More New Summer art

Sometimes the subject matter of my gourds is directly related to an encounter with an animal, a fleeting glance of a deer bounding across a hiking trail, a vacation where a boat trip brought me up close to puffins, a special zoo program when I got to feed a sea lion. 

​And sometimes I just don't have that many special things happening.  It is just normal, kind of blah.  But I can have imaginary encounters and they can be beautiful too.

---

manatees

There are only 2 places In Florida where you can legally swim with manatees.  These gentle herbivores are legally protected, they are so sweet and friendly they love to be pet.  Many of these creatures will travel too close to boats because they so enjoyed their interaction with humans and as a consequence end up badly injured (or worse) by boat propellers.  I have never been to Crystal River to swim with a manatee, I have never even seen a manatee from a distance, but the more I learn about them and their gentle nature the more I have affection for them. This is why I made a manatee gourd, a momma and her calf, this will have to do until I can get to snorkel in Florida!

---

Rufous hummingbird

East of the Mississippi River you can find only one type of hummingbird, the Ruby Throated. In fact, this year I have 3 hummingbird feeders and many visitors.  All Ruby Throats.  All of the gourd art I have made thus far is Ruby Throated hummingbirds, because of my proximity to them. The Rufous is similar looking, with a red throat but with more of a rusty orange back and sides.  Maybe I will branch out and make even more hummingbird gourds, there are in fact 366 species of hummingbirds worldwide.  I may never see any other but the eastern Ruby Throats, but you never know.  

---

Blue bills and blue gills

I have seen Ruddy Ducks not too far from where I live,  And I have seen bluegill fish as well, a few have ended up on the end of my fishing hook!  But I has been years since I have been at the right place at the right time to get a glimpse of these perky little ducks.  They have lodged a place in my memory and something, I am not sure what, reminded me of them and I wanted to make a duck gourd.  The bluegill fish just made sense to me, since they definitely would be found swimming in the same lakes.  And that way I can give this gourd a clever little title!