Migration by Norval Morrisseau 1973 photo source : Lorie Pierce
Sometimes my work takes me to parts of the museum I do not ordinarily visit. In this case, I am working a touch table about native toys and games in the First People’s Gallery. My table shares wall space with this incredible and fascinating painting by Norval Morrisseau. Completed in 1973, this painting was accessioned into the museum’s collection in 2001.
This time of year, in many parts of the world, people take to creating models out of gingerbread. Usually these are in the form of people or buildings as shown below.
NYC skyline, St.Basel’s church photo source : buildingcollector.com
Famous architecture – Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, Bear Run, Pennsylvania photo source : architizer.com
Guggenheim Museum with FLW judging photo source : architizer
Detail of Fenway Park, Boston photo source : Kim Knox Beckius
a Tasmanian version of the Gingerbread Man photo source : iinet.au
But other objects can be modeled too.
gingerbread train photo source : iinet.au
And 2D modelling is an alternate way to work in the gingerbread medium.
gingerbread dinosaurs and pterosaurs photo source : dream cakes
Love those ribcage details.
an asterinid (starfish)
Think of any museum. What are its iconic objects? Those special artifacts you feel you have to see or else you have missed out on something in the experience.
Babylon striding lion photo source : ROM images
The ROM’s Babylonian striding lion is one of those iconic pieces. Purchased in 1937 from the Pergamon Museum in Berlin with the stipulation that they could buy it back if we ever decided to deaccession the piece. Made from approx 100 double baked glazed clay bricks, this jigsaw-like image once stood proudly in the throne room of King Nebuchadnezzar II, 2600 years ago.
Now it is a feature artifact in the Mesopotamia exhibit; a combined effort of the British Museum and the ROM with loans from the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia and the Oriental Institute, Chicago.
There are six new Centres for Discovery being created at the museum. One will be ‘Earth & Space’ which is connected to the public gallery of Earth Sciences on the second floor.
Here are the gemologists in action at our recent Rock & Fossil ID clinic.
gem inspection photo source : Lorie Pierce
More images from the public gallery that showcases rocks, minerals, gems and meteorites.
Wulfenite photo source : ROM images
Cerussite photo source : ROM images
Tagish Lake meteorite photo source : ROM images
Ammolite photo source : Lorie Pierce
Jadeite slices photo source : Lorie Pierce
twisted Copper sheet photo source : Lorie Pierce
Quartz agate photo source : Lorie Pierce
I could go on. Each of these specimens deserves a full blog post.
And what is shown in the gallery only touches on the incredible research being done behind the scenes.
Paper dolls and toys were a staple of my youth.
Here is a Xmas project with a vintage feel that you can print at home. Cut out the pieces and place the clothes on the bear by folding back the tabs. Cut a slot in the hats along the dotted line and slip over the bear’s head.
Enjoy your Christmas Bear designed by Gayle Broadbent-Ferris. A writer, illustrator and conservationist. Use card weight stock (64 lb) for best results.
source : margitammentorp-blogspot.com
Two angel Xmas baskets based on butterfly wings. Although this blog has not been updated in a year, there are many fascinating designs and connections to locales in Denmark.
source : ROM
This is a portion of Xmas wrapping paper with patterns built of dinosaur bones. In this case : triceratops. But it could as easily be cut out to hang as a snowflake or printed as a seasonal card.
photo source : Lorie Pierce
photo source : Lorie Pierce
photo source : Lorie Pierce
Video of lobsters feeding off Baja Mexico.
Luohan photo source : ROM images
The Luohan is a Chinese statue of a Buddhist monk that entered the museum’s collection in 1914. Soon will will have had him for 100 years!
He was the first of 35,00 Chinese objects and documents now accessioned into the collection.
For the last couple of weeks I have been preparing for a major family event at the museum. The children will have the choice of making a Eurypterid (sea scorpion) as a necklace or a holdable version to use as a puppet.
two versions of craft photo source : Lorie Pierce
UPDATE : 32 children made eurypterids during the event with slightly more choosing necklaces over puppets. One child decided to use his as a Xmas tree ornament.
In addition, the Volunteers have been creating a textile installation to celebrate the museum’s Centennial next year. I took on the responsibility of creating a fabric Anomalocaris. It is almost completed. Just have to add a mouth (Peytoia) using puffy paint.
textile anomalocaris applique for mobile installation photo source : Lorie Pierce
The jaws and eye stalks are knitted in the round with double pointed needles.
The eyes are old duffel coat buttons.
Here is the visual I worked from.
illustration of anomalocaris
The museum is hosting the prestigious International Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards competition. A display of 100 top wildlife photos culled from 43,000 submitted. I am in awe of the split second action that has been preserved in shots of tigers fighting, a kingfisher returning to the nest and bears pulling salmon out of river rapids.
My awe is, in part, due to my recent attempts to take photos of aquarium animals on my weekly treks to the new aquarium. Some animals take well to being photographed and others are more challenging so I have been experimenting. Case in point are the cuttlefish. I am mesmerized by these intriguing creatures.
Here are some of my attempts to preserve their images.
cuttlefish – first encounter photo source : Lorie Pierce
A bit fuzzy, but good representation of the colours.
two weeks later photo source : Lorie Pierce
Still blurry as the animal is in constant movement.
pair of cuttlefish photo source : Lorie Pierce
Then I switched to the technique of using the stop action setting – illustrated on the camera as a ‘running person’. I did get a focused picture but you will see that not enough light got in.
not enough light exposure photo source : Lorie Pierce
In a recent video, photographer Rene Johnston discusses how to take the best photos in the aquarium, including wearing black and placing the lens right up to the glass of the tank.
http://www.thestar.com/photos/masterglass/2013/10/23/masterglass_ep21_aquariums.html
Look for me at the new aquarium in Toronto. Especially around the cuttlefish tank.
And check out the International Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards exhibit at
rom.on.ca @ROMbiodiversity #ROMwpy
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