We're All Ears :: June Inspiration

When I was a young teen, I took my hard earned allowance money and bought myself a subscription to National Geographic. It is what made me want to be a photojournalist when I grew up. I loved reading about lives and cultures on the other side of the world from me. The pictures they captured always told amazing stories even without the in-depth reporting.

Sometimes I go and peruse their website. So much fascinating stuff on there. I was poking around when I discovered that they have an app where you can view past issues. I stumbled on an issue from February 1986, the year I graduated from high school. There is an article with accompanying photographs from Robert Sisson (and an equally enchanting painting by Karel Havlicek that I couldn't find elsewhere) entitled "Tide Pools: Windows Between Land and Sea." It is a great article. You have to log in to read it, but it is worth it. And that is what inspired me for June.

illustration by Hashime Murayama

Hashime Murayama was a Japanese illustrator, born in 1879. He used to work for National Geographic until 1941.

Seeing as summer is about to kick off, and that means thoughts turn to vacations and getaways that include a lot of water, I thought that this month we could focus on tide pools or rock pools.


Now, I have never witnessed a tide pool in person, but I know I would be completely fascinated by them. All manner of marine life brimming over in the tiny microcosm of that space. I imagine it would get pretty crowded in there! But yet all those species live together in a sort of harmony in diversity. Maybe we can all take a cue from this natural order.

illustration by Theo Carreras

Theo Carreras was an illustrator of some well known books about insects, like "Marvels of Insect Life," and was known for his detailed still-life illustrations

So many textures, colors, shapes. So many unique life forms, both above and below the surface, each dependent on the rising and ebbing tides in their craggy homes. Barnacles, seastars, octopi, crabs, mussels, anemones, kelp and even all manner of birds make their homes in these shallow pools teeming with life.

illustration by Theo Carreras

So that is our inspiration for June! Tide pools or rock pools. I look forward to seeing the marvelous earrings you will create with this beach-y theme. Dive on in!

What inspires you about tide pools?

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Make earrings inspired by this inspiration.

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Friday, June 19th.

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