Manatees and Sea Turtles in the Blue!

Blue Manatees
by Evelyn McCorristin Peters
October 21, 2010

I am currently completing a painting for a benefit show to be held at The Studio at Gulf and Pine in November. This show will help to raise funds for the conservation of Sea Turtles. 

I don't dive, sounds silly but the claustrophobia hits me big time under water! So I headed over to Mote Aquarium to take some photographs of the manatees and sea turtles. By accident I still had the lighting setting on my camera set to "Tungsten" but I'm really glad I did...all the photos had a beautiful blue tint to them which is exactly how I wanted to paint the sea turtle!

Below are some photographs I took and I will post progress of the painting soon! And yes, it was very cool, they were feeding!

 
 






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Other photography posts:
Perfect Woman
My Vegetable Garden
Paris at Night
Black and White, Black America

"Perfect Woman" by William Wordsworth

She was a phantom of delight
When first she gleam'd upon my sight;
A lovely apparition, sent
To be a moment's ornament;
Her eyes as star of twilight fair;
Like twilight's, too, her dusky hair;
But all things else about her drawn
From May-time and the cheerful dawn;
A dancing shape, an image gay,
To haunt, to startle, and waylay.


I saw her upon nearer view,
A Spirit, yet a Woman too!
Her household motions light and free,
And steps of virgin liberty;
A countenance in which did meet
Sweet records, promises as sweet;
A creature not too bright or good
For human nature's daily food;
For transient sorrows, simple wiles,
Praise, blame, love, kisses, tears, and smiles.


And now I see with eye serene
The very pulse of the machine;
A being breathing thoughtful breath,
A traveller between life and death;
The reason firm, the temperate will,
Endurance, foresight, strength, and skill;
A perfect Woman, nobly plann'd
To warm, to comfort, and command;
And yet a Spirit still, and bright
With something of angelic light.


photo courtesy of: afflatusphotography.blogspot.com

For books on Diane Arbus:
 

New Inspiration ~ My Vegetable Garden

"We have learned that more of the "earth-earthiness" would solve our social problems, remove many isms from our vocabulary, and purify our art. And so we often wish that those who interpret life for us by pen or brush would buy a trowel and pack of seeds."

- Ruth R. Blodgett (1883-), The House Beautiful (March 1918)

Deborah T. Colter, a wonderful artist recently had a post on her blog discussing the nature in her own backyard. Living in Florida, the changing of the seasons is much more subtle, but they are still there. I don't get the beautiful oranges, reds and yellows of fall leaves, but the mild weather does have other benefits.

When everyone I know up North is putting their vegetable gardens to bed, I am removing the plastic placed over my beds in the beginning of summer and revealing beautiful, rich, soil screaming out for seeds and plantings.

I quickly head out to my local nursery to buy some small tomatoe, zucchini, eggplant and pepper plants for instant gratification. I do mean instant! After one month I am about to have beautiful tomatoes and I will be eating zucchini tomorrow night! Each year I force myself to wait a little longer to plant my lettuce seeds. In September it is still too hot and I know they will come up quickly, arousing excitement, but then bolting into beautiful but bitter flowers. I also wait just a little longer to plant my herbs for they will flower if I am impatient.

Right now all is about to explode with color. Soon I will have too much for us to eat ourselves and I will be able to share this bounty with friends...one of the very best parts of having a vegetable garden!

"All gardening is landscape painting."

- Alexander Pope

Black-And-White Black America - The Picture Show Blog : NPR

Black-And-White Black America - The Picture Show Blog : NPR
(click on this link for more)

Black-And-White Black America

Roy Decarava/Courtesy of The Museum of
Contemporary Photography, Columbia College Chicago

By Claire O'Neill

In the 1950's, photography was hardly considered art. If you wanted to be taken seriously as a photographer, you snapped mountains and models -- not your neighbors. It also helped to be white. But Roy DeCarava, turned all of that on its head. He died this week at the age of 89. Tune in to Fresh Air today to learn more.
Read more »

Paris At Night - The Picture Show Blog : NPR

Paris At Night - The Picture Show Blog : NPR
Paris always rescues me!