Hooves on the Ground: Mecca Hills Wilderness, Salton Sea & Slab City

June 13, 2014

Though I'm a mule deer by birth, at heart I'm a desert rat. That is to say that, while I would never trade the life-sustaining bounty that the oak woodlands and chaparral-covered mountains of my home provide, if given the chance to saunter off to an unknown place for a few days, I will gladly choose a desert landscape. What is it about these arid lands that draws me in? In part, it's the elegant simplicity of the landscape -- no towering trees, no verdant, superfluous overgrowth under every fallen log, no view obscured by heavy fog. In the desert, an invisible hand seems responsible for placing each rock and plant just exactly where it belongs, like a sparsely choreographed dance forever fixed in place. But what calls me to the desert even more is the simple fact that every living thing there has an innate will to live that's stronger than anywhere else.

Lucky for me, E+J share a similar curiosity for the desert. And so we found ourselves exploring a few less-traveled corners of the Colorado Desert of Southern California over Memorial Day weekend.

Facing Vertigo

May 23, 2014

This month's show brings two variations in different media on the theme of "Grand Canyon," ranging from the literal to the abstract.

Virgin River

The classic view of Zion - looking downstream along the Virgin River toward the Watchman formation.

Canyon Overlook

View to the south from Canyon Overlook. State Highway 9 can be seen meandering up the incline.

East Zion

One of the many side trails in the less crowded east side of Zion.

Ephemeral Stream

Rain in Zion means streams and waterfalls come to life, sometimes for just a few minutes.

Emerald Pools

The waterfall after rain.

Hooves on the Ground: Zion and Grand Canyon National Park

May 18, 2014

Edith, Jolly and I found ourselves visiting two Southwest canyons in the Colorado Plateau this time: Zion National Park, in southwestern Utah, and Grand Canyon, in northern Arizona. In Zion, one looks up the canyon walls, while at the Grand Canyon one looks down into the landscape. I absolutely love traveling in this part of the country, because no one ever gives a second look when they see a buck roaming around. There are plenty of other native mule deer around to distract the bipeds.

Rare Window

April 4, 2014

I'm thrilled that Rare Window - Three Views Into Los Angeles is introducing dearantler's first guest artist, Diana Kohne, whose artistic style and name I really like. Why name, you ask? Jolly. Edith. Diana. JED. It's meant to be. Yes, I am a buck who appreciates a nod of acknowledgment every now and then.

Rare Window is a collection of disparate insights into one of the world's most alluring cities, an iconic destination that has been mythologized endlessly in film and literature, a metropolis with a climate so desirable that it thrives year-round day and night, a place where world-class beaches are a half-day's drive from the driest deserts and the tallest mountains. Los Angeles is also one of the most ethnically diverse places on the planet, a city where wealth and poverty are separated by a few short miles, where imagination and dreams are juxtaposed against life's realities.

Los Angeles is a tough nut to crack. Many have tried - Raymond Chandler, John Fante, Ed Ruscha, David Hockney and Paul Thomas Anderson to name a few - and many more will use their creativity to try to interpret what makes it tick. This month's show adds to this discourse in its own small way.

Rebus Puzzle Contest Winner Announced

March 18, 2014

Dear Jedheads,

Thank you for your enthusiastic entries to the Dial D for Drought rebus puzzle contest!

Without further ado, the winner is...

Rebus Puzzle Contest from e & j on Vimeo.

Water-Themed Haiku Contest Winner Announced

March 9, 2014

Dear Jedheads,

Oh boy, did we get some wonderful entries to the Dial D for Drought: A Call for Water Awareness water-themed haiku contest! All told, we got more than 60 submissions, each evocative in its own way -- which made it difficult to pick just one winner. Very. Very. Difficult.

But I'm a buck who likes a challenge. So when Edith and Jolly couldn't make up their minds, I took matters into my own hooves and made an executive decision.

Dial D for Drought - Contest #2

March 6, 2014

There is nothing like a thirst-quenching rain like the one Los Angeles received last week to give us a small reprieve from the drought. My 'hood in the Santa Monica Mountains received more than 5 inches of rain -- more than we've seen in the past year combined. While we got a little break and nice drink, California is still very much in drought. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be thinking of proactive ways to do our part.

