Symphony of life

Well it's been a while since I critiqued a fractal, but here goes!
First off I really enjoy the color distribution: with lighter pastel colors on top and mostly darker colors below--except for the pastel patch in the lower-right corner, my eye has a solid perceptual base to work with.

Secondly the shapes are intriguing: there is the trademark Gnarl mushroom throughout of course, but then I see in the upper-right what looks like a cross between a serpent and a pelican. I also like the chartreuse spiralish decorations on the middle-left.
Overall, I find this to be a very enjoyable render to look at
Erik