Swordwhale Walking: illustration, webcomic, stories, photojourneys, videos
  • launch here
  • art & stories
    • black horses
    • Sea Ponies of Chincoteague
    • Just Animals
    • playing with water
    • Tradigital illustration
    • environmental education >
      • Christmas Magic Mural 2020
      • animal alphabet and counting murals
      • Assateague ponies
      • the salamander room
      • more touch room ocean
      • more: touch room forest
      • wetland
      • wetland art
      • greenleaf
      • reptile week murals: Nixon Park
    • just animals: photography
    • Tales of the E.L.F. >
      • That Darn Elf, a musing or two
      • cast and crew
      • I dreamed of black horses
      • fanfiction: If Wishes Were Elves...
      • Skyfire
      • Leyover and Bardic Circle
      • Following Raven
      • The Merrow's Cap >
        • Merrows Cap credits
      • Manannan's Horses
      • Fins
      • fandom >
        • Radagast's Rabbit Ride
        • the Lone Ranger >
          • LOLs and Trolls
          • but wait, there's Moore, and Silverheels
          • Hi Yo Silver
        • black panthers and night furies
        • tales of Middle Earth >
          • Mirthwood
          • Loth-LOL-ien >
            • Im-LOL-dris
            • Smirkwood
            • well, that coulda' been worse
        • Sherlocked
        • catz and doges on fandom
        • Faithful Sidekicks
    • murals
    • scribblings
    • coloring pages
  • mermaid tales
    • Gramma Swordwhale's Mermaid Blog >
      • how to mermaid
      • merfolk on the Chesapeake
      • my life as a mermaid
    • privateers and pumpkins and ponies oh my!
    • stupid gravity (the adventures of a mermaid on Eastern Neck Is.) >
      • stupid gravity credits
    • stupid gravity: the search for sea glass >
      • stupid gravity: the search for sea glass: credits
    • Stupid Gravity: Misty Cloudy Windy Stormy Augh! >
      • Misty Stormy credits
    • Stupid Gravity: the search for mermaids
    • mermaids, Moana and Maui, beached on Christmas Eve
    • horseshoe crabs forever
    • stupid gravity: hot hot hot >
      • hot hot hot credits
  • Chincoteague
    • back to the islands 2021 >
      • Ponies 2021
    • identify that pony
    • chincoteague pony art
    • Fall Roundup Oct 2019
    • Chincoteague 2019
    • pookas pumpkins and swamp ponies
    • Chincoteague Carousel
    • Chincoteague November 2018
    • the 3rd Sea Voyage of Makenuk's Fin
    • wild horses and kayaks 2017
    • wild ponies in camp
    • North Beach
    • on island time
    • saltwater cowboys
    • Chincoteague
    • Christmas by the Sea
    • island ponies
    • Ace and Unci revolt
    • beached
    • running water in between
    • Assateague Light
    • the Haunted Lagoon
  • crafty stuff
    • photo your toys >
      • how to photograph Breyers in the wild
      • Lokigator and Throg's Epic Adventure
      • Sam and Bucky's Excellent Adventure
      • Mando and Grogu
      • paint and wet snow pants
      • Legolas and Hwin, snow
      • derps (or how not to photograph Breyers and others)
      • Wonder Horse repaint
      • wild Breyers >
        • printable prints and downloads
        • water horses
        • beach Breyers
        • Lotus Legolas and Arod
        • teeny tiny Breyers
        • backyard Breyers and Schleichs
        • vintage breyers
        • Hartland Horses
        • Black Horses
      • educational display
      • Schleich and Safari Faeries
      • North beached
      • more model horses
      • beach party
      • advenatureData
      • Finding Hank
      • Otterlock and Hedgejawn >
        • Hounded in Baskerville
      • how to photograph your dragon
    • Rich Toy hobby horse rehab
    • ModPodge rules
    • paint pours
    • flour salt clay
    • chalk paint
    • rock it: paint rocks and use or lose them
    • faerie gardens >
      • more faerie gardens
      • faerie festival at Spoutwood Farm
    • sea this tutu (and make)
    • I found Dory
    • knit me a mermaid, or chicken, or Hei Hei
    • sea treasures
    • sea glass
    • sea horses
    • rehabbing horse epic fail >
      • do you wanna build a snow pony?
      • do you wanna build a sand pony?
      • Barbie horse gets a makeover
    • mermaid saddles
    • Yule Laugh, Yule Cry... >
      • a Brandywine Christmas
    • Uncle Bob's Toys >
      • Uncle Bob's Toys 2016
