team member, the incredibly talented Terryl Whitlatch. From drawing mustangs to endless conversations of winged raptors, Terryl was too much of a great fit not to have her with us. Terryl and I can spend endless hours discussing the flights of merlins down to the ways pangolins walk. Her love for drawing and all things wild have led to us being great friends.

Terryl has worked on many projects from Disney's Brother Bear to Star Wars. Her amazing knowledge of animals and creature designs are a well known. She is a scientific and academically trained creature designer and concept artist. Combining in-depth knowledge of zoology and animal anatomy with her incredible illustration skills.

Terryl has illustrated several books including the amazing "Animals Real and Imagined" available at Design Studio Press. I am excited to have her on board to share her knowledge, skills and adventures. We are very honored to have you on board Terryl! Welcome!

Thank you all for the kind messages on the blog , we promise more posts, David, Thierry and myself have been swamped and Kristy is doing her best to round us up. We have some great announcements soon and hope to bring you all more. Including guest interviews and upcoming events.

From all of us at Art Explorers thanks!

Enjoy some Terryl Whitlatch art...

While in Africa

Hi all. I'm not sure how to begin this post.  I'm writing this from the bush in Africa and it's been a long day. A day that I am happy to partake in but also a day that makes me a bit confused and sad. I had my first on hands experience with an incredible group of wildlife vetenarians. On this assignment we are working with rhinos. Taking blood samples, DNA and dehorning. Its incredibly sad to me that we have to go to these extremes. These incredible animals are poached for their horns. These horns supposedly have medicinal properties. Not true. They're pretty much made out of the same thing our fingernails are made out of.  The experience has been incredible and eye opening. These animals do not deserve what is happening to them. They are just one of many species that are struggling. I always have hope.

Riding in the back of the truck enjoying the view. 

A very early art explorer. Hope we can follow in their footsteps. This is at a wonderful lion and cheetah park ran by a friend. One of the best things about trips like this is the bond and family that is formed. Great people who I will introduce to you all with time. My camera is filled with pictures and footage that I will share as soon as I can upload them. At the moment these are just phone pics. 

This is Erik. One of the last rhinos of that day. We had a hard time finding him in fact it was almost all day. It turned out he was near our camp all along.  After the vets were done with him he wandered closer our camp as he grazed.  I took advantage and grabbed my sketchbook. It was like he knew he was modeling. He came about 5 meters from me ate and then left. I ended up high on a rock as he got closer.  I drew the horn and felt sad that it's come to this so that they can live. I will report again soon. Internet is usually not available and warthogs are FAST! :)

MANu

Walking Backwards with Snowshoes

Alaska. The last frontier. A place I've dreamt of visiting and exploring. I got that opportunity when a friend asked me to visit. My friend is quite the avid outdoors man, that's what brought us together. He is also firefighter and hunting guide for local outfitters. I was super stoked about heading out there and exploring. I brought my travel art kit and prepared for the cold as best I could. I arrived in Anchorage and being a great host had some fun stuff planned out for us. We went looking for goshawk nests in the snow and had some friendly run ins with moose. Headed out to see some incredible glaciers and visited small towns one which host dog sledding races. It was all a great time. I snuck in sketching wherever I got the chance. Everyplace in Alaska seems to have taxidermy, skulls, old trekking equipment so the subjects are there.

One of the times we headed to his cabin, which was quite a ways out and the weather was cold! Upon arrival it was obvious we were going to have quite the walk to the front door. The snow was deep deep. He led the way with his snowshoes and I followed as we both made the best possible trail from his 4x4 to the front door using our snowshoes. The cabin was -25 inside and the first order of things was to get things warm. We brought in firewood and got the stove going. After all equipment was in we left to a nearby town and got dinner. We hiked around the banks of the frozen river and took in the scenery. We tried to follow ptarmigan and snowshoe hare tracks but no luck. Nighttime was coming quick and the temp was dropping fast. Back at the cabin the stove had done a nice job of making it warm. We chatted for a while. I got my sketchbook out and drew under the light of the kerosene lamps. Being in Alaska my subjects were its native wildlife naturally. I had wolves, moose and muskox on the brain. We called it a night and went to sleep.

