Earth Art Note Cards
This Earth Art series of blank note cards includes images of natural patterns and colors I discovered on my world travels, including New Zealand, Western Australia and Jordan. There are 11 beautiful and unique photos, reproduced in a larger format to better show off the shots.
These cards are suitable for absolutely any occasion – especially when you want to impress. Each card features an original picture from photojournalist Steven Shundich, with the location and date taken on back. Also included is an insert with more about each location and inspiration, providing details not usually supplied by the artist. Each folded note card:
• Is Made in the USA
• Is paired with a white envelope
• Has a flat matte finish
• Is made of high quality paper
• Is approximately 5.25 x 7.75 inches in size
EPIC BONUS
• Each of these 11 images also is available as a limited edition (only 3 made!), high quality print on photographic paper: 8×10 ($35) or 11×14 ($60) – ready to frame.
• A few also are available on canvas in various sizes and prices.
• Send a message via Etsy if interested.
RETURNS & EXCHANGES
Although there is no way you will not absolutely LOVE these Earth Art note cards, I will happily accept any returns or exchanges within 14 days of delivery. The item MUST be in good condition. And you will need to pay the cost of return shipping.
See what you get inside each box in this video
CHECK OUT THE COMPLETE SET OF 11 CARDS BELOW:
Onetahuti Beach
Abel Tasman National Park
South Island, New Zealand
24 February 2023
Photograph by Steven Frederick Shundich
Onetahuti is one of several gorgeous, golden sand beaches that dot the 60 km (37 mile) Abel Tasman Coastal Track. It sits across from the Tonga Island Marine Reserve, in New Zealand’s smallest (but most visited) national park and close to where the first Europeans arrived in 1642. This is great place for backpack beginners, as it’s well organized and relatively easy. I did a four-hour hike one day and a kayak/two-hour walk combo the next – but no overnights – using water taxis to explore the coast. I was so taken with how the black and gold sand meet here that I had to take this shot. It reminds me of Seurat and pointillism, except there’s no subject or scene – just sand. If only it could have been the colors of my Bengals. Sigh.
Hamersley Gorge
Karijini National Park
Near Tom Price, Western Australia
23 December 2022
Photograph by Steven Frederick Shundich
I spent Christmas 2022 in the heat of Western Australia’s Pilbara, a region filled with gorges and spring-fed falls. It’s so hot here in the Outback summer that about the only thing to do is find a place to cool down – away from the flies. The best place to do this is in Hamersley Gorge, where there are a couple of beautiful pools and one heart-shaped natural spa with its own tiny waterfall. This image is just a colorful snippet from one curvy wall. Imagine an entire gorge in this rainbow of layered rock. The first feature film in this area, “Sweet As,” was shot in 2023. It’s a road trip movie – my specialty!
Earth Art
In Dales Gorge near Fortescue
Falls, Karijini National Park
Near Tom Price, Western Australia
24 December 2022
Photograph by Steven Frederick Shundich
I learned how uncomfortable the Outback can be on an inland road trip from Perth to Exmouth. With the oppressive 115 F. heat and the fearsome flies, hikes are out of the question. But inside Karijini National Park, there are places to cool off. At the bottom of Dales Gorge, Fortescue Falls and the Fern Pool offer respite. And once inside there also is shade. This image is of the earth adjacent to a path along a stream at the bottom of the gorge. The path runs from the falls to Circular Pool. The unexplained pattern in the baked mud and aquamarine colors catch my eye, as did the long nose dragon with the lengthy tail. There’s naturally occurring asbestos in the area, a sign warns, but it’s harmless if left undisturbed. Not a problem!
Salt Beach
Dead Sea
On the way to Madaba, Jordan
16 November 2022
Photograph by Steven Frederick Shundich
If you drive north from ancient Petra to Amman, one route takes you to the Dead Sea. This is the lowest point on earth, at 1,412 feet below sea level. And there is a place called Salt Beach – literally a beach made of salt – where you can go for a float. Leave your noodles at home. The water is 10 times saltier than the ocean, and it’s virtually impossible to sink. In fact, once floating, it’s quite difficult to get my legs back under me to stand upright. The foam in my rubber-soled sandals doesn’t help, but I can’t take them off. There is danger here. Parts of the beach are like ground glass. Other areas are hard and flat, like ice. I was told if I open my eyes underwater, I’ll go blind. A shower is what I need. And a few empty salt shakers.
Red Crater
Mount Tongariro Alpine Crossing
North Island, New Zealand
5 March 2023
Photograph by Steven Frederick Shundich
The smell of sulfur is in the air. My feet ache. I am at the midpoint of the 19.4 km Mount Tongariro Alpine Crossing, billed as one of the top day hikes in the world. This is the Red Crater – the money shot of this walk – and it’s still smoldering. To the right is Mount Tongariro, aka Mount Doom from the “Lord of the Rings” films. Over the ridge are the Emerald Lakes. It’s a moonscape devoid of life all around. Except for the high school geology class from Auckland. The teacher said she has done this hike 21 times, and she has the legs to prove it. Her students are in shorts and tank tops. Did they even bring water? I’m dressed like a pack mule, full of delicious snacks. And I am ready for the second half. It’s six miles in the rain – all downhill.
