Ricoh and my logo

Some have wondered why I chose to use a baby raccoon illustration as my logo.  It is an odd choice when I am known to be obsessive and there are so many other images that may represent that quirk of my personality.  Frankly, I don't need an image to represent my obsessive nature since I just am what I am (as Popeye would say).  However, Ricoh Raccoon is a good story about development, impact, conservation, and art.  Above all, my art is about representing the beauty and value of wild, which he does perfectly.





Over 10 years ago, Ricoh Raccoon was left homeless and abandoned by the bulldozer and the building of my house on a mountain in WV.
 It was heartbreaking to see this little guy running about lost and searching for his mum.  I had to intervene.  While this may not be my most flattering photo,  poor little Ricoh was just so sweet and cuddly and frankly - quite kittenish!


I took him in, early on I snuggled him and bottle fed him.  However, I raised him to stay wild, taught him to forage, and released him when he was old enough to fend for himself.  He hung around for several years.

It was hard because once released, I could not be 'friendly' with him else he would get himself into trouble with less forgiving humans in the area.  I never introduced him to anyone because I knew he would be going back into the wild again and Ricoh needed a healthy fear of my species to survive.

He made it a point to visit occasionally.  I like to think he missed me.  I would spot him hanging out on a tree limb in my north garden early in the mornings, just watching me, while weeding my blueberries.
I never got a single blueberry from that patch, thanks to Ricoh.  Ah, but I was just fine with that.  He learned to forage quite well.

I am pretty sure that Ricoh's progeny are still around here on my mountain.  Ricoh will always represent the beauty and value of wild for me.

Visit my website at vlynnstudio.com