      • more: Uncle Bob's Crafts
      • the Adventures of Mortimer
  • adventures
    • Go Play Outside
    • Nature Deficit Disorder
    • I heart Nature
    • autumn light
    • cats
    • mushing 101 >
      • dogs on wheels >
        • Autumn Run on Wheels
      • dogsled
      • dogsledding: running on snow! >
        • Groundhog Day
      • kids and dawgs: first sled run
      • Klondike Derby
      • Sled Dogs and Pirate Ships
      • Christmas Day Run: Rail Trail
      • Horses and Huskies: when predator and prey share the trail
      • Schipperke doo dah >
        • Runnin' with the Big Dogs
        • Hobbit Husky
      • women who run with the wolves
      • Play Time
      • wubba wubba
      • New Year's Dog Day
      • Team Swordwhale
    • trains, sleddogs, and horses oh my!
    • butterscotch and sprinkles
    • horses >
      • horse reference for art
      • ponies small but mighty
      • First Horse: Saraf
      • the Wild Black Mare
      • between thunder and lightning
      • Goliath, Nevada Mustang
      • Yataalii
    • Planet Water >
      • Planet fish tank
      • planet toadpool
      • Planet Pond
      • Planet Stream
      • Planet River
      • Planet Marsh
      • Planet Ocean
      • Planet Water Bird >
        • Planet Water Bird: gulls
      • Planet turtle
      • Planet water snake
      • planet amphibian
    • kayak! >
      • blue boat home
      • kayaking 101
      • kayaking Assateague and Chincoteague
      • how to train your dragonfly
      • Chasing Raven
      • the Susquehanna River >
        • the Rock Garden >
          • return to the Rock Garden
        • Conewago Dreamin'
        • the Conejehola Flats
        • Thunderbird Island (petroglyphs on the Susquehanna)
        • to the White Lady and Beyond
      • Calvert Cliffs fossils
      • Sassafras River Lotus Paddle >
        • Return to the Sassafras
        • sassafras river 2015
        • sassafras paddle 20160814
        • Sassafras River 2017
        • Sassafras river 2018
      • Eastern Neck Island >
        • winter marsh, winter beach
        • Eastern Neck Island: under the supermoon
        • more Eastern Neck Island
      • Pinchot Park
      • Lake Marburg >
        • where are the manatees?
        • ...and the dolphins???
        • macros and SAVs
        • Lake Marburg 2018
        • how to be a kayaking Gramma
    • beached
    • dive in! (SCUBA) >
      • Gourd of the Rings
    • mid Atlantic seashells
    • longship company >
      • December sail
      • Sae Hrafn at Oakley
    • pirates and privateers >
      • Sailing 101
      • Schooner Sultana 1768
      • Capt John Smith Shallop
      • Pride of Baltimore II
      • Kalmar Nyckel
      • downrigging 2010 >
        • Chestertown autumn
        • Downrigging Weekend 2014
        • Downrigging 2015
        • Downrigging 2016
        • Downrigging 2017
        • downrigging 2018: pink tardis
        • Downrigging 2019
      • privateer weekend
    • horseshoe crabs and red knots >
      • horseshoe crab spawn 2021
      • slaughter beach
      • horseshoe crabs and semipalmated sandpipers 2019
    • surfboards and watchtowers: Cape Henlopen >
      • beached
      • Watching Whales >
        • Watching Whales...again
    • Seadogs: Newfoundland water trials
    • wind hounds
    • wild things! >
      • baltimore aquarium
      • there's a hummer in the garage...ceiling ...
      • critter cam
      • sky walking
      • leaf-fall
    • The Adventures of the Good Ship Fearaf
    • the incredibly dead blog page
  • art class
    • framing 101
    • watercolor: how to
    • sip n paints
    • acrylic painting 101
    • wildlife art class
    • Santa, You're Doomed
    • (drawing) horses 101 >
      • horse color 101
      • gaits
      • ponies in motion
      • tack
      • Draw: a horse
    • dogs and wolves
    • go ahead, draw a pirate ship
    • anthropomorphism (cartoon animals and stuff)
    • the Little Kids Page of Big Ideas
    • mural: how to >
      • Gabriel's Whale
      • stuff you need
      • drawing (mural)
      • drawing mural 2
      • painting
      • mural jungle
      • mural bat cave
      • mural cats
      • mural ocean
      • mural arctic
      • mural leaf smacking
      • watershed mural
    • crayons and colored pencils
    • palettes
  • wait wait! let me get the camera!
  • who perpetrated all this???
    • swordbroad

