Skip to main content

Is it a mutant? Is it an alien? It's an octopus - or is it?


Have you ever thought how strange a creature the octopus is?  This week's fascination started when I asked the question, "What colour is an octopus when it's underwater?"  The answer is  "any colour it wants to be " - An octopus' coloration depends upon its surroundings. An octopus possesses the ability to alter its coloration depending on its immediate environment. This defensive technique protects the animal from predators and entices prey to come close to the animal. ((from https://www.reference.com/pets-animals/color-octopus-be94f74fcdc74ebe)   
. Why did I want to know the colour of an octopus? Because I wanted to draw octopus tentacles as mermaid hair for my art journal! Then, I began to think it might be considered a little too weird and even perverse to give a mermaid octopus hair.... Facebook friends assured me that this was not so, citing Medusa and her snake hair as a precedent, and even one friend said that she thought it was logical! 
Drawing with pastel pencils - Wilma Simmons 2016 
At least I didn't totally transform the human body...
by Austin Coppock 

by St Alpha (Deviant Art) 
Then I discovered  the octopus, in spite of its intriguing form, has been adapted by many artists and designers, and you may find an octopus where you least expect it to be.... 
 My sister offered with this owltopus pendant .... 


How about some amazing octopus adornments?
Octopus shoe - meriamber.tumblr.com
Octopus tentacle earrings sold by Dysfunctional Doll 

What about thinking of the octopus for your home decor ? 
from Pinterest - source unknown 
from etsy .com 
Octopus occasional table - homedition.com
From Pinterest- SPI Home 
Octopus raku teapot by Grafton - sold on ebay
 Octopus bottle holder  by Dot &Bo 
Octopus candleholder from gothic.org 
Octopus phone from Octopodal Flickr 

octopus vase by Outer Banks Treading Group 
Piccolo Pottery - etsy.com 
from Pinterest - source unknown 
What about your next birthday cake? 
This was probably the weirdest octopus design I discovered? 
What about this for your next musical recital? 
octopus violin from art- a-designrt.ru
One questions still remains.... octopi? or octopuses? 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Too Precious to Waste

 Stitched tea bags/ old doily "tea lights" - Wilma Simmons  More than a year ago, a decision was made.  The annual exhibition of NCEATA ( Newcastle Creative Embroiderers and Textile Artists) 2015-2016 will have the theme "Mottainai". Mottainai in Japanese refers to more than just physical waste (resources). It is even used to refer to thought patterns that give rise to wasteful action. Grammatically, it can be used in Japanese as an exclamation ("mottainai!") or as an adjective phrase ("it feels mottainai"). There is no plural form. The collection of mottainai things could be called mottainai koto ( もったいない事 ? ). As an exclamation ("mottainai!") it means roughly "what a waste!" or "Don't waste." [2]  A simple English equivalent is the saying "waste not, want not." A more elaborate meaning conveys a sense of value and worthiness and may be translated as "do not destroy (or lay waste to) that

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks ....  The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and  message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or  my husband or from off cuts gifted to us  from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks.   Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt  or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as wrapping str

Connecting and Interpreting : Story #4 from the ATASDA Collaborative Golden Cape

  Connecting and Interpreting : Story #4 from the ATASDA Collaborative Golden Cape  Background : This year, 2024, ATASDA ( Australian Textile Arts and Surface Design Association) is celebrating its Golden Anniversary. The Collaborative Golden Cape is a celebratory garment representing 50 years of creativity in textile arts. Members of ATASDA have joined together to create a beautiful cape comprising of 50 art panels inspired by 50 past ATASDA artworks. Each contribution to the Cape is a personal response to its corresponding historic artwork and its story. The Golden Cape, embellished with these beautiful cameos of textile art and surface design, will travel and be displayed throughout Australia. Parrwang:  Jo-Anne Britt drew inspiration for her contribution to the cape from the 1987 work by Bobbie Winger . This was a dramatic wearable textile artwork, entitled , "Dancing Cloak for a Currawong". The limited colour palette and the "feathery" form of the cloak reall