At first glance, they look like humongous baked potatoes.
Further scrutiny reveals a flat elongated tail and two dorsal fins closer to
the snout. On females, a teat is located in the dorsal area where suckling’s
feed after birth.
Manatees can stay submerged for long periods of time, so
people wait expectantly for one to lift its large snout above water for a gulp
of air.
They can also be seen swimming up river leaving gentle swirls of water
in their wake. A small patch of exposed back may crest the water as they move.
Spotting an actual manatee swimming upstream brings squeals of delight from the
crowd.
I’ve seen some beautiful paintings of these aquatic
mammals, but I’ve never had the desire to paint them. On the other hand, I
witnessed a flock of white pelicans that took my breath away, but I had no
camera. These I would love to paint. I’m told that there are swans in Florida,
but I’ve never seen one.
An artist should never be without a camera. If you’re
like me, the times you have your camera, nothing happens. On the days you leave
your camera home, wildlife is everywhere! I’m opposed to painting from photographs
of others unless I have their explicit permission.
 |
| Final painting: "Bella Bellissimo" acrylic on 16 x 20 canvas |
I have followers on Facebook from different countries. I
was given permission to use their personal photos as they are not photographers
or artists. I have done this for my India Rising Series, and for my African
Series. When you can’t travel yourself, it’s the next best thing to being
there.
 |
| Original photo of Bella (I tried to make her look happier!) |
If you use online photos or the artwork of others for
inspiration, make certain you turn that painting into something uniquely yours.
Change the pose. Change the color or composition. Don’t outright copy anything.
If you do, you’re breaking the law.
I visited an artist blog recently where the author
complained that someone had taken a photo of her painting and copied it
authentically. If that were a writer, they could be charged with plagiarism.
Copying old masters and declaring that you did is one thing. Stealing the ideas
or paintings of someone else is downright criminal. If a person can’t fly by
the seat of their own pants – they shouldn’t fly at all.
 |
| First drawing of Bella |
I'd never heard of these creatures, Carol so thank you for introducing them to us. You made me laugh with your description of them as a baked potato!
ReplyDeleteI'd never heard of them either until we moved to Florida. They are gentle mammals that are vegetarians. Favorite food are hyssops that grow along the banks of rivers, channels, etc. They also eat plankton. Florida tries to protect them, but boaters often drive too fast through the waterways. Most manatees have propeller scars on them, and many manatee deaths occur each year.
Delete