Meerkat Mischief

These cute little mammals predominantly living in open arid areas of South Africa, Botswana and Namibia always look like they are up to something!  According to the National Geographic, the most interesting thing about them might be the dark markings around their eyes, which acts like sunglasses and allows them to see in the bright sunlight of the areas they inhabit.

They are a sociable bunch and normally live in groups of about 30.  As they can be easy prey for eagles and the like, there is always one standing guard in a tree or on some kind of elevated area, to be able to warn the group should danger approach.

They can be so entertaining to watch in the wild and definitely be entertaining to paint.  I can't help but wonder what these three are looking at on our 30 x 40cm canvas.  It is not too complex to paint and has 19 colours.  Each box contains a stretched, printed and numbered canvas, paint, brushes and a page detailing the numbers for an extra reference.