God Save The King!
And his kingdom!
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"Few places in this world are more dangerous than home. Fear not, therefore, to try them mountain passes. They will kill care, save you from deadly apathy, set you free, and call forth every faculty into vigorous, enthusiastic action." - John Muir
Yep, at the last minute, I was able to find a nice place around the corner from where I was. It was really grundgy and took some exhausting elbow grease, but I get to stay by the lake and love the kitchen. First time in six years I can have an actual table. ^_^ ...still haven't gotten my autopilot to fully reset yet, so you may see me suddenly shake my head and backtrack. If I let my mind wander too much, one day I'll end up at the old place and wonder why my key won't work... ^,^ Posting will still be sporadic. I can't buy my art supplies around here, and the term "starving artist" was coined from literal reality and not just some fanciful nickname. So, being alone and without support, things that put food on the table will take precedent - and also will pay for more art supplies when I can get a ride. ;p This site isn't "work" or income, it's for free and for fun - and to encourage people to put food on the Sanctuary's animals' tables. ^_~
Many mammals use the flehmen grimace to better take in scents. I first remember it with horses on an Arabian farm I grew up near. The stallions used it quite often. As a kid, I thought they were just grinning at the mares. ^_~ Wikipedia has some examples of the different animals that use it, and the Sanctuary lions, like Bobcat, have been caught using it. Kevin talks about it in an #AskMeg vid.
Well, I had some time and energy and drafted this while enjoying the lake yesterday. Think I haven't been able to get out there for almost a month. ^,^ ...then today my sensitivity to light (from food allergies) hurts my eyes so bad I can't go out and enjoy the beautiful sunshine! I don't know which is sadder... ;p But, out of it, you get a post I hadn't planned on making. ^_~
Simply poking some fun at extremist hatemongers who are just interested in sensationalism and never fully think out their claims... Sometimes sentiment like this comes to me and you just want to scream... ;p (...haters preach that captive animals being seen given loving attention, by those like Kevin, spurs hordes of people into putting themselves in danger by trying to cuddle wild animals or entices explosions of people to run out and gather their own to keep in captivity, that such familiarity with animals is evil begetting more evil...)
The ludicrousy just boggles me. "If they truly believed their own hype, they would be fighting to ban teddy bears."
We need to be more familiar with wildlife. We need to connect with them. Apathy and ignorance is what's put them in such dire straits. Delegating them to just being animals in cages is not the answer. It certainly isn't stewardship. I'm so glad there are people like Kevin who inspire love and compassion for animals! Hate is never the answer.
[ If you do happen to be allergic to dogs: Poodles, and some poodle mixes, are hypoallergenic. ^_^ They have hair, instead of fur. ]
Been wanting to put this note up for quite some time... OF COURSE, I like dogs! ^,^ I don't mean to seem unfriendly if I pass yours on the street without offering attention. I just don't think it proper for strangers to encourage other's dogs to pull against their leashes - and not every owner or dog is interested in attention from strangers. I've also had allergic reactions to some pet shampoos or flea treatments. Not sure which, just that I have gotten red itchy eyes and such after being with some dogs, while not with others. When I had my own little farm, and could afford to, I took in strays all the time and had my own dogs. I've worked at animal shelters and been around plenty of the darlings. So, I don't think it's dogs themselves that have caused the reactions. But it's easier (and safer ^^), when people ask if I want to pet theirs, to just say "I'm allergic" and pass on it than to try to explain the details.
btw, I love pit bulls, which are so misunderstood, and misused, it can be tragic. We shouldn't condemn a breed, or species, of animal because of stereotype and one-sided media portrayals. A great many thought hyena were horrible until they learned differently by getting to know Kevin and his Sanctuary. If you haven't already, you should check them out! ^_~
LOL ...sometimes I think he's got my computer bugged... ;p Perfect timing, posted just a few hours before me: They now have hyena t-shirts. ^_^ This is why I like to check for new things right before I make my posts.
