Major
Neuroscience
Anticipated Graduation Year
2024
Access Type
Open Access
Abstract
The relationship between predator and prey is one that originates from the earliest days of life. It is an integral part of life for every animal on Earth, regardless of whether it is in terms of animals eating animals or animals eating plants. It is often a violent aspect that many people dislike witnessing, but without this relationship, the circle of life would cease to exist, as the predator and prey relationships serve as an important factor of their population numbers.
This painting, featuring a bloody-faced lioness after a recent kill, symbolizes the necessity that predators have for prey, as well as the necessity that prey have for predators. Their mutualistic relationship means that they will always evolve together, as they are part of each other’s environment. Furthermore, although blood is typically represented in a negative manner, the depiction of it in this piece is meant to be seen as a positive, because blood itself is the essence of life. While the subject matter of this painting may initially appear dire, in reality it is a symbol of life.
The medium for this piece is acrylic paint, which was chosen for several reasons. Acrylic paint is great for pieces that involve more layering and less blending, and as the majority of this painting is of the animal’s fur, it was necessary to start from the darkest underlayer and work towards the lightest top layer of fur. This type of paint also helped make the blood look more coagulated, as the consistency of acrylic is thicker than mediums like watercolor.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.
Circle of Life
The relationship between predator and prey is one that originates from the earliest days of life. It is an integral part of life for every animal on Earth, regardless of whether it is in terms of animals eating animals or animals eating plants. It is often a violent aspect that many people dislike witnessing, but without this relationship, the circle of life would cease to exist, as the predator and prey relationships serve as an important factor of their population numbers.
This painting, featuring a bloody-faced lioness after a recent kill, symbolizes the necessity that predators have for prey, as well as the necessity that prey have for predators. Their mutualistic relationship means that they will always evolve together, as they are part of each other’s environment. Furthermore, although blood is typically represented in a negative manner, the depiction of it in this piece is meant to be seen as a positive, because blood itself is the essence of life. While the subject matter of this painting may initially appear dire, in reality it is a symbol of life.
The medium for this piece is acrylic paint, which was chosen for several reasons. Acrylic paint is great for pieces that involve more layering and less blending, and as the majority of this painting is of the animal’s fur, it was necessary to start from the darkest underlayer and work towards the lightest top layer of fur. This type of paint also helped make the blood look more coagulated, as the consistency of acrylic is thicker than mediums like watercolor.