Powell Butte thunderstorms in Central Oregon
Wordless Wednesday (WW)
Weekend Sky (WS)
Bobcat in black and white: Monochrome Monday
Bobcat in black and white at the High Desert Museum, Bend, Oregon
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Watching wild things: LAPC & FOWC
Watching wild things
Ruminating on what they’ve left behind
And looking forward to what lies ahead
Watching winged wonders
Considering what’s best to leave buried
And what’s worth soaring towards
Watching wild creatures
Surfacing from turbulent waters
And basking in their many accomplishments
Watching wild things
Transforming from earthbound organisms,
Into many-eyed sages of the skies
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – It’s a Wild Life!
Fandango’s One Word Challenge (FOWC) – Bury
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The eyes of March: Thursday Tree Love
The eyes of March on aspen trees at Pine Nursery Park, Bend, Oregon.
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Favorite sunrises & sunsets: LAPC & WW
Favorite sunrises & sunsets seen at my home in Bend, Oregon
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Personal favorites
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Rock Garden windows: Monday Window
Here is a close up of rock garden windows in a model of a building at Petersen Rock Garden and Museum in Redmond, Oregon. The walls are covered with black and mahogany obsidian.
The windows shown above are on this building. It is impressive!
The row of colorful lawn chairs in front of it adds a nice touch.
See my post about this unusual roadside attraction for more information.
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Favorite moments: LAPC
Favorite moments at an old homestead in the Oregon Outback
and with a Great Blue Heron at Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Oregon
Remembering time spent near Grand Prismatic Hot Spring in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
and beside a weathered tree in Arches National Park, Utah
Favorite moments with a pronghorn buck in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
and near a prickly pear cactus blooming in Bend, Oregon
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Personal favorites
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Blanket flowers of summer: FOTD & FF
These blanket flowers of summer were growing near the Deschutes River in the Old Mill District of Bend, Oregon. I took this picture last August, but Gaillardia plants are known to bloom “profusely all summer long.”
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Mount Hood from above: Wordless Wednesday
Poulnabrone Portal Tomb in Ireland: TTT
Over 5,000 years ago, enormous slabs of limestone were used to construct the Poulnabrone Portal Tomb in western Ireland. This structure measures approximately 12 ft long by 7 ft wide by 6 ft high. Loose stone surrounds and supports the structure
Archaeologists discovered the remains of over 30 people buried at this site. The remains dated from 5,800 to 5,200 years ago. The bodies likely decomposed elsewhere and then were transported here. An infant found here is the first documented case of Down Syndrome. Items found near the dead included a polished stone axe, decorated bone pendant, stone beads, chert and flint weapons and implements, and fragments of pottery.
Poulnabrone is an example of a typical portal tomb. This is one of two tombs in the Burren district and the best-preserved in Ireland. Approximately 172 of these dolmens have been discovered in Ireland.
The rectangular-shaped chamber has two portal stones at the entrance, two orthostats (upright stones), and an end stone. A single large sloping capstone covers the top. This design may have enabled “the soul to depart easily from the lower angle at the back.”
Surrounding landscape
The karst landscape surrounding the site is almost as interesting as the tomb itself. Limestone has weathered over the years into interesting formations. 320 million years ago, the carboniferous limestone formed the floor of a warm, shallow sea.
Several geological features at this site include:
Grikes–Cracks between the limestone pavement of limestone.
Clints–Blocks of limestone.
Kamenitza–Small hollows in the limestone formed when rainwater dissolves.
Rillenkaren–Channels where rainwater flows off the sides of the pavement.
During the time of the tomb’s construction, forests and scattered grasslands covered the landscape. These forests included pine, elm, and hazel trees.
Farmers cultivated crops of wheat and barley and raised livestock. Ancient stone field walls at the site likely marked the boundaries of properties.
Poulnabrone is in remote townland near Ballyvaughin in County Clare, about an hour south of Galway. Over 200,000 people visit the site every year.
