Showing posts with label paintings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paintings. Show all posts

Thursday, May 9, 2013

World Ocean Day Book Release!


World Ocean Day Book Release!

JUNE 8th - 2013

21st Century - The Age of Protection

Not only a voice for the ocean;
              This is a journey of an artist”




 Six long years in the making and the book is finally complete!  
  

30 Days before the World Ocean Day Ebook Launch an Indiegogo Campaign was launched to "Help" this new very informative book that gives Marine Life a Voice become a paperback book to be donated to schools and libraries. This book was compiled of facts of marine life slaughters, government actions and non-action, and organizations from grass-roots up doing great work.


'EDUCATE to ACTIVATE' Help '21st Century - The Age Of Protection' Into Schools by joining the campaign


There is an Ocean Crisis that needs to be truthfully told &
Why Not through a Visual Voice!

This book has created a visual voice for thousands of marine life calls for action! From sharks, whales, seals, dolphins, turtles, and mass communities by overfishing. These lives have a story that need to be told in order to stop the attrocities inflicted upon them.

A lot of great action from Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has been documented on a few paintings along with the immediate story on how their actions inspired me to paint them with the whales and seals - Chapters 2 & 3 & 6


Summary from the Book:

"We along with several other species, are being faced with the possibility of extinction.  As a result of extensive research, I have drawn the conclusion that sometime within the past 50-60 years, 90% of everything living on the planet has been affected in a devastating manner.  As an example, currently only 10% of wild lions, sharks and coral reefs remain.  Deforestation is becoming as commonplace as climate change.  One thing is for certain:  Homo sapiens are directly responsible for these atrocities against nature.



A crucial and urgent choice faces us:  we can either continue on this path of extinction or immediately start to protect what we love - LIFE!

I wrote this book in response to the issue of shark finning, initially raised over six years ago with the release of the film, Sharkwater.  At that time, my paintings reflected current issues affecting the world’s oceans, and how we, as a species, were literally transforming this biosphere into a world of waste and consumption.  I also became better acquainted with the conservation actions of Sea Shepherd and their Antarctic whaling campaigns. 


These issues were really brought home for me, when I became personally involved in the first land campaign to bring awareness to the dolphin and whale slaughter happening annually in Taiji, Japan; witnessed the collapse of the seal pelt industry as a result of world exposure of the Canadian harp seal slaughter, and finally saw legal protections enacted for sea turtles.


I have recreated these issues on canvas, providing a face and voice to help one understand the issues as described in the following chapters."


I believe in this book after putting so much time in researching and documenting over the years. This journey showed me what passion truly is and how compassion is such a powerful feeling.


Let's give the children the tools of "Truth" so this world has a chance to speak and positive changes can occur.



21st Century - The Age of Protection

Chapter Paintings & Description



This painting is one of my awareness paintings that speaks visually for the sharks. Sharks are being killed by the millions annually, 90 million actually for their fins alone. That means the fins are removed and the living body is thrown back to the ocean to lessen the weight on the ship to allow more fins to be stored. These fins are then sold mostly to Hong Kong, China and around the world to Chinese medicine shops and restaurants. Shark fin soup is the main item for the fins and can be sold between $25 and $150 a bowl.

This is the 1st Chapter of my book "21st Century - The Age of Protection" 

This is one of my awareness paintings that I painted the visual voice for the whales. The whales are suppose to be protected from a International Moratorium put in place in 1986 by the International Whaling Commission. The Japanese government fails to abide by this protection and uses the word "Research" as their reasons to travel tens of thousands of miles to kill 1035 whales annually. This painting also speaks about the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society that upholds international law to stop the killing of the whales and protect them in the whale sanctuary.

This is the Second Chapter of my book "21st Century - The Age of Protection"


The story behind this painting is regarding the 2008 global impacts on harp seals in Canada. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society had a ship of the Canadian coast in International waters witnessing the seal hunt. Later the European Union banned the purchase of Harp Seal Fur from Canada.

This is the 3rd Chapter of my book "21st Century - The Age of Protection" 

This is one of my awareness paintings for the Dolphins. It gives one a visual voice to share the struggles that dolphins that pass by a small town in Japan called Taiji have to endure. With 23,000 dolphins killed annually in Japan's waters and the removal of young female orphan dolphins into entertainment industries this story must be told!