Reminiscing about summer birthdays, I decided to get done the birthday card I'd been wanting to do for others to use. Was going to be a random lion with an actual dead antelope on a human's bed, but it came out as our smart aleck trio. They are just always making mischief. ^,^ (If you're not a cat person: Good housecat mousers are known for presenting mice and such to their human in bed in the wee hours of the morning. ...Sometimes, they're still alive... ^,^' Could you imagine having an antelope deposited on your bed..? lol or an elephant! oh, my...)
While drawing the card, I had a sudden inspiration for a very easy lion-theme cake. Simply encircle a regular round cake with cupcakes for a mane. While we were growing up, Mom made some pretty cool cakes with simple tricks like that. ^_^ A standard recipe that makes 2 rounds or 24 cupcakes will just as easily make 1 round and 12 cupcakes. Easy, easy! Have fun!
When some people say hello, it seems they want to say more, but then they flee my presence. (lol not really) I'm socially inept, but am I really that scary..? ^,^ I'm no good at small talk, but if you want to talk about animals, once I warm up, I might talk your ear off. ^_~ It's up to you to bring it up, though. I'm not going to pounce on everyone that says hello. That's what my backpack is for: If someone's interested in more about it, they'll bring it up - or go to the Sanctuary website, which has better info than I do and great media! ...and, if you would like a rock, don't be afraid to ask. I haven't been able to get more sealer, so still can't make more, but I do have a few finished ones that I kept aside and keep one in my backpack "just in case". ^_~ (and, believe me, I'm more afraid of you than you are of me! lol)
July 18 is Nelson Mandela Day. He was a great figure in the raising of awareness and inspiring change to better respect each other as well as our environment.
Rhinos' Last Stand was inspired by Nelson Mandela ~ YouTube channel. They are working to make rhino horn worthless to poachers and unenlightened consumers to help save rhino from impending extinction. I have never agreed with dehorning (especially when the ones doing it also want to sell the harvested horns <_<) and find this method a lot more promising.
A combination of efforts is ever needed: stopping abuse, changing mentality, uprooting apathy and spreading education and awareness... so that society becomes infertile to such behaviour in the first place.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” - Nelson Mandela. Education is a double-edged sword, too: Teaching and learning, ie. educating others, like Kevin and his Foundation do, and educating yourself, like you are by being here and other wildlife sites. Wise people never stop learning. ^_~
July 29 is Global Tiger Day
July 31 is World Ranger Day
Rangers put their lives on the line every day, and night, in our fight to protect our remaining wildlife - like tigers and lions. It's not just about keeping an eye on nature preserves, or policing tourists, confronting poachers is dangerous. Check out IUCN on importance of Rangers and supporting them through IRF and The Thin Green Line. I love their wildlife version of a heart-monitor line. ^_^ It's very, very fitting, and I hope it never goes flat. Next time you see a ranger, thank them for helping keep it beating!
And bonus page tribute to Old Man Tau. This scene is in one of the old documentaries and has always stuck with me. I love animals with such distinct personalities that give you no doubt that they most certainly are not "just dumb animals". I doubt Tau would have bonded so closely with just anybody. Tau and Napolean were essential in setting Kevin on his path of advocating for lions. If they hadn't so thoroughly captured his heart and drew him in to stay, he may have eventually went his way none-the-wiser about what grown captive lions face.
(LOL rewatching it to reference the scene to sketch, I remember there's a unicorn in this documentary, too! ^_^ When Meg's at the dam, one of the curious "bystanders" has only one horn. ^_~)
Disney's The Lion King was inspired by the 60's anime Kimba: The White Lion, though they refuse to acknowledge it. Disney has done this to several anime and fairy tails. They produce quality art, but I don't think they should be on such a high pedestal without giving credit where credit is due. There was big controversy when the original The Lion King came out in the 90's. I had some Kimba: The White Lion on vhs, and this opened my eyes to Disney's practices. Here's a current article that lays it all out. It's fine to do your own interpretation of a story, and some are really nice, but, dear Disney, a little acknowledgement of the original goes a long way.
