Goldenrod Dancers
Slow drawing is just my speed this weekend. I was laid low this week by a terrible cold, and I’ve barely had energy to do anything but rest on the couch. I was glad I felt up to sitting at my desk yesterday and today to be absorbed in the curled and complex leaves of goldenrod that was stunted by the goldenrod bunch gall midge. I loved just turning off everything else—the cough, the sore throat, the impending snow, the projects that didn’t get done this week—and just drawing. This may get… Read More
Becoming part of the silence
I love this quote by Irish writer Robert Lynd. “In order to see birds, it is necessary to become part of the silence.” He seems to have understood something profoundly true. Though we may see birds every day—by happenstance or on purpose– really knowing birds requires being quiet enough to enter their world. Unseen. Unobtrusive. Observant. I can honestly admit that I hardly do it enough. But when it happens, whether for just a moment or an hour, it’s a special thing. Tips & Techniques- If you are doing a piece like… Read More
On the Perch
“You’re on the perch,” my former boss would often say to me when I was at my computer. I was working for the Audubon Society then, and the phrase was part greeting, part acknowledgment of the task at hand. Though my work has changed, I’m still facing a computer most days and, thankfully, on the perch at my art desk most evenings. This week, I am experimenting with two of my favorite things: birds and words. There are endless possibilities—the fun is figuring out which combination of birds, hand-drawn letters, layout, and… Read More
Jean Mackay
The Nature Explorer’s Sketchbook
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