BY SANDRA BEASLEY

All can be measured by the standard of the capybara. Everyone is lesser than or greater than the capybara. Everything is taller or shorter than the capybara. Everything is mistaken for a Brazilian dance craze more or less frequently than the capybara.

It’s true that I have served as a muse for some very outstanding artists…it’s just too bad my owner isn’t one of them.

I don’t want to be mean, but it’s true. She’s got the artistic talent of an untalented person. Nevertheless, my cuteness is so inspirational that she can’t help [...]]]>

Super Me

It’s true that I have served as a muse for some very outstanding artists…it’s just too bad my owner isn’t one of them.

I don’t want to be mean, but it’s true. She’s got the artistic talent of an untalented person. Nevertheless, my cuteness is so inspirational that she can’t help but draw me sometimes, always in a cartoon form because, well, the reason is obvious.

She spent a whole afternoon last weekend drawing the above picture of me and the Texas flag. The problem with my owner is that the only way she knows to stop is when she has completely ruined the thing she was working on. The initial drawing was fine so, of course, she had to keep going.

I've been framed!

Photoshop is a wonderful tool, but it can’t turn someone into an artist when there is no artistic talent there to start with. What does she think, putting a texture on me makes some kind of earth-shattering difference? Clearly, this wasn’t enough to really ruin the drawing.

A Change of Colors

She color shifted the background and added texture. Now we are well on the way to being “done.”

I'm a poster

Maybe she should have changed the color of my bandanna? Or what about my fur? A real artist would have done something more original.

Done!

Okay! I think we’re done. The blood is rushing to my head and I feel all wobbly and out-of-sorts. I can’t hardly tell if I’m coming or going.

By the way, you might think that drawing of me looks familiar. It should! It’s from a photo of me at the state capitol. You can see the photo in the previous post. And if you think about it, I don’t actually think she “drew” me. I think she cheated.

I had an unpleasant email exchange this week regarding an old post on this blog. You can follow the link, but the relevant portion of the blog post is copied below. I am making the exchange public because it came as a complaint from the artist about my assessment of his work. I don’t [...]]]> Owner’s Blog:

I had an unpleasant email exchange this week regarding an old post on this blog. You can follow the link, but the relevant portion of the blog post is copied below. I am making the exchange public because it came as a complaint from the artist about my assessment of his work. I don’t know why he didn’t put a comment on the blog post rather than sending an email but it seems like he has a right to have his opinions heard and so I am giving him space here to do so. This will give all you readers the chance to form your own opinions based on his work and his comments.

Capybara in mural at Georgetown Library

Text from the original blog post:

And I learned that Georgetown, Texas has a totally awesome library. It has wonderful open stacks, great art in the hallways and sculpture outside, an actual café in the library with great food. But the best part is the children’s section. It has a South American jungle theme with murals painted on all the walls.

Please notice the capybara peeking out of the grass near the bottom left corner. How great is that? Of course, whoever painted it had no idea how large capybaras are because that one would be a midget. Or maybe the jaguar is a giant. Or maybe nothing is drawn to scale. At any rate, I would love to do a book reading / capybara encounter and have Caplin in front of that mural. I donated a copy of the book to the library and gave them one of Caplin’s cards. Hopefully they’ll contact me about it.

Email exchange:

Original contact email from artist:

I’m the artist for the wall mural in Georgetown Library. Yes, I do know how large Capybara’s get. I’m not sure you do however. That giant thing that you have is not the norm, not by a longshot. Notice the mural is set in the wild, and in the wild few Caps ever reach 1/3rd that size as they are the main food source for so many predators. Also, the JAGUAR is in the background, whereas the Cap is in the foreground and is a decent size as compared to the Manatee, and is at the size you’re likely to find in the wild.

Please critique me only when you know what you are talking about, and please do not use my artwork image without permission.

My response:

Tony,

Wow, you are really sensitive. And yet still wrong.

The average size for a capybara is 100-140 lbs. Caplin weighs in at around 100 lbs so he’s actually a bit small. Furthermore, I also have seen capybaras in the wild. Here’s a link to my post showing some photos: http://gianthamster.com/2009/09/wild-capys-in-venezuela/.