 contact me to commission art or teach a class
​

​swordwhale@yahoo.com


https://www.facebook.com/swordwhale​ 
​

Tune in to my Facebook page for livestreams as I work!

join my Patreon and support your local artist! ...and get free downloads and things!

https://www.patreon.com/swordwhale?fan_landing=true​

Fanfiction and random ramblings (mostly Elves):
https://www.inkitt.com/teanna
​https://www.fanfiction.net/u/290949/Teanna

Skyfire
​
​or...
​ how I died and got a magic sword

Latest in a series of short tales of the E.L.F. 
​
Full story here: 
https://www.swordwhale.com/skyfire.html



"When? Where? You humans always want to nail it down, carve it in stone, fasten it to a piece of earth that has shapeshifted into something else by now, to a time marked by calendars that aren't even accurate." I stared at the woman, beautiful in the ways deer and trees and horses and solid earth are. A line of Elvish script spiraled up one arm, it read, in English, 'luminous beings we are, not this crude matter', and I always heard it, and repeated it, in Yoda's voice when I saw it. "It's all dust now," I said.

Rain peered over her enormous coffee mug ("I only snap before coffee"), light from the woods outside poured through the big windows, across the hand carved wood of the table. "A pebble launched into an ocean, but it still made ripples."

Rainger, Rain, Rainy-rain, she's the Ranger, I'm the Elf. Her parents were almost as nerdy as she is... as I am... when they named her Rainger. But they had no idea she'd end up with the Earth Life Foundation...yeah yeah, bad pun acronym, talk to the Dwarves about it... helping kids turn over rocks and identify macroinvertebrates in the stream, lecturing about ravens to bored teens, and fighting evil in Washington by being a very adamant advocate for our environmental concerns.

"Ripples," she repeated, staring into my eyes. It was almost disconcerting. Not many people other than my own kin could do that without taking on an expression as if they'd fallen into the space between the stars.

"Dust." I said.

"THAT'S not dust." She touched the miniature sword hanging at my throat, along with the raven necklace. "And you most definitely are not dust."

"Ehhh." I had been. More than once. "A long time ago in a galaxy..." by now she was matching me word for word. Nerd for nerd.

"...far, far away." she finished.

"Or not so far. Or not so long, as my folk count things."

"We do not count the running years, not for ourselves," she quoted.

Legolas, LOTR, lost at length in the library that's my left brain, or is it the right one? "I don't know the when. There was no gunpowder. There was steel, or was it just iron? Depends if it was Elf-made or Dwarf-made or human smiths. Tiny villages. Hill forts. Sheep, cattle, goats, horses. Men who want power. Power, heh, what is it and why do they want it?"

"With great power..." Rain began.

"Comes great privilege, or so they felt. And they did not want to lose their privilege. They wanted more, always more."

"Clearly Spiderman needed to show up a few millennia earlier."
​

"Welp, they got Eoin and a Ravenkin."
​

​Full story here: https://www.swordwhale.com/skyfire.html

FANART from Middle Earth
​

Lord of the Rings and Middle Earth have been staples in my life since 1978, when I first played D&D and read LOTR. I immediately identified with the Elves. Over two decades later, a kid living in a mountain village in Puerto Rico saw the films (after he'd done odd jobs and saved for a DVD player, one of the first DVDs he got was the Peter Jackson LOTR films) also identified with the Elves. Only "you can't be an Elf, they don't look like you" is what he heard. He had his own Hero Journey of Fellowship proportions, and became an actor. Now Ismael Cruz Cordova is the most elvish Elf that ever elfed in Amazon's Lord of the Rings: the Rings of Power. I did the pic of his character, Arondir, in a tree, with a kid who might be ICC's kid self, or another kid who needs to see themselves in beauty and power... based on stories he told in interviews. I recently re-discovered Twitter. I tweeted it. He liked it. Point is: we are all artists, telling stories, hopefully inspiring and touching hearts. The hard work of he and his castmates and the crew of RoP brings the magic of Middle Earth back to me.

