Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Tallulah Cunningham

@yesthattallulah.bsky.social

96 followers 95 following 22 posts

Multi-class freelance illustrator, DMsGuild creator/collaborator, #fatbatweek art. Weekly art studio Twitch 7am AEST Wed+Fri. A visitor living in Awabakal lands, grew up in Arrente country. linktr.ee/papertigress

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · Sep 2

So I'm aiming to rebrand to get all my usernames cohesive across platforms (it's only taken *forever* as it feels such a big job...)
I'll be active under both here for the next year but will be nudging activity across onto this account bit by bit.

Tallulah Cunningham @papertigress.bsky.social · Jul 26

No pressure on what to put as a first post is there... [as paralysis sets in]

So lets re-Archive an annual art challenge I set myself that brings me joy: #fatbatweek from 2021

Drawing of Hipposideros fulva about to nick pistachios from atop Gulab Jamun. These bats are actually insectivorous and have the most adorable little nose dishes that aid in echolocation.

A sketch of Seba's short-tailed bat brunching on lolly bananas.

Tadarida insignis chomping on some konpeito (japanese sugar-crystal confection). I love those little free-tail bat ear ridge nodules so much!

1 1 13

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 22h

Running a little late but here I am back with #FatBatWeek extended.
This little lad is one of my favourite species – the NZ short-tailed bat, pollinator of the flower of Hades with frybread and a offbrand L&P.
@nzbatman.bsky.social @forestandbird.bsky.social @batcon.org

A little brown bat with pointy ears and a cheerful smile is perched on top of golden brown cubes of frybread. The plate the food is stacked on is based on Crown Lynn ware, a kiwi pottery. Behind the place is a parody of L &P, a local lemonade, but with the label change to read FBW in large yellow letters beneath which is fact that week and "batty good stuff 2025 quote on a red banner.

12 39

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 1d

Do stay hydrated too - and connect with bat related communities / that makes the fatbatweek even better :D

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 2d

Great great grandparents of the banana - we thank them for their abundance and the deliciousness if their lineage :D

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 2d

For sure it could be a fried minced grub patty (chicken of the loam) - as an illustrator I deal in the realm of imagination after all :D

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 2d

Seventh of #fatbatweek with a Greater Bulldog bat carrying a crumbed prawn. These beautiful chunky bats are piscivorous & apparently quite loud. Bat researchers/rehabilitators please comment w your favourite bat & something about them on any fat bat post! @dailybats.bsky.social @batcon.org

A chonkie orange furred bat with a blocky face backwings while gripping a crumbed prawn as big as its body.

9 39

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 3d

for #fatbatweek day 6: snack and species found in Ghana: Spurrell's Woolly bat and Kelewele - fried plantain.
With a shout out to @irorotanshi.bsky.social @africanbatcon.bsky.social @batresearch.bsky.social @dailybats.bsky.social

A fluffy tan Woolly bat sitting on a about 7 slices of golden fried plantain that, in turn, rest on a bright green banana leaf.

2 18 47

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 4d

Last year I learned that the Japanese house bat is 油蝙蝠, literally "oil bat" - which inspired this years fatbatweek series to be focused on fried foods :D

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 4d

Two in one: Hope these help.

A Spotted bat perched on a fried chicken burger. The bat has large long pink ears. And is blotched in white and chocolate brown.

a Japanese house bat slurping a noodle from a big bowl of Kitsune Udon. There is a slab of fried tofu and two pieces of Naruto style fish paste (those ones with the pink swirls inside them)

2 110 250

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 4d

With a additional shout out to @courtneymilan.com for her description of this particular food in a recent(ish) book - so tangibly written that I immediately recognised what the Taiwanese ladies were requesting for fatbatweek, despite not seen/eaten youtiao in person (yet).

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 4d

Fifth of #fatbatweek is the Spotted Bat Euderma maculatum with a fried chicken burger. Shout out to all the US bat rehabilitators, researchers and educators @azbatrescue.bsky.social @albertabats.bsky.social @batgirlsusan.bsky.social @batconreslab.bsky.social @batcon.org

A brown and white blotched bat with big long ears perched atop a lustrous and crispy looking burger with a hint of spanish onion, cheese, fried chicken, tomato, and lettuce.

