Doodles For June 2018

Original Post: June 4, 2018
Planner + Journal = Plournal - Thanks to Kell S.

I was unable to complete my doodle challenge for May but have high hopes for June. I don't have a designated list of art to draw, instead relying on what catches my fancy from my social media feeds, news stories, or perhaps even memories. I love the sea. I miss the sea. In searching for quotes for the month of June, I ran across one I think I will adopt.

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I see a developing trend of not finishing the challenges I set for myself. It could be because after so many days in the month, I can't really call them "doodles" and that is something I need to correct within myself... (It's just supposed to be a g*dd*m DOODLE!) It could be because I get a little busy towards the end of the month... we'll see. I doing SPACE next month. It should be just coloring, basically.  (LOL) Anyhow, I loved the things I learned this month. 

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June 19 - "This Japanese dragon symbolized the power of the ocean, had a large mouth, and was able to transform into a human shape. Ryūjin lived in Ryūgū-jō, his palace under the sea built out of red and white coral, from where he controlled the tides with magical tide jewels. Sea turtles, fish and jellyfish are often depicted as Ryūjin's servants."
Information from Wikipedia

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June 18 - Mazu - "a tutelary deity of seafarers, including fishermen and sailors, her worship spread throughout China's coastal regions and overseas Chinese communities throughout Southeast Asia. She was thought to roam the seas, protecting her believers through miraculous interventions. She is now generally regarded by her believers as a powerful and benevolent Queen of Heaven."
Information from Wikipedia

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June 17 - ​Rauðkembingur - Of all the illhveli, or evil whales that ply Icelandic waters, the Raudkembingur (“red comb” or “red crest”) is the most savage and bloodthirsty. It may not have the size or raw power of some of the other whales, but it is unmatched in ferocity and determination to harm boats. As with all illhveli, the raudkembingur is an abomination, and eating its inedible flesh is forbidden. Boiling its meat causes it to disappear from the pot."
Information from A Book of Creatures

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June 16 - "Amphitrite was the goddess-queen of the sea, wife of Poseidon, and eldest of the fifty Nereides. She was the female personification of the sea--the loud-moaning mother of fish, seals and dolphins."

​Information from Theoi.com

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June 15 - “Blue holes are... named for the dramatic contrast between the dark blue, deep waters of their depths and the lighter blue of the shallows around them.” “The Great Blue Hole is a giant submarine sinkhole off the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 70 km from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is... 318 m across and 124 m deep.” ~Wikipedia

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June 14 - “Ten years ago, out in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, a ROV employed by the Shell Oil Company was quietly moving through the chilled, dark waters of Alaminos Canyon. It was nearly 8,000 feet below the ocean’s surface, creeping along, inspecting the underwater area around the Perdido oil platform (the deepest offshore drilling site in the world) when its operator came upon a creature that inhabits both the depths of the ocean and the subconscious mind. The strange being from below was a “long-arm squid,” a 26-foot-long nightmare with elbowed tentacles and pulsating fins that undulate in a way that says: My kind were here for eons before you, and will be here for eons after you.” - from Matthew Hart at the @Nerdist - my friend Scott showed me this one, too. . . .

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June 13 - The blue dragon (Glaucus atlanticus); a type of mollusk known as a nudibranch; it rarely grows larger than three cm long; an air bubble stored in its stomach keeps it afloat; it floats on its back, exposing its brightly colored underbelly to airborne predators; It's favorite snack is the Man O’ War and once it ingests it's stinging cells it becomes a greater threat than the Man O’ War.

Chosen because of my friend, Scott.
Info and inspirations from PBS.org

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June 12 - "Humpback whales are about the size of a school bus; known for their haunting & melodic songs & for breaching the water with amazing acrobatic abilities. the name comes from the large hump that forms when they arch their backs before making a deep dive into the ocean. The scientific name, Megaptera novaeangliae, means "big-winged New Englander."
Chosen because I recently watched  Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Inspired by a photo by Jonathan Kingston
Information from LiveScience.com

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June 11 - Guineafowl Pufferfish - unfinished - finished piece coming soon

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June 9 & 10 - Octlantis; scientists discovered a small octopus city where members of the gloomy octopus species congregate living in dens made of sand and shells. There was a similar site discovered in 2009 called Octopolis. Story by Science Alert here

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June 8 - Leafy Sea Dragons; found along the coasts of Australia w/ long leaf-like protrusions that serve as camouflage; A protected species since 1987; endangered by pollution, industrial runoff, & collection for the aquarium trade.

Inspired by a photo on ​AnimalSake.com

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June 7 - Ichthyosaur - Nevada's State Fossil (1977) - Air-breathing reptiles that inhabited seas and oceans all over the world during the Mesozoic Era (252 to 66 million years ago). The Pacific Ocean covered portions of the west, including present-day Nevada.

Inspired from photo on  the Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park website - Info from there, as well.

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June 6 - Baby Hawaiian bobtail squid; nocturnal predators that hunt for shrimp near coral reefs. The squid provide food/shelter to glowing bacteria in exchange for their bioluminescence which helps create a camouflage called counter-illumination. 
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Doodle inspired by this photo from Mark R Smith of Macroscopic Solutions

Info from: Laboratory News

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June 5 - Just about every culture in every century has myths about mermaids and mermen. The very first was a God called Oannes from Babylon in the 4th century B.C.E. From Assyrians, to Greeks, to Norsemen, and to Columbus; sightings of mer-people were probably Manatees. Manatees are the ocean's largest herbivore and are closely related to elephants. These gentle, graceful, slow moving mammals frequent coastal, warm waters and their largest threat comes from being accidentally hit by motorboats or entanglement in fishing nets. Doodle inspired by this photo 

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June 4 - "Coral reefs are the most diverse of all marine ecosystems. They have been called the "rain-forests of the sea" and the "big cities of the sea". The greatest threats to reefs are rising water temperatures and ocean acidification linked to rising carbon dioxide levels."
. . .
Info from The Ocean Portal Team at the Smithsonian NMNH 

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June 3 - "At a depth of about 3,700 meters in the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, this hydromedusa is identified as belonging to the genus Crossota."

From photo by NOAA.gov - also info from NOAA
​Doodle inspired by this photo

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June 2 - "Flamingo tongue snails lives on coral reefs in the western Atlantic Ocean. The color comes from the snail’s soft tissue, which is almost always wrapped around the entire outside of the shell."
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Info from Oceana.org
Taken from a photo on Reddit
Doodle inspired by this photo

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June 1 - Horses were a gift from Poseidon, Greek God of the sea. There are many differing myths as to how they are associated. My favorite is that he was trying to create the most beautiful creature for Demeter. The earth is littered with his gorgeous creative attempts before achieving the horse. By the time he finished, he had lost interest in Demeter. Another myth is that he struck a rock with his trident and the very first horse, Skyphios, was created. Doodle inspired by this photo 

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