The other pieces range from the Elven ranger who began as Beleg Cuthalion but might be a dark haired Legolas or any other classic Elven Archer of Middle Earth, to "the elvish way with all good beasts", to Legolas and Gimli in Fangorn Forest (whose animals are actually from Penn's Woods...aka PA).
​
​
Click on the links to see the tweets...
​
https://twitter.com/swordwhale1/status/1572284276296785920/photo/1

​https://twitter.com/IsmaelC_C/status/1572313571455012864?s=20&t=3Ioh4hmhJ2ZVjsvhbE_Pug

here are the latest books

Tales of Hawk Circle and the ELF

​Somewhere, in the place in south central Pennsylvania, where the forested hills flatten into farming valleys, and the Susquehanna rolls down to the Chesapeake Bay and then to the sea, is Hawk Circle, one outpost of the Earth Life Foundation's never ending quest to...
...no no, not hunt orcs on moonless nights.
To educate, legislate, and make the world thrive for future generations. "One of many dot-orgs vying for your tax-deductible donations".
The wildlife experts, endangered species caretakers, rehabbers, content creators, horsemen, writers, photographers, and educators are just a little... older, and weirder, than most.

Black Horses is rooted in my own lifetime of experiences with horses, and in particular, one wild black mare named Lor, who came to me, wild as can be, at age 8.

This story gallops over the now familiar land and waterscapes of southcentral PA, the DelMarVa Peninsula, and the islands of Assateague and Chincoteague, which I discovered in the Misty of Chincoteague books by Marguerite Henry, illustrated by the wonderful Wesley Dennis. I first went there in 1972, the last year Misty was alive. 

Photos from the journey can be found here.

The Chincoteague ponies on the back cover are Riptide's band (in 2022): L to R: Marguerite, Black Pearl, Liz's Serenity, Wildfire, Surfer's Riptide. The bridle on the black mare on the cover is Doctor Cook's Bitless Bridle, which works well on my wild black mare's daughter. The lighthouse is the Assateague light. I am not a costume designer, I do appreciate good design in the many films and series I enjoy... I was aiming for a not-medieval look (I've done plenty of medieval costuming for both me and my horses), because Erda is not our history...

​...one might find anything there. Even starships.

Fins is readable by or to younger readers, but still enjoyable for all ages. It contains many photos from the Chesapeake Bay environments, as well as illustrations. 
Landlubber Nai'a must make a dangerous voyage across the Chesapeake Bay to save a life. Harder still is finding her place in the world her mom loves. And what is the secret of their marine environmentalist/photographer guide and the big black kayak Nai'a is now paddling? Journey into the marshes and wide reaches...and one remote island...of the Chesapeake Bay, where adventure awaits!

My books on Amazon click here.


below: a small portfolio, and some truly random selfies

WINGS: Rainbow Bridge Pets & others

memories of old friends, whatever the species
watercolor on vellum bristol, 9x12 or 11x14
​

Matboard Miniatures

Miniatures: Prismacolor pencil on recyled/repurposed matboard samples rescued from a defunct art store. Sizes vary but about smart phone sized.

Seaponies of Chincoteague

the ponies of Chincoteague Island, in their seahorse forms
​(maybe your pony is a seahorse at heart too)
​watercolor on vellum bristol, 9x12, 11x14, or on a folded card​

Just Portraits

Portraits, just portraits. Watercolor/Prismacolor, 9x12 or 11x14
 Ordering ORIGINALS... a guide to styles and prices

My standard mediums are:
  • watercolor (with Prismacolor pencil and some acrylic) on vellum bristol paper. May include Folk Art Colorshift acrylic.
  • Tradigital combination of traditional media like watercolor/Prismacolor/acrylic with painting or other noodling on Photoshop. You get the watercolor and a fun digital JPG to print as you wish. 
  • Prismacolor pencil on matboard "smol matboards" are done on repurposed/rescued mat board samples from a defunct arts and crafts store. I often do them at events. Catch me there, and get one for a donation to the artist fund. Order one: $25.
  • murals (room size or smaller) in latex water based house paint and acrylic: can be painted on wall, or be portable on masonite or similar base (I do not do tall ladders and cherry pickers). Contact me with details about where, size, and what critters! 

