Biodiversity Bear

Having registered a new graphic design business name I've been really busy for weeks but I'm not getting wealthier because it's all voluntary. As well as doing some quick colour and title changes for my partner's music books (having done the initial artwork as well), I have been 'flat out like a lizard drinking' - designing posters and a logo for a group who are against prescribed burning - at least in the way it is currently being conducted in this state. 

It's a delicate subject in a fire prone country in the context of global warming but the nub of the issue is that prescribed burns carried out by the Dept. of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (they change their name every couple of years and this one is a real joke) are 'hot', ill-timed, frequent and uninformed. They destroy habitat and fauna which aren't recovering. The group - which I will write about more later - isn't against 'cool' burns as long as they are informed, guided and carried out according to traditional Aboriginal land management practices that have been developed over millennia. We think the government have no bloody idea and are basically wrecking the joint to cover their own arses. Dropping incendiary fire bombs into heritage wilderness is insane. They understand nothing of the complex relationships between bioturbators (e.g. bandicoots, mardos and numbats) and ecological systems that depend on each other and, if managed correctly, obviate the 'need' to burn the crap out of the bush.

As a result of this involvement I decided to resurrect Munted Bear for a good cause. As you can see, he's started his own group. 

This is my new logo. People who know me think it is very appropriate. I chose the name because it matches my eccentric madness, but also because we have been swimming in the pristine turquoise waters of Madfish Bay a lot lately. The surf everywhere has been rubbish and overrun by tourists. I'll blog about Madfish Bay another time.

Images: Author.

Aussie 'Christmas'

The Australian bush is beautiful - mostly in a harsh sort of way. Despite popular myth, not every creature or plant is out to kill you - though many might try in self defence. In the spirit of Christmas I'm posting the Aussie version of a 'Christmas Tree'. It's botanical name is nuytsia floribunda. Indigenous people call it the mooojar or kaanya* tree and treat it with great respect because it is associated with the souls of the dead.

‘When I die I shall go through the sea to Kurannup where all my moorurtung (relations) will be waiting on the shore for me, waiting with meat and drink for me…Kurannup is the home of my dead people and I must go to them, and my kaan-ya must be free to rest on the kaan-ya tree (Nuytsia floribunda) before it journeys through the sea. Since Nyitting (cold) times (long time ago) all Bibbulmun kaan-ya have rested on this tree on their way to Kurannup; and I have never broken a branch or flower, or sat under the shade of the tree because it is the kaan-ya tree only winnaitch (forbidden, sacred).’ (Noongar informant Joobaitch, see Bates in Bridge 1992: 14)

‘No living Bibbulmun* ever sheltered or rested beneath the shade of the tree of souls; no flower or bud or leaf of the tree was ever touched by child or adult; no game that took shelter beneath it was ever disturbed.’ (Bates 1938 in Bridge 1992: 153)

'The Swan River Aborigines say that an evil being, called Nyowalong, wanders about in the night-time, in the Banksia forests, collecting the gum of the Nuytsia floribunda, which he puts into bags hanging all round his body. They assert that he is like an old man walking about in half-sitting attitude, and carrying a wanna, or yam-stick, and that he utters a short, sharp screech at every step. I enquired why they never speared him; but they were indignant at the idea and replied – “One might as well try to spear a grass tree, he is so surrounded with gum bags”. Although they eat the gum which exudes from the acacias, hakeas, and other trees, they never touch the Nuytsia gum; for, were they to do so, they say Nyowalong would certainly do them some secret injury; but the fact is, it is not an edible gum – they make a virtue of necessity.”'  (Chauncy 1878: 267-268)

The Aussie Christmas tree is hemiparasitic and only grows in Western Australia. It just happens to flower around Christmas time (in Noongar Birak season) and maybe that's why Europeans claimed it for their own celebrations. There are several flowering close to us but we don't have any on our 5 acres.

I'm not a Christian and I don't buy into the commercial hype so Christmas day for me is really about getting together in the bush or at the beach with my partner and a couple of close friends. And while we are on the subject of beaches and quintessential Aussie icons - here's a photo of a joey (kangaroo) chillin' at Bremer Bay 400km east of us.

Whatever your beliefs and wherever you are in the world, I hope you are blessed in whichever way you choose to be during this year's summer Solstice. 

*kaanya refers to the 'recently departed souls of the dead'
*Bibbulmun refers to one of several clans that live 'next door' to the Menang, inside the Noongar nation in the SW of WA.
Quotes courtesy of Anthropology from the Shed
Photo of tree: Dougall Topping Photography
Photo of kangaroo: Alice Reddington Photography

More on Bandicoots

This short video explains a bit more about bandicoots and how they have adapted to us (or not). The comment about blackberries and weeds clarified why they might actually do OK in feral built up areas with adjoining scrub. 

It's sad but bandicoots now need us to survive. I'm doing my best to help them and instead of building a bungalow as shown in the previous bandicoot video, I decided to use the natural materials I gathered tidying up an area. Instead of relocating the small branches and scrubby foliage, I piled it strategically against an existing tree in the same spot. There's not much point posting a photo because it is too well camouflaged. I'm going to do this wherever I can.

