YIN AND YANG by Carl Brenders

The best times are when I feel the challenge to get closer and closer to the animals in my paintings. This allows me to enjoy painting all the details of the faces and the fur. Background details become more important and have to be painted accurately.

The only way to get closer is for the artist to crop the image. This gives a real feeling of intimacy with the animal. Concentrating only on the animal gives the painting another dimension.

I saw so many raccoons on my field trips in the United States and even in Europe (in the Bavarian Forest) that I really got to love them. All of my good feelings for this little creature are in this painting. It is also a small tribute to the feeling of partnership and togetherness, like two halves of a circle.

I chose the title Yin and Yang for several reasons. Compositionally, the pose of the raccoons reminded me of the Chinese symbol, as did their black and white coloring. The concept of Yin and Yang also relates to the mutual dependence between the world of nature and human events, just as creatures such as these raccoons are dependant upon the actions of man for their survival.

Carl Brenders

YIN AND YANG

YIN AND YANG
by Carl Brenders
21" by 14¼"
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Conservation Framing
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have a particular color of mat just call 1-302-875-2258 to place your order. The best matching color is used for
each individual print and is not always the color shown here.

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In conservation framing, We use only Museum Quality materials and procedures that will have no adverse
effects on a piece of artwork and will protect the artwork from external damage.

The common name "raccoon" comes from the Indian word "arakum" or "aracoun," meaning "he scratches with his hands."
Adult raccoons may be up to 3 feet long and weigh up to 30 pounds. They have a black face mask and ringed tail. Their fur is long and dense, a grizzled brown and black color that has often been described as "salt and pepper." Although raccoons are flesh-eaters and have long canine teeth, their molar teeth are adapted for a varied diet which includes more than just meat. The raccoon's closest relatives are ringtails and coatis from the Southwest. Raccoons are among the most intelligent of wild animals. They are most active at night and their nightly travels depend upon where food is available and the weather conditions. The home range of an adult male is about one mile in diameter, although it expands in size during the breeding season. Adult females and their young inhabit smaller areas and one male's home range often overlaps several females' home ranges. Adult males tend to be solitary, but family groups are quite social and will feed and den together into the fall. As family units grow, raccoons become increasingly solitary. The young leave the area where they are born between the fall and spring of their first year and may travel 75 miles or more before settling in a new location.

Physical description and identification:
Raccoons vary in size, with average head and body length ranging from 46 to 71cm (18-28 in.) And tail length from 20-30 cm (8-12 in.). Average weight ranges between 5.4 and 15.8 kg (12-35 lbs.). Raccoons are easily recognized by their
grayish, salt-and-pepper bodies with a black mask over the eyes and rings around the tail. Often these rings are less defined on the underside of the tail. The fur is long and soft with dense underfur in the winter and thick guardhair on the back and
around the tail at all times of the year. Young are colored similarly to adults, except that the top of the head, nape of the neck, and area behind the ears are brownish black, whereas these areas on adults are lighter. In general, the more northern
raccoons have longer and darker coats.

The hind legs and feet are generally dark brown to black. There are five digits on each foot, each with a non-retractile claw. The raccoon leaves a distinct hand-like print on soft ground that can occasionally show the individual toes. Prints made by
the front feet average 6.5 cm (2.5 in.) long by 6.5 cm wide, while prints made by the hind feet average 10.5 cm (4 in.) long by 6 cm (2.25 in.) wide. Average width between prints is 9-13 cm (3.5-5 in.) and the length between prints is 15-52 cm
(5.75-20 in.)

Females have six mammae, arranged in three pairs in the pectoral, abdominal, and groin areas. Males have a long, curved baculum.

Raccoons generally live ten years of more in the wild and may live even longer in captivity. The oldest known raccoon was a female aged 12 years and 7 months at death.

Habitat
In the wild, raccoons are found primarily along streams and lakes near wooded areas. However, raccoons are
opportunists and may inhabit urban, residential, and recreational areas. Raccoons are not particular about
den sites and may use tree hollows, hollow logs, caves, rock crevices, holes in the ground, and sometimes even
storm sewers. They do not however, dig their own burrows. In a study of marsh raccoons, it was found that
90% of the raccoons preferred ground dens over tree or water dens. Alternately, pregnant females prefer tree
dens for birthing sites, even when they had other types of dens for day-beds. Raccoons use rock dens most
often during winter, possibly because rock dens offer warm, stable temperatures, are relatively secure, and are
large enough for communal denning. Ground dens are most commonly used in autumn. Den selection may be
based on availability and proximity to food and water instead of den type.
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