Planet Shark at the Georgia Aquarium! video + ticket coupon

On Saturday, Feb 20, 2010, my family and I attended Planet Shark Blogger Day at Atlanta's Georgia Aquarium with a complimentary ticket I received just for being a blogger!

Cameras snapped (though not in the Planet Shark exhibit - photos are not allowed - never annoy sharks!) and charming formally-dressed African Penguins greeted us as we entered the main area, with their good looks fully on display (myself was quite dishevelled, but never mind.)

Attending with a four-year-old was a real treat as she stooped down to go behind some of the fish tanks with the other kids to snag herself a different perspective. Viewing fishes and sharks swimming in tanks over our heads was quite marvelous, although if I had to make a suggestion for the Aquarium it would be for cleaner glass on display cases so that photos would turn out clearer.

An Emerald Tree boa, Corallus caninus, curled around a tropical tree limb in one exhibit that held so much greenery it made me want to climb in (if only the boa would vamoose!) for jungle scenery is my idea of earth's luscious beauty worth curling up in.

Another exhibit sported a very long alligator that seemed to swim by to pose for his daily camera ops - he's obviously an old hand at meeting the public. Spanish Moss hanging from the trees made a lovely accompaniment for the alligator's prehistoric countenance along with his tank mate, a massive-sized snapping turtle lurking in a nearby cove...no young whippersnapper there.

The Aquarium's Electric Fish exhibit was very popular, and its eels, Electrophorus electricus, and Catfish, Malapterurus electricus, stole the show - yet the Coldwater Quest display was one of my favorites because of its Kelp Forest tank (Kelp grows about a foot a day - kind of like a four-year-old!) and I adored the lovely Sea Anemones and Urchins. But the Crustaceans? Not so much, although they are a curiosity. (How people manage to consume them and like it is way beyond me...I prefer my fish dinners to have fins, thanks very much.)

And as you may expect, the played-out otters all asleep and piled upon one another, were favorites, too, and our cat-loving young lady fell in love with the furry fellows. Yet since I tend to draw botanical portraits of tropical fish from Southern Australia, you may imagine that the Aquarium's Rockfishes and the Tropical Diver exhibit - The Coral Kingdom - hit big home runs with this artist.

And what would any Aquarium be without orange and white Clown fish, model for Pixar's character in the popular Finding Nemo film? (One of my personal favorites, and yes, I've owned a copy since its release...just keep swimming...)

Plus, 'common' or not, who doesn't love an amazing color-changing
Common cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis, to go along with your Atlantic - or Pacific - sea nettles? But always stay on their good side if you can figure out which side that is!

Well, thanks for browsing the Georgia Aquarium with me, and do make plans for a visit if you're ever in the Atlanta, GA area, okay?

Now here's a handy $2-off coupon which you may wish to print out for Planet Shark!

~~Offer expires March 14, 2010 -- 4 ticket maximum~~

~:~

Here's a drawing of a clump of Giant Red Kelp that I rendered some time ago for you in case you missed it. jc

Sea sweep sweeps in!

A specimen of Southern Australia's Sea sweep, Scorpis aequipinnis, has swept in as if to say, Hello from the depths of the oceans!

Truncate coralfish weighs in

This little Truncate coralfish has floated by to say, Hello! He hasn't been here in a while, 'tis true, for he tends to hang out near the coastline of Australia searching for breakfast, lunch, and dinner within coral colonies and other marine nooks and crannies.

Here are a couple of lovely photos of his nibs, yet his personal Wiki bio is mighty thin, so if you'd care to add to his legend with Truncate coralfish facts and figures, this little member of the butterflyfish family would be most pleased with you and in your debt forever.

Salmon Aquaculture now improved!

Perhaps you heard Living On Earth today and the interview concerning Monterey Bay Aquarium's Sea Food Watch giving its first-ever seal of approval to AquaSeed Corporation of Rochester, Washington, for coming up with a better, safer way to feed farmed salmon.

Salmon is my very favorite fish-for-dinner yet I know that for years now consumers have been warned off farmed salmon because it contains high levels of contaminants. Yet often here in Georgia, farmed salmon is all that's available for purchase.

Well, I hope these innovations in fish farming 'catch' on with salmon farmers across the land!

Now I have no drawings of salmon but here's a small Bengal sergeant who wishes to salute the AquaSeed Corporation - good job!



All Art images copyrighted by the artist; permission for use required:

judecowell at gmail dot com

And please drop by Jude Cowell Art Shop for your tropical fish Art Poster and Greeting Card needs. Why, even fish art Mousepads are still available, relics of a bygone pc age though they may be!

New fish portrait for you: Black striped butterfish!

Say, have you seen my Black striped butterfish? I know I left him around here somewhere!

This noble little Black striped butterfish goes by the alias, Pentapodus vitta (Quoy and Gaimard) and was last seen around Cockburn Sound, Australia which is bordered on one side by Carnac Island where the Slender weed whiting plays.

'Scorpio Girl's new party frock' now a cool Beach Tote!

Know what? It pleases me to announce that one of my drawings Scorpio Girl's new party frock makes a smashing design for a Beach Tote...check out her sepia portrait trimmed coolly in brown, if you wish!

