The Hippopotamus. Menagerie.
by Amy E Fraser
Title
The Hippopotamus. Menagerie.
Artist
Amy E Fraser
Medium
Painting - Oil Pastel And Acrylic
Description
The Hippopotamus by Amy E. Fraser is a painting of an adorable hippopotamus smiling out at the viewer from a beautiful lakeside landscape with rich red earth and lush green vegetation. Hippos have barrel-shaped bodies with short tails and legs, and an hourglass-shaped skull with a long snout. Their skeletal structures are graviportal, adapted to carrying their enormous weight, and their dense bones and low centre of gravity allows them to sink and move along the bottom of the water. Hippopotamuses have small legs (relative to other megafauna) because the water in which they live reduces the weight burden. The toes are webbed and the pelvis rests at an angle of 45 degrees. Though chubby-looking, hippos have little fat. The eyes, ears, and nostrils of hippos are placed high on the roof of their skulls. This allows these organs to remain above the surface while the rest of the body is submerged. The nostrils and ears can close when underwater while nictitating membranes cover the eyes. The vocal folds of the hippo are more horizontally positioned, much like cetaceans. Underneath are throat tissues, where vibrations are transmitted to produce underwater calls. The Hippopotamus is a delight to behold, overflowing with charm, intelligence and character and is part of Amy E. Fraser’s Menagerie collection of whimsical hand drawn and hand painted animal portraits.
A menagerie is traditionally a collection of captive animals, frequently exotic, kept for display; a precursor to the modern zoo or zoological garden. However, Amy’s Menagerie is one of the imagination only, all animals represented in this collection are wild and free. The “Menagerie” is basically a catchy title to encompass a rather large, eclectic series of full bodied, detailed, head to toe illustrations of magnificent real world animals displayed in colorful landscape settings with a fun, folksy, fairytale vibe presented in a horizontal format.
The Menagerie Painting Collection by Amy E. Fraser. The Menagerie works are one of a kind, original paintings created with care and dedication to traditional human craftsmanship. The Menagerie Series is inspired by Amy’s lifelong connection to animals and is an impassioned tribute to the beauty and magic of our beloved Animal Kingdom. Medium: Watercolor Pencil, Oil Pastel and Acrylic Paint on 140lb cold press acid free archival watercolor paper. All images copyright Amy E. Fraser. All rights reserved.
Uploaded
November 14th, 2024
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