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)
Pass it on
That is fantastic! Now I will have to watch the show just to see your tile! Drop by any time, I won’t think you are haunting me.
Okay, I’m not trying to haunt you or anything but I thought I would pass along that Warner Brothers Television has purchased one of my “Leaving the Nest” tiles for their upcoming show “Surviving Jack”.
John B.
That is a very informative page you’ve written for the Siesta Key area and much of it can be applied to other Florida beach areas. I’ll add your link to my post for readers who want more info about sea turtle survival.
If you are interested, please read my post, Saving Sea Turtles, which you can find on my blog, Vacationrentalsiestakey.wordpress.com. Short link is here: http://wp.me/p3Hidn-5w.
Also very interesting is a Siesta Key fundraiser to help the Mote in their conservancy and research work which I profiled in a post titled Serious Sand Castles. As people who enjoy the Florida beaches, I think it is important that we learn and are respectful of the other creatures with which we share the environment. Thanks for helping educate people on that score!
You are very welcome John. Thanks for the permission to share the image.
I will be back to see what you are up to and maybe one day a piece of your artwork will be in my home.
I’d love it.
Pam
Hi Pam, thank you for choosing “Leaving the Nest” tile from Medicine Bluff Studio to mention in your blog, (among other designs). I also want to thank you for bringing attention to the volunteers and organizations that help the sea turtles. As an artist I think the trials and successes of baby sea turtles are similar to what we face in life. Many thanks to the volunteers that help the turtles. Thank you for mentioning my artwork in your blog.
John Beasley