Magic Stones

Elephant Victory Slideshow of Malawi Rescue 2009 | IFAW Web Site

The elephants that inhabit the Phirilongwe Forest Reserve and the surrounding area in the Ndowa Hills are all that remain of once large herds that occupied southern Malawi. Today, due to the increasing human population pressures and encroachment into this area the lives of these elephants and the local people are threatened by this deadly human-elephant conflict. More than 30 villages are situated on and around what was once prime elephant habitat. Remaining habitat is being overtaken by these subsistence farmers and elephant migration corridors are being closed off.

The capture itself required darting and tranquillizing the elephants from helicopter and on foot. The elephants were then transported on modified game trucks to Majete Wildlife Reserve and escorted by the Malawi Traffic Department.

View the slideshow to see this historic elephant rescue

Slideshow of Malawi Elephant Rescue 2009 | IFAW Web Site Shared via AddThis

From the very first elephant families that were captured quickly...to the last, massive bulls that filled the trailers completely...to the crowds that gathered to cheer as the elephant caravans passed…and the release of the elephants into their new home where they will be safe and secure for the long term...the move was not only an extraordinary accomplishment, but it was a great victory for animal welfare.

Remember the Bees Mandala Print Shown at Opening Party for Bee Native in New York City

I'm happy to announce that a large print of my Mandala Art titled, "Honor the Bees" was shown in Greenwich Village, New York City on June 22 at the Launch Party for the Non Profit Organization, Bee Native.

My sister gave me the initial idea for this piece.  She wanted a bee themed design to give to a friend.  After reading some articles online depicting their plight and then talking to some bee keepers at our local Farmer's Market, the image emerged.

"Honor the Bees" is a limited edition digital work created using elements from some of my photographs as well as hand drawn and digitally painted elements using my wacom drawing tablet.  Very faintly embedded in the background of the image are 4 Japanese Kanji symbols blessing the bees:  Upper Left  = Peace, Lower Left = Tranquility, Upper Right = Truth, Lower Right = Harmony. The image is available as a high quality professional print backed with double matte board or printed on canvas, in the following sizes:  8 in. x 8 in., 10 in. x 10 in. and 20 in. x 20 in.   With a slight bit of reworking this can be sized up even further to around 20" x  20".  I normally have these printed on Endura Metallic photo paper which gives the image a shimmering quality or on Kodak E-Surface Photo Paper.  The image can also be printed on canvas.  If you would like to order a print, view my "About" page for contact information.  

Survival of pollinating bees are intrinsic to our own survival and vital to our food production.  One third of our food requires pollination by insects.  Bees began disappearing at an alarming rate in 2006, in an epidemic known as Colony Collapse Disorder.  Humans have much to learn from the comples, efrficient and productive world of the bee.

Bee Native's Mission statement is to:

• Provide education about bees and their environment, their functions and needs, Colony Collapse Disorder, environmental change and the impact on the landscape and all it's inhabitants. Provide environmental intervention strategies.
• Strengthen the honeybee population.
• Provide access to stocked hives and training in holistic organic beekeeping methods to American Indian communities and others.
• Provide training on the extraction of honey and the manufacture of other related products from the hives.
• Provide support to establish a high standard of product and co-operative collections under a clear unique brand and marketing plan to benefit the American Indian communities and fund further education.
• Provide research opportunities and data for the study of apiculture. Making this information available to fellow tribal communities, beekeepers and the academy.

I will donate 15% of all sales of this image through the end of 2009 to Bee Native.

Serafina Meets Cobar

Yes, yes we have another lizard.  The little guy (we were told it was a little girl...) has settled in quickly. He's approximately 5 months old.

We named him "Cobar", which is an aboriginal word for "burnt earth".  He's a colorful little man, a Sandfire x Red, he has part of his tail missing (probably munched on by one of his hatch mates), which according to most folks makes him less than desirable as a showcase animal.  None of that matters to us of course.  We think he's just perfect.

This video shows Serafina and Cobar catching sight of each other for the first time.  Cobar's black bearding and rapid head-bobbing confirmed my suspicions that "she" was indeed a "he".  

We now have their enclosures positioned so they can't see each other, to reduce stress on both animals.

7 Fun Ways to Get those Creative Juices Flowing

Image by mikebaird via Flickr

You finally managed to carve out some precious time to get back to your creative work, but you find yourself staring at a blank page, canvas, lump of clay, hunk of metal... with no idea how to proceed. Creative blocks, are something every artist faces at one time or another. There are many techniques you can use to help shift yourself out of a blocked state.  Here are a few of my favorite techniques:

1. Do something mundane like vacuum or sweep your floors.  I find the sounds and rhythmic motions help shift my mental state allowing new ideas to slip right in.
2. Get back to nature. Get yourself out of the house or studio and go for a nature walk.  Your goal is to completely immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of nature.  If you live in a big city, find a large park with walking paths. Tune out as much mental chatter as you can

   Image by Cryztalvisions via Flickr

   and concentrate on taking in all the sights, sounds, colors, and textures around you.
3. Relax with a furry friend. Find your cat, dog, rabbit, guinea pig... buddy and a relax together.  There is something magical about stroking the fur of your animal companion that helps shift you into a more receptive mental state.  It's also great for lowering your blood pressure.
4. Seek out art in your community.  Go to a play, the museum, art gallery, a concert, a movie, a craft fair, etc.  It doesn't have to be something related to your own work, just exposing yourself to the creativity of others can help shift you into a creative state.

