April 5, 2015

Pangolin Clothing Company

Justin Allen is a friend of mine who lives in Western Massachusetts. He has started a clothing company that raises awareness about endangered species as well as helps contribute to their conservation.  Justin and his co-founder, Craig Velozo, are building their company and starting to work with other artists as well, to design more work and help protect some of our most endangered animals. 
Some Pangolin models getting their wild on!

Currently they have a small collection of designs, which are consciously made and sourced. They buy their shirts from American Apparel, ensuring the socially-just production of their products. Each of the shirts cost a mere $25 and they donate at the minimum of 50% of their profits to conservation of the animals they highlight. 



A happy Pangolin T-shirt owner

In their own words: "Founded in July 2014 by Justin Allen and Craig Velozo, Pangolin launched with a few simple goals in mind: Create unique clothing that stands on its own, provide support and protection to endangered animals, and raise awareness about what’s being done to help."


Red panda design from Pangolin

Check it out and support them here: http://www.pangolinclothingcompany.com


March 13, 2015

A Blessing

A  really is a joy to spend hours with a good novel, but I often find my-self reading non-fiction. I love non-fiction and especially something related to science, the environment or art....of course! (I am quite predictable I suppose.) 

One of my favorite authors of all time is Edward Abbey, an author that writes in both genres eloquently, boldly and amusingly. He speaks truths without apology, describes human natures poignantly, and is able to describe the grand beauty of nature with his words. An advocate for the environment and freedom, he describes the power and importance of nature with the raw grit and honesty that most people shy away from.

At the moment I am reading The Fool's Progress, which is a semi-autobiographical novel by Abbey. This is the first time I have read Abbey in a few years, and it is good to be back with him. Reading his words again inspired me to share a few lines from this environmental artist, in his own right. 

The following is a quote which illustrates Abbey's perspective on life beautifully. A blessing to you all from Abbey (and me):


May your trails be crooked, 
winding, lonesome, dangerous, 
leading to the most amazing view. 
May your mountains 
rise into and above 
the clouds.
May your rivers flow without end, 
meandering through pastoral valleys tinkling with bells, 
past temples and castles and poets' towers 
into a dark primeval forest where tigers belch and monkeys howl, 
through miasmal and mysterious swamps 
and down into a desert of red rock, blue mesas, domes and pinnacles 
and grottos of endless stone, 
and down again into a deep vast ancient unknown chasm 
where bars of sunlight blaze on profiled cliffs, 
where deer walk across the white sand beaches, 
where storms come and go as lightning clangs upon the high crags, 
where something strange 
and more beautiful and more full of wonder than your deepest dreams waits for you — beyond that next turning of the canyon walls.

-Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey