The Chimera Exhibit
Vidalicia L.S.
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As an artist, I'm very fond of anatomy. Bones and skeletons are particularly fascinating to me in their appearance, and I've studied them on multiple occasions. For this piece, I combined my love of skeletons and mythical creatures to create a skeletal study of something that doesn't technically exist; the chimera. Originally from Greek mythology, the chimera is traditionally composed of a lion, a goat, and a serpent, although modern programs such as Dungeons & Dragons add various dragon features to the mix. I've only ever drawn the skeletons of normal animals on small scales, so I felt inspired to challenge myself. Since accurate skeletons of a chimera don't exist, it was up to me to study the chimera's separate components individually and figure out how to combine them.
For the most part, I greatly enjoyed myself in the making of this piece. Attention to detail is very important to me as an artist, and skeletons require a lot of it. The hardest part of designing a creature with multiple heads is attaching the heads to one body, especially when you don't have muscle or fur to work with. I didn't have to worry so much about it since I drew my creature from a side profile, but I drew out some ideas in my sketchbook of how the spine would split into three distinct necks.
Personally, I think that anatomy is the core of most art. In the days of the renaissance masters, anatomical correctness was a sign of great skill, and I think it still is today. This piece is dear to my heart because I loved making it, and it involves subjects that I love. I'd like to create similar pieces in the future.
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To me, creativity is the joy I find in my artistic process. The knowledge that I can visualize something and give it physical form for others to see is the closest thing to magic that I've experienced. I think the joy of creation is truly special.
