Embroidered Collage

I thought I'd try something different this zoo trip - sketching instead of photographing.  I was moderately successful. 

My husband and I went to the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown a couple weeks ago and I took my camera.  They're a smaller local zoo that focuses on American animals, both North and South.  I took some decent pictures, but Matt's were much better, partly because he has a considerably better camera with a telephoto lens, and partly because he just has a better eye and higher passion for photography.  Any art I do based on what we saw will be using his work as reference photos, not mine.

So when we went to the Philadelphia Zoo yesterday I decided to take my sketchbook instead.  I knew that at some exhibits I wouldn't really have time, but at others I would, since he'd be waiting for animals to turn around and such.  It was a struggle, trying to get lines down, knowing they weren't right, and not being faster than the creatures.  Some I didn't even try to draw because I knew I'd end up with a mess.  A couple times I was interested in something Matt wasn't and didn't think to ask to stick around for a few more minutes to try and get it.  But I think here is where the photos will come in.  I've paid attention the scene and tried to capture the lines.  I can work from his photos to try and capture more lines.

Sketching was kinda fun, more than looking through the camera lens for me, even though I'm not too proud of the results.  If I was by myself I would need to do both.

These sketches are in my expeditions journal, by the way, which I have only sporadically remembered to take with me to places, so I've only added about half a dozen pages since last year.  I did scan them in and update this journal in the sketchbooks section of my webpage, though.