Squeefulness!!!!

[moonvoice]

Sea Dragon - Shelter.

Keywords: Placidity. Currents. Gentle movement. Free-flowing. Gentle masculinity. Paternity. Going with the flow. Shelter. The protective ocean. Reef magic. The beautiful ocean. Dragon energy. The protective father. Using beauty and brightness as camouflage. Façade.

Those of us in Australia are so incredibly blessed to have one of the largest member of the seahorse family in the world gracing our shores, and the only seadragon/s (plural or singular depending on the classification) in the world. These gentle creatures manage to make brilliant colour into camouflage, showing us that even beauty and magnificence can be used as a form of invisibility.

Found on the southern coastline of Australia (including this beautiful South-West corner that I call home), they grace our reefs in shallow waters. They are one of my favourite aquatic animals. :) The ocean is often depicted as violent, but the reefs shelter this fragile, exquisite creature and remind us that there are pockets of stillness and solitude to be found even amongst the most violent of storms.

Bigger version can be seen here:

http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/50319816/

Comments

[hakuzo.livejournal.com]

That is absolutely gorgeous! I've seen that exact breed of seahorse, they are beautiful creatures.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

It is a Seadragon, not exactly a seahorse (closely related to the family), because it doesn't have a pouch, and instead the male has the eggs glued to his underbelly instead. They are wonderful, and big! 45-50cm across. :D

I hope you see one one day. :)

[hakuzo.livejournal.com]

Oh, different species?! I am sure it is what I saw, they look like green underwater plants, and are hard to see at first.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Whoops, I thought you said you hadn't seen it, my bad. :)

[hakuzo.livejournal.com]

No problem. =)

[dibeartach.livejournal.com]

Mm, you have such a clear style, it almost looks like a mixture of that powerful, symbolic traditional art and the more fresh, modern art that we see recently. Slightly disorienting, but really interesting.

xoxo

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

I find seadragons disorienting as is, even this one I took out a lot of the extra hangy bits, so people could still distinguish it. They're impossible to make out otherwise.

And thank you so much for your kind words. :)

[seraphs-folly.livejournal.com]

Thats really beautiful Raven. Theyre a special animal to me. I love it

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :)

[mirrorred-star.livejournal.com]

Oooh, purdy! That is worthy of squeefulness.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Hehe, thank you! :D

[rainsingingwolf.livejournal.com]

Amazing.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :)

[lupabitch.livejournal.com]

VERY nice!!!!! I *love* the colors!!!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I like the colours as well. :D
This might end up being one of my favourite cards in the deck! :D

[jolantru.livejournal.com]

Hi, I just had to comment that the seadragon looked absolutely gorgeous (saw it once in a local aquarium where I lived and was crazy about it for a while).

I saw the picture when I was browsing through the f-list of nonfluffymagic. And I have to say that I always enjoy looking at your pictures and how you work with the fauna in Western Australia. :) (Studied in WA and loved the place)

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! It's always nice to get comments from people just dropping by. :D *hugs*

Oooo, it's also great to meet people who have been to WA! It's not that many - even for Australians! Haha. Sad really. *grin*

[jolantru.livejournal.com]

I love WA (the flora, the fauna and the landscape). Was there for about 6 years - I think, the state has gotten into my bones, into my psyche. :)

*hugs back*

[sotepetsenu.livejournal.com]

SO PRETTY.

I'm going to have to start a savings account to save up to buy and ship a print of something you've made. You are made of win. I want to own you(r works)

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

'You are made of win' I think will soon become a new saying of mine. :D Tehehe. *giggle*

And thank you, considering how zero my print sales are at DA (or in general, Ebay for example doesn't want my stuff either), it's nice to hear that people are interested. :)

[paleo.livejournal.com]

I got to see some sea dragons at the New Orleans Aquarium. They were very hypnotic to watch.
I love the effect of the sun breaking through the water's surface in your art. You really do have an eye for details that put you in the critter's world.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! :)

I like the water effect as well, actually, and I did that part first (before colouring the seadragon). While watching Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro, that probably helped with the whimsy! :D

[erynn999.livejournal.com]

That's gorgeous. I snagged the large version for my desktop rotation. Mmmmmm.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Wonderful! :D And thank you. *grin*

[medusasowl.livejournal.com]

I love it! You've captured the surreal beauty of the seadragon... well, for lack of a better word, beautifully! :D

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It is a very mysterious and surreal beauty, isn't it? They seem very elusive and haunting creatures to me, so fragile and magical. :D

[medusasowl.livejournal.com]

They really are! I'd love to see one in person someday, they're one of my favorite sea creatures! :)

[grondfic.livejournal.com]

I love how you're so rooted in the spirituality of Australia and its species. This is beautiful.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thank you muchly. :)

There needs to be at least one person on LiveJournal who is unhealthily obsessed with working with rare native Western Australian (or Australian) wildlife. ;)

Art in Life

[perzephone.livejournal.com]

It's absolutely magical :) I loves it!

[bluejay-lady.livejournal.com]

Incredible! =)

[trypanocorax.livejournal.com]

Oo, that's GORGEOUS! Great use of colour and shape! I really like your work!!!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! It means a lot coming from you, I really appreciate your knack with black and white art and caricature, and being a raven-crow lover I love the way you bring out their characters! :D

[aurora-artnsoul.livejournal.com]

I'd love this printed on fabric to adorn my bed. Your perseverance is astounding!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

:D Thanks! :D :D :D

[darakat-ewr.livejournal.com]

Cool effect for the water/green stuff and the fuax movement, classy!