The Zaratan

Jacek Yerka, Brontosaurus civitas, acrylic/canvas, size: 55 x 65 cm

There is a story that is told in all lands and throughout all history - the story of sailors who go ashore on an unknown island that later sinks and drowns them, for the island is alive. This imaginary beast-island figures in the first voyage of Sindbad and in the sixth canto of Orlando Furioso (Ch'ella sia usa isoletta ci credemo; "We are all cheated by the floating pile, / And idly take the monster for an isle"); on the Irish legend of St. Brendan and in the Greek bestiary of Alexandria; in the Swedish curate Olaf Magnus' History of the Northern Nations (Rome, 1555) and in the passage in Paradise Lost, Book I, in which the prostrate Satan is compared to a great whale "hap'ly slumbering on the Norway foam."

-Jorge Luis Borges, The Book of Imaginary Beings (El Libro de Los Seres Imaginarios)

by Paulo De Francesco, designed as cover art for Arrivederci Mostro by Ligabue, though they chose a version with a fish-zaratan instead 
Often depicted as a giant turtle, like the Turtle Island origin myth common to many Native North American groups, the Zaratan could in fact be any large marine creature, including perhaps the brontosaurus and octupus depicted above and the multi-headed creature below. Scale of these creatures range from the mere rock with driftwood (to perhaps make a camp site) to full continental-scale.

Jill Bliss, Turtle City

John Kenn, Moving Island, drawing on post-it note

Riding the tortoise

'Tortoise Ride' by Meg Hunt

Virginia Frances Sterrett, illustration for Old French Fairy Tales (1920) by the Contesse de Segur (via 50watts). The story illustrated is that of Blondine, a princess lost in a forest due to the actions of her wicked step-mother, where amongst other adventures, she meets a great tortoise who offers her protection and to lead her out of the woods so long as she will sit on her back silently, without asking a single question, for six months. Another French fairytale has a princess who rides a tortoise- Babiole, but only when she has been cursed and turned into a (well-educated) monkey.

'A Monkey Riding on a Tortoise' (1821) by Katsushika Hokusai

Which makes me think of Monkey, Sun Wukong riding the giant tortoise during his epic Journey to the West, and then I am reminded that I promised you more of Awazu's turtles, some time ago. Here are but a few:

'QUARTIER PARCO -A' (1973), Advertizing Poster, Silk-screen by Kiyoshi Awazu

(1978) Public postet, offset, by Kiyoshi Awazu

(1980) Public postet, offset, by Kiyoshi Awazu

(1975) by Kiyoshi Awazu

Working with the Insects (& other animals)

And while we are on the topic of insects (Were we? Oh dear!), how about an artists who collaborate with insects, rather than using their, um, corpses?





Duprat's aquatic caddis fly larvae, with cases incorporating gold, opal, and turquoise, among other materials. Photos Jean-Luc Fournier. via Cabinet and boyfrendo

French artist-naturalist Hubert Duprat collaborates with caddis fly larvae. Like their relatives the butterfly, they develop their wings while in silk cocoons, but they often incorporate random items for strength, like grains of sand, minerals, bits of plant, fish bone or shell- or random things they find lying around. Duprat carefully removes these, but provides them alternative media like gold spangles, pearls, semi- and precious stones. The larvae make their choices, using different available objects in their aquarium, or re-purpose previous blinged-out cocoons. Duprat traces his work to 19th century entomologists, who similarly tried introducing foreign objects to insects. The work straddles that interesting art-science divide.

American artist-beekeper Hilary Berseth works with bees. Using a framework of wire and wave, he coaxes or suggests to the colony how to construct their hives.


Programmed Hive #6, 2008
Honeybee comb on board mounted on hive super, wood, urethane foam, wire, metal, paint, UV lacquer
24 x 24 x 48 inches (61 x 61 x 121.9 cm)


Programmed Hive #7, 2008
Honeybee comb on board mounted on hive super, wood, urethane, foam, wire, metal, paint, UV lacquer
47.5 x 29 x 26.5 inches (120.7 x 73.7 x 67.3 cm)

Canadian artist Aganetha Dyck also works with bees; she is interested in, "ramifications all living beings would experience should honeybees disappear from earth". She leaves objects in hives to be covered in honeycomb - a different sort of collaboration (a little more like Duprat, perhaps).


Aganetha Dyck, Queen, Beework on figurine of Queen Elizabeth II, 2007, 15 x 10 x 8", Michael Gibson Gallery, London, Ontario.


Sports Night in Canada: Helmet 2000, helmet, honeycomb, Kelowna Art Gallery


Shoes altered by bees

She also works with her son Richard Dyck to produce digital scans, like this one, of hives:


You may also enjoy the Finch&Pea article about artist Elsabé Dixon's collaboration with moths.

If you are interested in artwork by animals, check out Ottawa's SAW gallery. Currently, they are showing an exhibition called Animal House: Works of Art Made by Animals billed as the “first ever critical overview of animal art.” The artists include dogs, cats, elephants, chimpanzees, gorillas and a turtle.


David Ferris Sela paints by the temple 2008 © David Ferris


Kira Ayn Varszegi Koopa at work 2007

I like penguins

Happy Earth Day, Penguins.
This is Takashi Taniguchi’s “Mr. Ando of the Woods” (with English subtitles) [via Pink Tentacle]

Tea time

Though never far from public consciousness since it conquered the British Empire, this commodity cum comfort beverage seems to be popping up all over the place of late. Perhaps the zeitgeist is one which suggests things would be better if we would just curl up with a cuppa.

German illustrator seasprayblue (flickr, etsy) has too many teacups.

Genius paper engineer/collage artist Roadside Projects (flickr, etsy) made this paper sculpture, "The Tea":

The Tea
Originally uploaded by Roadside Projects


I love the retro illustration feel of Rabbit sandwiches with fancy mustard by missbrigette:


This is "Magic Tea" by Toronto illustrator Sarah McNeil (aka Hello! from the nice places, blog, etsy):


This is from the previously mentioned British illustrator Adrian Johnson:


Magpie & Whiskeyjack favorite, the ever-magical Princesse Camcam designed this notebook cover for crazy and absurd ideas:


The incomparable Swedish artist Camilla Engman (who has an incredible eye for beauty, as evinced by her blog... which has the side effect of making one develop a fondness for her JRT, Morran) has tea on the brain, and perhaps the floor:




This is provocative and fabulously absurd illustrator Michael C. Hsiung's Steer in a Teacup:


South African illustrator Alex Latimer did an entire, delightful series of animals enjoying tea, like this jellyfish:


My own thoughts on tea seem to run to the magical, when I consider these two minouette illustrations:

Turtles in a Teatree (an Artist Trading Card)

and Darjeeling;


Relax, enjoy and explore some portfolios with your favorite blend. It's Friday.