Description
2021 Banner by Jude Toler
Media: acrylic paint on canvas
Artist Statement: “This year’s theme ‘What’s Inside, gets out at Yachats’…could be interpreted as ‘getting out’ along this amazing coast in general. I guess that could be many different things, visitors getting out of their cars to enjoy the coastline and cool weather or the local residents getting out of their homes when the rain stops. For me, what’s inside gets out means the opportunity to express love and wonder of the natural world in painting my banner and participate in a project which will help to promote youth art education. I think ‘Common Loon’ is a misnomer, there’s nothing common about the beautiful patterning on the plumage of this bird, sometimes referred to as the Northern Diver. Loons inhabit coastal waters and lakes in coniferous forests. For many people, these birds represent the wilderness, and their yodeling calls have echoed for millennia across the lakes where they raise their young. I chose the Loon as a subject for my banner this year for their exquisite and distinctive patterning and as a year-round resident who walks the coast daily, I sometimes see them migrating along the shore to their breeding grounds. Sadly, Loons have disappeared from some former nesting areas due to human activity on lakes during the summer and climate change is projected to reduce those areas even further. I would like to acknowledge and thank Cindy Fullwiler (cindyfullwilernaturephotography.com) for her kindness in allowing me to use her wonderful photos for visual inspiration for my banner.”