Also, I thought it common knowledge that all animators, including Disney, have always used live animals as reference to get them to look and move right. And that being captive ones in zoos and such, or horses and the like from farms, etc., as well as going out to observe wild ones. They've never been secretive about it, so it's a bit silly for anyone to think live animals aren't involved in animation. ~ For my part: Yep, I look at lots of photos and videos of live animals to do my sketchs, and draw on my own personal "live" experiences with animals. It's how things are done. You can't very realistically draw something you've never observed, and observing in person gives you better insight with which to breathe life into an artistic representation. Seemingly subtle things, like skin textures or how different fur or hair lays or shifts, make a big difference in making something life-like. And, yeah, sometimes they even touch the animals. ;p ~ So, people who foam at the mouth about animals in movies and shows shouldn't laud animation as not using live animals. That's misinformed lack of research on their stance, in a bid for sensationalizing themselves. Like I said, "If they truly believed their own hype, they would be fighting to ban teddy bears." ;p Extremism is counterproductive and shows unenlightenment.
That off my chest: Hyena may be mischievious, stinky bum nutcases, but they are not evil, conniving, or stupid. ^_~ And they're not detrimental to the environment: They're an apex predator essential to the health of the ecosystem. "Life-like" or "realistic looking" in movies is just that: It doesn't necessarily mean the behaviour is, too. I had never really thought about hyena before - I'm a cat person - but given their poor rap in previous media, even not having anything against them I had thought they were just nuisance scavengers. Kevin's media has converted me, and it's pretty cool to know that hyena are actually more closely related to cats than to dogs. All you cat-people take note! ^_~ National Geographic has a recent article to set the record straight on the role of hyena in nature, and, while we're talking about hyena, Smithsonian Magazine has an interesting article about prehistoric hyena having roamed Canada.
It was too fun, and I couldn't wait, so I uploaded early. ^_~
This was going to be a serious page ^,^, with serious scenes in the background, but you see what happens... and, then, of course, it spawned a bonus page... ^,^ ...I don't know if she'll be able to come up with that many verses extolling the virtues of hyena, so check out Kevin's media for more about the Sanctuary's hyenas. Some is collected in the Hyena section here, but there's more in his feeds!
World Lion Day is August 10
I guess it's about time Lion countered all the other animal campaigns to be the King of Beasts. ^_~ Pretty fitting that it came out as page 100 - though it's actually the 137th when you count the bonus pages. ^_~
...early last week, late this week... ;p I actually started this in July and just got back to it last night. It was to the good, though, because I erased part of what I'd been doing with it and something better came out. ^_^
Finally have an apartment with space - and a table! - to actually unpack and sort things that have been in storage for years and years. Sorting photos and things of lost loved ones can be emotionally draining, but it's such a relief to finally be able to get it all in order and shed the excess. AND there's lots of fun things, too, like... My mom had saved some of my early works... ^,^ I mentioned somewhere before how my first horses looked more like dogs. I wasn't joking. ^o^ ... I was little! It's interesting: I do remember that I put mountains in most of my drawings - and horses. ;p ...now they have lions... ^_~
Let's make sure lions remain a living, breathing legend!
If you hear me giggle evilly in the middle of a store aisle, it's probably because a scene like this was born, sparked to life by some seemingly random item... ^,^ During the summer, there were lots of piñatas available. When I first noticed the unicorn ones, I thought, "Oh, my." ^o^ I made a rough draft right away, as usual, and now I've gotten back to it to finish it up.
