Etsy is one of my favorite places to find unique and interesting artists. I’m always on the lookout for aquatic nature and recently I stumbled across a talented creator at Medicine Bluff Studio.
John Beasley is the artist who makes fabulous works of art using ceramic tiles. It does not all seem to be strictly Florida wildlife, but his baby sea turtle art is what I found first, pinned to a board at Pinterest. Following the link brought me to his Etsy store, where I discovered too many pieces that I love!
The baby sea turtles are featured in a number of wall art, like the one entitled “Leaving the Nest” which depicts the tiny turtles following a path in the sand directing them toward the sea. In the description, Mr. Beasley says that this art is dedicated to the volunteers who help the turtles find their way. Indeed I know that measures have been taken in Florida that include turning off lighting inland when the babies are hatching. The lights fool the turtles into thinking they are following the moon to the ocean and that means they go away from the water instead of to it. They will not survive if that happens.
Volunteers and rescuers also put stakes and ribbon around sea turtle dens, and there is a big fine for anyone messing with them. I love this beautiful art that depicts their journey to the sea.
Although the turtle sculptures are my personal favorite, he also has beautiful depictions of a heron, the great egret, owls, loons and much more. Some of the artwork can be hung together, and some of the pieces have been inscribed with text. It’s all made by hand, in the U.S.A. and no two pieces are exactly the same. There is a link at the bottom of each page to the story behind the artist, or visit his website.
Related articles
- Sea turtles nesting in record numbers (earthsky.org)
- Hatching of endangered leatherback sea turtles captured on video by beachgoer (grindtv.com)