I don’t know where it is that you saw the tiny capybaras. Maybe they were babies. Maybe you saw the elusive lesser capybara from Panama and Colombia which is supposed to top out at 75 lbs, although I have never even seen a photo of one.

On the whole, my critique of your artwork was very positive so I think your indignation is inappropriate and exaggerated.

Thanks for reading my blog!

Melanie & Caplin Rous

Artist’s response:

Again, if allowed to get that large.  I have seen them in the wild too. And it’s well-known that they don’t get that large, usually no more than beaver-size. It’s from what I’ve seen in the wild and what I’ve read from experts, not some woman with a self-published vanity book and a pet, is that in the wild they seldom reach half their full life-span.

It’s something I’ve noted of interest about the psychology of the amateur animal ‘expert’, particularly with exotics. They know a little about a particular animal and develop this sense of self-importance, so they are quick to criticize any fact they think is invalid whether asked to do so or not. It makes them feel better about themselves.

But okay, so we have a difference of opinion, but my point was, you have no right to post someone elses image, particularly if you are going to criticize.

I expect you to take that image off your site and this is an official request by me to do so.
–
Tony Sansevero
Magical Ideas Illustration
www.tonysansevero.com
‘A mind stretched with a new idea,
never goes back to its original dimensions’

My response:

Tony,

Your mural is displayed in a public place and I have every right to photograph it. If you feel a need to contact me again, please do so through a lawyer.

Melanie Typaldos

So there you have it, judge for yourselves.

I admit I probably should have been more polite in my initial response. I hope I have learned a valuable lesson.

One last thing. I hate to post this because the behavior of the humans makes me kind of sick. Poor little capybara! Nevertheless, it shows the relative sizes of capybaras and jaguars in the wild. You probably don’t want to watch it all the way to the end.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Some of you may remember that my good friend Nic Lara gave me a variety of wonderful gift for my third birthday. He gave me that gorgeous orange bandanna, a tasty tub of spinach and an amazing comic strip about me and a toad named [...]]]>

Nic Lara, me and my owner in July

Some of you may remember that my good friend Nic Lara gave me a variety of wonderful gift for my third birthday. He gave me that gorgeous orange bandanna, a tasty tub of spinach and an amazing comic strip about me and a toad named Berman. Well, the comic, done by Nic himself, was only the first installment of the story. I am so happy to tell y’all that Nic has sent me Part 2!

You can read Part 1 here. To sum it up, Birman and I steal an ice cream cart so that we can eat all the ice cream. I think it was Berman’s idea…I’m just saying. Well, Nic has finished the story with the two panels you see below. Isn’t he creative? I love how clever he made me. I like to think I would be smart enough to do what the comic Caplin does.

Part 1 of Part 2

Part 2 of Part 2

Even if the elevator hadn’t been broken, I’m not sure I know how to use one of those things. I’ve only been in one a couple of times and my owner or Sheldon always pushed the buttons. It was very heroic how I rescued Bermin, wasn’t it?

Thanks Nic! I love your comics. Someday you are going to be a famous comic strip writer/illustrator or whatever it is they are called. Graphic artist?

This week my owner and I went to the Buda Public Library to give a presentation on capybaras. She had some slides of wild capybaras that she took in Venezuela and I had me. We actually make a pretty good team although, to be honest, [...]]]>

Me and my owner at the Buda Library

This week my owner and I went to the Buda Public Library to give a presentation on capybaras. She had some slides of wild capybaras that she took in Venezuela and I had me. We actually make a pretty good team although, to be honest, I think I could carry the whole show by myself.

The library visit was really fun. There were lots of kids and adults there. Lots of my fans and some people who were just learning about capybaras for the first time. It is so great to meet fans who have seen me on YouTube or Animal Planet or here on my blog. It’s a pretty great feeling when those people come to meet me in person. I don’t think they are ever disappointed by me. I sure hope not!

One of my fans was Mark Sherwood.

Me with Mark Sherwood

Mark brought his whole family to see me! He is one of my FaceBook friends and I stole the photo above and the one below from his FaceBook page. I hope you don’t mind Mark!

Me eating a popsicle.

I also  met a really special fan named Nic Lara. You can see him in the top photo, he is wearing the blue shirt with white stripes. Nic brought me a bag of birthday presents! And they were all great. Here’s a photo of me with Nic and some of the presents.

