Ceramics and Pottery Arts and Resources

 

 

What a remarkable array of creatures with artistically diverse designs our planet has been blessed with

 

 

Praying Mantis perilously close to a just trimmed Diosma branch

 

 

Morning-sun worship – Minnie and Azure

 

I could see by the way that Minnie and Azure were relishing the early morning sun that it was shining sumptuously. It looked so enticing it made me extrememly motivated to get in the garden, bathe in some sunshine and do the garden maintenance. My meandering, eliptically shaped diosma bush was in dire need of a trim so I began its manicure with some long secateurs.

To my surprise I noticed that a praying mantis, displaying remarkable courage, had come to say hello while I was chpping away. As I was standing there admiring his/hers delicate form and vivid jade colour, it started vibrating enthusiastically on the branch. Filled with deep wonder, I was then amazed when it began to sway on the branch, rocking side to side, giving me the impression that a breeze was blowing, yet I couldn’t feel any sensation of air movement. I grabbed my phone and took a snap (see above) as a testimony to the Sunday morning celebratory solar shuffle of the praying mantis, who had flirted with its mortality to pay a visit.      

 

Diosma Confetti Bush also known as Divine Breath

 

 

Manicured Diosma shrub with large lemon tea tree in background

 

Sometimes I use the symbiotic combination of fresh diosma mixed with lemon Tea tree for enhancing my breathing. Another great combo is fresh lavender and eucalyptus leaves.

 

Mantide Geotermica by Fabiosar

 

 

Justin Baker – praying mantis on a fence with a wondefully shaped triangular head

 

 

Another fascinatling encounter with an unexpected green visitor.

 

Kwan yin statue with visiting cicada

 Observing the Sounds (or Cries) of the human World (Kwan Yin translation)

 

I had just finished wrapping up a photoshoot with a model at my home studio and had decided to unwind and meditate. Gradually I began to hear a clicking sound and when I opened my eyes I noticed a cicada, perched on the third eye of my Kwan Yin statue in front of me. I had never seen a cicada in my home before and as I was wondering how it got there, while also admiring its innate sense of symmetry, it suddenly startled me by flying towards me and brushing me between the eyes. Then it proceeded to walk around me as I was sitting cross-legged on the rug, while still making a clicking sound. Welcome to the mystical cicada world.

 

Life imitating art

 

Live green lizard of remarkable resemblance getting acquainted with a brass lizard

 

After publishing this post, a French ceramicist informed  me about the intriguing visitation of a live lizard coming into her home to sit with her lizard sculpture.

 

 

Agile gracile opossum  — Giordano Rossi photo

 

 

Art Deco crackled and polychrome decorated ceramic vase with eating deer Royal Boch Keramis, atelier Catteau

Carlo Bonte

 

 

High flying jay by Lasse Kurkela

 

 

Snowy owl — photo by Brian Kushner

 

 

Bernard Palissy, 1565-85.

© Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

 

Flying geese

 

 

Alex Maisey  — Foraging Australian Lyre Bird

 

 

Sulphur crested cockatoo—Alison Langevad

 

 

Aussie water dragon

 

 

Bennetts Wallaby eating a breakfast snack from a Casuarina tree

Tasmania

 

Rare image of a blanket octopus

 

 

Sleeping herd of elephants in Yunnan

 

 

 

Leopard reclining — @yashasnarayan Wild.Arc

 

 

‘Woman with fox’ – Jessie Mooy

@jessiemooy

Sculpture in faience —I try to express the strong bond that exists between animals and humans in a poetic, delicate and lyrical manner using different clays and firing methods. Animals always speak to us with their eyes.

