Octopus

Two Octopuses in Kelp Forest

The original piece was created with pen, ink & watercolor on paper. This piece has been professionally photographed and reproduced on archival, all-natural, 100% cotton paper.

Usually I focus on Appalachian wildlife but occasionally I like to branch out (or should I say tentacle out) into new territory. I recently watched the documentary My Octopus Teacher @seachangeproject and found it to be equal parts beautiful, strange & captivating. I traveled almost the entire coast of South Africa (where the documentary is set) in college and was absolutely humbled by the beauty of the ocean there. It was amazing to add a new dimension to those places with this docu, and so impressive that anyone would dare to dive into those waters alone (and at night!!!) which are home to some of the highest populations of great white sharks & bull sharks in the world (though they have recently decreased in numbers.) The camera work was absolutely breathtaking and the story was so unique. Watching any documentation of the natural world always reminds me of how important taking care of our planet is, and also of how much of this world is mysterious to us. I forget that so much else goes on outside our comfortable humanity bubble. There is so much to know, and so much to appreciate.