Style1½ inches thick (3.75 cm) Product Details Artist grade canvas, archival inks, wooden stretcher bars, and UVB protective coating
AvailablityUsually ships within five business days. ArtistChris Crowley Platinum Member CollectionAnimals
Description Taken at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Titusville, Florida, this is the tail of the large, gentle, aquatic manatee. My first experience with manatees was when I was about 4. My mother took me to one of the theme parks of the day back in about 1960. Back then, they were nothing like they are now, and mostly consisted of exhibitions of different types of animals, more like a zoo, gift shops with native American Seminole crafts, toys, and purses, and concession stands. Near the entrance to the park was a tank which looked like a large wishing well. It wasn't even 10 feet across. A huge, male manatee named Bruce was in the tank, in a vertical position all the time because there wasn't enough room for him to swim, or stretch out. When you paid your dollar, or however much it was, Bruce would jump up and give you a 'kiss' on the cheek! Being 4, I didn't realize how cruel it really was, and I imagine most of the adults figured that they would take Bruce out at night or something, but now I realize that they probably didn't. The poor thing was confined like a prisoner, and his only amusement was his gentle interactions with the people who gawked at him all day. Thank God things have gotten better thanks to organizations like the Humane Society and the A.S.P.C.A. To this day, I can still recall what his wet whiskers felt like against my face, and I wonder what became of him. Manatees are still struggling here in Florida. Because they are slow, they are injured by boat propellers, and unseasonably cold winters have also killed many of them. They remain Florida's gentle giants, and are always a delight to see in their natural environment!
Chris Crowley, South Daytona Member Since July 2008 Artist Statement I have been doing pen and ink work since the 1970's, and eventually developed a style where I used watercolor washes with it. While I liked the results, I wanted more.
In 2006 I got my first digital camera. Once I realized what you could do with post processing on a photograph, I began altering them to become artwork. Now, I alter my artwork to become photos! The resulting mixed media final products are fun for me to do, and have opened a whole new world of creativity and possibility! While I still like both pure art and photography, I love pushing the boundaries of each.
Living in the Central Florida area for most of my life has provided me with beautiful scenery to capture. Whether it be a macro of a flower that is altered into a surreal state, or amping up the colors of a scenic, photography has become a way of life, and so has post processing, which brings out the artistic heart in me. It was just natural to progress from that to digitally altering my hand done art, as well. My style is my own, and I hope you enjoy my work as much as I enjoy presenting it to you!