(H042) Shark - Color Chart I was only 5 years old when my grandma and I stood on the shore of Fort Myers Beach at dusk watching my mom and pop wading waist deep, looking for live sea creatures.  I can still feel that childhood fear - of seeing a dark fin break the surface of the water between them and us.  I imagined it was a shark preparing to eat my parents alive before my eyes.  Only later did I come to learn it was a dolphin instead. When I create the shark this remembrance is always there, along with respect of sharks themselves - a very valuable part of the Web of Life. It is natural that my first shark would in form represent the shark species I felt was threatening my folks.  I hope to artistically express other members of the shark family as I become more in tune with their anatomy and personality.

(H043) Sloth - Color Chart By nature I'm kind of sloth-like, preferring slower paced activities such as canoeing vs. white-water kayaking, shopping a small town main street instead of a busy mall, an intimate concert vs. a Las Vegas style show.  The animal kingdom from which humans have branched is replete with examples of pace diversity. Maurice Ravel, in his famed "Bolero" began with a very slow, whispering  tempo which intensified to end in almost an ear-shattering climax.  Metaphorically, this is one way to view the tempo of life on earth in all its complexity. Unlike shrews and sloths, we as humans are able to step out of our personal comfort zones and appreciate the music, sports, etc. of others who step to the beat of a different drum.  In order to best enjoy the essence of my art, which is peace, I encourage you to let the sloth's heartbeat set the tempo for your Art Break.  My sloth by design is physically delicate, expressing its tempo artistically which I mount with care on an appropriate branch and base.

(H044) Snail - Color Chart The scientific name for a snail is "gastropod", a large class of the mollusk phylum which includes clams, scallops, octopi and squid.  "Gastropod" is Latin for this animal that walks on its stomach.  Weird, eh!   As if that's not weird enough, my totem animal is the snail.  I'm really very shy, and can identify and appreciate this animal which is able to withdraw its whole body into its shell home.  The mantle of the snail forms its shell abode of calcium carbonate.  As the soft body grows larger, so does the shell.   In a holistic sense I enjoy creating the hard shell and simulating the soft flesh that created that very shell to make one form. Your snail will come with a base, but I am also able to make it free standing as the snail would be in nature.