[Art] Black Jaguar as Totem

[moonvoice]

Black/Melanistic Jaguar as Totem

The melanistic jaguar is a rare, naturally occurring form of jaguar; affecting between 6-8% of the population. They are sometimes known as black panthers. They still carry the rosettes of the regular coloured jaguar, which are easiest to spot in sunlight.

Melanistic jaguars are more likely to be found in dense forests, where the light levels are very low - so the black is considered an asset, as opposed to a detraction in the hunting process.

There are some new studies suggesting that melanistic coats actually reduce incidence of disease. Researcher Stephen O'Brien has done promising genomic research in this area.






SOLD
18.5 x 20.5cm (or 7.4 x 8 in)
illo's board, fineliner, aquarelle, pencil, metallic and iridescent paint

Comments

[acidrica.livejournal.com]

*sigh* I'm going to save up money just to buy art from you.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Aw, I hope so! But as someone who is always broke, I know how annoying saving can be too. :)

[witchchild]

*melts*

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

*aw yay*

[liondaughter.livejournal.com]

Kitty! :-D

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Yay kitty!

[livelaughlovep.livejournal.com]

Mine was to be the regular jaguar, I think. I don't recall melanistic.
Maybe you got me confused with the other jaguar requester?

And due to my newfound disability and a massive time-cut on our only paycheck, I'm not going to be able to buy it anyway :( Sad.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Unless people are really specific, if I get two requests close together like I did with this one, I tend to choose different colouring patterns.

But there are prints of the other jaguar piece that I did.

Anyway, I can well understand how sucky disability stuff is. *hugs* :(

[livelaughlovep.livejournal.com]

Thats something to look forward to: A print is pretty affordable, if there are prints of both, I might just do that.

And I can't even file for proper disability yet! *frown* that sure would make things easier. -.-.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

When will you be able to file for Disability welfare / benefits? Hopefully soon. :(

[livelaughlovep.livejournal.com]

I see the doctor in March, I'm going to discuss it then. They say I can't apply tillI have been "disabled" for a year, which would be approximately april, so waiting until March isn't really that hard.Sort of :/

Rowr!

[perzephone.livejournal.com]

Everybody knew Bagheera, and nobody cared to cross his path; for he was as cunning as Tabaqui, as bold as the wild buffalo, and as reckless as the wounded elephant. But he had a voice as soft as wild honey dripping from a tree, and a skin softer than down.

—Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book

Re: Rowr!

[paleo.livejournal.com]

Bagheera was a leopard, not a jaguar. But I did think of him too. :-)

Re: Rowr!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Interesting tidbit; in leopards the melanistic gene is recessive; and in jaguars it's dominant. :)

Re: Rowr!

[paleo.livejournal.com]

Didn't know that! Yea for animal trivia! Makes sense though. Black is a better color to be in jungles which jaguars live in more than leopards.

[crsg.livejournal.com]

Pretty! I love black panthers. :)

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

I don't mind them. They have pretty faces.

[crsg.livejournal.com]

Which reminds me to ask you a question actually, if it's okay with you. I've been wondering, is there any particular animal that you actively dislike? And if there is, would you ever draw it, or would it be too difficult considering your personal feelings for it?

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

I don't like monkey, dolphin (or killer whale, in the same family). I haven't had any requests for dolphin; but I've drawn two monkeys now. It was the smaller ones though (lemur, marmoset) so that wasn't too bad... I hope I never get a chimpanzee request. Not sure if I could do it. :(

[crsg.livejournal.com]

Sorry, now I'm super-curious - please don't answer if it's too personal. Is it that you don't like those animals in a more physical way, or is that you don't connect with them spiritually? Or perhaps both?

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

It's not that I don't like them in a physical way; I mean yeah monkeys are hard to draw, but I like the way they look. And dolphins are beautifully streamlined animals...

So it's that I actually have an irrational dislike of them and what they represent to me. I'm aware it's irrational, and I'm aware they're 'shadow totems'... but it makes them very difficult to connect with spiritually and therefore draw.

In fact the only 'as totems' picture I ever threw out in disgust was a picture of a dolphin. :(

[paleo.livejournal.com]

Purrrrrrr.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

*purrs back*

[mirrorred-star.livejournal.com]

Ooh! Kitty! :)

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

*pets the kitty*

[halfapersona.livejournal.com]

I love the shading, and how the black at the bottom looks like a hill with the sun coming up and lighting the sky. You're very talented, and your compositions always amaze me.

^_^

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Aw thank you. I didn't even think about the composition in that way.

[rainsingingwolf.livejournal.com]

Stunning!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D :D :D

[apocalypsegrrl.livejournal.com]

Kick ass. Total kick ass. *squees*

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :)

[sotepetsenu.livejournal.com]

D: Kitty wants a hug. Kitty is a sad panda and wants a hug!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Kitty will purr at you. :)

[sidheblessed.livejournal.com]

Do you think you'd make a print of this available? He looks SO much like one of my spirit guides (who is a black jaguar) but I'm saving for collie, heh.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Yup! I've already submitted the print file to DeviantArt, so it should be approved by tomorrow morning at the latest. :)

[vrisanfra.livejournal.com]

*gasp* ....Oh my gods. A print of this is MINE. O_O

This is absolutely perfect for how I see Black Jaguar. And no matter the rawr and fluff that some people associate with them...I've always been fond of them. And, of course, with Shadow, that's been enhanced. This reminds me so much of her, if she were male...I love this. THANK YOU for making it, even though the original was meant for someone else.

...if you icon this, I am SO going to nick the icon. *nod* (with credit, duh)

-Rachel

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

An icon will definitely be made once I hit the '20 more' mark. Heh. Glad you like! :)

[vrisanfra.livejournal.com]

Oh, I am SO nabbing it from you!

And..."like" is an understatement. I do believe this is, as of yet, my favorite piece that I've seen of yours. And make no mistake, I intend on purchasing prints of several of your works (in time), in addition to the normal-coloring of Jaguar. (Brumby, Black Jaguar, likely a Falcon, etc etc etc...*whistles*) So much of your stuff-even just from looking at it online, without the physical presence to enhance the effect-triggers such a connection to the animals they depict for me, which isn't always or even often achievable by many other means. It's absolutely wonderful. And I don't say this to stoke your ego or to play you a lovely bullshit tune, I say it because that is, quite literally, the effect your art has on me.

-Rachel

[heathwitch.livejournal.com]

Kitty! whee!

I love the expression in the eyes... :)

[shimmerhawk.livejournal.com]

I really like the composition and the colors on this one.