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It was a warm, sunny Monday morning and I had just returned from dropping the kids off to school feeling fresh and ready to begin my workday. As I climbed the stairs to my attic studio I just remembered I needed to return something to my neighbour that she lent me over the weekend. As I went over to give it back to her we chatted for a couple of minutes as neighbours usually do. Just as I was leaving, she kindly suggested I borrow a book from her that she had just finished reading. “Here, read this Geri, I know how much you love animals so I’m sure you will love it as much as I did. It’s all about a lady who cares for an owl for the whole 19 years of it’s life. I cried at the ending” Karen said. I thanked Karen and couldn’t wait to start reading this intriguing book called “Wesley, The Story of a Remarkable owl” by Stacy O’Brien.

When I got back I placed the book down on the dining room table at the spot where I usually eat my lunch so that when lunchtime came around I could read it then. Although I knew I needed to start work and stick to my timetable my eyes became fixed to the cover of the book as I gazed with awe at this beautiful picture of an adorable, innocent baby owl. I felt an instant connection. I just had to open to the pages of the book.

This true story is of a young biologist named Stacy O’Brien who was given the opportunity to raise a four-day-old wild baby barn owl in captivity, as he was unable to fend for himself in the wild due to nerve damage to one of his wings. She willingly took on the enormous responsibility of being Wesley’s carer for the rest of his life.

He depended on her for his survival. Her job was to record the owls growth and observe its behaviour so that scientists could gain a more thorough understanding of them. Stacy named the baby owl Wesley.

Over the years she developed a form of communication that Wesley could clearly understand and she came to understand his form of communication not only through his sounds but also through his body language. Their bond and trust became deeper and deeper day by day. She learned things that went way beyond science; things that science could never measure. Her life with this wonderful bird proved there is more to animals than the human mind can comprehend. What is more, this amazing owl saved Stacy’s life.

Learning about Wesley has deepened my appreciation and respect for animals even more and reinforced the truth that love is the most powerful and universal form of communication no matter ‘how’ or ‘what’ the language is. When we realize that animals and humans are sentient beings we can respect that connection and hence aspire to preserve animals and their habitat as well as live in harmony with each other.

Reading this book has taught me a lot about patience, commitment and sacrifice but most importantly of all, that some challenges can turn out to be our greatest gifts.

I highly recommend reading “Wesley, The story of a Remarkable owl” if you wish to understand wildlife more and bring that quality into your artwork.

Not so long a go I was asked to write a review on my friends 2009 moon journal that’s taken her 4 years to develop and now the  2010 ‘Celestial Secrets’ journal is on the market. For those of you who are not familiar with a moon journal, a moon journal opens one to the awareness of the energies of the Sun and Moon and how to attune to the natural rhythms of nature and the universe for healing, manifestation and empowerment in their own life. This is what I had to say:

“Since working with the journal I now have a greater sense of being both the observer and creator of my life. As the observer I can see recurrent patterns and beliefs that occur at certain times within the seasons and moon cycles. As the creator I am able to lift the clouds of confusion and hence re- design my life in a way that is aligned with my Divine blueprint.

Through working with the seasons and cycles of the moon I now realize that events that happen in my life, whether they are ‘good or bad’, are no coincidence but are essentially aligned with my greater good if that’s what I choose to see.

For the first time in my life I feel OK with what ever comes up because I know now that it’s meant to be, just like it’s meant to be summer, spring, autumn or winter.

I am so grateful to Karen for creating this journal as it has enhanced my life immensely and I will continue to use it as I know it’s helping me create clear intentions as well as keeping me on track with my greater life purpose.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the process of journaling and now trust the process of life.”

Writing gives us the opportunity to get clear on our intentions and as an artist I believe that it opens up the gateway to my heart allowing for greater accessibility to unlimited creativity.

Since journaling my writing has blossomed and here’s someone who believed that they could not write or would never write, ever! I feel that my writing and drawing go hand-in hand as they are both unique forms of self-expression and communication where one enhances the other.

I encourage anyone to write whether they are artists or not.

To purchase Karen’s journal please visit http://www.isismoon.net

Ever since I was a small child at a time where today’s distractions of computer games and electronic media barely existed, I relished in the simple activities of drawing and riding my bicycle. Over the years my love for these pass times has grown and developed to the point of my drawing now being my career and my riding is something that I do consistently every week, not only for my physical health but also to enhance my spiritual experience, that I believe is reflected in my drawings. When I ride my bike I see so much to value and appreciate about this amazing world we live in.

