Lmst

My mandriltee for #MerMay! Some believe that the mandriltee is imaginary. Who am I to say?

Though it appears to be rotund, short-armed mermaid with strange facial markings, the mandriltee is neither fish nor primate and certainly not the composite creature of myth. Their name, however, is inspired by their unlikely ressemblance to the mandrill, and they are of the order Sirenia (which 🧵

#linocut #printmaking #washi #mastoArt #mandrill #manatee #mermaid #imaginary #compositeCreature

Linocut of the “Mandriltee” in teal on a square sheet of cream coloured washi paper. An animal like a manatee with the face of a mandrill in black, turquoise and red fills the square.

As we approach the Year of the Snake, has me thinking back to this print.

Some believe that the chrysanthemum snake is imaginary. Who am I to say?⁠
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While other snakes are known to use scale roughness to aid in camouflage, give a bristly appearance, to produce “eyelash” fringes or even tentacles on their snouts, the cryptic chrysanthemum snake (also known as the daisy snake) is the only known snake with 🧵
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#imaginary #linocut #printmaking #compositeCreature #snake #MastoArt #YearOfTheSnake

A square linocut print 8” x 8” with a grey-green snake with yellow flower-like scales on its head as it stands tall in its tail, disguised amongst yellow chrysanthemums with grey-green stems and leaves.

For when it’s #Caturday during #AmphibianWeek…
Vessel with Toad/Feline
Moche culture, Peru
Early Intermediate Period, 1-650 CE
Ceramic, 7 1/4 x 4 x 5 1/4 in. (18.4 x 10.2 x 13.3 cm)
Michael C. Carlos Museum 1989.008.061 https://collections.carlos.emory.edu/objects/16182/vessel-with-toadfeline?ctx=f38075598fbf6644b7ad1726cf5c0d139758feee&idx=1#
#IndigenousArt #CompositeCreature

Here’s another imaginary composite creature commission! This one was for a study group- a trio of friends who are studying the hammerhead shark, hedgehog and galah (or rose-breasted) cockatoo, respectively.

The HammerheadHedgeGalah is handprinted on Japanese washi paper, 9" x 11" (22.9 cm x 27.9 cm) in silver, brown and pink.

#linocut #printmaking #compositeCreature #imaginary #hammerhead #galah #hedgehog #printmaker #reliefPrint #MastoArt

As described, the HammerheadHedgeGalah is an imaginary composite creature made of parts from the hammerhead shark, hedgehog and galah (or rose-breasted) cockatoo. I handprinted it on Japanese washi paper, 9" x 11" (22.9 cm x 27.9 cm) in silver, brown and pink. The creature has a head like a hammerhead with the crest of a galah, a pink feathered galah abdomen and brown feet perched on a branch, silver hedgehog quills on its back and a shark tail.

I have an ongoing series of imaginary animals I invent but sometimes I print other people’s visions of #imaginary animals too.

#linocut #printmaking #compositeCreature #snailCat #snailShell #cat #MastoArt

These cats are inspired by a friend's dream:
"Years ago I had a dream about Swedish snailcats, that live along the rocky coast of northern Sweden. Their fronts are marmalade cats, and their backs are snailshells.

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Handprinted on Japanese washi papers, the Snailcat is a marmalade cat with a blue-gray snail shell. Each print is 8" x 8" or 20.3 cm by 20.3 cm. The snail shell spiral is printed on chine-collé (or collaged) pale blue paper with blue fibre inclusions.

Some believe that the chrysanthemum snake is imaginary. Who am I to say?⁠
⁠
While other snakes are known to use scale roughness to aid in camouflage, give a bristly appearance, to produce "eyelash" fringes or even tentacles on their snouts, the cryptic chrysanthemum snake (also known as the daisy snake) is the only known snake with a collection of petal-like scale spikes on its head, which mimics the shape of a flower.
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#imaginary #linocut #printmaking #compositeCreature #snake #MastoArt

Some believe that the hammerhead hedgehorse is imaginary. Who am I to say?⁠
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Though it appears to be an extraordinarily tall hedgehog, with hoof-like feet and uncanny peripheral vision, the hammerhead hedgehorse is not closely related to the hedgehog. Its nearest neighbour, genetically speaking, is the pygmy hippo. They may appear to have horse-like hooves, but…
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#linocut #printmaking #MastoArt #compositeCreature #hedgehog #horse #hammerhead #imaginary

Linocut print (8” x 8” on white washi paper) of an imaginary composite creature in blue-green ink, called the hammerhead hedge horse. The creature is standing in a blue river on its four horse-like legs. Its body core is covered in spikes like a hedgehog. Its head is shaped like a hammerhead shark.

My mandriltee for #MerMay! Some believe that the mandriltee is imaginary. Who am I to say?

Though it appears to be rotund, short-armed mermaid with strange facial markings, the mandriltee is neither fish nor primate & certainly not the composite creature of myth. Their name, however, is inspired by their unlikely ressemblance to the mandrill, & they are of the order Sirenia (which comes from the word …

#linocut #printmaking #mandrill #manatee #mermaid #imaginary #compositeCreature #MastoArt

Mélusine for #MerMay!

This hand-printed Art Deco-inspired lino block print illustrates Mélusine at her bath, spied through a keyhole. Mélusine was the legendary half-fairy ancestor of the House of Lusignan & royals including the Plantagenets, whose lower half became a serpent when she bathed. She married a nobleman but insisted he must never observe her in the bath; of course he did, & she left him.

#artDeco #linocut #printmaking #folklore #fairytale #MastoArt #mermaid #compositeCreature

Linocut in an Art Deco inspired style of Mélusine in her bath, spied through a keyhole. Outside the keyhole is gold with a pattern of white lines. Inside is blue with an arc at the top with the word “Mélusine” and then she sits in a round tub running her fingers through her hair with her serpent lower half spilling out.

This is a whimsical mini linocut of the blue Batbearoo, a widely unknown, & quite possibly, completely imaginary composite creature. Despite its looks & its name, the Batbearoo is neither bat nor bear, but a flying marsupial most closely related to the quolls.

The Batbearoo (Dasychiroptera ursus) shares a common ancestor with the marsupial quoll family of Australia, & …

#imaginary #linocut #printmaking #compositeCreature #bat #bear #marsupial #illustration #makeBelieve

A square 8” x 8” linocut print on white washi paper entitled “Batbearoo” of an imaginary blue flying furry marsupial with a baby in its pouch. The animal appears to be swooping downward. It has purple-brown bat like wings instead of arms. It’s face is bear like and its body small and round.

The elusive cactibou, a desert cat who owes something to cacti and caribou antlers, is the subject of this whimsical mini linocut print. Some believe the cactibou is imaginary, but who am I to say?⁠
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Unexpectedly, this strange and elusive desert cat has traded some genes with local cacti species. …
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#imaginary #CompositeCreature #linocut #printmaking #desert #cactus #cat #caribou #antlers #myth #photosynthesis

Linocut print titled “The Elusive Cactiboo” with a green cactus-like round cat creature with saguaro-like antlers and a red orange flower on the end of its tail on sand coloured earth with white sky.

A throwback to an idea I return to: imagining composite creatures. One of my first, the winged walrus is about contrasts and whimsy.

#linocut #printmaking #walrus #butterfly #washi #compositeCreature #illustration

#compositeCreature

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