In this artist blog we celebrate Otters, the adorable minx of our oceans, rivers and waterways. See photos of Alaskan, Idahoan and Floridian otters, as well as Geoffrey's Water Dogs and other otter sculptures and see behind the scenes foundry photos. Read an article about how otters help in the fight against climate change and finally, see an up-close video of an otter playing in the water in Alaska.
The very top photo is of a sea otter swimming in Alaska.
Just above is a river otter swimming in Idaho.
Dear Friends,
Welcome to the Patina Journal. This week I want to share my photos and stories about otters. They manage to stay cool in the water—we should follow their lead! I have long been enamored with their antics, swimming and swirling around. They are very happy, playful animals that we can all learn from. I have also included some of my sculptures of these handsome animals.
I hope you enjoy this blog about our lighthearted water-based friends. I look forward to hearing from you, please send us questions and comments, and share this with others!
Geoffrey
Otters
In the words of the American naturalist, Ernest Thompson Seton: "...the joyful, keen and fearless otter; mild and loving to his own kind, and gentle with his neighbour of the stream; full of play and gladness in his life, full of courage in his stress; ideal in his home, steadfast in death; the noblest little soul that ever went four-footed through the woods."
River otters in Henry's Fork River, a tributary river of the Snake River in Idaho.
Sea otter spotted in Seward harbor, Alaska. See Geoffrey's video at the end of the post.
Florida River otters at the Stormwater Treatment Area near Okeechobee. Otters sometimes swim single file as a family group, and it has been suggested that this might account for some of the Loch Ness Monster sightings! In a similar vein, an old Anglo-Saxon name for the otter was the 'water-snake'.
In Celtic and other folklore the otter is often characterized as a friendly and helpful creature, and is given the name 'water dog', alluding to these qualities. The bottom right photo is of Water Dogs, a life size otter pair on display at the studio. The bottom left is Abalone A la carte.
Foundry Focus
Here is a foundry image of one of our sculptures that gets the most comments, the Pieces of Eight Octopus Candelabra, shown here completed and also the before photo, in the metal shop at the foundry.
Sea otters are a keystone species that helps shape and maintain healthy kelp forest and tidal wetland ecosystems. Sometimes called “ecosystem engineers,” these top predators help contain populations of sea urchins and crabs, allowing kelps and sea grasses to thrive and provide habitat to many other species.
How sea otters help save the planet
The Guardian: The Observer
Environment by Robin McKie
Please enjoy this video I filmed of a sea otter in Seward, Alaska!
Hannah narrates this great video of Otter antics.
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