Sharktober: Shark Band

 As you know, I've done several shark bands over the years: Blues band, Rock Band and Country Band. Instead of a simple repost, I decided to update them. The country band has probably gone through the most change with the Opry tribute background. 

Sharktober 2023: Candy Shark

 

I really felt like playing around with this one. There were a few more chocolate brands I wanted to try but decided to stick with my favourite ones. Let's see if you can figure them out.

1. Cadbury Twirl - Spinner Shark - Carcharhinus brevipinna

2. Gummy Shark - Mustelus antarcticus - also known as Flake. Cadbury Flake is an all-time favourite.

3. Snickers - Or any peanut candy

4. You probably said Nerds but I was going for Smarties. 

5. Turtles - Or any Pecan candy.

Sharktober 2023 #1: Fairytale Shark

 

Let's see if you can guess the Fairy Tales and the sharks!

1) Mako shark

2) Lemon Shark

3) Oceanic whitetip

4) Tiger shark

5) Blue shark

6) Thresher shark

7) Sleeper shark

8) Pinocchio catshark Apristurus australis (I only just found out such a shark existed!)

9) Bonnethead shark

10) Silky shark

11) White shark

12) Dwarf lantern sharks

13) Dwarf catsharks

14) Dwarf gulper shark

The Shark Podcast: Valentine's Day

 

What better day to revive The Shark Podcast than for Valentine's Day? It's that one most overrated and annoying day of the year. I would find just as overrated and annoying if I wasn't single. I buy myself flowers if and when I want. 

That being said, I do have my own list of love songs that I think are truly beautiful. 

1. You're still the one - Shania Twain
2. Always and forever - Shania Twain
3. Ain't no mountain high enough - Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
4. Come what may - from 'Moulin Rouge'
5. Lost in your eyes - Debbie Gibson (I wanted to draw the little copepod sitting in the Greenland shark's eyes singing this song)
6. It's your love - Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
7. When you say nothing at all - Alison Krauss
8. Beautiful in my eyes - Joshua Kadison
9. Top of the world - The Carpenters
10. Everything I do (I do it for you) - Bryan Adams
11. Have you ever been in love - Celine Dion
12. Deeper than a river - Olivia Newton-John

The cat's pyjama shark

 

The cat does not look pleased with its pyjama shark.

Advent Calendar 2020 - Sharks of hope!

 What a year this has been. Like, it wouldn't surprise us if an asteroid was heading our way or a zombie apocalypse happened right now. Which is why I wanted to end this year on a hopeful note. I didn't want to give in to those annoying feelings that made me question my sanity or purpose. We could all use some extra joy and hope this year.  

As the advent season begins, I thought this would be a good day to kick off the countdown to the day of all hopeful days. 

We never had those fun advent calendars kids these days have - a little lego or candy a day. It's nice to have something to look forward to. A Shark advent calendar is just what I needed to give me something to look forward to - at least for the next four weeks. 

This year, I wanted to include a few Tropical themed Christmas scenes as well because many of us live in places that don't get snow or have cold winters (and yet our Christmas decor is all about reindeer and snowflakes). 

Here's to a hope-filled season ahead.

Posted on Day 8, December 6th 2020 - A Nurse and a Sturgeon message. I've been wanting to do a pandemic message with a nurse shark and a sturgeon for a couple of months and finally got around to it. The holiday season is a tempting time to forget safety measures but let's not forget that the coronavirus is still around. Keep safe and have a wonderful season!

Christmas Collaboration Cut-out crafts with Sharktopia! Download the page here.

Day 1, 29th November 2020: Christmas time at the beach

Day 2, 30th November 2020: Shark in a Christmas Stocking

Day 3, December 1st 2020: Sleigh ride 

Day 4, December 2nd 2020: Clash of the carols

Day 5, December 3rd 2020: Nothing like Hot Chocolate

Day 6, December 4th 2020: Sharky Christmas Ornament

Day 7, December 5th 2020: Christmas Banister Slide

Day 9, December 7th 2020: Sand Angel Shark

Day 10, December 8th 2020: Singin' in the snow (modified from my Singin' in the rain one)

Day 11, December 9th 2020: Lending a helping tail

Day 12, December 10th 2020: Snow Shark

I'm traveling for a few days but will do my best to keep posting.

