846 R.I.P. Mahal

I painted this beloved young orangutan long ago, but for some reason never posted it.  His mysterious and sudden death in 2012 made front page news again today, so it is opportune for me to remember him.   Mahal was Milwaukee County Zoo's prize orangutan brought there from Colorado.  I remember it was a shock to all, and today it was published that Mahal died of a virus from a tapeworm which should not have been found in an orangutan, rather a weasel.  The tapeworm has been found in Finland and Japan, but not Milwaukee, Wisconsin so how it got here is a mystery. Scientists are studying this mysterious scenario to find out if this virus can also affect humans.
Followup articles will be in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in the next few days.

"R.I.P. Mahal"
acrylic - 8x6 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/rip-mahal/568642

768 Nick the Horse

"768 Nick the Horse"
acrylic - 8x10 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/768-nick-the-horse/442093

dianecampion.blogspot.com

754 Imposter

yep, there is a story here.

"754 Imposter"
acrylic - 10x8 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/754-imposter/436605

593 Great Horned Owlet

I have so much on my mind today.  I painted up a storm, but this is what I am most proud of.  As mentioned before, we have a Great Horned Owl family with two babies in our neighborhood, and I can't visit them enough.  I am learning so much about these magnificent creatures and have such a respect for Mother Nature.  We live in a fairly urban area with houses very close together not far from Lake Michigan, but we have more than our share of wildlife.  On Easter Sunday, we had two giant turkeys in our front yard.  We have had coyotes visit as well as deer.  (That combination did not go well.)  Last year, we had baby racoons on our patio. But the owls....they have captured the hearts of many, including mine.  We are waiting for them to fledge, which will be a huge community event.  We are hoping they hang around the neighborhood to keep the rabbit population down. 

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/593-great-horned-owlet/369281

549 Figaro

Figaro is a very sweet dog, a friend of my pooch's, Oliver.  Figaro's owner is a relatively new friend of mine---and such a delight.  This painting may need a little tweaking as Figaro is mostly black and the shine on his beautiful coat is difficult to determine from my photos.  I have spent a lot of time with him---he is a Personality Plus little guy,  and of course Oliver always knows when I have visited him.  I love this pose with the ears in different positions, one up and one down---a classic Figaro!

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/549-figaro/333878