What a remarkable array of creatures with artistically diverse designs our planet has been blessed with
Praying Mantis perilously close to a just trimmed Diosma branch
Morning-sun worship – Minnie and Azure
I could see by the way that Minnie and Azure were relishing the early morning sun that it was shining sumptuously. It looked so enticing it made me extrememly motivated to get in the garden, bathe in some sunshine and do the garden maintenance. My meandering, eliptically shaped diosma bush was in dire need of a trim so I began its manicure with some long secateurs.
To my surprise I noticed that a praying mantis, displaying remarkable courage, had come to say hello while I was chpping away. As I was standing there admiring his/hers delicate form and vivid jade colour, it started vibrating enthusiastically on the branch. Filled with deep wonder, I was then amazed when it began to sway on the branch, rocking side to side, giving me the impression that a breeze was blowing, yet I couldn’t feel any sensation of air movement. I grabbed my phone and took a snap (see above) as a testimony to the Sunday morning celebratory solar shuffle of the praying mantis, who had flirted with its mortality to pay a visit.
Diosma Confetti Bush also known as Divine Breath
Manicured Diosma shrub with large lemon tea tree in background
Sometimes I use the symbiotic combination of fresh diosma mixed with lemon Tea tree for enhancing my breathing. Another great combo is fresh lavender and eucalyptus leaves.
Mantide Geotermica by Fabiosar
Justin Baker – praying mantis on a fence with a wondefully shaped triangular head
Another fascinatling encounter with an unexpected green visitor.
Kwan yin statue with visiting cicada
Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the human World (Kwan Yin translation)
I had just finished wrapping up a photoshoot with a model at my home studio and had decided to unwind and meditate. Gradually I began to hear a clicking sound and when I opened my eyes I noticed a cicada, perched on the third eye of my Kwan Yin statue in front of me. I had never seen a cicada in my home before and as I was wondering how it got there, while also admiring its innate sense of symmetry, it suddenly startled me by flying towards me and brushing me between the eyes. Then it proceeded to walk around me as I was sitting cross-legged on the rug, while still making a clicking sound. Welcome to the mystical cicada world.
Life imitating art
Live green lizard of remarkable resemblance getting acquainted with a brass lizard
After publishing this post, a French ceramicist informed me about the intriguing visitation of a live lizard coming into her home to sit with her lizard sculpture.
Agile gracile opossum — Giordano Rossi photo
Art Deco crackled and polychrome decorated ceramic vase with eating deer Royal Boch Keramis, atelier Catteau
Carlo Bonte
High flying jay by Lasse Kurkela
Snowy owl — photo by Brian Kushner
Bernard Palissy, 1565-85.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Flying geese
Alex Maisey — Foraging Australian Lyre Bird
Sulphur crested cockatoo—Alison Langevad
Aussie water dragon
Bennetts Wallaby eating a breakfast snack from a Casuarina tree
Tasmania
Rare image of a blanket octopus
Sleeping herd of elephants in Yunnan
Leopard reclining — @yashasnarayan Wild.Arc
‘Woman with fox’ – Jessie Mooy
Sculpture in faience —I try to express the strong bond that exists between animals and humans in a poetic, delicate and lyrical manner using different clays and firing methods. Animals always speak to us with their eyes.
‘Lady with a wild Cat’ — Jessie Mooy
‘Aren’t I Pretty’ by Con Duyvestyn
Chamaleon symmetry
Wompoo fruit dove
Friendly octopus in South Africa
Red assassin bugs
Red cushion sea star off the coast of Belize
Red fox – photo by Konsta Punkka
Stacey Manser Knight – red fox pourer
Large 10.5 inch creamware vase from Amphora Czechoslovakia
1920s
Kookaburra at water fountain
Rob Clay photo
Octopus in the Torre Guaceto state nature reserve
photo by Romano Gianluca
Freeriding frog on a turtle at Padang Indonesia
photographer Yan Hidayat
Gran Canaria Island–Juan Ramon Rodriguez photographer
Sardinia
Blue banded bee using buzz pollination
Blue crowned Motmot
Cuddling Brush Tailed Rock Wallabies (Petrogale penicillata)
Little River Gorge in East Gippsland — photo Jim Reside
Chestnut tailed starling Satchari National Park
photo by Touhid Parvez Biplob
Trinidad crab — Vitorb Barbosa photo
Aynsley English Bone China Hand Painted Butterfly Tea Cup and Saucer Set
Regal ring-necked snake
Eastern spinebill
Nelson Victoria, — photo by John Eley
An emu wandering thru the suburban streets of Adelaide
Blood pheasant
Kangaroos feasting on fruit
Black faced Monarch at Toolangi
Photography by Jamie Smith Morvell
Colourful grain silo murals — Jimmy DVate
Rochester in Victoria, Australia
Jonas Gratzer — slow cruising sea turtle
Jurgen Otto – newly discovered peacock spider with Eastern calligraphic like markings
‘Giraffe in the forest — hand carved wooden bowl by Gordon Pembridge
konstapunkka@kpunkkaA — Ural owl
Colorful Lady Gouldian Finch
A Lae-cassowary living dinosaur from Queensland rainforest
Hand crafted Lisa Lloyd Bee
Swamp wallaby joeys
Long legged Jacana, known as the Jesus bird because it appears to be walking on water
‘Beauty and her wolfie’
Martyna Nysk Photography
Draught horses mural at Goorambat Silos – painted by Jimmy DVate
Noduled Sea Star — Patomarazul
Masked Owl
Barn Owl by David Cooke Ceramic Sculptures
It’s easy to see why the orange bellied parrot (sitting top middle) loves the flowering gum
Papilio machaon — the queen of butterflies
Tree hugging goanna also known as a lace monitor
Climbing Goanna in Victoria, Australia
Dragonesque Goanna with Chris Humfrey at Wild Action Zoo
Victoria
Young possum at Boonah Park, QLD
The right handed crab apple poacher – Crimson Rosella
Shanghai Lao Wu — Snow Owl
Spilostethus pandurus ground bug by Flavio
Kangaroo watching an early morning Tasmanian sunrise
Mosaic Pelican twin seat — Sherri Warner Hunter
Harbor Seal—Sherri Warner Hunter
Banksia coccinea – Scarlet Banksia — Nick Monaghan
Red spotted frog — Rebecca Hillman
Chinese porcelain table lamp
A pair of glossy black cockatoos on Kangaroo Island.
Photograph Michael Barth
Heicomus Butterfly cup – Irina S. Zaytceva
Yosemite squirrel— photo by Chris Hood
Young Tassie Devil
Australian bustard – Photo — Lisa Nunn
Barkly Tablelands NT
The endangered kea is the worlds only alpine parrot
Natural bird figure cave facade – Kyneton
Martyna Nysk Photography
Violet backed starling
William Robinson–Gang Gang cockatoo
A young tiger climbing a tree
Ranthambore tiger reserve India, Richard Barrett photo
Symbolist style tiger vase
Marcel Boucher — rare Art deco Praying Mantis brooch
c 1937
1st Dibs
Praying Mantis
Patrick Crabb – A Search for the Ancients
Ceramic shard Jar by Patrick Crabb
***