Poulnabrone is an English version of the Irish, Poll na Brón. The name translates to “Hole (or Pool) of the Quernstone” or, sometimes, “Hole of Sorrows.”
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day from Siobhán Súilleabháin, aka Siobhan Sullivan!
Three Things Challenge – two, thousand, one
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Plants grow… : Sunday Stills
Plants grow in bunches in dry environments
And in dense carpets in moist places
Plants grow with sharp defenses in dry places
And rounded edges in wet environments
Plants disperse in rockbound dry environments
And collect along waterway edges in wet places
Sunday Stills – All shades of green
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Xalisco Latin Cuisine: Foodie Friday
I recently had dinner at Xalisco Latin Cuisine in Redmond, Oregon. I’ve eaten here before and it’s a place I recommend to locals and visitors.
This time, I had the Tacos de Camaron of Mezcal dish. The three tortillas are filled with a mixture of shrimp cooked in garlic and peppers and flambeed with mezcal and peanut sauce, chile pepper, and pineapple. It’s served with slices of cucumber and radishes, cilantro, plus two sauces. They were bursting with flavor.
I splurged and had a Margarita Flight. The flavors included hibiscus, tamarind, mango, and guava. They were all tasty, and I liked how they didn’t have way too much alcohol.
Two people at our table ordered burritos. The Burrito Percherons were a nice size and tasted great. Some restaurants fill them too full and they’re hard to eat. This burrito includes skirt steak, chorizo, peppers, onions, portabello mushrooms, guacamole, cream, pico de gallo, cheese, and chipolte sauce.
The nicely presented Chiles Rellenos also tasted good.
The Chimichanga, with a side of rice and beans, was tasty. The serving size was perfect; not too big and not too small.
If you’re looking for a Latin restaurant that focuses on quality over quantity, go to Xalisco Latin Cuisine. It’s at 3835 SW 21st STE 105, Redmond, Oregon.
Pendleton Roundup artifacts: Wordless Wednesday
East Lake paddle: WWE & FOWC
Last July, I went on a nice East Lake paddle in my kayak. I enjoyed the view of these colorful cliffs covered in cracks and crevices. I went a little crazy with the alliteration in describing them. 😉 East Lake is located in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument in Central Oregon. There’s a nice campground here and at Paulina Lake, right next door.
For more details about another East Lake paddle, see one of my previous posts.
Water Water Everywhere (WWE)
Fandango’s One Word Challenge (FOWC) – Crevice
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Snowy sunrise: Sunday Trees & Weekend Sky
A snowy sunrise over western juniper trees in the High Desert.
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Magpie & Painted Hills painting: First Friday Art
Today I’m sharing a painting I did of a Black-billed Magpie flying over the Painted Hills. They are both characters in my magical realism work-in-progress novel with the working title of Darkness of Hills, Lightness of Wings. I wrote this book for kids in the 8 to 12-year-old age range. Yes, it’s fiction, but it includes factual information related to history and nature.
In the book, the main character, Jīnsè, moves from China to Oregon to work with her grandfather, a local doctor. After a traumatic event, she develops the ability to understand animals and also receives messages written on the hills. The magpie character shown in my painting is named Liàng. Jīnsè also has a snarky seagull friend she names Rěnshòu.
I painted this piece on watercolor paper with watercolor paints and ink from inksticks. I used my set of Chinese brushes. Once again, I was impressed with the Chinese inkstick ink. The ink has a nice consistency. I edited the picture with Corel PaintShop Pro.
Most of the time, I do pencil sketches of characters when I’m working on books. I decided to put a little more effort into creating a color piece. Becky Wallick, my blogging friend at Wild Sensibility, suggested I include some of my artwork when I send out manuscripts for review. Thanks for the great idea, Becky! 😊
I used this picture I took at the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in eastern Oregon to create my magpie and Painted Hills painting. The colors of the soil on this visit really stood out after a rainstorm.
