Rubber Ducks!

As an avid collector of beach glass, I've often wondered about why certain colors of glass show up in abundance in locations while other colors are absent. For instance, over the years I've noticed that white and aqua glass seem to show up together in piles and are a specific distance from the waters edge, while brown and green glass tend to hang together elsewhere. (I know, get a life!). But years of these observations leave me with lots of questions. For example, why does the glass settle in one location and what's the difference between their colors that make them unite with some and not others. Different weights, ocean currents, where did they originate from, who were the manufacturer's and so on ... this is what I want to know, and this is where the rubber duck comes in.

I saw an interview with Donovan Hohn, author of "Moby Duck". The book idea began as a hunt for bath toys on the beach and mushroomed into something much bigger.
I'll paraphrase from the book jacket: "When Donovan Hohn heard of the mysterious loss of thousands of bath toys at sea, he figured he would interview a few oceanographers, talk to a few beachcombers, and read up on Arctic science and geography. But questions can be like ocean currents: wade in too far, and they carry you away. Hohn's accidental odyssey pulls him into the secretive world of shipping conglomerates, the daring work of arctic researchers, the lunatic risks of maverick sailors, and the shadowy world of Chinese toy factories. This got my attention. This is the kind of research I would have  done about beach glass if I had the time. Whew, that was a long walk off a short pier. This blog is about the iconic Rubber Duck. Here is my "painting of the day" as well as some interesting interpretations of the rubber duck by fellow artists. Enjoy!

Click here if you'd like to bid on this painting.

This is the book that started the idea for this blog. It's an interesting read for all those interested in global currents and the whole message-in-a-bottle concept.

This is an actual HUGE floating rubber duck on the Loire river in France. In 2007, the duck was created as part of an art installation on a 40-mile stretch of the river. Apparently, it was untethered and floated aimlessly along the river. People would go in search of it which became known locally as "The Duck Hunt".

An artist in London dumped 250,000 blue rubber ducks into the Thames. @#%&$@!

The rubber duck makes an appearance at the annual "Burning Man" festival.

And I can't talk about Ducks without mentioning "THE DUCKS" Quack! Quack!