Page One
Wildcat is captured on canvas
College Freshman Derek Moser tried to capture a pose of the golden-brown King Cheetah lounging on a table in front of his anatomy and life drawing class.
"I’ve drawn human models, cadavers," Moser said. "This is my first time drawing an animal. It’s different, it’s really neat."
The brown-eyed Kgosi, handled by trainer Rob Dicely, sat for several minutes on the line of tables meant to elevate him. Then he rose and walked back and forth, licked his master’s palm and at times, just stared at the American flag outside the window. Moser’s job was to try to catch the almost three-year-old, 100 lbs, wildcat in action.
"You have a pose, then they move," he said. "So, you kind of draw from imagination."
As part of the class, students also had three other surprises in store for them – a Siberian lynx, a brown mountain lion, and a snow leopard cub, all courtesy of "Leopards Etc.," an organization that runs a wildcat compound in Sonoma county.
Art instructor Catherine Firpo uses the animals once every quarter to pose for three of her classes. The exercise, she said, enables students to draw quickly, and capture the figure in action and right proportion. The exercise is also special on another level.
"I want the students to understand the species and honor them," Firpo said. "We are detached from nature and this forces us to remember there is a world out there."
To make sure this happens, Dicely and his wife offer a lecture while the students draw.
On Tuesday, they learned the cheetah’s small ears and powerful muscles help him reach a speed of 45 miles per hour in two seconds. And, Dicely told them, the cheetah devours his prey in less than an hour and provides no defense for his food if it’s snatched by other wildcats.
The Dicelys routinely show their animals at various schools and colleges to educate the public. They say the live climbing and leaping demonstrations help spread awareness about the animals’ plight.
On a 22-acre compound in Occidental, the Dicelys have raised 24 cats in captivity. They include cheetah, blank panther, snow leopard, and lynx, among others.
"I feel strongly that these are the ambassadors for the ones left in the wild," Barbara Dicely said. She said she doesn’t advocate raising wild animals as pets and added that her animals regularly help raise money for nonprofit organizations.
Student Vonetta Patrice wasn’t too bothered by the captivity issue. Sitting in the back and moving her pencil in quick, short strokes, Patrice, just remembered the majesty of the wildcats.
"The wildcat is really gracious and beautiful," she said. "Seeing it live, you get a better appreciation of the animal."
