Enraged Octopus

The last minibook was created primarily with hand cut block prints that were inked, then stamped on paper already cut to the appropriate page size.  This minibook marks a substantial shift in the process of making images because all of these are original, one of a kind images that have been hand drawn.

Octopus gearing up for the colorful display.  Not sure what made her mad, but is is moving towards a full display of colors!

These images are based on a trip to the Mote Aquarium in Sarasota, Florida.   As you may recall from earlier posts, this is a small, privately owned research and teaching aquarium sitting shoreside to a waterway leading directly to the Gulf of Mexico.  It is open 365/366 days of the year.  Many of the people working there are either marine researchers in a doctoral program or retirees volunteering time to serve as docents.  

Over the past couple of years, the Mote has made upgrades and improvements that make it more visually appealing to school groups and the visiting public.  Mid-winter they tore out their largest tank (the size of an oval olympic swimming pool,) and added an otter habitat to one end of the enclosure.  The last time we visited the remainder of the once-pool space was in rubble and roped off to the public.  The Mote has not yet put into print what they plan to do with the large space, but I hope it will be focused on marine learning and education. 

OMG - have you noticed lately that octopi or being included in many ads.  There is an insurance commercial that shows it raining many different sized of octopi, for example.  The first place I saw octopus promotion was in the new Disney movie headlining Dory.  I am so glad to see the octopus come into the limelight for something besides inking themselves and cowering.  They are intelligent problem-solvers who were maligned in one of the Pirates of the Caribbean sagas, and calamari cuisine seems to have been their only redeeming value for decades.  Most images I have seen lately reveals orange octopus.....interesting choice since all of the living octopi I have seen in the last couple of years have been beige unless enraged, like the cover princess on this minibook.