Thursday Salute to Originals: Turtle Ecosystems
Let’s talk about turtles. They’re reptiles because they can live both in water and on land. They have hard shells for protection. They’re slow, cute, and fun to watch. And they are part of a much larger ecosystem – until now at least. Oregon-based artist Lisa Ericson has re-imagined turtles to have their very own ecosystems growing right off their backs.
Her latest series titled Mobile Habitats highlights turtles with fantastical (and very theoretical) ecosystems contained on the surface of their shells. Each and every turtle in her series represents a very specific theme, whether it be a twisted monarch tree where butterflies perch, or a coral home to the sea creatures.
Lisa’s work is acrylic on-panel paintings, and they are much more than just stunning, bold pieces that catch the eye. She specifically chose turtles as her muse in Mobile Habitats because she was simply amazed by what they can carry on their “half-a-globe shells.” More so, she wanted to call attention to other species that need saving, and whose real habitats are being threatened and/or quickly diminishing.
This week we salute Lisa Ericson and her wild imagination. We love that she’s turned a turtle’s own home, into a habitat for other creatures, all while subtly making us more aware of how we treat the environment that surrounds us.
Sources: Lisa Ericson, This is Colossal