Let's (slowly) get started...

Everyone has interests, hobbies, talents, and creative ideas. It's great sharing - getting feedback and giving feedback when asked. Years ago, when I attended the Cleveland Institute of Art, we became a family with the Cleveland Institute of Music students. It was great - artists and musicians coming together and sharing thoughts.

I really miss those days of listening to others speaking about new innovations, sharing their thoughts and opinions. Sometimes, I think how sad it is that society has closed up a lot of minds - fear of sharing ideas and having open discussion.

When graphic art (fine art) totally disappears, humanities will be gone. Yes, we do have the technology of using computer software to create images. It's great having this tool - but, it's only a tool to enhance Commercial Art.

I hope the days of Picasso and other creative artists (using paint brushes and canvases) never stops or goes away.

Unfortunately, small art galleries are disappearing. Cities are attempting to save local artists by allowing us to hang our paintings in City Halls.

I am an artist. My first husband was a musician. Soul-wise, it was a beautiful relationship of communication, listening, and understanding each other. Artists and musicians are rare people (yet, we seem to be many). Creativity is rare (yet, many have the abilities).




Thursday, January 20, 2011

Sea Critters - Sea Shells - say that one 5 times fast!!

I visit beaches everywhere I go.  There are plenty of interesting sea shells where sea critters once lived before leaving their shells (outer skeletons of mollusks, animals without backbone) on the beaches.  Mollusks are divided into two groups: univalves (shaped in one piece shell that are spiral in shape) and bivalves (two shells hinged together).  Sometimes the critters get eaten by other critters and sometimes they are washed up on the beach too far by the waves.  Other sea life found on beaches are coral, black pods, and sponge.  Large Horseshoe Crabs are found in multitude on the beaches of Delaware.
"Shelling" (finding shells) is best one hour before/after a low tide and exceptional from two to four days after a storm.  Check out the Surf Line or Drop Line (small lip of sand where waves break) and the Trash Line (small lip of sand that has formed) and the Flat Lines (areas of low tide).


Please do not take live shells from the beach, meaning any shell with a live creature inside it (includes sea urchins, starfish, and sand dollars).  These sea critters are alive - beaches and water are their homes.  Only take empty shells.


If you see these shells (starting at top left to right):


"Cowies" - common in deep tropical waters; one of the best known mollusks over 200 species
"Northern Moon Snail" - common on all Atlantic and Pacific beaches; common in shallow water    with sandy or muddy bottoms; it eats as many as four clams a day by drilling through to soft flesh 4"
"Eastern Oyster" - most valuable shell fish; common in shallow warm water of all
oceans; the most common edible oyster in eastern U.S.A. - found in saline waters, especially in the
Chesapeake Bay 2-8"
"Auger" - long, brightly colored; sand dwellers; common to tropical waters
"Conch" - popular large shells found on sandy bottoms of shallow tropical waters
"Wentletraps" - deep water species; some rare forms bring high prices from collectors
"Pearl Oysters" - common in warmer waters; source of most pearl and mother-of-pearl
"Cone Shells" - found in Atlantic and Pacific tropical waters
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