Weasel and Whaleboard by Derrick Guild (b. 1963) captures a black and white striped weasel standing on a game board. Thin strokes of oil paint create softness for the weasel's fur, with thinned stripes of paint capturing its whiskers. The use of oil paint on paper then laid over board allows Guild to create a solid layer of paint for the dark background and for the game board the weasel stands on. The rich red colour, contrasted with more muted tones on the edges of the board allow Guild to depict some level of depth within the work. This also occurs with the contrasting tones of white colour in the weasel's stripes, which give the animal a level of realistic dimension against its irregular patterns. 

Guild is well known for combining techniques from European still life paintings with more contemporary elements such as disjointed realities. This is present in this work as the weasel is shown to have striped patterning that is not found in any weasel species in nature, almost appearing as though it is a weasel combined with a zebra's coat pattern. This is a technique present also in Kinkajou and Parr, 1991 where a realistic animal has unrealistic patterns on its fur, as if the animal was painted for the piece. It shows Guild's work in Surrealism, where the realistic is paired with an element that is surreal. 

Derrick Guild, born 1963

Born in Perth, Guild trained at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee from 1982 to 1987. Since graduating he has exhibited widely in Britain and America, with solo shows in London and New York. In 1995 the award of the Villiers David Scholarship allowed him to travel to Spain, where he was greatly influenced by the country's painting and culture.