When I was young I drew just about anything but as a teen and adult I was pulled towards drawing wildlife – wildlife is my passion and my mission for being an artist. That passion for wildlife has led to such wonderful opportunities and experiences where I have met equally passionate and dedicated people devoted to the cause of preserving wildlife and their habitat. One of these people is Dr Bayu Wirayudha, the founding director of Friends of the National Parks Foundation in Indonesia. FNPF is a local non-profit organization working to preserve Indonesia’s wildlife – particularly orangutans – and its habitat for her people and for the world.

After donating some artwork to FNPF Bayu invited me to visit the park and see for myself his tireless work and that of his volunteers, particularly with orangutans. Stirred by the plight of the orangutans losing their habitat because of deforestation I returned to Australia, eager to raise funds for FNPF. The thought of a gruelling 300km plus ride was the trigger.

As a youngster and having flat feet I was pretty hopeless at sport and never got chosen for any teams, yet as I grew older and started taking responsibility for my health, the thought of bike riding again grew on me. I loved riding so much that eventually I bought a racing bike and decided to join a local cycling club. Even though I had no talent for racing I still enjoyed competing in long distance events purely for the sheer joy and sense of achievement in completing the distance. Now that sense of competition against myself will be challenged in the United Ride For Wildlife where I will be riding the furthest I ever have in my life over two days from Canberra to Sydney. This time it’s different, not only am I competing against myself but I will be riding for a very important cause!

Even though I constantly hear of the devastating and appalling things that are happening to wildlife all over the world, this has not led me into despair but has inspired me to take action, striving to make a difference no matter how I do it; and despite being a rather shy and reserved person I realize that sometimes you just have to ‘put yourself out there.’ Like the saying goes, ‘feel the fear and do it anyway!’

I am eternally grateful for the journey of my life, particularly my childhood where the pursuits of drawing and bike riding has led me to the United Ride for Wildlife challenge where I have the opportunity to unleash even more of my potential.

I hope I inspire others to make a difference in their own unique way and to realize that all creatures, whether they are great or small, are all connected in this amazing world we live in.

To make a tax deductible donation for FNPF through Humane Society international’s Projects Program please click hear: http://everydayhero.com.au/united_ride_for_wildlife

I’ve just made the finishing touches to my drawing of an orang-utan in mixed media and painted the final fine furs on his face. I feel so proud yet relived that this is the last paint stroke. I put my paintbrush down and sit back admiring my finished work yet there’s one thing missing… my signature.

Even after years using and perfecting the same signature I still hesitate when I sign my work because I want to make sure that it enhances the composition perfectly. Although it’s been many years that I have used the same signature it took quite some time for it to evolve into what it is today.

Some artists like to use just their initials only or their first initial plus their surname. I decided just to use my Christian name instead of my full name which is quite long. I like the way it flows with a balance of simplicity and flair that becomes a part of the drawing without being too noticeable. I designed it in such a manner so that it could work at any angle and lie besides something in the foreground like a branch, a tree trunk or a leaf for example.

Quite often an artists’ signature will reveal what type of person they are. If an artist uses bright colours and bold strokes it’s more than likely that their signature will be quite flamboyant whereas others are more reserved so their signature would be more subtle.

What truly makes a statement is whether you have communicated a message through your work. The signature is like your trademark; it gives you an identity. Yet it’s the style of your of work, your unique way of applying paints or pencils is what people notice most. It’s as though the painting were the paragraph and the signature is the final full stop.

I think it’s important that the signature does not distract from the statement of the art piece; rather, it compliments your work of art that flows within the composition as a part of it.

It was my third day on site at the Friends of the National Parks Foundation in Borneo and I was invited to visit quarantine where sick and rehabilitating orang-utans stay until they are well enough to go back into the wild.

I thought to myself how do they stand the heat and humidity with all that fur as my clothes were sticking to my body and sweat was rolling down my face. The air felt so thick, heavy and steamy yet as I walked towards one of the cages the thick, steamy air suddenly became easier to breathe as I was captivated by the cutest most loving big brown eyes I had ever seen.

I asked my hostess and project manager of FNPF Yen all about this beautiful baby orang-utan who caught my eye that was about 12 months old. Her name was Jodie and evidently she contracted tuberculosis. I found that hard to believe as she swung and jumped around the cage full of energy looking as cheeky as ever and giving a toothy smile, as she swung past.

