About the Green Anole Drawing
After decades of fieldwork, I have handled and observed thousands of Green Anoles (Anolis carolinensis). Even so, the extraordinary detail of these familiar lizards is easy to overlook. This colored-pencil close-up reflects a deliberate pause to study form, texture, and color – and to recognize the beauty and individuality present in a common backyard species.
In Eye of the Beholder, I wanted to move beyond a conventional wildlife portrait and focus on the luminous eye and intricate mosaic of green, blue, and yellow scales. The extreme close composition transforms a familiar animal into something almost abstract, revealing details that are usually visible only through careful observation, sometimes even requiring a magnifying glass.
Eye of the Beholder is a colored pencil Green Anole drawing by Michael E. Dorcas for Tantilla Art. Reference photograph courtesy of W. W. Lamar.