The Muse; or the Inspiration of the Eagle's Eye

When this bookmark fell out of its temporary paged prison; and the intense, piercing stare of this noble eagle met mine, I knew that I must share it with as many people as possible. And with that impulse, this blog began to form in my mind's eye.

Item: Bookmark

Frankly, there is just a lot happening on this small sliver of laminated paper stock. Where to begin? Let's see...the previously mentioned eagle is featured prominently, while the young reader (ostensibly the true subject of the piece) seems to be a mere afterthought, cut-and-pasted in a thought-bubble near the top of the frame.

One might be led to believe that the featured young lady is simply an eagle/yucca plant/mountain-biking/desert/American-Southwest aficionado. I, however, am getting a distinct impression that the whole scene might be a mescaline induced hallucination, perhaps experienced by the eagle himself.

Adding to the prominence of our eagle friend, we cannot escape his gaze as it follows us to the reverse...intently monitoring the conspicuously empty "List of Books to Read". Lest we not forget...Reading IS Fundamental.

Also as meta-feature of the item, the small chew marks suggest the young reader is a pet-lover, or perhaps a repressed nail-biter.

Book: Zen of Seeing: Seeing/Drawing as Meditation by Frederick Franck

From the Inside Flap:
A Dutch artist offers his concept of seeing and drawing as a discipline by which the world may be rediscovered, a way of experiencing Zen.