Zebra Art for Vincent

When learning to make zebras on this trip - when I saw real zebras with their vivid stripes - that looked painted on, they were so distinct - I wanted to scrap the idea of using the print I had been using. Each stripe aligned to the zebra's body in a certain way.  I was taken with the essence of this.

I didn't get a chance to paint a landscape with zebras as I had wanted - Shane's visiting family was more important on the trip. But I did get a chance to make a zebra out of white cloth, and then paint each stripe... along the body as I had wanted.  The hair was set right into the seam along the back of the head as alternating bunches of white yarn, black yarn, white yarn, black - as their hair is.

It was no longer soft - with acrylic paint used - but it was art - although nothing close to the beauty of a real zebra, it was a reflection made with imperfection of human hands, but out of love, to encourage the spirit of a wonderful person who fell ill while I was there.

Vincent - Shane's mother Elaine's, husband - holding a zebra made by me in the night - and a giraffe model cut out by Troy - for the purpose of giving someone else strength.