My standard subjects are:
  • seaponies, purrmaids, seadawgs, and other mer-creatures. From smol matboards on up.
  • mersonas (your mermaid character), fantasy characters, portraits; 9x12 or 11x14. These require a lot of reference, matching faces and other characteristics and details, and do not work well at smaller sizes.
  • rainbow bridge pets; 9x12 and 11x14. The detail needed for these as well as reference and matching the animal requires larger sizes.
  • animal portraits, especially horses; 9x12, 11x14, basic background. The detail and matching actual animal needed requires larger format.
  • book/story illustration and covers; 11x14, complexity will determine price. I can also create a JPG or PDF with type for a cover. 

I can create these to fit in an off the shelf mat. You will need to use a mat, and a glass fronted frame to preserve the art. Check my page on framing for details on preserving your art safely: https://www.swordwhale.com/framing-101.html

My base standard prices/sizes are:

  • $150: 11x14 vellum bristol paper. Seaponies, pets, mersonas, fantasy characters. Good for a full fledged illustration (as for my friend's book illos) or for more than one character.  Basic background, fine, add all of Middle Earth, and the entire Fellowship of the Ring, will cost more. Contact me with your idea, and we can discuss! See my book cover for Black Horses, above, as an example.
  • $75:  9x12 vellum bristol paper, fits in 8x10" mat opening. Seaponies, pets, mersonas, fantasy characters. One character, simple background (see samples) . Additional characters, $50.
  • $50: card on vellum bristol paper fits into 5x7opening mat, or is folded and stands alone as a "greeting card". Seaponies, pets, wildlife. These are one character, with minimal background (swashes of color). Can be seen, matted, at places like Nixon County Park. 
  • $25: Matboard miniatures: Prismacolor pencil on archival matboard. These vary in size and color, but are about the size of a smartphone. They are recycled/repurposed matboard samples from the framing dept of a defunct craft store. Seaponies, animals, pets. These are one character, with the color of the matboard as background.
  • Tradigital: this is a combination of traditional media like watercolor and Prismacolor, but with painting and other enhancements on Photoshop. Prices are going to vary wildly here; you may commission a seapony like Ace (see samples below in the slideshow) then ask for rainbow wings. You'd get the watercolor at its normal price, and the JPG of the tradigital at an extra fee (depending on time and complexity).  I can also noodle photos! Please ask for details.
  • discuss custom sizes or other ideas as needed: swordwhale@yahoo.com
​
  1. Complexity increases price because it increases time and research spent.
  2. I prefer PayPal (send to friend to avoid fees), but will take checks from some folks if asked.
  3. It's ok to ask for a "estimated finish date". Usually within a couple weeks!
  4. I will need many pics of your subject, whether a pet, or you, your mermaid tail, etc. JPGs emailed are fine. Or if it's "my cat has hawk wings" or "my mertail is a betta fish" I can look that up. Describe as much as you can about your character.
  5. I will send a JPG to be sure the art is acceptable. For larger, more complex pieces, I can send a JPG of the sketch. I also send a large, printable JPG of the finished work.
  6. I sell you the art only. You have the joy of matching your own mat and frame to your couch or your cat. 
  7. Sent as disaster proofed as possible. If it arrives damaged, we send out the faerie mermaid ninjas and get you a new piece.
  8. Some art is available at York County PA gift shops like Nixon Park in Jacobus, or at events we do.
  9. If you buy an original artwork, it's yours to photograph or print (for your own amusement, not for sale). I may still do and sell prints of some pieces, if they are seaponies or other creatures not specifically you or your relatives/friends (which are yours alone). I can also sell you the rights to use a piece of art for embroidery, OOAK dolls, etc.
  10. I often do live streams on my Facebook page, of work in progress. I can give you a heads up if it is your piece I'm working on.