In the next cage there were two male orang-utans who were older than Jodie but still young. As I approached the bars of the cage one of them lent towards me and grabbed my hand and pulled it towards him between the bars. He looked at my hand as to study it and compare it to his own, as though we were the same but not quite.

His hand was warm and his palm felt rough and well padded like a leather cushion. His fur was thick and course that felt like thin wire with beautiful auburn highlights through it that sparkled when caught by the light of the sun. I was so amazed by his curiosity and persistence to study my hand. When he finally let go the other orang-utan came over and pulled my hand in just like the other only with more force. This one wouldn’t let go for quite a while and was more interested in playing than studying my hand. I guess that goes to show how individual they are.

It was time to leave as Yen called me over to get back for lunch. There was a lot planned for the rest of the afternoon yet this experience of seeing the orang-utans up close will remain with me for the rest of my life.

When I returned home to Australia I received a sad email from Yen to say that Jodie had passed away from her disease. I’ll never forget those warm brown eyes…..

There’s nothing more thrilling than witnessing local wildlife in your own backyard and having your camera ready just at the right time.

I feel so blessed to be surrounded by an abundance of striking bird life that colours my day and cuddly, wide-eyed possums that come out at night. I might even be lucky enough to see a koala, though not in my actual backyard, yet only a few suburbs away if I happen to be there at the right time. (Unfortunately, due to urban development encroaching on their habitat, with the threat of dogs and disease there appears to be a lot less koalas in our local area).

In order to attract more wildlife to our backyards or patios we need some things that would be a part of their natural habitat. It can be as simple as providing water, a clump of native grasses in a corner, a pile of sticks or small logs for shelter, a birdhouse, and perhaps a possum house in a tree. Even people that live in high-rise buildings or apartments can do their bit to help the ecological balance by planting the right plants from their balconies providing natural habitat for birds and butterflies.

For native birds there needs to be the right kind of trees or shrubs for them to feed. We can do this by sourcing native plants from our nearest nursery. For example if you wanted to attract more lorikeets you would need to plant grevilleas and if your yard was big enough a eucalypt tree could attract up to 30 of them.

To provide shelter for lizards you can put a pile of sticks in a corner and grow a native vine over it and this would most likely attract small birds such as finches and wrens. Creating a pond will encourage native frogs to visit your garden and provide a place for them to live and breed if the correct conditions are created.

No matter what part of the world you are from you can find out from your local nursery which plants or trees you need to plant in order to attract more wildlife as well as visiting the library for any guide books. It’s important to remove anything hazardous that you think could harm them such as garden poisons. Most importantly of all, keep your cats inside at night. Cats are a great threat to wildlife, especially smaller species.

So even in our own backyards all it takes a bit of research and time to attract the wonder, colour and excitement of these beautiful animals that share our world that make it such a rich and diverse place.

It never ceases to amaze me at the incredible opportunities that colour my world as a result of my career as an artist. I would now like to share one of those experiences after recently visiting Las Vegas for a Licensing Expo.

The trade show convention centre was colossal. I stayed close to my agent so I wouldn’t get lost while he pointed things out to me like he knew this place like ‘the back of his hand’.

The centre was buzzing with energy as people scurried along to meetings to hopefully make that next all important deal while others were stopped in their tracks by colourful characters dressed up in fancy, furry or glittering promotional costumes. Some booths had huge stands almost the size of a building without a penny spared while others were smaller and more subtle hoping to get noticed.

After many kilometres of walking I was starting to feel weary as my 17-hour flight from Australia started to take it’s toll but then I felt a new lease of energy as my agent prompted me to ‘get in line’. Can you believe it? There he was. It was the legendary actor Tony Curtis! I waited patiently and observed the memorabilia filling his booth surrounded by prints of his paintings. Before I knew it, it was my turn! My heart skipped a beat as I walked towards him and he graciously took my hand while I had my photo taken with him.

As I told him how honoured I was to meet him and that I came from Australia he gently told me, “I can see it in your eyes”. I thought that was such a genuine and loving thing to say.  In just that brief meeting I got to feel and experience the energy of such a charming, gracious, warm-hearted and exceptionally gifted man.

Despite his age and his illness he still carried himself with majesty and grace.

This is an experience I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Regards,
Geri

When I go to the zoo to photograph animals for my reference I go with an open mind with the intent to photograph the animals, as I would imagine them living in their natural habitat.

