Wolfhowl

Mai

I created this painting using soft pastels on velour paper from a photograph I took of Mai during my visit to the UK Wolf Conservation Trust for World Animal Day.

Hand Embellished Limited Edition Giclee prints of Mai are now available ~ click here for more details!
(25% of each sale will be donated to UKWCT).

About Mai

Mai, a North American wolf, resides at the UK Wolf Conservation Trust near Reading. Born 27th April 2006, she was one of a litter of five pups born to Zac (M) and Lizzie (F) at the Dartmoor Wildlife Park, UK. Her siblings were Mosi (F), Mika (F - deceased) and two unnamed pups (deceased).

Mai didn't get off to a very good start in life as, like her sister Mosi, her mother gave her little attention partly because of the wet weather and partly because it was her first litter. However, Mai has grown into an impressive adult wolf. She is sleek and majestic but with the grey in her coat looks older than her years. Mai used to live with her sister Mosi but last year she was seperated from her after rising tensions between the two wolves.

She now lives with Motomo and they both get on well with each other. In May 2011 Mai gave birth to four cubs, one of whom was stillborn. The other three are Nuka, Tala and Tundra and all are doing well.

Mai, pronounced 'My', means "Coyote" in the Navajo language.

Mai's father, Zac, was also the grandfather of Torak.

Torak

I created this painting using soft pastels on velour paper from a photograph I took of Torak during my visit to the UK Wolf Conservation Trust for World Animal Day.

Hand Embellished Limited Edition Giclee prints of Torak are now available ~ click here for more details!
(25% of each sale will be donated to UKWCT).

About Torak

Torak is an Alpha Male wolf at the UK Wolf Conservation Trust near Reading. Born mid-April 2006, he was one of a litter of three pups born to Cheza (M) and Sefka (F) at the Anglian Wolf Society, UK. His siblings were Alyana and Kaya, both female.

Torak was named after the stone age boy in Michelle Paver's 'Chronicles of Ancient Darkness' series of books which I can thoroughly recommend!

Over the last year Torak has matured into a stunning wolf. He is probably the biggest wolf at the UKWCT and stands at an impressive height when placing his paws on handlers’ shoulders in greeting. He is playful with Mosi, astute around people and not altogether trusting of strangers. Very much like his namesake from the Michelle Paver books, he can be aloof, stand-offish and a little apprehensive of some men. Often on open days he retreats into the wooded area of the enclosure and hides out for the day

Shepherds and their flocks...

Shepherds (Governments) have long known that keeping their flocks (Electorates) in a permanent state of semi-brain-washed-consciousness is the single most effective way of reducing, and in some cases obliterating, the overall demand for common-sense, honesty, fairness and accountability from their charges.

Shepherds Apprentices (MP's) are instructed to monitor local flock responses to new mind-numbing concepts in order to have alternative treatments prepared for when current medications become ineffective.

Known effective medications are:

1. Day time TV
2. Night time TV
3. Political debates
4. National disasters
5. War

This allows the fiercely competitive Shepherds time and space to deal with more serious issues such as:

1. Debates
   A 'language' sport requiring competitors to have powerful lungs and finely honed playground skills. Whilst a memory for unusual and/or ambiguous words is imperative, an understanding of them is optional.
2. Budgets
   A 'mathematical' sport requiring competitors to have an excellent sense of balance and be members of the Magic Circle. Very similar to the old favourite 'shove ha'penny', this sport requires accounting and showmanship skills as players innovate concepts to create illusions of wealth that successully hide their questionable efforts to maintain an even balance between Peter and Paul's bank accounts.
3. Elections
   The ultimate 'team' sport requiring competitors to have a combination of powerful imaginations, a quirky sense of humour and excellent deception skills. As the responsibility of electing the winning team is entirely the decision of ALL the countries flocks, the result is highly dependant on each teams lengthy training and preparation schedule. The quality of research undertaken by Apprentices throughout the preparation period is of paramount importance in order to ensure the flocks are as receptive as possible to each teams presentation.

Put simply, any form of distraction that leaves a flock member feeling 'better off than their neighbour' and the avoidance of anything that might encourage them to 'think for themselves' is the major goal of ALL Shepherds.

The 'winning formula' that has been covertly passed down from one generation of Shepherds to another since the days long ago when Farming (Parliament) was first formed reads:

"It may be strategic to divide and conquer,
but it is far more effective to distract and control!"

Has He Been Yet?

Created for Christmas 2010, "Has He Been Yet?" (click to see this picture) features Taz, the worlds first CyberPog, in really smmmmmmashing seasonal attire waiting patiently for his yearly chat and chow-down with his cheerful chum, Santa Claus!

via The Artist In You Blog! - the brand new On-line Community bringing together Artists of all genres from around the world who are Celebrating Creativity and Giving Back!

Hearth and Home

"Hearth and Home" is a wonderful short story from Book 7, "Tales from the Astral Plane" by Kathleen A. Staley

Atlanta, Georgia
1954

Twin boys were born to Mr. and Mrs. Harold Bowers. They named their sons William and Robert. Two years later, they had twin daughters, Jessica and Christina. The children appeared to grow up in a loving stable home. Harold had a well paying job and could afford to provide a grand life style for his family.

They lived in a large Georgian Manor that the family and townspeople called Hearth and Home, for its’ welcoming style and warmth. The elaborately designed architecture was unique and the outside resembled a fortress castle with turrets, towers, a stone fence with iron gates and very few windows.

The home was built before the Civil War and was designed as a sanctuary for runaway slaves. At the height of the war, many unfortunate souls arrived at the house and were concealed in hidden areas of the manor. They waited for the violence to cease, until the original occupants of the house were all killed by soldiers. Walls covered the entrances to the maze of corridors and eventually all exits and entrances were sealed, trapping the people inside, with no way out. All of them perished from starvation and illness. No one knew that the spirits of the tormented dwelled within the walls, unable to rest in peace, for over two hundred years...continue reading "Hearth and Home"

via The Artist In You Blog! - the brand new On-line Community bringing together Artists of all genres from around the world who are Celebrating Creativity and Giving Back!