Squirrely

I've just discovered likeabirdblog and have decided to participate in May Photo-a-Day or in my case Mid-May Photo-a-Day. Check out this link for info:

http://likeabirdblog.com/2012/04/may-photo-a-day/

Here's my first - May 12 - surroundings - a squirrel on my balcony screen door.  He just wants to say hello and get a peanut.

Here's the daily challenge list:

Buddhas birthday

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/05/vesak-how-buddhas-birthda_n_1478896.html

See a fantastic slide show on people celebrating Buddha's birthday around the world when you go to the link above.

Here are some of my collages featuring Buddhas with cats and dogs. I like the idea of animals and Buddhas together.   It's comforting.  I like to think that "over the rainbow bridge" there are tons of Buddhas sitting around with the beloved animals we've lost.  Sounds like nirvana to me. 




  

 

Animal Takeover

ANIMAL TAKEOVER!!!!  I love it!  Seen in the Wynwood Arts District.

Here's a link where you can find out about the street artist behind the art. 
http://culturedesigners.com/2011/10/05/street-artist-profile-animal-takeover/

"His Tumblr page  explains the basis for his universe. A place where animals look down on our pathetic human lives as they plot the reclaiming of what is rightfully theirs.

They do not destroy anything – unlike us. They just want their shit back. They really want the humans to chill the hell out. In large cities they would actually like to hang in their bars."

I like this guy.

Cat street art in Florida

The Wynwood Walls

Here's info re the art work above, seen in The Wynwood Arts District, aka Wynwood, the hub of the Miami's emerging Arts community. It is located just of downtown Miami.  Wynwood is home to over 50 Art Galleries, numerous art venues such as the Bakehouse Art Complex and world-famous Margulies and Rubell Family collections, as well as over 100 local artists. 

The Wynwood Walls Fifteen influential artists from Asia, Europe, Latin America and the United States have been invited to create outdoor murals on the warehouse walls of Miami’s Wynwood Art District. 


This is an amazing place, like an art heaven.  You can walk for blocks and blocks surrounded by larger than life wall murals.    

http://wynwoodartdistrict.com/

Florida Animals Scene

I just took a fantastic trip to Southern Florida where I met lots of pets and saw lots of animals, both real and imagined - meaning I saw some great animal art which I'll be sharing with you. I'm going to do a travelogue featuring animals seen on my vacation while throwing in info on kool places I went and people I met.

For starters, a crow woke me up every morning. He was right there on the balcony. Tbere are lots of crows in South Florida and they are really noisy. "Their voice is not the melodic trill of most songbirds but variations of a coarse, loud cawwww. Crows have an extensive repertoire and can communicate a surprising number of messages to fellow crows including alarm, feeding, rally, comeback and fight calls. They also have a series of courtship calls. The crow is probably the most intelligent bird on this continent." (http://www.crowbusters.com/facts.htm)

The weather was perfect every single day. So were the palm trees and the pie.

There's something about sparrows

Check out Heavenly Creatures Art (the online store from which the above image comes) for some fantastic animal art:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/HamjArt?ref=seller_info

The actual image can be found at:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/69185620/sparrow-art-moses10x8

So what is this something about sparrows? I just found a quote that moved me so profoundly that I have sparrows on the brain. Even bought a sparrow ring today. Will take some photos later and share.

Here's the quote from Henry David Thoreau - “I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment, while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance that I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn.”

This should tell you a lot about my love for animals. What a gift they are.

Pet Portraits for Mothers Day

Want a unique gift for a pet loving mother? Check out above examples of photocollages, pet portraits that include room scenes featuring pets on chairs/couches underneath framed family portraits. All you have to do is send me photos to include. And then you decorate. You select the color scheme, type of chair, etc. I'll include lots of fabulous details and embellishments like Simba's collar (2nd image above).

You can also put a pet on a chair underneath the Mona Lisa or any favorite painting or portrait of a beloved author, actor, artist.......whatever you want, I will do and your mother will love!!

Another idea - your mother's pet in a setting of your choice.

All photo elements are handcut and pasted, creating texture. Collages can be placed in shadow boxes or frames that allow their dimensionality to show....a pet diorama.

For more information, contact me at petcollage@gmail.com for details.