Red Seaweed
Mandalay Beach
Near Walpole, Western Australia
12 January 2023
Photograph by Steven Frederick Shundich
About 30 minutes southeast of Walpole and down a dirt road, Mandalay Beach is too rough for a swim but perfect for a picnic. I saw this amazing red seaweed in the sand and thought, “This looks just like the Canadian maple leaf!” It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty darn close, right? The beach earned its name from the wreck of the Norwegian flagged Mandalay, which ran aground in 1911. Miraculously, everyone survived. At various times, locals say, parts of the ship are still visible. And the internet tells me that relatives of the ship’s owners live in Minnesota, which has the largest population of Norwegian descendants (aka “Minnewegians”) outside of Norway – about 16 percent of the state.
Red Curtain
Inside Mammoth Cave
Near Margaret River, Western Australia
13 January 2023
Photograph by Steven Frederick Shundich
Jewel Cave, Lake Cave, Ngilgi Cave, Giants Cave – there are so many limestone caves in this part of Western Australia, the route you drive to see them is named Caves Road. Less than 30 minutes south of Margaret River wine country, I would visit three in a single day. This image is from deep inside one, Mammoth Cave, which offers a self-guided audio tour. This translucent wall of red, which looks like a curtain, is actually called a drapery by cavers. It is formed by calcite-rich liquid that flows overhead, leaving thin deposit trails which slowly accumulate. You might hear another term for this structure – bacon – because of the color. That’s my preference because it is visually delicious.
Walga Rock
Surface of Australia’s second largest monolith (to Uluru / Ayers Rock)
Near Cue, Western Australia
20 December 2022
Photograph by Steven Frederick Shundich
You never know what you will find when you are out in the middle of nowhere. On a drive through Western Australia’s Outback, I am 220 miles east of coastal Geraldton and in the town of Cue (pop. 215). There’s not much to do in Cue. Fill up with gas and grab a bite at the Cue Roadhouse, where I also spent the night. But 30 miles west down a muddy road sits the second most important monolith in Australia: Walga Rock. This piece of monzogranite is more than a mile long and 2.6 billion years old. It also contains a wealth of Aboriginal art, including one mysterious painting that appears to be a 19th century ship. This image is the surface of the rock, rutted and weather beaten. And in the middle of nowhere.
Sandstone Ceiling
Inside Petra
Near Wadi Musa, Jordan
14 November 2022
Photograph by Steven Frederick Shundich
You may like what’s pictured in this image, but you will have to go inside a dark and dusty cave to see it for real. This is part of a ceiling from one of the hundreds of sandstone carve outs in ancient Petra. At one time, 25,000 people lived here. A major earthquake and new Roman trade routes put an end to the city. But there are still a few Bedouins here, fighting with the Jordanian government over their right to live in this national park. But seriously, people – it’s a cave. It’s not that great! The ceiling designs are nice, but there’s no indoor plumbing or electricity. And don’t get me started about the tourists. That is, if you’re actually in the market for a cave.
Sandtone Ceiling #2
Inside Petra
Near Wadi Musa, Jordan
14 November 2022
Photograph by Steven Frederick Shundich
If you didn’t like the first option, perhaps this cave may be more to your liking? The ceiling is much more opulent than the first (hence the higher price point). And there’s more natural light. It may have been someone’s tomb, though, so there’s that to think about. I don’t know what your comfort level is with tombs. The Bedouins who have lived here on and off for the past thousand years or so don’t seem to be bothered by it. Oh! I almost forgot. There’s a snack kiosk just down the road. And entertainment, with the fabulous “Petra by Night” every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. All cave residents get in for free. You need some more time? I’ll try, but just remember – the market for caves is white hot.
Perfect Circles
A blade of grass near Navajo Arch, Arches National Park
Moab, Utah
2 November 2023
Photograph by Steven Frederick Shundich
Imagine you are walking in the desert and you see a perfect circle inside another circle in the distant sand. There are no foot prints nearby. It’s beautiful. And mysterious. This is exactly what I saw in Arches National Park. I thought, “Did someone flip over a trash bin and make an imprint? Did they use a Foster’s beer can for the inner one? But where are the footprints?” As I approached, the answer is revealed. It’s a single blade of grass – barely tethered – blowing in the wind. Two tiny outcroppings, one at the very end and the other about a third of the way up, create the circles. Talk about Zen. It’s one of the most interesting, naturally made patterns I’ve ever seen. And I had just broken my fibula minutes before. Instant relief.