Twiga & Drongo

I have always had a soft spot for giraffes. there are several reasons for this. Their height is the most obvious. It is an incredible experience to have an animal loom over you to such a degree. The other striking feature to me is the absolute silence and grace of the animal. It has the ability to glide effortlessly over the landscape. I find it hard to believe that the tall gangly giraffe is one of the most elegant runners I have ever seen. Although it is debated regularly by scientist, there are nine sub-species of giraffes. They are the Masai, Rothschild's, Reticulated, Smoky, Kordofan, Nubian, South African , Thorny Crofts;s, and Nigerian. The Swahili name for giraffe is Twig. the Twiga in this painting is a female South African giraffe. Females are typically smaller than males and of a lighter color. The male have a large lump in front of their two horns which the females are lacking. The Drongo in the corner of the painting has a slight blue-green iridescence in the sunlight and dark red eyes. They are a type of flycatcher. - Kim Diment