W33nus is a US-based artist with a focus on seals, telling their stories with an eye for natural behaviors and amusing exaggerations. W33nus created stickers and addtional art for our 2nd Donation Dive.
See more of their art: Instagram
On the joys of simply being (or watching) a seal
W33nus kindly answered some questions about drawing seals and finding resilience in watching them. This interview was conducted as part of Donation Dive #2.
The Seal Signal: What made you fall in love with seals?
W33nus: When I was a kid I thought baby harp seals were very cute, I fell in love with their puppy like faces and round bodies. As I got older and learned more about them I would come to admire them even more.
Is there some quality about seals you specifically enjoy to explore in your art?
I enjoy drawing the different shapes of seals, some are more slim and some are more round. It’s amazing that each species and individual has their own unique qualities.
How did you develop your signature seal style? It looks effortless but I guess it isn’t…
I did a lot of studying on seal anatomy, and there are aspects of them I really love that I like to accentuate in my art! For example their big muzzles, the shapes of their flippers, and their cute little tails. I love experimenting with different styles and textures, all with the intent to bring out what makes seals so lovable.
As art is a huge part of the sealosphere, do you feel it can contribute to better understanding and even protection of seals?
I think art is absolutely an amazing tool to help connect people with seals and it has helped a lot. Giving cartoon or human attributes to something helps people better connect and care about them. Colorful art grabs people’s attention which can allow you to share information, or educate on current issues and topics.
Your art often has strong storytelling elements. What kind of seal (or seal-human) story would you like to tell most?
I’d love to be able to tell stories of the daily lives of seals, what challenges they face and how resilient or social they can be.
When you have a favorite animal it’s easy to relate your struggles or joys to theirs. Seals being simple animals have such simple joys in life, and I also wish to find joy in the simplicity of everyday living. I think in the end with my storytelling, I want to portray that in that way we are all the same.
What’s your favorite seal (individual or species)?
My favorite seal species is the harp seal, they have such beautiful coats and the stages they go through is amazing to me, since we all go through different stages in life.
As for favorite individual seal, Tama-Chan the bearded seal has always been an inspiration to me. He became famous in Japan in 2002 for appearing in the Tama River, a notoriously polluted and unpleasant place for any wildlife to thrive. Though he may have been trapped he still called it home, and he inspired many to stay resilient and find joy even when things around you seem bleak. Tama-Chan would eat what he could find and take naps on the banks or boats, and those were his simple joys. He reminds me of myself, wishing to live carelessly and find happiness in an environment that seems murky and unforgiving.
And for the most part I do find myself with that happiness, because it is hard to focus on the grim in life when you see a seal being happy about finding the perfect spot to nap, or scratching that perfect itch. 🙂
Thank you for kindly taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer these questions, and for helping seals by supporting our Donation Dives from the start!