I took this picture of a magpie in Bozeman, Montana. Though they live in my neighborhood in Bend, I’ve never had one visit my yard. Maybe one day…
Kam Wah Chung
I decided to write a book for kids after visiting Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site in John Day, Oregon. When a long-abandoned building was opened in 1967, a treasure trove of artifacts was discovered inside. This building served as a medical clinic and apothecary, meeting place, boarding house, place of worship, and store for Chinese immigrants and local residents from the late 1880s to 1940.
Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.
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Octopus art: Wordless Wednesday
Octopus art in Edmonds, Washington
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OMSI in black & white: Monochrome Monday
Today I’m sharing an image of OMSI in black and white. The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland, Oregon has great architecture for pictures.
It looks interesting from inside and the outside.
Though you’re supposed to share black and white images for Monochrome Monday, I couldn’t resist showing this pop of red color on the sign. 😀
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A road may… :LAPC
A road may take you straight ahead to distant mountains beneath moody skies
Or twist and turn uphill towards massive works of art
A road may drop you deep into the layers of earth
Or elevate you above wide winding waterways
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge – Pick a Word
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Garry oak near the Columbia: TTL
These Garry oak trees near the Columbia River caught my eye. The oaks were growing east of Mosier, Oregon along the Historic Columbia River Highway.
I’ve always liked how oak tree branches twist and turn. Garry oak, Quercus garryana, does not grow in a neat and tidy kind of way. This tree is also known as the Oregon white oak.
The deciduous leaves are darker green on the top side and finely haired underneath..
The distinctive lobed leaves turn brown in the fall.
These trees flowers in the spring and the acorns they produce ripen from August to November. The acorns are eaten by many wildlife species including, woodpeckers, doves, jays, chipmunks, squirrels, deer, and bear.
A cliff by the sea haiku: Whatsoever is Lovely
a cliff by the sea
smiles in shades of gold and gray
as spring tides roll in
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Please vote for my pets!
Our local Bend newspaper, The Source Weekly, is having a pet photo contest. Please vote for my pets! Click on the link above each photo to vote for the pictures I entered. There are 15 categories in the contest this year so check out the others while you’re there.
This one features Shelby after she played fetch on a rainy day. She doesn’t care what the weather is like, she just wants to fetch balls. She is showing me her best puppy eyes in this picture as if she’s asking if she’s a good girl, even when she is this dirty.
This photo is in the Best Puppy Eyes category.
The next one shows my dog, Tesla, and my cat, Kitty, sleeping on the same bed. Kitty can be quite demanding when she wants attention, but Tesla is always patient with her.
This photo is in the Best Buds category.
The last one is of Tesla warming the soil in one of our gardens. Did you notice she’s sticking her tongue out at you?
This photo is in the Goofiest category.
I’ve never entered photos of my pets in this contest before. However, 20 years ago, I entered one in a Life magazine contest. I won an honorable mention with this picture of our dog, Leto, in a costume we made.
Voting for the Central Oregon Pets Contest is open from February 24 to March 10. Please vote for my pets! THANK YOU. 😀
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Ice carvings at WinterFest 2025: LAPC
On February 15, we visited the Bend WinterFest event in the Old Mill District. I was really looking forward to seeing the ice carvings. In past years, we always seemed to be there at the wrong time and missed these amazing works of art.
The artists this year included Lisa Donze + John Donze, Jacob Lucas, Russ Leno, and Wade Lapp. The ice carvings are beautiful by themselves, but if you add a little lighting, they become sort of magical.
A multi-colored butterfly ice carving
This butterfly is shown with bold bright colors and softer pastel tones. I liked how this one looked in the bold blue color the best.
Two ice cube heads ice carvings
The next carving is a whimsical one. Two people with ice cube heads carry an enormous heart. The red color was very fitting for this one.
Penguins face to face ice carvings
The next carving shows two penguins facing each other. I think I liked the purple color best on this one.
An icy rose carving
The last carving is shown in one color. This three rose sculpture looks great in this gorgeous green color.