Me and my owner with Nic Lara

Nic gave me that great orange bandana I am wearing in the photo. I have decided that orange is my color. It goes great with my fur.

But do you see the papers Nic is holding? Those are a comic strip Nic made featuring ME! I scanned them in so you all can read them. It is a great comic and I hope he sends me the second installment because I am dying to know what happens.

Don’t forget that you can click on the images to see a larger version.

If that weren’t enough, Nic also gave me a great big box of spinach! I love to eat spinach while watching TV with my owner in the evening so this is a wonderful gift for me. My owner made a video of me eating the spinach.

Click here to view the embedded video.

As you can see, the library visit was a pretty great day for me and my owner.

#2) Sleepy 'bara

I am thinking of getting a plush toy version of me made. So far I’m considering one of two designs, as shown above. But this is not an inexpensive proposition to get a toy designed and the minimum order is 500 units. Before my owner and [...]]]>

#1) Alien Caplin

#2) Sleepy 'bara

I am thinking of getting a plush toy version of me made. So far I’m considering one of two designs, as shown above. But this is not an inexpensive proposition to get a toy designed and the minimum order is 500 units. Before my owner and I do any of that, we thought we’d get the opinion of the fans to see if they are interested and what they would prefer if we choose to go ahead with this project.

Can you please answer the poll on the right side-bar and indicate whether you would be interested in a toy, which one and how much you might pay? We’ll leave the poll open until July 21st so you have some time to think.

Please post a comment if you have any insights or suggestions.  For example, would a beanie baby be okay or should it be a real plush toy? Is there some other drawing of me or pose that you think would work better?

Thanks!

Believe it or don’t, there is a band called Capybara! I admit, Capybara is a great name for just about anything but still I was surprised when I learned that. Surprised and excited! I thought, this is going to be great! It will be just the kind of [...]]]>

Me with the band Capybara

Believe it or don’t, there is a band called Capybara! I admit, Capybara is a great name for just about anything but still I was surprised when I learned that. Surprised and excited! I thought, this is going to be great! It will be just the kind of music I like. I won’t have to thrumm in displeasure like I do at Johnny Cash. Or just close my ears (one of the big perks of being a capybara is that we can literally close our ears) when my owner plays classical or The Cars. I do like The Killers and, of course Mountain Kids Fantasy, but how would they compare to a band named Capybara? Surely Capybara’s music would consist of just the kinds of noises I make all the time. I don’t like to brag but people often compare my voice to the songs of birds.

Anyway, Capybara the band came to Austin last month and I got to meet them one day at Austin Java! They are all really, really super nice guys. They pet me and fed me blueberries and I even took a little walk with them. I also did some of my best eeping just to show them that I know a bit about music myself.

Well, they must have been impressed because they came back the next weekend and met me in Garrison Park in South Austin where we shot a music video together! We recorded a song called Magpies, which was perfect for me even though the band really does not sound like capybaras at all and not even that much like magpies. I am 100% positive that this is their best video ever because I added a bunch of my eeps to it. I think I really got the rhythm of the music and inserted my voice at just the right times. Plus I insisted that we walk around a little which makes the video so much more interesting. Well, you just need to watch and listen and judge for yourselves.

Thanks guys! That was sooo much fun. Let me know if you want me to go on tour with you!

Anyone who knows me knows that I love art. Specifically, I love art featuring capybaras, and especially specifically I love art featuring me. You may have seen the other posts in my Capybara Art category (press the link on the left sidebar). Those are really great pieces of art and I love them [...]]]>

Anyone who knows me knows that I love art. Specifically, I love art featuring capybaras, and especially specifically I love art featuring me. You may have seen the other posts in my Capybara Art category (press the link on the left sidebar). Those are really great pieces of art and I love them all. Actually, I can hardly even begin to give proper thanks to my original stalker Jim Perry, to Terry Stanley, Jeff  Djayasaputra and, most recently, Grace Warrington. They are all professional artists with real affinities for animals and capybaras in particular.

What amazes me is how many wonderful ways there are to depict me in art. The four paintings above are all so unique in style and medium and in the feelings that they invoke in the viewer. I couldn’t possibly say which I like best. I honestly love them all!

