Earth Day 2020

Earth Day 2020

Earth Day — not quite what we had hoped it would be. Our precious planet seems to be a mess right now, but not without hope.

While right now we humans have our own problems, the health of our oceans remains key to our survival. We’re stuck inside self-isolating, but here is a reminder that there are many splendid sights to behold, once we can get back out there and see the world again.

My favorite subjects to paint are marine creatures living underwater. This crazy-looking creature is a Basket Starfish, which can be found on the ocean floor in our Pacific coastal waters. I was fascinated by its lacey branching structure and graceful movements.

Marine Food Web Art Exhibit

Marine Food Web Art Exhibit

I entered a juried art competition from Oregon State University, who is mounting an exhibition of art related to the Marine Food Web. OSU is highly ranked for marine biology programs. Though I have no qualifications in this field, only fascination, I submitted two pieces and this one was accepted, titled “Octopus Different as Night and Day.” The exhibit in the Giustina Gallery in Corvallis, Oregon, opened on February 3, 2020 and will be up for a month.