4 25 92

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 5d

For 4th of #fatbatweek - a rare Greater Noctule with Verguny, Nyctalus lasiopterus and a variety of Ukrainian fried treat.
#biodiversitymatters #microbats #chiroptera #batappreciationmonth # Shout out to batsukraine.org's conservation and education work.

A chunky brown vesper bat standing on a white bowl, ornamented with blue arabesques based on a Ukranian ceramic pattern, the bowl is filled with twisted golden fried pastries dusted with icing sugar.

17 44

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 6d

I think this one will definitely become a sticker- I too think they turned out well.

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 6d

Day 3 of #fatbatweek is a Australian Eastern tube-nosed bat, Nyctimene robinsoni on a pineapple fritter shout out to tolgabathospital.org, ausbats.org.au and pacbat.org

A grey bat with yellow on its shrek-ear like nostrils, ears and wings perches on a pineapple ring, sparsely battered, looking smug

1 36 100

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 8d

A Taiwanese golden bat with Youtiao - a fried dough stick known by many other names. This species and treat was requested by some lovely Taiwanese bat researchers I met at IBRC, at least one of whom has been a fatbatweek fan for several years ❤️
www.goldenbat.org.tw/en

Illustration: Pierced on a red chop stick are two fried sticks of dough with a pale gold furred bat hanging between them.

1 27 63

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 8d

@batgirlsusan.bsky.social - tell your students: it's time!
They are welcome me with bat species suggestions and iconic fried snacks from those regions.

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 8d

Guess who only recently realised she misspelt her name on these cards, after handing them out to nigh on everyone at the @ibrc2025.bsky.social conference

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 8d

Keep tabs on the tag for the rest of the week (and a bit) as I've started! 🦇🦇🦇

1 3

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 8d

Its the first of #fatbatweek 2025! Kicking it off with the bat that inspired this years theme "fried things": the Japanese house bat: #油蝙蝠 or "oil bat". Kitsune udon comes w a slab of fried tofu. Shout out to @batconservation.bsky.social pacbat.org & globalsouthbats.org #diversitymatters

A bat clutching a bowl of kitsuke udon with a blue bat pattern sucking down a glossy white noodle

2 19 42

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · 26d

#versatileartist is versatile.
Can't stay in a lane, won't stay in a lane.

A chonkie hippocampus in white and teal for a tshirt design

Gouache light study of a boardwalk in morning light

2 5

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · Sep 2

Here are instances of my Wednesday Twitch sketching practice (twitch.tv/papertigress 9-8.30am AEST almost every week since 2019).

I don't archive them, the vids are up for a fortnight then return to the aether - but my sketchbooks grow fat with images & my skill stronger for the repetition.

A page of sketches of dog breeds that begin with and "A" or "B". A basengi, it's face covered in a paw is curled asleep with a wash of gingery watercolour across it's back

A page of sketches of snoozing pooches, spread out in a classic "roach" or curled up tight

A page of Taipri sketches in graphite and blue pencil.

A half page of Potoroo sketchs in red pencil.

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · Sep 2

It is so empty in here... Here are some of my Friday Twitch painting practices (twitch.tv/papertigress 9-8.30am AEST almost every week)

I think I'll focus this account to be my more mundane genre of art and @papertigress to be my TTRPG illustrations...

My Cabbages! A gouache colour study of a cabbage on a bench, with all the leaves loose leaves still attached.

A gouache colour study of a tabby kitten showing off its hind toe-beans on a pale teal fabric

A gouache water and light study of a pier beneath a big tree, struck by bright yellow sunlight from the right back direction. The rippling water shows the tree in fragmented bands of warm and cold greens.

A gouache study of a colourful striped table
Replete with round globes of vegetables
A vase of pale pink roses
A Tabby cat regarding over it's shoulder
Light bounces off the aubergine from multiple windows
warm and cold
while the beetroot sit in their own crimson shadows.

3 12

Tallulah Cunningham @yesthattallulah.bsky.social · Sep 2

Tallulah Cunningham @papertigress.bsky.social · Jul 26

No pressure on what to put as a first post is there... [as paralysis sets in]

So lets re-Archive an annual art challenge I set myself that brings me joy: #fatbatweek from 2021

1 1 13