WinterFest briefly moved away to another venue, and I was happy to see it once again at this site beside the Deschutes River. This event includes ice carvings, amazing hand-crafted fire pits, the Pump Bump Jam (a ski ramp with several jumps), a wine walk, food carts, beer, wine, and cider booths, bands playing on the stage, a flying dog show, and a kid’s area. It also includes booths from a wide variety of businesses and booths selling everything from jewelry and clothing to unique food items. This year there were more Marketplace booths than I’ve ever seen before.
I will be working on another post about the firepits that I’ll share in the future. I have featured the fire pits in the past on my blog, and it’s always been a popular topic.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Bold
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The Dominican: Foodie Friday
Yesterday, we thought we would try out a new food cart pod, Dogwood at the Pine Shed, on the east side of Bend. There are currently about 30 food cart pods in Central Oregon with more in the works. I decided to try food from The Dominican, a cart featuring food from the Dominican Republic. Have I had Dominican food before? Nope, but I’m always open to trying new things.
I tried a combination plate called La Bandera. The meal included a generous portion of melt-in-your-mouth-it’s-so-tender marinated beef. It was complimented with sides of fluffy rice and tasty beans. The Dominican house salad was equal parts leafy green lettuce and chopped tomatoes and cucumber, topped with shredded cheese and crunchy croutons.
The crunchiness continued in the tostones. Tostones are twice-fried plantain slices. A tostonera is used to flatten the slices prior to frying. I’ve never had them before, but they were delicious!
On another trip to The Dominican, I had the Chicharrón meal. It includes crispy pieces of pork belly topped with seasoned onions. The light crispy texture of the pork belly is hard to describe, but I will definitely be back to order it again. Yum! Fluffy rice and tostones fill up the rest of the plate.
I ordered the cocktail inside at the Dogwood bar. It’s the Thai One On and it includes blanco rum, malibu, basil, matcha, and coconut milk with a refreshing splash of soda. On other trips, I ordered the Southern Sidecar and Poco Loco drinks. Every drink I’ve ordered so far has been unique and tasty.
There are several Dominican options at The Dominican cart, but also a few American choices. They serve cheeseburgers, chicken sandwiches, and pork sandwiches. You can opt for a side of tostones or the more traditional French fries.
Other food trucks
This pod also has trucks with Mexican food, Vietnamese food, sandwiches, cookies, and barbecue. There’s plenty of outside seating at picnic tables and inside the Pine Shed. The Pine Shed, a rustic metal building, once served as a warehouse, and later, as a coffee shop. It was moved across town from an industrial area to this new location. Inside, you’ll find Dogwood, which serves unique cocktails, beer, and wine.
At this time, major road construction is going on in this neighborhood. Please make an extra effort to visit this new food pod and support our local businesses!
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Center of the Universe: Wordless Wednesday
A chilly heron: Birds of the Week
When I went on my weekly walk along the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon a couple of weeks ago, I saw a chilly heron standing by the shore.
This Great Blue Heron seemed frozen in place in the icy waters. As dawn broke, the clouds over the river and snow on the ground nicely framed the scene. You can see the Hayden Homes Amphitheater in the background, waiting patiently to host concerts and other events.
The temperature recently dropped to -7.4 degrees Fahrenheit at our house. Brrr! Hope the heron and other wild creatures are finding ways to keep warm.
Red Canyon Scenic Overlook, WY: LAPC & WS
If I had to feature just one photograph, as this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge suggests, I would choose this one. On our way to Thermopolis, Wyoming, we paused to marvel at the Red Canyon Scenic Overlook, 24 miles south of Lander on Highway 28.
Why did I choose this photo?
- It has drama in the skies. Thunderclouds collect in the background and softer cumulus clouds hover in the foreground. The blue skies contrast nicely with the clouds.
- It has varying colors of soil and vegetation. Yellow wildflowers carpet the hillsides. The complementary color of the green grass borders the red rock formation. Oxidized iron between and on the rock gives the formation its stunning red color.
