I love the way bats swarm the sky and was curious about how the vampire bat inherited such a bad reputation. The association with “Dracula” and other vampires did not occur until the first movie with the same name. In ancient folklore, bats were not associated with vampires. Almost all nocturnal animals, on the other hand, have associations with the supernatural simply because the night’s association with the unknown. Most vampire bats prefer sheep and birds for their strange source of minerals and protein and most live in the forests of South America. An old abandoned castle would make a great home for a colony of bats. I noticed from images that they do not fly in an organized fashion like migrating birds, instead choose odd paths or structures to circle around before dispersing into the night in search of food. The painting was done primarily in watercolor and oil pastels. I really beat the surface in several areas, which is why I love a strong watercolor paper with a course tooth. I outlined details in pen and ink after several washes.