G2 Gallery of Venice, CA - Conservation Photography Gallery

G2 GALLERY

Venice, California

It was through Robert Glenn Ketchum's Blog that I first heard about the G2 Gallery - he had a post about his Exhibit there in 2010 focusing on the Conservation Issue "No Pebble Mine" in Bristol Bay, Alaska, as in the video below!

I loved the whole Gallery - but especially Robert Glenn Ketchum's exhibit and I spent most of my time looking over his Images and reading about his conservation work on Stopping the development of the Pebble Mine in Alaska!


-- More Recently, as in earlier this month (April 13, 2011), I went to The G2 Gallery again - to see several exhibits and I had a wonderful time again - and decided to tell the world!!

Robert Glenn Ketchum on that date (through April 24, 2011) was the Nature LA Photographer at The G2 Gallery -- and one of his Embroideries was on exhibit and I got to see it live (not just a photograph on a computer screen)!! Exquisite is the only word I can use to describe it!! -- And after admiring it from several angles, all I could think was how much detailed work went into the hand-stitching and how admirable the embroiderers' work is!

But there were 2 more Exhibits at The G2 Gallery at the time that I got totally excited about! Both Exhibits were amazing and inspiring to me.

-- The first one I spent time on was Essence of Life: Fresh Water - sponsored by Conservation International and their "sister" organization, International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP). See the video below from CEMEX, the publisher of Conservation International books, on the book that Exhibit is based on!




You need to go see this exhibit to see the amazing photographs if you can - it is through May 8, 2011.


-- The second exhibit I was so amazed with was that of photographer J. J. Heureux's, Faces From the Southern Ocean (also through May 8, 2011). Her photographs of the Wildlife in the Antarctica are astouding in how they show the life there -- you really need to see the full exhibit including the slideshow, but below are a couple of videos of J.J. Heureux's photography in the Antarctica!


A Bleak Future For Penguins ... video 1 ---





Antarctic Spring - Iris Bay to Gold Harbor South Georgia Island ---





The G2 Gallery has new exhibits all the time -- and a Gallery Store full of Eco-Friendly and Artistic items! If you are in Southern California or passing through at some time, you may want to make a special trip to Venice, CA to see this Gallery -- they have a number of Events at different times in addition to the Exhibits!


Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE and ETSY

Thanks to "On Fire For Handmade" For Being This Week's Featured Artisan

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE and ETSY

This weeks Featured Artisan is Ruth - RSS Designs in Fiber.

Ruth has beautiful creations to decorate your home!

Stop by RSS Designs in Fiber and see for yourself!

You can find Ruth on:

ETSY SHOP

RSS DESIGNS IN FIBER BLOG

ARTFIRE STUDIO

Facebook Profile For Ruth Sandra Sperling

Facebook Page For RSS DESIGNS IN FIBER

Thanks to Anne Hopfer of Made For Me By Oaklie and On Fire For Handmade for creating this blog ring, Share The Love - Featured Artisan -- and my Feature this week starting April 26th !!

I am truly On Fire For Handmade!!  Ruth

Wildlife Where I Live - the Antelope Valley of Southern California

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE and ETSY

I was walking through the field in the picture above yesterday - on my way to various places in my small town in the southeastern Antelope Valley, when I heard this call!!  Not sure what it was -- a bird or some other wild animal, I figured it was warning others that this 2-legged being was walking through their territory!!

On my way back (this field is just to the east of where I live and I walk through it rather frequently) -- I looked and looked at something in the field -- at first I couldn't tell whether it was a bird or a bush -- it was very still and close to the color of the surrounding vegetation in the field.  As I got closer, I could see it better -- it was some kind of squirrel it looked like - standing up very alert and frozen in position, looking to the left of me -- then there was this screech!  Then it moved and jumped down a hole!!

Ah-hah!!  When it moved, I could see it better!!  I was not quite sure what it was -- but a little bit further on at another place to the right of the path I was walking on was another just like it -- or was it the same fellow popping up through another hole????  Another screech and jump down the hole!!

Well -- not being sufficiently trained to identify it, I decided I was going to have to look up something online to see if I could find out anything about some desert squirrel - or something - that might be burrowing in the fields of my little town!!

