"Mounted Squirrel"

When I began drawing animals during my last year of college I used graphite pencils only. The majority of my subjects came from the Field Museum in Chicago where I spent hours standing by the glass cases drawing the squirrels and skeletons mounted inside. Museum visitors would huddle around me to see what I was doing. I was photographed, videotaped, and complimented while working.

The pleasure of my museum visits inspired me to study real animals and birds in the wild. My studies continued in graphite pencil.

These graphite pencil drawings are from that incredible time in my life.