Day 13, December 11th 2020: Sand Shark

(I should've posted this one first because I got a few "what about warm countries?" in response to the snow shark :D)

Day 14, December 12th: Mmmmulled wine!

Day 15, December 13th: Catching snowflakes

I'm afraid it had to be a simple and quick drawing for today because I'm traveling but still wanted to try and not miss a day. This particular idea wasn't even on my list! 

Day 16, December 14th: Cookies and milk (sorry, Santa!)

I like how the cookiecutter sharks ((Isistius brasiliensis) turned out. Deep sea sharks are not the easiest to draw! The "generic-looking" shark is the milk shark (Rhizoprionodon acutus).

No. 17, December 18th: Happy, Happy, Happy Christmas!

I've been wanting to do something with Happy Eddie and Happy Chappie for a while.  I didn't want Pretty Happy to be left out. They're shysharks.

 I missed a few days because I was traveling. I hope to catch up though.

No. 18, December 19th: And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet

"Auld lang syne" is one of my favourite tunes and the lyrics always make me feel nostalgic.

No. 19, December 20th: A Wonderful Life

When I did the "sharktivity" series earlier this year, someone had asked me to do a shark in a biology lab. I didn't get to do it then but I wanted to do it before this year ended. This is also a shout-out to all who worked so hard this year to find a covid-19 vaccine and I really hope that the vaccine is highly successful and that life can go back to being wonderful. And that this time round, we'll appreciate it better.

No. 20, December 21st 2020: Peace on Earth

No. 21, December 22nd 2020: Joy to the world

It's not the most joyful of Christmases this year for many across the world. I didn't even feel like captioning it this. But we need to hold on to something, preferably something good. Christmas is a reminder that all is not lost. May you be filled with hope, joy and peace this Christmas and in the coming year.

No.22, December 23rd 2020: May your days be merry and bright!

This didn't actually start off as an ugly sweater drawing. I'd originally intended it to be a "White Christmas" one because the sharks are all some sort of "white" sharks. 

L to R: Whitenose Shark, Whitetip reef shark, White Shark, Oceanic Whitetip, White-bodied catshark. 

PS - It's really hard to draw ugly sweaters!

No. 23, December 24th 2020: Tidings of comfort and joy

It was extremely difficult to draw anything for today because there's just been a stream of terrible news all around. But I guess I needed this - something comforting and joyful to focus on. It's Christmas Eve. Soon it will be Christmas.

No. 24, December 25th 2020: A new and glorious morn

This was actually the first drawing I'd done in this series but it made most sense to post it on Christmas Day. It's a line from one of my favourite Christmas songs, "O Holy Night". What better way to conclude a series with the theme of "hope". 

Sharktivity #28: Crocodile shark watches TV (Couch series #3)

This Crocodile shark (Pseudocarcharias kamoharai)is doing my favourite activity of all time. Except, I watch shows on my laptop more than on the television these days. I've been watching a lot of Seinfeld lately because I miss older TV shows so I thought I'd draw that still from Seinfeld. 

Crocodile sharks are the smallest mackerel sharks so that much be quite a small couch. These are listed as "Near Threatened" on the IUCN Red list so that's not okay enough. I kind of wanted to draw a Winghead shark watching TV and call it wide-angle viewing but this wide-eyed viewing will have to do for now.

Sharktivity #27: Port Jackson shark paints a mural (DIY series #2)

Here's a Port Jackson shark working on a mural. Extra points for those who can recognise what that mural image is based on.
I might have gotten the markings on the shark a bit wrong but this is one of those bullheaded (haha) sharks I dread drawing. Which is why I'm glad it is listed as least concern on the IUCN red list.

ps - So, the mural is inspired by the drawing of a shark Quint did. Someone recently brought it to my notice and I thought it would be a nice mural because that's about all I can manage before I become impatient.

Sharktivity #26: Sawshark fixes a cupboard (DIY series #1)

I saw a Sawshark sawing a see-saw. She seemed to know what she was doing.

Sawsharks are not to be confused with sawfish - Sawsharks are smaller, have replaceable teeth and barbels. They are quite rare and listed as "data deficient" or "least concern". Recently, a new species of six-gilled sawshark was discovered.