 

‘Lady with a wild Cat’  — Jessie Mooy

 

 

‘Aren’t I Pretty’ by Con Duyvestyn

 

 

Chamaleon symmetry

 

 

Wompoo fruit dove

 

 

Friendly octopus in South Africa

 

 

Red assassin bugs

 

 

Red cushion sea star off the coast of Belize

 

 

 Red fox – photo by Konsta Punkka

 

 

Stacey Manser Knight – red fox pourer

 

 

Large 10.5 inch creamware vase from Amphora Czechoslovakia

1920s

 

Kookaburra at water fountain

Rob Clay photo

 

 

 Octopus in the Torre Guaceto state nature reserve

photo by Romano Gianluca

 

Freeriding frog on a turtle at Padang Indonesia

photographer Yan Hidayat

 

Gran Canaria Island–Juan Ramon Rodriguez photographer

Sardinia

 

 

Blue banded bee  using buzz pollination

 

 

Blue crowned Motmot

 

 

Cuddling Brush Tailed Rock Wallabies (Petrogale penicillata)

Little River Gorge in East Gippsland — photo Jim Reside

 

 Chestnut tailed starling Satchari National Park

photo by Touhid Parvez Biplob

 

 

Trinidad crab — Vitorb Barbosa photo

 

 

Aynsley English Bone China Hand Painted Butterfly Tea Cup and Saucer Set

 

Regal ring-necked snake

 

 

Eastern spinebill

Nelson Victoria, — photo by John Eley

 

 

An emu wandering thru the suburban streets of Adelaide

 

 

Blood pheasant

 

 

Kangaroos feasting on fruit

 

 

 

Black faced Monarch at Toolangi

Photography by Jamie Smith Morvell

 

 

 Colourful grain silo murals —  Jimmy DVate

Rochester in Victoria, Australia

 

Jonas Gratzer — slow cruising sea turtle

 

 

Jurgen Otto – newly discovered peacock spider with Eastern calligraphic like markings

 

 

‘Giraffe in the forest — hand carved wooden bowl by Gordon Pembridge

 

 

konstapunkka@kpunkkaA — Ural owl

 

 

Colorful Lady Gouldian Finch

 

 

A Lae-cassowary living dinosaur from Queensland rainforest

 

 

Hand crafted Lisa Lloyd Bee

 

 

Swamp wallaby joeys

 

 

Long legged Jacana, known as the Jesus bird because it appears to be walking on water

 

 

 ‘Beauty and her wolfie’

Martyna Nysk Photography

 

Draught horses mural at Goorambat Silos – painted by Jimmy DVate

 

 

Noduled Sea Star  — Patomarazul

 

 

Masked Owl

 

Barn Owl by David Cooke Ceramic Sculptures

 

 

It’s easy to see why the orange bellied parrot (sitting top middle) loves the flowering gum

 

 

Papilio machaon — the queen of butterflies

 

Tree hugging goanna also known as a lace monitor

 

Climbing Goanna in Victoria, Australia

 

Dragonesque Goanna with Chris Humfrey at Wild Action Zoo

Victoria

 

 

Young possum at Boonah Park, QLD

 

 

 

The right handed crab apple poacher –  Crimson Rosella

 

Shanghai Lao Wu —  Snow Owl

 

 

Spilostethus pandurus  ground bug by Flavio

 

Kangaroo watching an early morning Tasmanian sunrise

 

Mosaic Pelican twin seat — Sherri Warner Hunter

Hacienda Mosaico

 

Harbor Seal—Sherri Warner Hunter

 

Banksia coccinea – Scarlet Banksia — Nick Monaghan

 

 

Red spotted frog — Rebecca Hillman

 

Chinese porcelain  table lamp

 

 

A pair of glossy black cockatoos on Kangaroo Island.

Photograph Michael Barth

 

Heicomus Butterfly cup – Irina S. Zaytceva

 

Yosemite squirrel— photo by Chris Hood

 

 

Young Tassie Devil

 

 

Australian bustard  – Photo — Lisa Nunn

Barkly Tablelands NT

 

 

The endangered kea is the worlds only alpine parrot

 

 

Natural bird figure cave facade – Kyneton

 

 

Martyna Nysk Photography

 

 

Violet backed starling

 

 

William Robinson–Gang Gang cockatoo

 

A young tiger climbing a tree

Ranthambore tiger reserve India, Richard Barrett photo

 

 

Symbolist style tiger vase

 

 

Marcel Boucher — rare Art deco Praying Mantis brooch

c 1937

1st Dibs

 

Praying Mantis

 

 

Beatrice Wood Centre –

Patrick Crabb – A Search for the Ancients

 

 

 

Ceramic shard Jar by Patrick Crabb

 

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