"Seaponies" are the ponies of Chincoteague/Assateague Islands, done as seahorses. Most are the Virginia ponies, owned and managed by the Chincoteague Fire Co. I am also familiar with the MD ponies (a separate herd managed by the Park Service) and can do those as well.

I also do other fantasy characters and creatures; purrmaids, seadawgs, mersonas, your pony as a unicorn, winged horse, hippogriff, etc. Ask about custom characters. I don't really do monsters and creepy characters.

Rainbow Bridge Pets are your old buddies, any species, done with ethereal rainbow wings, or other variations on the theme (the ginger kitty above has ginger wings and a bit of rainbow in the background). 

I generally do not do canvas works, and absolutely do not do oils. No. Nope. Nada. (too stinky and choking). Ask if you really really want a canvas, or other surface, in acrylics.

Murals: ask for guesstimate according to size and complexity of art you want (finish charged by time involved). I bring the tools, you bring the surface and buy the paint.


support your local indie artist/writer & publishers

join me on Patreon, get sneak peeks, tutorials, and book looks
also high quality jpgs to download or print


https://www.patreon.com/swordwhale

Grandma Swordwhale's Mermaiding Book

Grandma Swordwhale's Mermaiding Book is for anyone who loves Planet Water and merfolk.

Merfolk are any size, any shape, any color, any gender, any age.

Putting on a tail and swimming like a merrow is exercise for body, mind and spirit. If you can't swim, you can decorate your mer-grotto, do land based photoshoots, play with green screen, explore your local waters by wading with an underwater viewer (you can make one) or by kayak or by visiting an aquarium. Create your own oasis with a garden pond or fish tank.

You don't have to have lots of money to do any of it. There are inexpensive monofins and tails, or you can make your own tail. A home aquarium can be a five gallon tank and some cherry shrimp. A garden pond can be a tub with water plants that attracts frogs and birds. Decorating can be done with treasures from a thrift shop.

In this book I show you how to do all of that. And then explore a few of the wonders of my backyard in the Chesapeake Bay watershed from pond to stream to east coast barrier islands.

My mer-book is available now: $10 by PayPal to swordwhale@yahoo.com (you don't need an account to use PayPal). ​Include your address! We will dropship it direct to you. 

pay through PayPal, (with or without your own account) 
to swordwhale@yahoo.com

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inspired by fantasy & myth, nature, the sea, superheroes and science

​dammit Jim, I'm a nature based artist, not an engineer

You can get a clear idea of what I do by looking at my samples on this page, and on other pages on this site. I do nature, animals, myth, fantasy. I can do a decent human (or Elf, fae, mer, Romulan, superhero or others) and a terrific horse (or help you learn how to draw one). I do NOT do houses, cars, bikes, cityscapes, spaceports, starships (much as I love them), or Spiderman swinging through the streets of NYC (much as I love Spidey, I hate cities and perspective!). If you have an idea for an art piece, ask! I promise I won't feed you to the house dragon...
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My primary medium is watercolor with Prismacolor Pencil and acrylic touches. I also have done nature-based murals for local parks using house paint and acrylics. I have taught basic watercolor and wildlife sketching classes for those parks too, mainly Nixon Park in Jacobus PA. I can do art classes in southcentral PA. I can ship reasonably sized pieces of art nearly anywhere.

I do a fair amount of photography I call "play with your toys"; photographing collectibles, toys and models in natural settings. It's a fun project to teach kids; take a character on your next hike or vacation and photograph them! There is a section on this website to demonstrate the fun! I can also teach a class on it!

​Also: Gramma Swordwhale (or Mermom) mermaid. 
 
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​pay through PayPal, (with or without your own account) 
to swordwhale@yahoo.com

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​PRINTS: on paper, canvas, cards, mugs, etc.

on Deviantart: www.deviantart.com/swordwhale/shop/prints
Prices vary according to size and style of print, but "Premium giclée prints on high-quality paper stock" is offered as well as canvas and photoprints, and several items like mugs and coasters.

on redbubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/swordwhale/shop


For other ideas contact me! The rest of this site gives you a tour of what I can do.