- It shows geology in action. The ridge on the right side is an area that was uplifted 60 million years ago. The more erodible soil washed away with the action of water, leaving the scene we see today.
- It contains straight and curving lines. The curving lines of the valley pull your vision to the horizon. Red Canyon Creek meanders through the middle of the picture. The straight lines of the fence help divide the scene into thirds.
- It has a tiny detail with a story behind it. If you look closely, you’ll spot a white cross next to one of the fenceposts. May the people who lost their lives here rest in peace and view this remarkable scene for eternity.
The Red Canyon Scenic Overlook is a beautiful roadside attraction that’s worth stopping for. For more information on the geology of this location, check the Bureau of Land Management site.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Only One Picture
Weekend Sky (WS)
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Walking with a sweetheart: RDP
Walking with a sweetheart along the Deschutes River in Bend, Oregon. The red, pink, and white flags are on display to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Hope you have a good one!
Sage in the snow: Wordless Wednesday
Sage in the snow near Bend, Oregon
Wordless Wednesday (WW)
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Aosagi mural: Monday Mural
This Aosagi mural is located in downtown Edmonds, Washington. It was created by Shoga Ota and installed in September 2021. The mural’s style is similar to Japanese woodblocks. In the mural, a large blue heron (Aosagi) flies over a series of waves.
Japanese immigrants were an important part of the history of the Pacific Northwest. In the 19th century, they were instrumental in the railroad, mining, timber, and fishing industries. During World War II, there was a rise in anti-Japanese sentiments and they were forcibly relocated to internment camps. Reparations for that action did not occur until 1988, under the Civil Liberties Act.
In April of 1988, Edmonds developed a sister city relationship with Hekinan, Japan. This mural was created partly to acknowledge Edmond’s relationship with Hekinan. The goal of this relationship is to foster “exchanges that reflect our intercultural focus between business, education and nonprofit organizations in the local area.”
This mural was funded by a grant from the City of Edmonds Arts Commission and a generous donation from the McMurray family.
Monday Mural
Structure of the elements: LAPC
When I’m trying to decide if I should use black and white processing on an image, I ask myself one important question: Does the structure of the elements justify its usage?
When you think of structure, you may think of architectural details. Yes, that’s one interpretation, but everything has a structure.
The first two images show a Hosta plant during a downpour of rain at Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon. Initially, I was disappointed to visit on a rainy day. However, while researching the garden later, I found visitors often seek out rainy days.
The color image shows off the green colors in the leaves. The monochrome image shows off the structure of the elements. The contrasting edge color, the curving veins of the leaves, and the glossiness created by the rain, shine in the black and white version.
The next two images show a Borealosuchus crocodile skeleton cast at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Montana. As soon as I entered this museum, the photographer part of my brain started imagining everything in black and white.
The color version shows the skeleton in warm tones and a recreation of what they looked like in life focuses on a vibrant creature. The black and white version highlights the structure of the elements. Whenever a skeleton is displayed well, you’ll notice its exquisite details.
Sometimes when you create a monochromatic version, you’ll find hidden surprises. The reflections from other displays across from the crocodile made this into what appeared to be a double exposure.
The next two images show barrels at Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon. For certain brews, beer is aged in barrels once containing whiskey, tequila, and other liquor.
The color version shows the varying colors of the aged wood in the barrels. The black and white version also shows the age of the barrels, but emphasizes the orderliness of the storage and the structure of the stairs.
The last two images show the view from an overlook at the Paint Pots trail in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. This picture shows dense forests, mountains in the distance, steaming thermal features, and a sky full of puffy clouds.
The color version highlights the cool tones of the sky and forest and the warm tones of the soil around the hot springs. The black and white version lets the cloudscape be the main feature. The thermal features blend into the foreground.
Is a color or monochrome version best? Sometimes there is no right answer. As photographers, we try to capture a moment in time for viewers. With a touch of magic, we help them “see” what they may not have noticed, in color or black and white.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Exploring Color vs Black & White
High Desert Voices February 2025 newsletter
Here’s the High Desert Voices February 2025 newsletter for your reading pleasure. Lots of nice photos as well! This newsletter is published by and for volunteers at the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon. I’ve been working there as a volunteer since 2013.
