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Common Loon, ceramic, 8in x 7.5in
Project Goals:
To use art in raising awareness of the flora & fauna located in the Royal River watershed
To learn about artists who work with animals as their subjects, (specifically, working Maine ceramic artist, Tim Christensen, and wildlife artist and Maine Master Naturalist Michael Boardman);
To become acquainted with basic ceramic vocabulary;
To learn about and find inspiration in the highly patterned art (alebrijes) from Oaxaca, Mexico;
To form and paint a low relief ceramic tile that contains both imagery of a species of your choice and an indication of the systems around it which promote that species’ survival.
Artists and Cultures Studied:
Ami Vitale, Tim Christensen, Joel Sartore, Anne London, Louie Psihoyos, Travis Threlkel, and Oaxacan alebrijes from Mexico
Reflection:
Loons are a really important part of the environment, and especially Maine’s environment. If they went extinct, our ecosystem would never be the same. I chose to represent water which is where they live, fish which is what they eat, leaves which is what they use for their nests (as well as twigs and other types of flora), what their eggs look like which is the future of their species, and a day/night scene with trees to represent how they are neither nocturnal or diurnal. I think that the water pattern is the strongest pattern because I used the loons natural markings and had them fade into the water. This shows that the loons are one with the water and very important to their biomes, but also without good and healthy water, loons wouldn’t be able to survive. With global warming and continuous pollution, loons could be in danger. For my tile, I chose analogous blue-green colors. I think that this color scheme really ties in with all of the aspects of the loon and its ecosystem. I like how the colors look and how they pull the tile together. If I were to change anything about my tile, I would make my blues and greens a bit more muted to make sure that the loon itself pops more. I chose the common loon. The reason I chose the loon for my Royal River Watershed Tile is because I’ve always admired them, and always been around them. I go to a lake every summer and have since I was really young, and loons are always swimming there. My dad has always pointed them out to me, and has always loved them, too. Loons are incredibly special, and I think that more people should know and care about their wellbeing. It’s important to know about loons because they are a big part of their habitats, and help keep the waters balanced. To keep loons alive and well, reducing pollution in lakes and rivers is really important. Without a healthy watershed, loons won’t be able to raise their young, find food, or survive.
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