With this in mind, it occured to me (and my owner) that one way to connect with school kids is through art and through their participation in the creation of art. That is why we have started handing out Caplin Coloring Pages when we go to schools. My owner did the drawings and, as she says, she can draw but she is no artist! But the kids can fill in the artist part with the outline on the coloring page just serving as a template. We are hoping that this type of activity will also help the kids understand and appreciate capybaras. Coloring my likeness should help them remember what I look like. That is the theory anyway.

Two of the schools I went to in October sent me images of some of the colorings done by their students. I think they are wonderfully creative. Most of them are based on this drawing of me.

The kids at the San Marcos Montessori  saw this picture which helps to explain their color choices.

I think I look pretty cool all colorful like that. The kids did a great job!

We visited a 2nd grade class at Kiker Elemetary School. My owner gave them a greater choice of coloring pages partly because they were older and partly because she created more pages. She put more detail on the original page too. And I think you can see that these students did not see her colorful version. Amazing how that affects the coloring style!

Pretty great work by all the kids, I’d say!

If you’d like coloring pages, please send me an email using the contacts page and I will email you the jpg images.

If you are in Central Texas and would like me to visit your school for a capybara encounter, send us an email using the contacts page.

If a picture paints a 1000 words then a painting is worth a million words. Or something like that. Anyway, the painting that Grace Warrington did of me and my owner is worth at least a million words. More like a million dollars. More like priceless. Look [...]]]>

Us with painting by Grace Warrington

If a picture paints a 1000 words then a painting is worth a million words. Or something like that. Anyway, the painting that Grace Warrington did of me and my owner is worth at least a million words. More like a million dollars. More like priceless. Look what a great job she did of catching us in a candid moment. It’s so funny how we both have our eyes all squinty-shut! And you can see, Grace caught my owner’s big teeth perfectly while just hinting at mine. I love that subtle comparison.

I kissed a painting of my owner!

My owner first showed me the painting while I was getting ready for the Halloween Costume Contest which is why I have a green stripe in the photo above. More to the point is that it was so lifelike that I just had to kiss the image of my owner in the painting. That was funny because the me in the painting is kissing the other side of her face.  Just shows how much I love my owner.

Grace Warrington working on our portrait

This is an image that Grace sent us while she was working on the portrait. You can’t even imagine how excited we were when we saw this. Grace picked the image to use out of all the images we have up on the web in various locations. We didn’t even know it was going to be both of us. She picked just the right one to capture the true capybara-owner bond! (But why does my owner have to make her fingers into rabbit ears behind me? I am NOT a rabbit.)

Make sure you check out Grace’s web page. She always shows her work in progress on her page. As I am writing it she is doing a beautiful rendition of a very strikingly colored cat. She even has a whole series showing her work on our painting that you can see here. It’s amazing to see how the work progressed, especially for a capybara since we are not known for our artistic abilities.

I have some of the most amazing friends in the world…and they’re not even all capybaras! I’d like you to meet two special friends, Emily and Elizabeth. Sure, they are cute human kids and we have that cute thing in common, but we also share another special [...]]]>

Emily & Elizabeth with Balloon Capybara

I have some of the most amazing friends in the world…and they’re not even all capybaras! I’d like you to meet two special friends, Emily and Elizabeth. Sure, they are cute human kids and we have that cute thing in common, but we also share another special attribute.

Elizabeth & Emily also have their own book! Seriously! (Probably their mom takes credit for their book just the way my owner takes credit for mine. That is lame.)

Did you notice what they are holding in the photo? It is a balloon capybara! Sadly, it turns out that capybaras are very hard to render in balloon. I think they did a pretty good job though. I especially like the color they chose. But the picture should give you a hint as to what their book is about. It is a instruction guide on how to make balloon animals. Who wouldn’t want to do that?

You can read more about them, their book and their fun encounters with everyone’s favorite capybara (me) on their blog. The title of their book is Kids Show Kids How to Make Balloon Animals. It’s a great idea for children’s parties and other events.

I think it would be fun if y’all would try to beat Emily & Elizabeth’s capybara-balloon rendition and send me photos of your creations. I’ll add the photos to this post. Come on! Let’s see how creative my fans can be.