Articles this month include one about Trumpeter Swans, one on the Neighbors: Wildlife Paintings by Hilary Baker exhibition, a short note about how the US Forest Service Ranger Station on the property was relocated, and a list of Museum volunteers receiving recognition at an annual event.
Please enjoy the High Desert Voices February 2025 issue!
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Asparagus drawing & photo: FFA & FF
While participating in the Inktober challenge last fall, I created this simple asparagus drawing with pen and ink. The drawing prompt for that day was “roam.”
We have a restaurant in downtown Bend named Roam and I’ve taken several pictures while dining there. I took this picture of an asparagus dish we had last summer. It was delicious!
For the drawing, I edited out several of the asparagus stalks.
Do you have artwork you would like to share? Be sure to include the First Friday Art tag.
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Bear with Humor: Wordless Wednesday
Bear with Humor by Rick Bartow (Mad River Band of the Wiyot Tribe, d. 2016) at High Desert Museum
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Our pets: LAPC
Our pets know when we need to laugh
Or when we need to have a good cry
Pets show us when to dig in
Or when it’s time to hit the road
Animals learn how to fit into our lives
Or share a space when it’s needed
Pets help us weather hard times
Or find a soft place to land
Our pets know when it’s time to take a break
Or go on an adventure with a friend
Pets learn how to expand the possibilities
Or make the best of a tight situation
Animals know how to find excitement in every new day
Or show us how old age is not an excuse to slow down
And when our pets are no longer a presence in front of our eyes,
they will always hold a place in our hearts
This post includes pictures of every cat and dog I’ve owned since leaving home at age 17.
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Cats & Dogs
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Cascade sunsets from above: WS & RDP
I thought it would be fun to take pictures of Cascade sunsets from above to get more comfortable with using my drone. For eight consecutive days, I flew my DJI drone up to an altitude of 100 feet from my backyard. The mountains featured in these photos are approximately 26 miles away, as the crow flies.
These pictures show several volcanoes that are a part of Oregon’s Cascade Mountain Range. I recently featured aerial pictures of them from a closer perspective in another post.
Hope you enjoy these images of our spectacular skies near Bend, Oregon!
Colorful Cascade sunsets
The first photo shows a fiery sky. These are more commonly seen in the winter months around here.
The second photo shows a pale yellow background with the clouds floating over the mountains edged in pink.
Blue sky sunsets
The third photo shows a mostly clear sky. There appears to be a haze of smoke that could be from one of our prescribed burns in local forests. These controlled fires help prevent bigger fires.
The fourth photo shows another clear sky.
The fifth photo shows yet another clear sky. This time I took the photo right as the sun was setting over the mountains.
The next photo shows… uh, maybe we should pause for musical interlude. This song, Blue Sky & The Painter by Bastille, is one of my current favorites and it’s about blue skies.
Why did I include an interlude? Because there were more days without a single cloud in the sky when the sun set!
The sixth photo shows a clear day as the sun sets.
The seventh day shows, you guessed it, another sunny clear day.
Based on these photos, is it really true that Bend, Oregon gets 300 days of sunshine a year? Nope. However, we do have 250-260+ days a year that are clear or mostly clear.
Stormy Cascade sunsets
The eighth day shows, HURRAY!, clouds as a storm was moving in. A thick, dark cloud floated ominously over the snow-covered peaks.
The Oregon Cascade Range gets quite a bit of snow each winter. Mount Bachelor (shown on the left in these photos), as I stated in another post, gets over 400 inches of snow a year.
I may try taking sunrise pictures for a future post. I just hope that if I do, the clouds will cooperate. 😉
Weekend Sky (WS)
Ragtag Daily Prompt (RDP) – Float
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Oregon Garden bench: Pull up a seat
This Oregon Garden bench looked like a nice place to rest while roaming the 80-acres of gardens. I have featured photos of this attraction in Silverton, Oregon in several previous posts.