Perhaps if we move to Save Our Oceans before any more dilly-dawdling, we may keep a beach or two...bikinis optional.

Then snagging yourself a whimsical Beach Tote would make a lot more sense for carrying all your stuff (any time of year actually.)

Don't go! but if you must, please drop by a new Art Gallery at Sepia Art Theater where make-believe is behind the curtain and thespians may take their gracious bows & accept fragrant bouquets from ardent fans with much Leonine pride...it's Art, Drama, & Chocolates at Sepia Art Theater, and even Julia Child stops by for a small visit.

Here's icon and avatar of the Sepia Art Theater, Cosmea Collyns...that's Cos may' uh...click above and check out her portrait done in sepia as part of an Art Slideshow...

'Sand Fantasy Art' is smashing! view the video

The Art of Sand Fantasy is demonstrated in 3 intriguing music-coordinated videos that are with lovely New Age music (if there indeed be such an animal) and French cafe music and I think you'll find the artist's website full of amazing features!

Why, this caliber of showing borders on Performance Art of a kind I relish...don't you?

My promise to you: watching premiere sand animation artist Ilana Yahav on video will astound, enthrall, and change you forever!

As Vast as the Desert Sands

Massive planets Jupiter and Neptune meet once more in 2009 on Dec 21. Be there.

see Silhouette of missing Mystery Fish

This tropical fish portrait is incomplete for the star of this underwater scene is unnamed, undrawn, and, therefore...unseen.

Well, if the creek doesn't overrun its banks, this busy pencil artist promises to complete the ____ fish's portrait and post it on items for sale @ my Jude Cowell Art Shop @ Zazzle....please do drop in for a browse whenever you may for T-Shirts, Hoodies, Art Posters, Greeting Cards, and more!

You may also wish to check out illustrations in my Children's, Fairies, Botanicals, Moon, and Cosmic themed images at Secret Moon Art if you prefer more whimsical content.

Of course, here you are, spying on unsuspecting fish while they're ensnared within their favorite dreams which is a bit on the whimsical side, too, now isn't it? Wink!

Jude 12.7.09 6:39 pm est ;p

Red fairy basslet spies Pattillo Armadillo!

You know my children's book character Pattillo is an armadillo and some armadillos can walk under water when necessary. Well, in this drawing you see Pattillo Armadillo trundling along through Red fairy basslet's marine neighborhood. Wonder if they spoke any friendly hellos?! I feel as if they did. Well, a nod at least.

Dreamyfish Art Shop shapes up, Blue Tiger Art debuts

This particular rainy day in Georgia is being spent sprucing up my new Jude Cowell Art Shop featuring Dreamyfish Art portraits of tropical fish at Cafe Press...please browse, snorkel, or float by when you get a breather.

So far the Shop's variety of Cafe Press offerings include: Wall Art Posters, Greeting Cards, a Messenger Bag, T-Shirts, Hoodies, Pet Food Bowls, and a precious doggie sweater for Fido with a Dreamyfish image upon it, but not to fret for Fido probably won't notice there's a fish on his back...but a marine lover like you will.

Plus, there's a new Blue Tiger Art Shop now debuting so get in on the ground floor for tigery wild animal designs.

And you may wish to check out my new Zazzle Store, of Cosmic, Fish, and Tiger images galore. At Zazzle you'll discover designer Keds shoes, neckties, and more, all designed with Jude Cowell Art images - yet each product is customizable by you!

Also at Zazzle: you may wish to investigate a new design 'Pink Tiger Pink Moon' just for fun...

Why, lookee here, it's a Blue Tiger Art image now...

Plight of the Jellyfish

Visually, most Jellyfish have an angelic quality to me, an otherworldly style that I love. Of course, never having been stung by one helps continue the illusion within my idealistic adoration of their lovely forms.

Yet these days, as with all marine creatures, Jellyfish are having troubles galore as reported by X-RAY MAG so check out the plight of the Jellyfish, why don't you?



Jelly's Leavin' drawing by Jude Cowell; not a botanical illustration of any species, merely an idealistic illusion brought on by adoration and respect of the beautiful Jellyfish.

Polka dot boxfish, a portrait

Polka dot boxfish floated into Dreamyfish Art long enough to have his portrait drawn for you!



Polka dot boxfish, Ostracion cubicus (Linnaeus), hails from Rosemary Island, Dampier, Western Australia.

View a 'Dreamyfish Art' Slide Show Panel!

make custom gifts at Zazzle

Okay, now I'm totally cookin' with a cool Zazzle Panel slide show of Dreamyfish Art images (and more) now offered as Wall Art Posters in my Jude Cowell Art Shop!

Western blue devil drawing now a Wall Art Poster!

This small image of my botanical rendering of a Western blue devil of Western Australia may now be ordered as a larger Wall Art Poster, or you may splash the little fellow on various other items in my Zazzle Shop with the Customize It! button - grab a snorkel and swim over the 'net to peek at the blue devil and other Dreamyfish Art images in my new Zazzle Shop...

click the post title for a Zazzle Art browse!