About 3 in the morning all the water I drank was ready to join its cousin, the snow, outside. I climbed down the ladder and stepped outside. This is going to sound insane but it was one of the most incredible and worrisome restroom break I've ever had and possibly will ever have. It was freezing!  Not sure what the temperature was, but it was COLD. It was one of those times where things take a looOong time, (I drank too much water and Gatorade). Being outside in the middle of nowhere, in Alaska, at night, is dangerous. You feel vulnerable in this vastness. The snow makes the atmosphere at least bright, so my eyes were always in patrol mode. I know the moon makes things bright but this was a different. I've been out in the dark when there is snow, but this lighting was not the norm. I couldn't quite understand. Then I looked up! I did not expect it in a million years! The northern lights! Wow. Just beautiful, almost made me drop my guard and keep an eye out. Then all,of a sudden in live surround sound wolf howls! They were far off  but I quickly got back in locked the door and jumped in bed. The experience was surreal and incredible. What a restroom break huh?

"Oh about "walking backwards with snowshoes"...

Well I'll keep it quick. Next day I was headed outside to explore around the cabin. Snowshoes went on and I grabbed the poles I was using for balance.

"You should put on your gloves Manny." Nah, don't need them. I started out and made my way to a pretty good bank of snow, I better back up I thought. Wrong move. Inexperience. One just doesn't step backwards with snowshoes. When you fall in about five feet of snow, bum first, there is no floor. You can't just stand up, feels like you're just punching holes in the snow looking for the floor. Well undoing snowshoes should have been easy, they were right in front of my face, I was folded like a taco I realized. No gloves equals frozen hands.. I learned a couple of things that day. Wear gloves in below freezing temps it makes removing the snaps on snowshoes easier and listen to good advice. I walked into the cabin snow covered. My friend sitting on the sofa, drinking his coffee looks at me and busts out laughing. :) I love Alaska! More stories soon!

Lifes better outside! Be Prepared!
Manu                                

An International Language

When I started kindergarten I could not speak English. I had a bilingual teacher, but communicating was difficult. I had incidents where I had to communicate but couldn't talk the language but I had one saving grace, a crayon. :)

I've been fortunate to have the ability and the interest to draw from an early age. I spent so much time copying illustrations from coloring books. I clearly remember learning how to draw Popeye before even learning how to spell. I remember drawing to communicate with teachers and every time they understood!!! I remember drawing a box of tissues and one time drawing a toilet in a really big hurry!!!!

(the restroom was about 10 more steps from where I was :P) but I was on to something! Even as a kid I remember how proud I felt people could tell what I was actually drawing. 

Drawing has been used as a form of communication going back to the beginning of man. Petroglyphs date back to the beginning, beautiful cave art like that found in Chauvet caves of Southern France and  ancient Tibetan dwellings are just incredible. All manners of recording stories of ancient past to pass down, a great form of communication.  

I was fortunate enough to attend a Festival of international falconers many years ago in England. Many different cultures and many countries were represented and all with the same  passion of an ancient sport. Interpreters were hired to help  bridge the language barriers between so many people. Every country represented had a big tent displaying their form of falconry. One evening I found myself with a friend that was showing footage of his eagles hunting the highlands of Scotland. We were chatting about eagles when in front of the tent passed one of the legendary eagle hunters of the steppes everybody always hears about. The Mongols, the Kazakhs, the Kyrgystani  all of these different eagle hunters  were visiting. Here was a golden opportunity for my friend, Roy to chat and talk "eagles." He quickly approached the man and shook his hand and said hi. He led him in the tent sat him down and pointed at the screen of the golden eagle chasing hares thru the snow.

The man smiled gave a thumbs up and continued watching. Roy then asked, "what do you think? That's my eagle, we catch lots of hares"... He looked at Roy and smiled. Uh oh, one problem. Did not speak English. Roy desperately looked around and expressed his woe. Here is one of these legendary eagle hunters and we can't communicate! We were stalled. He tried his skills at charades which worked for a little bit and we hit a brick wall. All of a sudden my mind went back to kindergarten! I asked Roy quickly, "do you have a crayon?" I quickly changed my statement to pen, "do you have a pen?" "Give me a piece of paper!" Roy caught on quickly to what I was about to do, "brilliant!" I quickly would cartoon Roy's questions to the gentleman. We were all having a good time, he would answer or point at whatever I was drawing and the "conversation" started. It was a bit one sided since both Roy and I couldn't understand when he wanted to talk. After our chat or "cartoons" he left and returned with his interpretor. We talked for a bit longer and he got to ask what he wanted too. We hugged and said bye for the day, I think he kept the drawings and ever time I would run into him at the festival he would smile and act like he was drawing with a pen and laugh. He gave me one of his countries traditional hats, a gift I loved and still have. 

A year later a friend from Kazakhstan informed me that the eagle hunter had passed away. It made me think back to our "conversation" and to the times I shared with him talking about a passion we both share. I wish I could have visited him in his country, see him fly his eagles and gotten to know him better, but I am thankful for the time we had. Thankful I could "communicate" thru art.

May you always soar high,

MANu