Friday, April 18, 2008

Jelly Dimensions

As Beau Sheil has said, "Those who admire the massive, rigid bone structures of dinosaurs should remember that jellyfish still enjoy their very secure ecological niche.” Indeed, jellyfish have been around for over 650 million years, and- unlike many marine creatures- have an excellent chance of outliving human impacts on ocean ecosystems.

Jellyfish are amazing animals. They are made up of 95% water, and have no bones, heart, or brain. They don’t have eyes, either, but somehow they still manage to detect and react to food, danger, and obstacles.

The Lion’s Mane Jelly is an elegant, fast-moving jellyfish found as small as 20 cm in diameter in warm waters, and up to 2 meters wide off Nova Scotia's cooler coast. Their sticky clusters of tentacles can grow over 30 meters long, and can deliver a powerful sting that lasts for hours. Divers beware!

Local artist Ruth Marsh has lent us a life-sized (72" X 24") caustic-on-wax painting of a very handsome Lion's Mane Jelly. It has startling texture, is emblazoned with gold leaf, and really has to be seen to appreciate its full stinging glory.

We are happy to accept two-dimensional submissions, but for those of you inclined to yarn, check out these patterns for jellies in crochet and knits.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I love this, gorgeous!