This is the 4th Chapter of my book "21st Century - The Age of Protection" 

This is one of my awareness paintings that gives a visual voice for the Sea Turtles. There are only seven species of sea turtles and all of them are either endangered or threatened or both. They have so much going against them naturally with survival however when adding in the human species actions the turtles survival is grave. Many good action is happening very slowly but it is happening.

This painting is the 5th Chapter of my book "21st Century - The Age of Protection"

This is one of my awareness paintings that give a visual story of Overfishing and the plight of the Blue Fin Tuna. This action is depleting the ocean of millions of species and causing such an unsustainable action that will ultimately cause the collapse of the commercial fishing industry globally. The Sea Shepherd Conservation Ships are painted into this canvas and story due to their campaign in 2010 called Blue Rage where they set out to stop poaching of the Blue Fin Tuna.

This is the 6th Chapter of my book "21st Century - The Age of Protection" 

Thank you
Bob Timmons
Artist, Author, Activist
ArtistfortheOcean.com


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Saturday, October 8, 2011

Shark Ban In Canada On The Rise

Today I was speaking to a lady named "Joanna Hui" who is very much involved with the banning of shark fin products in Toronto. She shared with me something that inspired me to write about my journey for the sharks.

Joanna Hui said:
"I saw the clip with you and Olivia Chow! (Watch Video Below).  That was awesome and that definitely had something to do with Fin Donelly moving on it."

I said:
Serious? My video actually helped?

Joanna Hui said:
Yah! Olivia said to talk to Fin.

Fin Donelly has just recently stated he wants to push a Federal Canadian Ban on Shark Products.



 It was about 4 and half years ago I had a life changing journey that all started with a movie called "Sharkwater". This movie brought me to understanding the decline of the shark species and the importance it had for the health of the ocean which was also changing and dying. Our globla ecosystem is so highly connected that what we do to the sharks and other crucial things I will not get into at the moment on this planet is criminal.


This started me on a journey as an artist to seek out what my body ached to expose through my paintbrush. I painted a story for the sharks called "One Shark Is Worth A Million Now" and that is when it all began.



One Shark Is Worth A Million Now Finished January 2008

 The journey started with the painting and led me to networking the story to bring more people aware of the issue with the plight of the shark and the ocean too. I learned about other animal issues and organizations doing such wonderful work for those areas.

I also decided to create another Shark Painting of a Great White I was inspired by and to help expose the beauty of this ocean animal.


Silver Bullet February 4th, 2009


To stay with the shark part of my journey I found an organization called "Animal Rights Kollective" who were very much willing to help me spread the awareness on the streets for the sharks. It was July of 2008 when my daughter and I joined some other activists at a park called Woodbine Park in Toronto. This is where a store called "Shoppers Drugmart" was sponsoring a "Cure for Cancer" pajama run and Shopper's was a store we focused on due to a product they sold called "Holista - Shark Cartilage". 

I then spoke on Vancouver's Animal Voices October of 2008 regarding Holista and Shark Cartlilage to get the message out further - This was my first of many interviews for animals during my journey.




The NOW Magazine placed a small article regarding our protest against Shark Cartilage.

Now this product was our first fight for the Sharks out of Toronto and we joined an awareness organization called "Year of the Shark" to aid in the shark's positive fight. From the streets to the internet we fought Shopper's Drugmart and Holista as well. Within the first few months of 2009 I met Alex S. Earle from Sea Shepherd at a Lush event and we became friends on Facebook. At this moment I shared to him the campaign against Holista and he became very determined to help us with this fight. He opened up dialogue with Holista and that is when I shared this information with "Year of the Shark" and we all educated the company on the product. It was April 27th - 2009 when we received a letter from Holista stating they will no longer support this product and it will cease to exist. Sea Shepherd then posted the letter for our win here "Holista Letter".

"It is for this reason that Holista has ceased purchasing Shark Cartilage raw materials and will no longer be producing Shark Cartilage products. It is our hope that this decision will contribute to the necessary global moratorium required on the harvesting of sharks." ~Holista

It was the new year of 2009 and we did a "Sharkwater" screening just days before our planned Shark Awareness march through chinatown in Toronto. The screening had about 70 people in attendance and the march was just as successful! We event received media attention and a police escort who were very much in favour of our issue.


