Another Ripple - Illustration Friday teams up with Ripple!

"It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped.  Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope." ~Robert Kennedy

Sea Turtle - Indirect Effects

In addition to the direct harm caused by exposure to oil, sea turtles may suffer indirect impacts for weeks or months afterwards.  Sea turtles may ingest small amounts of oil from the water or their food that, over time, may accumulate in their bodies and harm or kill them.  They may also suffer from lack of food if a spill is large enough that it kills off seagrass beds, shellfish and other food sources.  Low levels of oil exposure that don't cause obvious harm could also have subtle but damaging effects, like impairing the turtles' sense of smell, hampering their immunity or reducing their levels of gut-dwelling, digestion-aiding bacteria.  (Defenders of Wildlife)

Please send forth a Ripple, and do what you can.

Ripple

Another sketch card I've done for Ripple.

Loggerhead sea turtles were in trouble before the Gulf oil spill disaster. The number of nesting females has declined by 50 percent in the past decade, leading the National Marine Fisheries Service to consider reclassifying loggerheads from threatened to endangered.  Now these turtles need our help even more. The world’s second-largest loggerhead nesting area is on the beaches of the southeastern United States -- some of the areas most threatened by the Gulf oil tragedy.  Exposure to oil can cause skin loss, poisoning, drowning and death… which is why we need every available tool to help save the lives of individual loggerheads and save this species from extinction. (Defenders of Wildlife)

Make a Difference - Ripple

So excited for my girls, their sketch cards for Ripple were sold!  They are sooo proud!  Thanks Dani, you've made their day!!

If you want to help, please consider donating $10 and picking up your very own masterpiece!

Watercolor Wednesdays - Unusual Pets

Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.  ~ Confucius

Be the Change You Want to See in the World

An amazing fellow illustrator friend, Kelly Light, was tired of feeling helpless and hopeless in the midst of the Deep Water Horizon Gulf Oil Spill disaster.  So rather than sit idly by shaking her head and saying "what a shame" she has organized a fantastic fundraiser to raise money for The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, and the International Bird Rescue Research Center.

Illustrators from far and wide are donating sketch cards to Ripple (If we all do small acts together - we can cause a ripple - and it can grow).   With each $10 donated to help the animal victims of the Deep Water Horizon Gulf Oil Spill, the illustrator will mail out a signed copy of your chosen card.    Not only are you helping DO something, you're also getting some outstanding artwork in the process!

Above are the cards that my children and I have submitted.

Watercolor Wednesday - Unexpected "Sea"prise

Sorry, I know that title was a groaner, but I just adore groaners!!

Morgan LeGraw knew her sister Sophia was obsessed with "Saving the Animals."  But she was NOT expecting to find this in the closet when she reached in to grab a jacket.  A few of her sisters stuffies shoved in the corner, maybe, but a whole aquarium, sea life, Sophia and all ... no, that she wasn't expecting.

Illustration Friday - Trail

Gus didn't realize that his best friend Buster was leaving a trail of stuffing behind them as they walked home from Kevin's house.   Even Mouse's attempts at getting his attention failed.  Gus was heading home for dinner.  Mom told him to be home at 5:00 sharp.  And one thing that Gus prided himself on was his punctuality.  He'd often heard Mom brag to Mrs. Drake about how she never had to worry about Gus being late for dinner.   Mrs. Drake's son Adam was in Gus's class and he was never on time.  He was always at least 5 minutes late for whatever it was he was doing.

So, in this I-must-get-home-at-5:00 pm-sharp frame of mine, Gus hadn't noticed when Buster's already loose belly seam got snagged on one of the low lying branches as he emerged from Pine Lane onto Broad St.