   Image by Daniel Greene via Flickr

5. Just do it!  Even if you don't feel the least bit inspired to create, spend some time with your medium and tools.  Painters and graphic artists, play with different color combinations and textures on the canvas; writers, just put some words down, it doesn't matter if it makes sense or not just write whatever pops into your head; crafters, get out your supplies and play--randomly arrange items together. What emerges may surprise you.
6. Creative Play. Play with a medium you don't normally work with.  If your a sculptor, try playing with paint, if your a painter try working with clay, etc.  Sometimes working with an unfamiliar medium can spark new ideas or even take you in a totally new direction.
7. Play some music. Put together a play list of music that really inspires you and gets you moving. Turn up the volume and dance with abandon.  Alternatively explore a new music genre using tools like Pandora.com, Last.fm, blip.fm 

You can also find some great and fun tools on the Internet to help you get back into the flow of creativity

Be Sure to Checkout the Following Online tools:

Visual Acoustics:  A canvas to paint reactive music and vision as a real-time artistic performance.

Flash Paint
Online paint application

Jackson Pollock
Paint like Jackson Pollock. Spend hours throwing paint

EyeWire Creativity Cards  Print out these cards and use them to spark your creativity when you are feeling less inspired.

Looking for more ways to spark your creativity?  Here are a few of my favorite books on nurturing your creativity:

What inspires you and gets your creative juices flowing?

Get a Rare Look Inside a Bald Eagle Nest in the Wild - Warning Can be Addicting

Image via Wikipedia

VDGIF/Norfolk Botanical Garden Eagle Cam

Watch three young eaglets grow on Eagle Cam. Brought to us by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, in partnership with the Norfolk Botanical Garden and WVEC.  The web cam provides a rare glimpse into the life of two bald eagles and their offspring!

Current statistic on the young eaglets who were banded on April 22nd by biologists from the Center for Conservation Biology at William & Mary: 

Eaglet #1 - Band # 679-01346 Color Band: HK

Hatched March 21st

Gender: Male

Weight: 2630 grams (5.80 pounds)

Wing Chord (length of wing from wrist to end of longest primary feather): 23.9 cm

Tail Length: 7.8cm

Eaglet #2 - Band # 679-01345 Color Band HH

Hatched March 22nd

Gender: Unknown

Weight: 2973 grams (6.55 pounds)

Wing Chord: 22.5cm

Tail Length: 4.5cm

Eaglet #3 - Band # 679-01344 Color Band HE

Hatched March 25th

Gender Male

Weight: 2715 grams (5.99 pounds)

Wing Chord: 20.2

Tail Length: 4.5cm

In May, one of the chicks will be fitted with a satellite transmitter. This will provide real time data allowing the movements of the bird to tracked once it leaves the nest. The transmitter is relatively small and does not interfere with the bird's flight. This transmitter will collect invaluable data and help fill in information gaps regarding the movements of eagles. This type of data will inform future management decisions and identify important habitats and resources.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Webcast shows eaglet was born on Vancouver Island (cbc.ca)
• Eagle-eyed in West Seattle: Why you're seeing more of them (westseattleblog.com)

How Green is your Business?

Image via Wikipedia

Earth day was April 22nd, but the Earth Day celebrations continue across the globe through the weekend.  I've been reflecting on the steps I've taken towards a greener business and life thus far and I continue seeking more ways to think green.

Small business owners, can make a big difference by assessing their impact on the environment.  Even though I'm only a one person art and jewelry shop, I manage to continue finding ways to make my business practices more eco-friendly.

Steps Toward a Greener Life & Business

1. I work from home which helps reduce my carbon footprint because I no longer commute to an office or art studio.
2. We have replaced all our lighting with energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.
3. We compost all our food scraps.
4. We recycle everything our county allows.
5. We use energy star compliant appliances.
6. We lowered the thermostat on our water heater.
7. I turn off my computer and monitor at the power strip whenever I don't need them for more than 20 minutes.  I used to leave my computer running all day and sometimes even through the night.   Read When to Turn Off Personal Computers for more information.
8. I request electronic instead of printed catalogs from my suppliers.
9. To reduce junk mail I routinely contact companies who send unwanted mailings and catalogs and remove my address from their list.
   
10. I reuse packaging materials or use packaging materials made from recycled materials when I ship to my customers.
11. I print invoices and shipping labels on recycled paper.
12. I continue to seek out the least toxic materials and processes to use in my jewelry and art.
13. I use recycled metals whenever possible in my jewelry.  I buy my jewelry supplies  from manufacturers who use recycled precious metals like gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, whenever possible.  For more information read this informative article at Modern Jewelry: Refine & Recycle
14. My fine silver jewelry is made using Art Clay Silver or PMC, both products are made from silver reclaimed from computer circuit boards and silver from photographic supplies.
15. I write my main suppliers each year asking what steps they have taken to green their business. I am beginning to boycott suppliers who refuse to use recycled packaging materials.

These are just a few examples I have implemented to become a greener business

More Great Tips on Greener Living:

• Subscribe to  the Energy Saving Blog
• Subscribe to the Green News & Information Resource Blog
• Check out EcoLabs, a network of designers & visual artists addressing sustainability & systemic change.
• Printing art work or promotional materials? Check out greenerprinter, an online printing site that offers recycled paper, environmentally friendly inks and vows to keep their operations as non-toxic as possible.
• Subscribe to Ideal Bites for daily tips on eco-friendly living.
• Artists and crafters, don't miss these great tips posted over at Etsy Success

I'd love to hear about steps your are taking to live a greener life both at home and in your place of business.  Please share your ideas and resources