Sharktivity #24: Atlantic Weasel Shark finds its View-Master 3D (Couch series #2)

I have now enough sharktivities to fill calendars for the next two years (provided we all survive until then)! Now, how many of you have seen a View-Master? Millennials and later gens please don't answer. I've been showing my little nephew my old View-Master and he finds it as fascinating as his iPad so that gives me some hope. My parents got me several "knowledge building" reels and a couple of cartoon ones. Guess which ones are the most worn out?
The Atlantic Weasel shark (Paragaleus pectoralis) is one that I hardly find pictures of - I keep wanting to see photos of those amazing yellow streaks. There isn't much data on them either so they are listed as "data deficient" on the IUCN red list.

Sharktivity #23: Frilled Shark Knitting (Couch series #1)

I thought I'd do a series of couch activities, starting with the one I don't do in real life. I've heard knitting is very relaxing and useful which is why I never learnt it. The Frilled Shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus) is way more useful than I am.

Sharktivity #22: Leopard shark makes some origami animals

Leopard shark definitely has more patience than me when it comes to doing origami. I attempted a crane but gave up when my crane did NOT look like the foldings even though I followed exactly what they said.

Anyway, the leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata) - NOT to be confused with the Zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum) - is a species of houndshark. They're really cute and are currently listed as least concern on the IUCN red list. Let's leave it that way.

Sharktivity #21: Silvertip shark plays the Ukulele

It's quite fascinating how so many sharks have different sort of tip fashion. The silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) is quite a large species of requiem sharks which are listed as vulnerable in the IUCN red list.
I always thought the ukulele looked really fun and Silvertip here thinks it is even more fun to play.

Sharktivity #20: Tiger shark misses junk food.

Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are those sharks that aren't really picky about what they eat. They have been known to eat license plates and sea birds and turtles... whatever comes their way. They probably miss eating junk food while in lockdown.
They are fairly dangerous so try and keep as much social distancing as possible from them.

Sharktivity #19: Mako Shark stays up to speed

Mako sharks are the fastest sharks in the ocean - thankfully they have all sorts of equipment to help them vent all that speed. I hope that kind of looks like a treadmill.
The more common Mako is the shortfin Mako (Isurus oxyrinchus). These beautiful and incredible sharks are hunted for sport by people with brains that have some sort of short-wiring. They are now considered endangered on the IUCN red list.

Sharktivity #18: Angelshark spends way too much time online!

Sometimes I think that this is all that the angelshark can do during a lockdown - lie down and explore the internet. This is one of those sharks that I dread drawing - it's not even that sharkish! There are several types of angelsharks (this is another generic one) and once used to be quite common.

However, angelsharks are now listed as CRITICALLY ENDANGERED in the IUCN red list - this means they are one step away from being extinct in the wild. :(

I hope this angelshark is looking at happier things online.

Sharktivity #16: Blue shark enjoys some afternoon tea

The blue shark (Prionace glauca) is one of the sleekest and most beautiful sharks in the ocean. It loves afternoon tea but has to eat it all by itself for now! We could call it a sharktivitea - LOL.

Sharktivity #15: Basking shark plays the bagpipes

I heard that the Basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) season in Scotland has just begun so I thought this would be a nice way to acknowledge that.
The Basking shark is the second largest shark and another gentle one. They are hunted for "Shark liver oil" and are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red list.

Sharktivity #14: Spinner Shark dances the gloom away!

The spinner shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna), rightly named because it can spin while breaching out of the water. What a sight that would be!
They are listed as vulnerable in the IUCN red list.

Sharktivity #13: Epaulette Shark finds a cure for boredom

I had one of those chemistry kits for kids when I was young. It was a lot of fun. Then school made chemistry less fun. Luckily I had a good chemistry teacher in my final years of school who helped me like chemistry again.
I'm sure a lot of scientists out there are trying their best to find a vaccine for the novel Coronavirus that has brought the world to an almost standstill. I wish them the very best and I hope they find it soon.
The epaulette shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum) is that fascinating shark that walks on land! They're really cute and also near threatened on the IUCN red list. There doesn't seem to be a cure for endangering species as yet.