Dial D for Drought

February 23, 2014

Dear Jedheads,

We’ve all heard the news. California is in a severe drought, the worst in recorded history and possibly in 500 years. As of the week of February 18th, 91 percent of the state was experiencing severe to exceptional drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. California’s “Golden State” moniker is gaining new meaning as hundreds of thousands of acres of cropland go fallow and our state’s role as the nation’s breadbasket is threatened.

Couldn’t we just pick up the phone and “dial D for drought” to alert government agencies to do something about it? In the face of a problem of such epic proportions, can individual action really amount to anything meaningful?

Hooves on the Ground: Mojave National Preserve

February 17, 2014

Joshua Tree and Death Valley national parks are two of California's best-known desert parks. But there is a third lesser-known destination that blends much of the beauty of the two and provides vast open spaces with far fewer people. Welcome to Mojave National Preserve, where 1.6 million acres of other-worldly rock formations, singing sand dunes, volcanic cinder cones and the world's densest Joshua tree woodland await.

Contest winners announced

February 2, 2014

We're pleased to announce the two winners of the It Takes 39 Steps contest to win a free print. Thank you to everyone who submitted an entry, and stay tuned for more chances to win!

It Takes 39 Steps

January 17, 2014

Dear Jedheads,

As a buck who lives close to the land, I’m accustomed to being still and observing the scene. Is that the distant rattling of a rattlesnake? Is the screeching of that red-tailed hawk hovering above meant as a warning to us ground-dwellers? This kind of astute observation is necessary for the survival of us wild animals, but it is not a characteristic I generally see in humans.

This is why I’m particularly excited about this month’s show.

Thank you for a successful launch!

January 11, 2014

Dear Readers,

Edith, Jolly and I are very pleased with the encouraging response we received following the launch of dearantler.com. Thank you for making it a success!

We had numerous inquiries about purchasing our artwork. The work you see in the gallery this month is licensed on Society6, where it’s available as framed or unframed prints on high-quality paper, or on merchandise (adult and children’s t-shirts, sweatshirt hoodies, baby onesies, smartphone and tablet cases and skins, tote bags, notecards and pillows). We were happy to hear from our art patrons that they were impressed by the workmanship quality of Society6 products.

Dear Antler, What’s wrong with letting me and my cat friends catch birds?

January 8, 2014

Hey Jed,

This is Baby Kitty and Buddy Love writing. We are two cats who live in the northern part of Los Angeles.

We're so glad you've finally gotten on this web-cloud thing. You're usually so busy ruminating 'round the ground, we thought you'd never look up into the sky. That's what we spend most of our time doing (well, except when were napping) because we're Bird Lovers. Just two days ago, Buddy Love saw a merlin bird in our tree.

Dear Antler, What is “giclée” printing?

January 5, 2014

Dear Jed,

Thank you for sharing your website and advice. I am captivated by your blog, and your swanky outfit….as well as the art showing in the gallery. I love your site and think it's perfect. There was just one word I didn't understand. On your FAQs, you mention giclée printing. Does the term giclée originate from the Cervidae (deer) family or elsewhere?

Sincerely,

Lucky Dog

Photograph by Steve Winter published in National Geographic.

Mountain lions and such

December 3, 2013

Dear Antler,

I've been hearing quite a bit about the photo published in this month's National Geographic magazine of the famous Griffith Park mountain lion. I admit that members of my species haven't always treated you and your deer relatives with the utmost respect, but we nevertheless consider you the unofficial mayor of the Santa Monica Mountains. As such, I'm curious to ask -- what do you know about this? Should members of my and your species be on heightened alert?

Sincerely,

Walter Coyote

Josephine Lake, Glacier National Park, MontanaPurchase — Josephine Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana
Purchase

North by Northwe(s)t

November 29, 2013

The theme of this month's show is travel to Nauwmabcwoc (pronounced Nah-wahm-ah-bac-wohk). Never heard of it? It's a massive land area that spans much of the Western U.S. and Canada, and includes Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Alberta, British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California. My friends Edith and Jolly recently took a month-long camping road trip through this area, documenting it through photos, sketches, words and watercolors.

And so it begins

November 11, 2013

Dear Antler,

Who are you? And what's this blog idea all about?

Sincerely,

Ernest Walter Chipmunk

PS: My friends say that there's a bag of walnuts waiting for me across the road. They've double-dog dared me to run blindfolded, dodge cars and cross the street to get it. Are there really walnuts on the other side of the road?

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