Well - I found "him" online -- he looked exactly like this picture, which is a picture of a California Ground Squirrel that I found on the Wikipedia page for:  "Ground Squirrel"!!

And there I found this quote:

"The ground squirrel is especially renowned for its tendency to rise up on its hind legs. It does this whenever it senses nearby danger, or when it must see over tall grasses. The squirrel then curls its paws flat against its chest and sends a screeching call to warn other family members about the presence of predators."

I guess they think us people walking through their fields might be predators, though I am really quite friendly to them!!  As there is no fence between this field and my front yard, I am afraid I may have seen "him" or one of his cousins in my front yard occasionally!! 

I actually think they are quite cute!  I guess they may be one of the reasons there are all these holes in these fields -- you have to watch it as you walk through them, particularly if you go off the un-official "paths" through them!!

To quote one of my favorite Folk Singers/Songwriters, Dan Fogelberg, from his song, "The Spirit Trail" (Wild Places Album copyright 1990):

"Let every creature I see
Be a brother and a friend to me"

Celebrating Earth Day with Nature Themes in My Designs In Fiber

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ETSY - and elsewhere online!

Cottontail Rabbit in A Bush

Well - here it is -- my most recent "Inspired by Nature" piece!  And just in time for Earth Day!!

My "Inspired By Nature" pieces are available in my online shops  - or I can do a Custom Order privately!

Though I do Nature themes all the time -- and, for me, Every Day is Earth Day -- this is a project especially for this Spring and for celebrating Earth Day 2011!

You see -- I designed it based on the real Desert Cottontail Rabbits I see in the wild fields in the town where I live (like in the field in the photo of my small town in upper left-hand corner of this blog!) -- they are grayish brown with white Cottontails -- and they run through the fields and then dive under bushes or jump down holes!!

So funny - they make me smile!

Like I said above:  Every Day is Earth Day to me!!

Most people who read my blog already know!

It is how you live -- and how you make decisions in life, such as Re-using, Recycling and therefore Reducing our waste. 

And how about Restoring? 

And getting Locally Grown produce - or at least growing your own herbs, like I do!  You can grown them inside if you have nowhere outside to grow them!

Now that Spring is really here and the below-freezing nights are over, I am pruning my herbs, which are growing more now -- and I have my first Basil plant of the year already!!  My Rosemary plant of several years is doing very well -- and my perennial herbs:  Chives, Oregano, Stevia and Mint plants are all coming back!!  It so great to have the fresh herbs just outside my door -- and fun, too!!

So, Celebrate Earth Day as a Reminder -- Every Day is Earth Day !!

Here are a few other of my Designs In Fiber that show my love of Nature!!

Tree Tapestry Pillow

Mountain Cabin Landscape in Filet Crochet

Bear Head Silhouette in Filet Crochet

Proud Rooster in Textured Filet Crochet

Tree Tapestry Home Decor

Celtic Woven Garden Suncatcher or Ornament

TO LIFE!!

My Gemstone Designs - Featured Artisan from "On Fire For Handmade"

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE and ETSY

This weeks Featured Artisan is Hazel - My Gemstone Designs.

Hazel has wonderful creations in all her shops!

A Very active supporter of handmade and a lovely person, Hazel is a joy to all she meets!

You can find My Gemstone Designs at:

Etsy

Facebook

She also has 2 other shops: Classy Classic Jewels and Big and Beautiful

Buffy Sainte-Maire Singing One of My All-Time Favorite Folk Songs!

Ruth Sandra Sperling
RSS Designs In Fiber - My Handmade Designs on ARTFIRE and ETSY







One of my favorite Folk songs of all times -- heard it originally back in the early 1970's.

Thank You, Buffy Sainte-Marie for writing and singing such a poignant, to the point - and beautiful - song: "Universal Soldier"!!

It was very important and significant and personal to me back then -- I had friends in the Vietnam War draft, threatened with having to go fight - something they did not believe in! Some friends of mine, when they finished college, put in time as conscientious objectors rather than bear arms.

My own Father, when he served in the Armed Services, served in the Army Red Cross rather than bear arms. He still served our great country and its goals of its many freedoms, but did not fight.

Still important now.

Thank You, Eco-Interactive Voices, for having it on your website!!