I kept my eyes on it the whole time. Now it was moving so slowly that you couldn't really see whether it was coming towards you or not. Occasionally its shape changed just slightly and its black tummy swept over the concrete floor. I could hardly breathe. I knew that I ought to run away and hide bur I just couldn't. Now it moved diagonally again towards the wall and wasn't to be seen any longer. It was in the pile of junk behind the modelling stand, it was somewhere behind the sacks of plaster and might appear again just anywhere.
It was getting dark in the studio. I knew that it was me who had let the creature out and I couldn't capture it and lock it up again.
- Sculptor's Daughter by Tove Jansson
Orangutan sketch (Original Dimensions: 3000x3000px x 300DPI) to try out my new iPad Air M2 13 using both iArtbook Pro and Artstudio Pro artist apps. This iPad is awesome for power and quickness.
Here are three main facts about adult male orangutans:
1. **Physical Characteristics**: Adult male orangutans are significantly larger than females, with an average height of about 1.2-1.5 meters (4-5 feet) and weighing around 50-100 kg (110-220 lbs). They develop distinctive physical features such as large cheek flanges (fleshy pads) and a throat pouch, which they use to produce long calls to communicate across the dense forests.
2. **Solitary Lifestyle**: Unlike many primates, male orangutans are solitary creatures. They spend most of their lives alone, except during brief periods of mating. This solitary behaviour reduces competition for food and other resources. The males will range widely and have large territories that often overlap with the ranges of several females.
3. **Long Call**: Adult male orangutans have a unique and powerful long call that can be heard over great distances. This call is used to establish territory and attract females. The call consists of a series of roars, grunts, and bellows, and it serves to warn other males of their presence, helping to maintain social hierarchy and reduce conflicts.
What a wonderful Kirkus review!
(Paired here with my favorite improper contraction.)
"A thoughtful look at life, in all its beauty and strangeness.
...
This delightfully deadpan musing on life urges compassion for others. Howden’s straightforward text is on the philosophical side, though also rooted in the absurd. Hahn’s spare black graphite pencil watercolor, mostly set against a white background, are imbued with humor and empathy for the pickle, with the foodstuff’s expressive eyes conveying many emotions at once. "
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sarah-howden/the-wise-pickle/
THE WISE PICKLE
by Sarah Howden ;
illustrated by Sabina Hahn
RELEASE DATE: June 23, 2026
A vibrant, hand-drawn urban sketch capturing the quiet magic of a black cat wandering through a Mediterranean-style alley. Featuring warm orange and yellow hues, loose marker strokes, and a whimsical atmosphere, this piece brings the warmth of a European summer right into your home.
I got fed up with her because she wasn't happy. I don't like it when people find life difficult. It gives me a bad conscience and then I get angry and begin to feel that they might as well go somewhere else.
- Sculptor's Daughter by Tove Jansson
#dailydrawing #tovejansson
I'm uploading the two pages backwards so when they are all uploaded you can see them left to right. But this is page two. I worked on this at at training the other day, training days make for great art doodle days. If you want to see more I do have a tumblr account.
Last spring we had nineteen canaries. I must tell you, once and for all, that canaries are very virulent birds.
It starts with the mother bird and the father bird.
They have babies. And before the babies get a single feather on their bodies they have to leave home and the father bird sings again and the mother bird lays new eggs. That's how things go with canaries.
- Sculptor's Daughter by Tove Jansson
#dailydrawing #tovejansson
