Bridging the Spinal Gap & Getting Vertebral

This week we take a moment to celebrate the differences and similarities between vertebrates & invertebrates. Ah, the beauty of diversity! Being different but equally awesome!

The Invertebrate: The Fiddler Crab Strikes Back (sans backbone). Did you know the fiddler crab gets its name from the back-and-forth motion its wimpy claw makes while eating; it makes it look like the crab is playing the fiddle on his big claw!

"Fiddler Crab, Finished Sketch" (2010), graphite

"Fiddler Crab, Final Rendering" (2010), carbon dust & ink [poster mock up!]

The Vertebrate: A Piece of the Feline Spine. The first similarity that comes to mind when I think of crabs and cats is that both of them have claws. And both are adjectives used to describe bad moods (maybe there's a correlation with the claw thing). Then it gets fuzzier... cats stalk, but crabs have eyestalks?

"Cat Vertebra" (2010), scratchboard

As a preview of the next few projects in the works, think along the lines of an action movie called "Chicken V. Squid: Fight to the (Second) Death!" Who will win? Can cephalopods finally outwit their terrestrial nemesis, the avians?? Now, come on, you already know what the outcome will be. It's a draw! My drawings, to be exact. One preserved squid & one chicken skull, comin right up.

Quick! We Must Go Back in Time! And Underwater...

Gastropods, cephalopods, and crustaceans ... oh my! The Little Mermaid probably sang duets with each of these creatures during their lifetimes Under the Sea.

"Moon Shell" (2010), graphite

... Each little snail here know how to wail here, that's why it's hotter under the water ...

"Ammonite" (2010), carbon dust

... Just look at the world around you, right here on the ocean floor...

"Fiddler Crab" (2010), graphite

... What do they got? A lot of sand; we got a hot crustacean band ...

Nature Is A Sweet Sweet Lover

I love nature. It is beautiful to behold, yet terrifying to witness at times. Playful, yet down to earth. It has mood swings, but after it falls down and winters over, it usually springs back up to its summery self. At least when it is feeling temperate.

It's amazing that nature is the matter of science, but also the muse of art. In my hopes to combine the observational mastery of science and art, I am taking Nature Science Illustration classes! This means I get to try and capture the elegant essence of evolution-in-action every week! And then I will post the pics here if you care to use those highly specialized light receptors of yours to view them.