Continuing with my Mexico travel sketch book…
Saw these two patiently waiting in front of a bar on a night out in Roma in Mexico City. What better car theft protection than that?
I went to a Caravaggio exhibition at the Museo Nacional de Artes in Mexico City back in spring 2018.
I have to admit that I was a little bit disappointed (maybe also my fault as I did not look at the information properly), but they only had one painting by Caravaggio. The rest of the exhibit was about him in form of a multimedia show and artworks by other artists that got inspired by him.
Nevertheless, I learned a lot about his style and especially his use of light and shadow. The museum in general was definitely worth a visit, as it is in a stunning building. Especially the permanent exhibition was great. That´s where I spotted the little horses from yesterday.
Below my impression of the only painting by Caravaggio at the exhibition.
I am not sure at which museum I saw these little horse by the Mexican sculptor Olivero Martínez. I think it was at the Museo Nacional de Arte in the center of Mexico City.
I thought they were absolutely beautiful. Each horse is made from a different material, ranging from marble to bronze and stone.
I fell in love with Mexico because of its contrasts and colours. Especially in Mexico City you encounter so many different people. These fancy dressed girls on Avenida Horacio in Polanco, looked ready to hit one of those upscale restaurants you can find here.
I just went to that barrio for lunch and a stroll. Most of the places are way out of my budget.
Time to take a small break from my pelicans.
I have been thinking a lot about Mexico lately. My last trip was in 2018! Time flies indeed! I realized that I never finished my Mexico album. So I decided to revisit it an keep filling the remaining 30+ pages.
Saw these guys standing at a street corner in Polanco, Mexico City, during my stay in spring 2018.
Start of a new week. The pelican series will come to an end soon. As soon as I finish my pelican book!
I realized after drawing the pelican above that I have drawn him before. See below.
5 years are between both drawings. Which one do you prefer? I remember that the one below took me ages to finish. The one above was pretty much a 10 min sketch!
So this week once again just flew by quickly.
As the weather forecast is fantastic for the next couple of days, I will be off to a hiking trip in the Icelandic highlands. I also promise that the pelican series will come to an end soon. Latest when Inktober starts!
Have a great weekend everyone!
When you are thinking about your next dinner….
My favourite fish is salmon. What is yours?
Pelicans can eat 4 pounds of fish per day.
They will take large amount of water together with the fish they catch. But before swallowing the fish, they move their heads forward to remove excess water.
It has been raining almost non stop for 9 days now… wondering how the sun looks like….
Off to the countryside to barbecue some fish. We not gonna catch it ourselves, that is too much work. But the eating part, we certainly can do.
Colourwise this pelican is one of my favourites so far. What do you think?
Happy weekend everyone!
A lone swimmer…
No, I have not gone pelican mad. But I still enjoy drawing them.
Find the odd one out of this group!
… or is he just hungry? I am not sure. What do you think?
Although not being considered dangerous, pelicans are quite big and you wouldn´t want to mess with them!
The diet of pelicans usually consists of fish, but occasionally amphibians, turtles, crustaceans, insects, birds, and mammals are also eaten. The size of the preferred prey fish varies depending on pelican species and location. Apparently pelicans have even been observed eating smaller birds, sometimes scooping up water in order to drown them before swallowing.
Did you know that pelicans fly at an average speed of 25 km/h but they have been record with top speed of up to 65 km/h?
Their wing span ranges from 183 cm – 350 cm depending on the species. So yes, they are quite massive and you rather don´t mess with them.
Have a great weekend everyone!
An adult pelican may eat up to 1.8 kilograms of fish per day!
The brown pelican is a keen-eyed predator that can spot a fish swimming under the ocean’s surface even while flying almost 20 m above.
Its bigger cousin, the Peruvian pelican, also has great vision. Once a target has been spotted from above, the pelicans plunge into the sea bill-first at high speeds—and often from great height. When they collide with the prey, the impact force usually stuns the victim and it is then scooped up in the pouch.
The brown pelican is a unique feeder that makes impressive dives from above the surface. They fly just above the surface of the water, then circle high, and when ready dive headfirst, plunging under water to catch fish.
They are able to dive from as high as 30 meters! The deeper the meal the higher the dive.
This pelican landing turned out purple for artistic expression.
Who has seen a baby pelican? I haven´t. Something unusual about the populations of coastal pelicans is that baby pelicans are never seen.
Pelicans nest far away in inland or remote locations in large breeding colonies. The pair chooses a relatively flat nest site on gravel, sand, or soil near other pelicans at the same stage of the breeding cycle. In southern, drier regions, they nest amongst sparse vegetation. In forested regions, sites may be under shrubs or trees.
Both parents feed their young.
From about 25 days old, the young pelicans gather in “pods” or “crèches” of up to 100 birds. The parents recognise and feed only their own offspring.
Melanie Franz 