It's a JOKE! ^,^ I LOVE piñatas, and they do not promote bad behaviour! I've taken down my fair share of piñatas, and just look at me! ;p ... no, wait... that may be a bad example... ^,^;
Been busy, so I've just been doing pages that don't require research. Sorry for the lack of links and information! I'll get back into that rythym soon. In the meantime, here's another one just for fun... I've often giggled with mischief when getting a good glimpse of Meg's tuft, but this recent post of Kevin's making it so prominent just screamed for action. ^.^ I even went this far. ^o^ Ah, poor Meggy... ;p
Now, I would NEVER, EVER, actually dress up an animal, or... put... hair clips... in... their... fur... Where did you get those??
^o^
The kitty in doll clothes was Spot. He was the only cat I ever knew who absolutely loved the attention of being dressed up and played house with. My mom was amazed at the things he would let us do to him. ^_^ (Please: Do not torture animals that don't like to dress up. ^.^)
I guess you can tell that part of my being busy was sorting old photos. ^_~ So nice to finally get all these things in order. My next move will be so much easier! And, though there's still some I'm going to pick at more, I should be able to get back to providing more in-depth information and links on the site, now. ^_^ ...maybe... ;p I have missed quite a few nice days of play... and I'm not sure Meg appreciates my making up for it by picking on her... ^_~
(...as sometimes happens, I'd rushed it a bit to get it posted and wasn't entirely happy with her ear fur - even forgot some details on the one side. ^,^ Sometimes, I go back and fix them and did with this one. ^_~)
Right now, vast areas of the Amazon Rainforest are burning to the ground.
“To waste, to destroy our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them amplified and developed.” - Theodore Roosevelt
Not depleted. Not destroyed. If this is your kind of action: September 20 will be an international strike with people all over the world walking out of school and jobs to signify their unity in fighting for our Earth and the future of our youth. There will be events global-wide throughout the week (20-27). Many schools are organizing their own projects and events in support of their students adding their voices. If your school isn't, Ask them to! ^_^ They may not have heard yet, or may not know their students are interested.
Mass burning of the Amazon Rainforest is not just a massive loss of carbon-storing, oxygen-giving trees, but also a massive loss of other plant and animal wildlife that has worldwide impact. Politicians selling out life itself for their own egoes or pockets needs to end. This planet needs to put its collective foot down and say, "Enough is enough."
Here's just a few places with more about rainforests: Amazon facts for kids ; Cool Amazon Plants (my poor cacao! ;_;) ; How Wildfires Affect Rainforest Animals...
As a Kevin Richardson Foundation post reflects a Native Am. quote, "We are the people we have been waiting for.", it clearly harmonizes with "Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Ghandi
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Be a steward of the Earth.
~ * ~ Coloring pages: 2019 Jan-Mar ~ * ~ 2019 Apr-May ~ * ~ ~ * ~ 2019 Jun-Aug ~ * ~2019 Sept-Dec ~ * ~
~ * ~ 2017 ~ * ~ 2018 ~ * ~ 2020 ~ * ~ 2021 ~ * ~ 2022 ~ * ~
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Coloring pages may be printed from here and made copies of for non-profit, free-of-charge use only. ~ Don't have a printer? Out of ink? Libraries are typically happy to print things like this out for you. Some may charge a small fee, others will print a page or two at no charge. ~ Please do not hotlink to or use my images on other websites. Simply direct people to my homepage: godsavetheking.neocities.org , thanks! Plant seeds!
[I'm not a professional and have limited resources/access; so the image quality isn't very 'clean' on some - has smudging from erasing, but they print/copy fine. I make the printable images to be around 8x11 inches to fill a sheet of regular letter-size paper.]
Please Support:
Kevin Richardson Foundation
and his Wildlife Sanctuary
Global Snow Leopard
This isn't the 90's kit, but a scan of the book that came with the kit. It has activity / project ideas as well as activity pages and coloring pages that you can print out - some are cut off on the edge, as they didn't scan it from flat pages. ~ (link to file found on this page which isn't clear on what to do or what you're getting)