While the animals at the zoo are not living in their natural habitat I look for some extra help from books and the Internet to inspire me to create the environment and even the ‘mood’ of that environment through the use of colour in order to create a ‘whole’ drawing.  I usually mix and match several references until I come up with the right background and/or foreground while much of the time my imagination comes into play, particularly with clouds and leaves.

However, sometimes ‘less is more’ where I use very little background or foreground if I am focusing more on the animals face. In this case I am intending to draw the viewer to the animals eyes in order to aspire a connection with its soul. If the actual animal takes up more space on the page I tend to show just a hint of its natural environment like some long grass in front of some lions for instance.

Most of the time I have a fairly set idea of how I would approach the background or foreground yet sometimes it turns out completely differently as I work along.

With my “Gentle giants” that I photographed at the Western Plains zoo, initially I was to draw them showing a typical African day with the full sun shining but it just wasn’t working. Something within me inspired me to draw clouds. I trusted this ‘voice within’ and ended up with a unique drawing that portrayed their natural habitat yet with a different mood that complimented the elephants perfectly.

After many years of drawing I now approach each drawing with a completely open mind and trust my creativity to guide me. In life I’ve learned that sometimes my biggest ‘mistakes’ turn out to be my biggest ‘gifts’.

I am always in awe of the diversity of wildlife that is a part of our world and for the unique traits and strengths each species exudes that inspires me.

If I’m not drawing a commission I can choose any animal to draw yet sometimes that is not as easy as it sounds. What do I do when I look at a blank piece of paper and nothing comes to me? One thing I do is to travel back in time in my mind and recall my visits to the zoo, seeing wildlife in my own area and even better still recall when I witnessed them in the wild. I remember their beauty, power and their intelligence. However, sometimes I need a more specific direction and this is where knowing more about animals is useful.

I believe it really helps to know everything about the animal or the animals that I am drawing because when I know about an animal I develop an even deeper respect and see those qualities mirrored in me as I aspire to communicate that to the viewer.

What has helped me to become inspired by wildlife is to learn more about their behaviour and how they survive in their habitat by reading about them and even watching the occasional nature show on TV or DVD that I borrow from the local library.

Another means that I use to learn more about the unique traits and strengths of animals is to visit animal spirit sites online that are based on the ancient Shaman way of life where animal spirits have guided Shamans for thousands of years. One of these sites is http://animalspirits.com and there’s a really good book on this subject too called ‘Animal Speak’ by Ted Andrews that I refer to quite often.

I believe each species possess certain characteristics and strengths that we can draw on in order to enhance our living experience and hence help others as we learn more about ourselves. Depending on what is going on in my life at a particular time is what leans me towards a certain species as I call on their power and intelligence to propel me forward in my life or sometimes it may simply be their beauty that inspires me.

I was so happy with everything I had drawn so far. The composition was great and every part of my koala, the proportions and even the soft furry feel was portrayed perfectly.

I was eager to finish the initial stage of my drawing that’s in lead pencil so I could start adding some colour, only one thing was stopping me. I just couldn’t get the leg that was hanging down behind the tree branch to look right. Drawing the foot was especially tricky.

I was thrilled with the photograph I took of this koala for my reference. Everything was perfect only the foot just didn’t’ show quite enough detail in order for me to get it right.

I studied the angles and the area surrounding the foot, the shape and how the toes were formed and their relation to the whole foot but after many attempts I just couldn’t draw it.

I took some deep breaths and had a stretch to help calm me down. Things started to get better when I noticed that I hadn’t drawn the leg quite thick enough. This is the case where it is important to have all of the proportions correct showing that one small thing can effect a larger area, being the actual foot.

Now that I had figured that out, it appeared to be working really well and I finished, yet to my dismay I discovered that when I looked at my drawing as whole, the leg and foot overall was too small. My frustration was really beginning to boil! At that stage I thought it would be best to walk away, have some lunch and go back to it later.

After having a break an idea came to me. I typed in ‘koala’s foot’ into Google images and the perfect image came up for me to study. Although it wasn’t at the same angle as my own reference photo  it was enough to give me an understanding of how the foot is formed and how the different parts relate to each other. In the Internet photo I could see that one toe had two claws attached to it whereas in my photo the angle of the foot made it look like that one toe was two separate toes.

After studying both photos and with a better understanding of how the foot is formed this helped me to get it right.

Taking a break and having a clear head helped me see things in a whole new way.

Now things were really starting fall into place.

Regards,
Geri