The bidding has begun in our Summer Biddin’ online-only auction! Bidding is open to everyone, regardless of location, and we have so many great items – lots of things that would make great gifts, or just once in a lifetime experiences for yourself.
And don’t forget to make a donation and help produce the Summer Lovin’ party. It’s all about fun and raising funds for the chimpanzees and the sanctuary!
Check out the art category, which includes original paintings of Annie and Burrito, handmade decorative masks, great prints, and more!
The photo category that has images of all of the chimps, plus other prints!
and keep your eye on the Once in a Lifetime category for a week long vacation to the Grand Cayman Islands, a personally autographed guitar by Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, tickets to the Seahawks v. Cardinals in Seattle, and a Pasado’s Pigs and Pancakes Sanctuary Experience!
AAUGH! I can’t believe it, I was in an place where I couldn’t access internet properly today so I couldn’t log on to bid. When I went to bid on that outstanding Swinging Chimpanzee Necklace I saw it was SOLD and I was ready for a knock-down-drag-out Bidding War too! Bravo to the lucky winner. Drats for me, I’ve been dreaming about that piece ever since I first laid eyes on it!!
I just LOVE this annual auction. So much fun and you always have amazing items to bid on, so many talented people creating special items just for the chimps — now that’s what I call true love. To think we have such fun and the Cle Elum Seven gets to benefit from it all. Win Win.
That one went so fast!! Sorry you missed it, Kathleen! It really is a win – win. We’re excited to see the total, and I’m ready to get busy packing items to ship off to winners!
Hi, Diana,
I’m hoping someone saw my comment expressing my sadness and reason for not getting my item submitted in time.
I didn’t want it to come off like I was some drama queen, but I was really so excited to contribute something, since I’m a student with no real resources, and I’m very impressed with what y’all have done for these guys. (Have you considered live-streaming through UStream??)
Anyway, just checking.
Cheers!
Hello,
I am just GUTTED that I was unable to finish Burrito’s coloured pencil portrait in time for this!!! I have a pinched nerve in my neck that’s laying across a bone spur (since 2012–am waiting to see a Neurosurgeon at the end of September to determine if surgery will help), and sometimes my right arm will go completely numb. When it’s not numb, then I deal with pain and horrible headaches most of the time, plus I have Systemic Lupus and Fibromyalgia that gives me daily pain anyway.
Now, please understand this is not my poor me/pity set of excuses. My friends who have known me for years, however, have seen how my illnesses often keep me from accomplishing a lot of what I set out to do and they don’t think twice of it anymore.
However, for folks just getting to know me, well, this is my bane. I absolutely LOVE seeing the Word Press link in my e-mail each day, hoping as I open it there will be a new video; another glimpse into the lives of these amazing chimp-peoples, and just like Billy Joe, I confess that Burrito is probably my favourite (although soon I also want to paint Jody, since she is just absolutely gorgeous, and I ADORE Negra’s food squeaks), and has been even before I knew about your sanctuary, per se. He’s just goofy like I am. 🙂 And with everything he’s been through, the resiliency of his spirit continues to amaze me.
It was SO important to me that I finish this portrait. Being a fan of chimpanzees since I was 4 or 5, and then watching the ways that they have been belittled, legally tortured in the name of science (from which I’m sure I have directly benefit with having Lupus) and then denied endangered status, thus robbing them of essentially ANY rights of other living beings, well, I know I wanted–no, NEEDED to honour everything Burrito and his women have been through for our sake. There were days I was SO nervous about doing the job I needed to do on this, that my hands would shake whilst picking up the first pencil of the day and setting it to paper; I would suddenly burst into tears, knowing that there were days when they never saw the Sun or even knew it was out and glorious.
The fact is, THE GRAVITY OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS PORTRAIT WEIGHED VERY HEAVILY ON ME, AND I DID NOT EVER TAKE THAT LIGHTLY.
I feel so horrible about not being able to get it done, you just don’t know. (I’m sitting here crying fresh tears over it even as I write this.) I am hoping beyond hope that you will have yet another auction at some point in time this year. One, perhaps, in which I can attend in person? Please say you will! And if you do, then you may still have the original matted 11″ x 17″ coloured pencil portrait of Burrito that I have started. I will make glyceé copies on high-quality, artist’s archival paper for my own portfolio and collection, as well as a few on canvas that you may auction off at a later time if that’s what you choose.
If you click on my name, it will take you to my Facebook page where you will see my latest finished work, entitled “Jengo”. This is also a coloured pencil portrait of a gorilla infant from the Leipzig Zoo that was born in December of 2013 and died in June of 2014 under mysterious circumstances. I thought he was the most beautiful gorilla baby I’d ever seen!
Not feeling very confident in my abilities since I’d just begun using coloured pencils in June, and had been out of painting for over ten years, I did Jengo’s portrait in hopes of building some of my confidence back, and I talk about that openly on my page’s post. The response to his picture has been simply overwhelming, and exactly what I needed. If you do stop by (or anyone reading this!), please leave me a message letting me know you were there!
So, I will finish dear Burrito’s portrait and ship the finished product to you once I get prints made and have it properly matted for stability during shipping. Just kindly please let me know the absolute last day that you need it in your hands, so I can plan with printing companies accordingly.
I just wanted to apologise to you and all the chimps for not getting it done in time. I owe the Cle Elum Seven at *least* that much.
Thank-you so much for this opportunity. Once you see Jengo’s portrait, I hope you will have confidence in my ability to bring this goofy, wonderful alpha to life, so other fans of his can experience his playfulness and beauty the way you do in real life each and every day.
You are so very blessed.
Sincerely,
~~C
No need at all to feel bad, Carla! Sounds like you have quite a lot to deal with, and we hope you feel better. We’re just happy you have such a love of the chimps and a desire to paint them – really no need to worry another second about it.
Awww, thanks so much! My comment crossed with yours–lol! We’re on new wifi here on campus and some things aren’t posting, and since I don’t think I’ve posted before, well, you get it. 🙂
If you will give me a date for the next auction, I’d love to send you the original after I make prints.
Thanks so much for understanding, and please tell that giant goofball to expect a portrait of his antics soon!
Pssst: *Would there be a way to take like a short, 10-second video of you showing him the portrait once you get it? I haven’t yet seen a video of this, but do they have high levels of self-recognition like some other Chimps? I’d guess they might recognise video of themselves quicker than pictures, but that’s my amateur opinion. If there are videos of this, let me know. I’ve been slowly trying to work my way through your archive, so maybe this is already documented.*
<3<3<3