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wetland mural, Nixon County Park Jacobus PA, detail of great egret fishing

here there be...dragons...

art, stories, crafty stuff, photography, adventures, videos

​and elves and mer-folk of all types​
​


scroll down for pages to explore
links to social media
about the artist
check the menu at the top of the page for how-tos and adventures
​(exploring Planet Water, kayaking, mushing, pirate ships, Viking ships, horses, and more) 



my audience is general, but I keep it kid friendly


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Artist, writer, photographer, horseman, mermaid. Nerd: science fiction, fantasy, superheroes, animation, science, fan of weird early lifeforms (paleontology) on this planet.
​


Have done my favorite work, environmental education art, for local parks. I have paddled in the wake of dolphins, trained actual wild mustangs, a 3 1/4 dog sled team, and live with a small pride of mini panthers. Volunteered with wildlife rehabbers: yes riding in a closed van with a barfing vulture is fun, otters can bite through 6ml dive gloves, and a four month old tiger is the largest one you want to wrestle. 

Have decorated underwater Yule trees (styrofoam satin balls compress, the thread wafts off, and they hang UP), carved underwater pumpkins (bluegills spit out the pumpkin bits, but like to taste your thumb).  I once spent Halloween, and one earthquake, on pirate ships (see the pirates and privateers section). I also spent one Halloween night working with a lovely young man who had a great Dracula accent.. because he was, in fact, from Transylvania.

Adventure, it's out there, you just need some imagination!
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​join the fleet on facebook

friend me at Teanna Byerts: https://www.facebook.com/swordwhale
(art, nature, cats, ponies, wild ponies, kayaking, mermaids, tutorials and livestreams)

art page and tutorials: 
https://www.facebook.com/swordwhalewalking/

Kayak Chesapeake Watershed on facebook:
​livestreams from the kayak, photos, and whatever friends post too

https://www.facebook.com/groups/261596567988625

Gramma Swordwhale's Mermaiding Page
on facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/431637214326043

How to Train Your Cat on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/288442392347360

swordwhale1 on youtube
art, kayaking, sled dogs, pirate ships and wild ponies

https://www.youtube.com/user/swordwhale1

Instagram @teannabyerts
​nature, art, cats and other fun stuff 


https://twitter.com/swordwhale1​

Original fanfiction and random ramblings: https://www.inkitt.com/teanna

BUY SWORDWHALE'S STUFF
prints and things, support your local artist


Deviantart:  https://www.deviantart.com/swordwhale/shop/prints​


RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/swordwhale/shop


also Zazzle: www.zazzle.com/swordwhale




contact me to: commission art, teach a class, buy a print or craft
​

​swordwhale@yahoo.com
​


pay through PayPal, (with or without your own account) 
to swordwhale@yahoo.com


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In places where there are seals, there are selkie legends: seal folk who take off their skins to walk on land in human form. On the Northwest Coast of North America, there are similar legends of whale folk who take off their fins... the fin becomes a boat. The shape of a paddler in a kayak is exactly the same as a surfacing orca. A male orca's tall fin is the same size and shape as a 6ft. surfboard. Swordwhale is (in parts of Europe, whence came my ancestors) one of the many names for orca.
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pages to explore
​

​click on the pictures below or use the menu at the top to navigate


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art and stories
my art, and tales of the ELF

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islands of the wild ponies

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play with your toys
(how to photograph your dragon, mermaid or Breyer horses)

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mushing 101
all you need is a dog and a bike

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planet water
explorations from toadpool to sea

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when you want a bigger boat
sailing with pirates, privateers and vikings

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how to art
​(watercolor, wildlife, acrylics and more)

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mermaid tales

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crafty stuff

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adventures
from kayaking to bike-joring to mermaiding to horses to exploring a stream or beach to sailing on a pirate ship or Viking ship, adventure is closer than you think...

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kayaking 101
easier than you think

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horses: 
my life as a centaur and
​horse reference for artists and others

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There are many more pages to find and explore here:

Scuba 101, beaches, I Heart Nature (found heart shaped objects in the wild), faerie gardens, sea glass, murals, my years as a swordbroad, random fandom, Ace and Unci's revolt, coloring pages and how to make a tutu... go play.


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