Drones Last Extraction

The story:
The bat is extracting juice from the woman who represents another aspect of nature. She was crossing this mountain pass with the two endangered Spanish Lynx in tow as their protector. They were waylaid by the bat, which she fought off with the sword. She used the horn to call for help as the bat overpowered her. It extracts green blood or sap from her neck and some of it gets siphoned off into the bag as it tries to swallow. Its metal ear tag shows it is owned by and is working for something or someone else. It plans to bring the collected juice to whoever controls it. It has just jerked its head up, sensing the approach of something rushing in from behind. The incoming raptor barrels towards the scene. It has heard nature's call and has come to her aid.

The underlying meaning:
This was painted to look like a cross between a B horror movie still and a baroque painting from the 18th century. I wanted to portray a melodrama with a cast of characters, because I think the reality is in fact a huge drama.

I use the word drone like it's used in the Startrek movies about the Borg, in which the drones are corrupted mindless workers. The bat drone may have once been a normal vampire but it is being appropriated and used now. It has a symbiotic relationship with its bosses in that the drone gets some juice, and the bosses get some. This reminds me of a drone at the office doing work that helps destroy the planet. The drone gets a salary; the boss gets the work produced. The drone in the painting also alludes to the way we extract resources from the earth until it collapses.

The hilt of the sword is a little animal with its paws covering its face. He fought the best he could and now cannot bear to watch this drama any longer. The horn represents those who are sounding the alarm. The shield has an ancient Celtic symbol, the Tree of Life, on it. It represents those who are shielding the endangered victims. The huge raptor represents backup. We are now just beginning to see it's appearance and I purposely made its approach look sure and inevitable. It shows no anger whatsoever, just intense focus.