Rotterdam Zoo (Diergaarde Blijdorp): sketches

For sketching in Rotterdam Zoo I prefer small sketchbooks and a pen. Small sketchbooks fit easily in my bag and are not too heavy to hold when I'm drawing. The pen has the advantage that I can make quick sketches. It is for me more important to catch the moment as a reminder.

Sometimes I let my imagination free for sketching. Occasionally I also make notes as babies are born or what animals have done, eaten, etc. A sketchbook is a bit like a diary. When I browse through old sketchbooks than I remember exactly what I've seen and experienced that day.

 A couple of sketchbooks: it's nice to decorate the cover with drawings.

Cactus as a model

Cactus have always fascinated me. I have a few cactus at home, sometimes they go along  the years, but sometimes not. They become suddenly ill and died.
This cactus in the picture I have years at home. In the summer of 2006, the cactus bloom for the first time but by busy I have not seen that. When I saw that its first flower was bloomed I immediately took my brushes and a canvas and started painting. I promise myself that despite problems, I wanted to miss nothing more, that I should keep looking for everything  around me... because life is wonderful!

 The first flower is blooming...

To my joy I saw that the cactus had a new node. This time I have seen her develop from node to flower.

 The development...

Open to the world... 

The departure: the second flower is blooming... 

The cactus has two 'kids', pen drawing 2007.

 I repotted them in 2008 ... 

I fond once the cactus (on the left side of this painting) on the sidewalk (with other three cactus). After a few weeks at home, he suddenly flourish. The other cactus (on the right side) is the cactus of this blog, with three nodes.

The Equilibrist, 2008 

My model accompanied by a pumpkin, 2010  

This year two flowers flourished almost simultaneously, they stayed together for a long time. 

Cactus in Middelburg, Mei 2013