Animalau Blog

My largest Replicators yet!

Detail images:

-Christie

When the spix macaw was first discovered in 1819, it was already a rare species. Efforts to track its population began in the late 1980s, but naturalists were only able to find seventeen in captivity and one male in the wild (has not been seen since 2000). Now presumably extinct in the wild, the survival of this beautiful blue macaw depends on the cooperation of captive breeding programmes, like with the excellent Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation in Qatar.

I first saw the spix macaw in Andrew Zuckerman’s stunning photography book, Birds. The composition of the installation is based on his amazing photograph of one in flight. For an animal so dangerously close to extinction, the lively and detailed photographs are emotive.

On June 26, Navillus Gallery and Spoke Club members helped me make soft blue and iridescent feathers for this installation! Thank-you for coming to the event, to Navillus Gallery for organising and The Spoke Club for hosting and designing a marbled cocktail. Marbling is very enjoyable on an outdoor patio with friends wearing nice clothes and a view of the Toronto sunset!

#DIYKaleidoscopic - Portable studio at The Spoke Club

big bird

I am currently reading about species conservation efforts, and our relationship with this macaw is connected to what I want my next series to be about.

for fun pic of spix on Replicators 2

-Christie

In the Middle Ages, masters depended on dogs to protect their land at night. For this responsibility, dogs were trained to kill men by attacking substitutes, such as a bear, capable of standing upright like a man, or a monkey sitting on a horse, resembling a man on horseback. Animal baiting became such a popular form of entertainment that dogs were bred for it. During the Renaissance, bulls, in addition to bears, were frequently used for baiting because they were readily available and could be eaten after the entertainment. Linda Kalof, author of  Looking at Animals in Human History, hypothesizes that the popularity of this horrible spectacle is rooted from an interest in understanding animal nature and temperament.

But bears were chosen because they are similar to people… did people find themselves in bears?

This puppy is no longer physically capable of animal baiting anymore. He can only love and be lovely!

a letter "T" for the friend I painted this for!

-Christie

My first editorial illustration is in the May/June issue of Canadian Wildlife Magazine! The article is called “What’s Up with with DFO?” and is written by Brian Banks.

The government is currently refocusing The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, worrying environmental and scientific communities as it closes programs and cuts important research, such as monitoring water temperature, pH and biodiversity, work that is rarely adopted by private sectors or universities. Instead, the government is prioritizing research that aids policy decisions and water and marine resources.

Even in high deer populations, wolves have been documented eating salmon during the run because they are convenient and a less dangerous prey. On the other hand, the bear is a keystone species as an ecosystem engineer and depend heavily on the salmon run. In the illustration, I have the wolf grabbing the salmon from the bear’s mouth as a metaphor. There is greater urgency in monitoring and conservation of our natural resources than focusing on making a profit from our country’s riches.

Beavers, Great Lakes and the bobolink, a songbird, are also featured in this issue of Canadian Wildlife Federation’s magazine. Thank-you to Canadian Wildlife for this opportunity!

-Christie

I have mentioned before that one of my greatest inspirations for my fascination with animals was ignited by the Planet Earth documentary series. The “Jungles” episode had a segment about birds of paradise and behind the scenes footage with Tim Laman and Ed Scholes waiting for days to get a glimpse of a male courtship display. Their dedication to their dream of documenting all 39 species, and on the birds’ terms, is just incredibly beautiful to me.

Here is an introduction to the species prepared by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

Earlier this month, I finally got to hear them speak about their research at the Roy Thomson Hall as the finale for the National Geographic lecture series!!!

The notion that animals have culture is one that really intrigues me. In birds of paradise, we see sexual selection at its most heightened and particular. Female birds of paradise appreciate shape shifting dancing, loud calls and feathers in crazy forms and shimmery and fluorescent colours.  They expect a clean display ground and a regular vine a male bird uses to display and another for her to evaluate. As people we do not usually have to worry about being eaten or finding food, so we have a lot of time and other thoughts to occupy our minds with. Similarly, birds of paradise live in a situation where there are not many predators and fruit as their main diet is regularly available, so their energy is focused on being so pretttttttyyyy. I think it’s really cool that we also find these courtship displays stunning, like there is a recipe for what life on earth collectively perceives as beautiful.

Growing up I loved mythology, like mermaids, unicorns… all that! But when I saw these birds on the TV screen for the first time, I saw that we already live in such a mysterious and surprising world, only we can really seek it and it is more glorious and intricate than anything we could imagine. Ed Scholes and Tim Laman have a Bird of Paradise Project website, which introduces all 39 species of birds very thoroughly and is up to date with their future plans!

http://birdsofparadiseproject.org/

Tim Laman's handwriting!

I painted thank-you cards. One flap has a message and the other is a lil painting!

-Christie

Bloom

Detail images below:

This is the third piece from the Replicators Series. As always, click images to see them enlarged!

-Christie

The second piece from my Replicators series.

The Replicator series, Animal Citizens, King of Speed, Doe series and other pieces are still installed in The Spoke Club (600 King Street West) with Navillus Gallery (110 Davenport Road)! Please stop by sometime to drink and eat 🙂

-Christie

While hiking through the rainforest in Tortugera National Park, I was impressed with the variety of plant species and their many survival solutions, particularly the epiphytes. These plants survive many feet off the air, growing on top of the branches of a large tree.

Observing these aerial plants made me think of the organic tenacity and abundance of thoughts and ideas that exist in our minds. Like a plant that competes for soil and sun, ideas compete for minds and attention. Plants can dig deep roots or grow a little stem as an epiphyte. In the same way, we seek to promote those ideas that generously occupy and structure our way of thinking and sometimes allow fads to bloom on top or wither. Species of ideas mutate because of our own interpretation as they proliferate in the individual ecosystem of our minds.

In this series, I wanted to make paintings while reflecting on the wild but steady process that we all tick according to. I repeatedly mutate and layer with the brush, which resembles the elegant shape of a leaf. The composition is mostly abstract and not based on any particular plant species.

-Christie

With the bee and pytilia

From the Deception Series.

-Christie