sketchbook orangutans



I was recently asked to chaperone art students from the high school I graduated from in Federal Way for a day at the zoo. They were sketching for the day, so I brought along my sketchbook to do some work with them and see some sights. Near the end of the day I passed the orangutans area and was struck at how down the male and female pair in the window of their environment were. Folks were passing and patting the window, which didn't seem to make much impact on the orangutans. I took my turn and had a revelation that we aren't that far removed from where these orangutans are, and it hit me to share my sketchbook with them.
The following video was made by Ed Crossan who teaches at Thomas Jefferson. This moment was the highlight of the day for me and I plan on going back semi regularly to share forthcoming pages with the orangutans.

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Comments

Anonymous said…
I remember visiting the Primate enclave when I lived in Seattle. I was always struck how similar their movements, and facial expressions were to humans. Your video reminds me of those moments. Thanks Harold!
This was a bright spot in my day to see them looking in on your work....Great fun to see. I am sure they will be interested to see your new work ! Don
Unknown said…
So wonderful