I am also allowing some of the bracken to grow right down to the edge of the drive in places to make it easier for these little guys to make it across the open space, until the native vegetation fills in and I can remove some of the bracken. And here's an example of how regulatory systems don't give a rat's arse about preserving wildlife. We are required to maintain a minimum 6 metre wide cleared access route along our driveway, and 6 metre wide firebreaks around the entire property. It's well known, or should be by now, that bandicoots are very reluctant to cross a space wider than 5 metres without cover. Males looking for a mate in the breeding season are forced to do the kamikaze run across our 2 lane highways which are more like 15 metres across. I regularly see them running like hell, nose down without looking. It's almost like they shut their eyes and just go for it. Tragically many are hit by cars.

Humans! As Lou Reed would say: stick a fork in their arse and turn them over. They're done.

Christmas Meme

 

Captain Scratchy does it again.

Digital Dogs

One of my work colleagues asked me if I could copy a style of digital photo manipulation to create 3 portraits of her family pooches who had crossed over the rainbow bridge. I adjusted contrast and saturation, and applied a Filter in Photoshop to get the effect above. That was the easy part. Each dog had to be separated from its background and some bits redrawn because detail can be lost when you apply that particular Filter. The client wanted a navy blue background but I talked her out of it because the dog pictured here would have been lost, and all the backgrounds had to be the same.

Here are 'before' and 'after' images of Bootz. This is the original photo.

And this is Bootz after I had made my initial adjustments, cut him out and applied the Filter. I suggested this as a background but the client wanted the blue *ho hum*. I find this the most difficult aspect of graphic design work but I am better at it than I was. As a young person I wouldn't have been able to compromise my aesthetics, but I am glad I can now because I like doing these jobs.

You can see in the image below that Bootz's cute nose and endearing expression was lost when the Filter was applied, so this is me redrawing it. I think it was necessary to replace this detail (while maintaining the style of the Filter) to capture Bootz's 'essential character'. Like a lot of little dogs, I believe he was quite a character.

The image below is a mockup of all 3 on a wall in frames. It was my idea to add the ground and shadows because they needed something to 'sit' on.

Some were easier than others to cut out and manipulate and it took me about 6 hours do the lot. Of course I can't charge what my time was really worth because like a lot of graphic design work, there is a limit to what you can ask for. And I charged 'mate's rates' anyway. My artist friend thought I should have charged a lot more but it's easy to price yourself out of the market. This work is additional to my teaching work which pays the bills, and small jobs like this help me get through the 6 week summer break without pay. 

Students often ask me what a painting is worth ie how much should they charge. I say: 'it's worth what someone will pay'. Unfortunately the arts don't pay well unless you have a high profile or are brilliant at marketing yourself. It is a ridiculously competitive field where many will do it for 'love' just to get themselves 'out there' and the general public have absolutely no idea how much knowledge and skill is required to create even a simple artwork well. It's very frustrating at times but it goes with the territory - though I still ask people how they think they'd fare if they tried to get their car fixed for $20 an hour, or even better - for free! Because yes, when you are an artist people ask you ALL the time to do stuff for free. Well hey - you do it for love anyway don't you?

In the end I'm content with the overall outcome. The client is very happy and I have another dog to digitise for another work colleague. It's not 'original' work - it doesn't compromise my intellectual property rights because it's basically a technical job, though many aesthetic decisions have to be made and drawing skill is required.

'Justine'

 

I've been meaning to post this for a while - it's another on the 'Commute' playlist I listen to on my 45 minute drive to work. Only one of the Australian Stone twins this time - Julia sans her brother Angus.

I've never been to California but this is the predictably pop culture image I hold of it. Most of it is probably nothing like this but one is allowed to have unrealistic expectations of far off places. Hell knows heaps of people have overly romantic views of Australia. I know they do because I hear what they say about this country and many people want to emigrate here. Of course the reality of any country is much more complex.

In the absence of harsh reality it's comforting to fantasise that there are beautiful places where love triumphs, the climate is perfect and life is carefree. 

Bandicoot Bungalows

 

We have Southern Brown Bandicoots on our 5 acres. We don't see them much but every so often I spot some digging activity and I know they've been here. Apparently 1 bandicoot needs 8 acres on which to roam. Given the amount of development and clearing it's a wonder they have survived at all this close to town.

Like all native animals, bandicoots are a critical part of the ecosystem. When I find the information I am looking for I will do another post about their role in fire management - yes, fire management! 

We do so many things so badly in this country. Ever since Europeans arrived we set out to systematically destroy the natural systems that operated for tens of thousands of years under Aboriginal care. My heart aches when I see habitat destroyed and native animals lying dead on the side of the road. I love this country. I really do love the bush, the beaches and all who live there. I get where Aboriginal people are coming from. I'm trying to preserve as much of our 5 acres in its natural form as I can - I am trying to restore the original bush - before bracken and Tea-tree took over. I want to pass it on to others if I have the opportunity.

Even though we have areas for bandicoots to hide and do their thing, there are other areas we have had to clear to build a house and maintain firebreaks. So I'm going to build some Banidicoot Bungalows in strategic spots to make sure they have somewhere to hide when the feral cats and foxes are trying to hunt them down. If you want to know what a Bandicoot Bungalow is - watch the short video.

Bandicoot image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_brown_bandicoot

Irrepressible

 

This digital painting of mine expresses how I feel about life on planet Earth. Might triumphs over right and the guy with the most money and the biggest gun wins. Yet there is something in the human spirit that is irrepressible - even when the odds are stacked against it. 

This photo (which I don't have a reference for) - makes me think there are still some things worth believing in and fighting for. I love this guy. If I were on the street this is probably something I would do. God bless him and his doggy friends.