Shark March through China Town Toronto - January 24th - 2009

August 7th - 2009 I was interviewed by my home town newspaper called "Artist draws attention to plight of sharks"  Article Here

August 29th - 2009 I was interviewed by Green Guide Network  
"Bob Timmons is an Endangered Marine Animal Artist and Activist.  In a few short years his art has not only added to public awareness of animal exploitation but has also allowed him to pursue his cause internationally as the Director of Campaigns for an animal rights organization, ARK II.  I spoke to Bob about the message and inspiration behind his passion." Article Here

I was down in Florida and visited a man who has a business called `Key west Extreme`and it was to show people sharks without harming them. He educated people by the thousands per week why we need to protect sharks in the ocean. I was able to interview Captain Ken Harris regarding the Lemon Shark ban vote coming up in Florida which outstandingly passed and was in place for March 23rd - 2010.

Captain Ken Harris - Key west, Florida December 12th, 2009


I was interviewed on Toronto's Animal Voices regarding my art and activism where I spoke about the Shark painting and other paintings I have created and their messages as well.


Part One of Interview December 15th - 2009



I was doing anything I could as an artist and activist for sharks to get the message out that I even had a couple of tattoo's in the sharks honour to promote their need of support!


Making of my Shark Tattoo February 10th - 2010

I even did some Great Whites across my Stomach as a belt of support!


I then did a painting that involved a comparison of a land animal, The Lion, and an ocean animal - The Shark. This I called "Apex Predators Head Toward Extinction". I was asked by an organization called LionAid if I could paint something for them and I decided this was my opportunity to bring awareness to land issues with ocean issues.


Apex Predators Head Toward Extinction - February 21st - 2010


I did a fundraiser to help raise awareness and money to a couple of organizations that were helping sharks in different parts of the world back in May 2010. Then at a filming of "End of the Line" regarding overfishing practices that is killing the ocean's marine ecosystem. The hosts were Olivia and Jack Layton of the NDP party - Provincial and Federal. I found this to be my opportunity to speak about the shark issues to the lady who politically runs the China Town Area of Toronto - Olivia Chow.

 
Toronto Chinatown MP Olivia Chow & Sharks September 15th - 2010

Then finally after watching the incredible United States of America's news regarding shark fin bans with Hawaii, Oregon and most recently California it was very exciting to have my home town of BRANTFORD, ONTARIO stand up to be the first to ban Shark Fin Products in Canada! To me that was a  full circle of action with passion/compassion for the sharks alone.


Shark Ban in Brantford Makes History for Canada May 24th - 2011


Then immediately in June of 2011 a broad coalition of politicians and activists has launched a campaign to ban the sale and consumption of shark fins within Toronto, a feat they hope will trigger a legislative domino effect across North America. Councillors Glenn De Baeremaeker and John Parker joined Ms. Wong-Tam for the campaign launch. They are working with Rob Stewart, director of the award-winning documentary Sharkwater, and representatives from the conservation group WildAid to get 10,000 signatures on a petition and prod City Hall into imposing a ban by October. Article Here

I also decided to launch a necklace charm to aid in the awareness of the sharks and help to tell their story. I call my jewelery line `Blood in the Ocean` and you can see the shark charm here - Shark.




And then Friday September 9th - 2011 in Toronto the meeting of the Licensing and Standards Committee voted to refer the item to the Executive Director of the Municipal Licensing and Standards Committee to report back on a bylaw to ban the possession, sale and consumption of shark fin products. All the shark advocates of "Fin Free" and others joined together to speak on behalf of the sharks today! Giving the sharks a voice to save the species from this horrific slaughter worldwide for only their fins. Blogged it Here.



Now we wait for October 13th - 2011! This week is the most important vote for the sharks in Canada where the large Asian Population resides - Toronto. Please if you are anywhere near Toronto come here for 9am at the Toronto City Hall. If you feel you can speak just to say "I Support The Ban On Shark Fins" then please do or just come and be a member of the audience in support of the Shark Ban in Toronto! Please Send Joanna Hui an email at jhui@toronto.ca to let her know you are planning to attend to give her an idea of how many people will be there and may speak.

Thank you all for supporting and being a Voice for the SHARKS!

Join my Email list on my website and learn about when I will be launching my book of my Ocean Animal Awareness Paintings.


Bob Timmons

Co-Host for Herbivores - Animal Frequency Show
http://www.facebook.com/HerbivoresAnimalFrequency%20

Artist For The Ocean
http://www.bobtimmons.org/

Toronto Regional Coordinator for Sea Shepherd
http://www.facebook.com/SSCSToronto 
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