You may be wondering why the name Cosmic Octopus… Astronomy has been a passion of mine for many years, and I never cease to find wonder in space and it’s mind blowing scale. The cosmos encompasses all of us, and is in all of us, from the smallest scale of atoms to the unimaginable greatness of the universe. The cosmos is the ultimate creator, with the endless destruction and recreation of matter in stunning forms like stars and planets. It inspires the imagination with all we don’t know yet and may never know. I consider the cosmos the ultimate inspiration.

The octopus has its own set of wonders. As far as we can tell, the octopus may be the most intelligent creature on this planet next to us, and yet they are incredibly alien. I believe classic aliens may be inspired by the shape of our ocean friends, but while Hollywood aliens come from outer space, we share our small planet with the octopus. Every day we learn more about their strange ways of life, there is still so much we don’t understand. Only recently we learned of a colony that are creating a small city of nests together. Previously it was believed they were solitary animals. Octopi are often thought to represent a wisdom and cleverness that you can draw upon by studying them. They communicate in an array of mesmerizing colors and textures, and can shape to almost any container. Their versatility and cunning fascinates me. The Octopus seems to be as creative and ever changing as any art. There is so much room for imagination, learning, and mystery with these sea creatures.

Cosmic Octopus leaves all the room in the universe for uniqueness and creativity. A form of art itself, it seems fitting to figurehead my career as an artist. It has whimsy, awe, and a sense of surrealism that I want to bring into my own work.

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My name is Zarah Raizel Avalon. I am a painter, both scenic and fine arts, and now an avid gardener, amateur florist and beginner herbalist. I have been doing fine art my whole life, and attended college at Boston University in the design and production theater department. I majored in costume design, but spent an inordinate amount of time on scenic painting classes. I worked as a costumer and scenic artist for theatre, films, and events throughout my 20’s, but needed a career change after covid and as I got closer to 30 as the scenic work was hard on my body. While living in Ireland off and on for three years, I rediscovered a love for growing plants, and have been learning how to be a florist, herbalist, and gardener in my spare time. Currently I am back in the states, and working at a nonprofit garden center. I still paint, garden, and find time to create in between selling cut flowers, stickers, and doing collaborative works with friends.

I no longer take commissions on my art work, instead trying to find my own voice and what I want to make, but I would love to help design and plant in containers or for a garden. Someday I hope to grow enough flowers to be able to fill custom orders for bouquets and arrangements. I will be trying to make prints of my art work available in the near future.

If you want to send me a message about my work, please fill out the contact form and I will respond as soon as I am able.