the lightning whelk is the state shell of Texas:
"The carcasses of more than 35,000 birds and 1,000 sea otters were found at the 1989 Exxon Valdez site, according to its Trustee Council website, which estimated that the actual toll was "250,000 seabirds, 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles, up to 22 killer whales, and billions of salmon and herring eggs."
to date (56 days) this spill is roughly 7 times greater
and we're looking at another 3 months until the relief wells are done
... we're only 1/3 of the way through this thing.
This is beautiful, Kimmie - I love the top of the shell. It's like a spiral in motion.
ReplyDeletethe shell is so detailed..i have enjoyed my visits here (not the reason!) has doing this helped you?
ReplyDeleteI come here to oggle your wonderful watercolors. So well done. Thanks for stopping by at my blog today!
ReplyDeleteI'm still amazed that States have an official state shell. But these are gorgeous. The detail is so intricate. You are such a good artist.
ReplyDeleteI was told by someone who reads a lot more on this spill than I, that the chemical that was thrown on the oil has done more damage than if they had left it alone, or lit the oil on fire. Apparently, the chemical sucks the oxygen out of the water and causes marine life to suffocate. I hope that's correct, because I really trust my friend's words.
ELK - I don't know (if this is helping me) I feel a state of shock about it all
ReplyDeleteBleu&Elizabeth - The dispersant is called corexit. It causes kidney, liver and neurological damage. It pushes the oil below the surface, possibly helping to form the giant oil plumes. It is made by a company (Nalco) which is a joint venture company with Exxon/Mobil and has executives from BP's board of directors. Spooky.
Your work is beautiful , as usual. Thanks for stopping by my blog!!!
ReplyDeletejust stunning. love your shell series... see you tomorrow for tea!
ReplyDeleteIt's a great idea to do watercolors of sea life as a way to commemorate their beauty and show concern for the future. I have found that doing detail work like that brings a Zen-like moment. As I viewed the shells and their detail, I had that same peaceful feeling.
ReplyDeleteit is shocking...i can come here and look at your beautiful paintings, but i've had to stop looking at newsclips of the continued atrocities..
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