WALRUS & GIRAFFE AT TEA, 2017
 
One of the most common questions I get about my work is, 'how long does it take to finish a piece?'. The answer is... I completed this walrus and giraffe couple in March of 2017. It was the only work I painted in that month. My color layering process and the size of my work forces me to spend hours on each section of the canvas. On average it takes me an entire month to complete a large work, and I will spend about 150 to 170 hours or more on one of these 4' x 5' canvases. Those hours are not always representative of me literally adding paint, sometimes I am just staring at the work to decide what I will do next!
 
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has found that giraffes are “vulnerable,” indicating that they are under a “high risk” of extinction in the wild. While the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, FWS, acknowledged sea ice is declining due to climate change, it said the Pacific walrus is not "in danger of extinction for the foreseeable future," suggesting walruses will likely be able to adapt to their changing environment. However, Shaye Wolf, climate science director for the Center for Biological Diversity states, "Walruses face extinction from climate change, and denying them critical protections will push them closer to the edge." The FWS estimates there are nearly 230,000 Pacific walruses left in the wild. There are 111,000 giraffes remaining in the wild.
 
Painting by Alexandra Hall measures 48"x60"x2". This is an original acrylic painting on gallery-wrapped canvas.
 
48" x 60" Acrylic on Canvas Creating anthropomorphic characters is a big part of how I exercise my imagination. As a child my mother took me and my siblings to the local zoo regularly. This exposure to a wide variety of animals had a large impact on my daydreams. As an adult I found that I coped with the stress of life by doodling caricatures of my teachers or professors, often making them into animals. They weren't cruel renditions, just anthropomorphic and whimsical. This has carried over into my paintings, and this is a strong theme throughout my work. My Zoo Series encompasses all my non-frog animal works. Copyright does not transfer with purchase. Artist owns rights to reproductions and image. 'Walrus & Giraffe at Tea' ©2017, Alexandra Hall, All Rights Reserved.