Arrowheads up close: Macro Monday
This photo showing arrowheads up close was taken at Petersen Rock Garden & Museum. This unique roadside attraction is in Redmond, Oregon.
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Exquisite Creatures Revealed: LAPC & TTC
Exquisite Creatures Revealed is an amazing exhibition at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland, Oregon. It will be on display until February 17, 2025.
Christopher Marley combined elements of art and the natural world into three-dimensional masterpieces. Marley has lived in dozens of countries and studied art and design, while pursuing a career in fashion. The time he spent working for Luis Vuitton, Georgio Armani, Gucci, Donna Karan, and Nike influenced his overall aesthetics.
These displays were created using mainly one color, complementary colors, analogous colors, and black and white. The unique works of art highlight the wide range of colors and forms occurring in nature.
Butterfly & Beetle Exquisite Creatures
The butterfly pieces were wonderfully colorful, but also beautiful because of their iridescence. The various species of Lepidoptera shown live in France, China, Indonesia, Laos, Peru, Brazil, Guyana, Bolivia, Central African Republic, Japan, Thailand, and Malaysia.
These Jewel Beetles are all the same species, just different in color. The wide variety of colors, and their shiny texture, made for an eye-catching display. They live in Southeast Asia.
Dragonflies and katydids
These remarkable creatures are considered one of the most efficient hunters in the animal kingdom. The dragonfly species in this piece live in regions of the U.S. and Asia.
There are over 20,000 species of leaf mimic katydids in the world. The insects shown live in Peru, Indonesia, Malayasia, Thailand, and Papua New Guinea.
Crab Exquisite Creatures
This triptych shows the significant differences in crab’s body shape and size. Did you know there are over 7,000 species of crab in the world?
Sea urchin and sand dollar Exquisite Creatures
I think these were some of my favorite pieces in this exhibit. The sea urchins in these pieces reside in oceans around the world.
This triptych piece had a nice movement to it. I liked its curving lines, the variety of its colorful sea urchins, and the simple shapes of the white sand dollars in the background.
I liked the next piece because it reminded me of the excitement I’ve experienced upon finding a complete sand dollar while walking along Pacific Northwest beaches. If you shake them, you’ll hear a rattling sound. The small V-shaped pieces found inside dead sand dollars are called doves. In life, they function as teeth.
Seahorses and brittle stars
These seahorse skeletons looked so delicate. These seahorses lived in Hawaii.
This piece, composed of Brittle Stars, also looked fragile. This species lives in the Philippines.
Snakes
This piece includes three Royal Pythons that lived in Sub-Saharan Africa. This piece was interesting, but I also found it to be kind of disturbing.
Feathers and birds
This piece showed the diversity of colors and forms of feathers.
These Rosella skins show the wide range of color in their feathers. This species is native to Australia.
Orchids
Christopher Marley briefly described why he included this orchid piece in the exhibition. He was impressed by the flowers’ “bizarre, extravagant, even superfluous morphology, and the colors unbound by any parameters give them a ruggedly individual, almost defiant air that I find both intoxicating and humbling.”
In case you were wondering, all of the artwork includes real preserved specimens. The specimens were collected using ecologically friendly and sustainable methods in collaboration with zoos, museums, and collectors. None of the vertebrates featured in this exhibition were killed for the art pieces.
The Exquisite Creatures Revealed exhibition was unlike any I’ve ever seen. It was definitely one of my favorite exhibits I saw last year. Yeah, the specimens themselves are fascinating, but the way Marley displayed them was awe-inspiring. WOW!
Lens-Artists Photo Challenge (LAPC) – Complementary Colors
Three Things Challenge TTC)- Yeah, Year
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X in the sky: Skywatch Friday
This X in the sky was over the Mill A Loop Trail in Bend, Oregon. This scenic trail runs along the Deschutes River.
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