What Are They Singing?

What are they singing? That’s for you to answer. Iguanas and my version of a ball python united in song. 19 x 19 inches, mixed media on Arches paper. This was done as a wedding present, and the Facebook pages of the bride and groom influenced the subjects and some of the details…

This piece began as a watercolor and pencil abstract, and the reptiles were drawn on top and built up after. That’s what accounts for the ghostly traces of color and the lines and textures that don’t seem to be part of the image on top. I really like the way that worked out.

I love the crazy long broken looking claws of iguanas. Researching this I found out that they don’t have obvious teeth when their mouths are open like this. That surprised me. Ball pythons sometimes have a human skull sort of pattern, just not this anatomically correct. I don’t draw skulls often, but I enjoyed it, including the particular emotions they churn up.