Ravens Rock Gorge, Rosehall, Sutherland, Scottish Highlands

Here’s the last illustration for the 2017 Taproot Calendar, a barn owl! I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing my calendar illustrations over the past month - it was a wonderful project.

The Appearance

Karl ‘Shakur’ Ndieli Kansas, USA

There’s something so unpredictable and exhilarating about the wild that keeps me coming back for more. I was up in the Yosemite back country a couple of weeks ago on a solo one night trip. I thought I was awake because it felt too vivid to be a dream. I appeared to be staring up at the stars for about an eternity before I decided to whip out my camera and take some pictures. 

My initial plan was to pose on this rock with my flashlight pointing towards the stars. I was sitting still focusing and preparing when the most magical thing happened to me. A grazing Stag wondered up onto the same rock my lens was pointed at. I instinctively held unto my shutter, for dear life as we both stared into each other’s souls this for what conveniently felt like an forever. As if to say “shhh, you saw nothing” he jumped off the rock and majestically cantered into the distance.

I had to wake up and replicate what I thought had happened. I can only hope that one day I’ll experience something as intimate and magical as that.

Tumblr: karl-shakur Instagram: karl_shakur

Phone Case  //  Hoodie

T-shirt  //  Sweatshirt

Cap //  T-shirt

Cap  //  Sweatshirt

Coat  //  Jacket