Tools of the Trade
Wishing you a good weekend filled with art, art supplies, or both. Tips & Techniques– I recently made a sketch of my art supplies using sepia ink. I was happy with the way it came out, but also eager to do it again in color. I always learn a lot from painting ordinary objects. They force me to figure out how to approach different textures or consider new layouts. Doing a page like this is sort of like putting together a puzzle– figuring out what the picture will look like as you… Read More
Unexpected Connections
A sudden flash of white-and-black wings lifts from the roadside and then vanishes just as quickly into the field. Only one bird shows so much white in winter: the snow bunting. In good years, I spot them at the edges of nearby agricultural fields where they forage for seeds. Snow buntings are birds of the high Arctic that come south to the northern U.S. and Canada in winter. After painting these birds, I went looking for images of their eggs to add to the page. I was delighted to discover a nest… Read More
Silver Lining
The silver lining of the past week’s snow and cold is the flock of juncos that are hanging out on our back porch every day. We put up an extra bird feeder there to help them through the freezing weather and heavy snow. Unfortunately, my perch for sketching by our back porch door has proven rather drafty— the birds are surviving the chill far better than I am. Sketched in pencil in a Handbook Journal Co. sketchbook with 140lb cold press watercolor paper, Micron 005 black pen for the text, and watercolors-… Read More
Frozen
With much of the U.S. locked in single‑digit temperatures and snowstorms, it felt like the perfect moment to embrace the cold and venture into the depths of our freezer— which had evolved into a gigantic, cluttered heap of unidentifiable objects. I decided to make the most of this otherwise uninspiring chore by sketching my findings, partly for posterity and partly to prove I survived the expedition. When I unearthed seven bags of peas and corn, I knew I’d made the right call. And so, at the risk of oversharing, here’s the inventory…. Read More
Snow Caps
It felt so great to get outside to sketch yesterday afternoon, even in snow. I’ve painted these flowers in summer, fall, and now winter. They look rather handsome in their snow caps, don’t you agree? Tips & Techniques– Take the bare minimum of art supplies– pencil or pen and sketchbook– outside when it’s cold, and choose a subject that you can sketch quickly. I used a Micron 005 sepia pen in my Handbook Journal Co.140lb watercolor journal. Inside, I painted with QoR watercolors, using predominantly cobalt blue and raw sienna for the… Read More
Zooming Out, Looking Ahead
The “research phase” has officially begun for my summer workshop, Drawn to Nature, at Madeline Island School of the Arts on Lake Superior, July 20–24, 2026. I’m starting with the wide view—looking at the Great Lakes as a whole—before narrowing in on Lake Superior and the many things that make Madeline Island so special. Drawing a map always helps me focus. It gives me a sense of the land, water, and geography that shape a place. From there, I begin layering in plant communities, wildlife, and human history—the roots from which cultural… Read More
Winter Birches
“It was one of those winter days that suddenly dream of spring.” – Shirley Jackson You know those days—when the sun comes out and the wind drops, when you can see a bit of color in a shadow, and hints of grass show through melting snow. When geese are flying overhead in magnificent noisy flocks. We were lucky to have a few days like that recently. Not warm enough for a real thaw, but welcome just the same. Tips and Techniques– Use the negative shapes between trunks and branches when drawing trees…. Read More
Nests Nine and Ten
I sketched 10 bird nests in the last year. Some with just ink, some with watercolor. Some from collections, some discovered in the wild. Does 10 seem like a lot—or like it hardly scratches the surface? Nests nine and 10 are drawn from the same Red-winged Blackbird nest, collected in 1896 in Phelps, New York. I discovered it during a recent visit to the New York State Museum ornithology collection. I love these nests for their intricate weave of cattails and marsh grasses and for the way the larger strands illuminate the… Read More
The Gift of Time
I had a lot of fun drawing art supplies this week. During the busy holiday season, it’s been great to take time to sketch something every day. As I worked, I thought about my favorite tools, but also about how much more important time is to developing art skills. And so, while I hope that Santa slips a new paint brush or pen into your stocking, my greater wish is that you find time for regular creative practice in the New Year. Take a class, treat yourself to a weeklong workshop, or… Read More
Winter’s Cache
Last week’s snowfall coated nearby fields and hedgerows and, lucky for me, left little clumps of snow atop of bird nests that were formerly hidden. I waded into the shrubby field adjacent to our house to have a look around. It didn’t take long before I found several nests amidst the waist-high goldenrod, thorny vines, shrubs, and pioneer white pines. This one had been repurposed by mice as a larder of bittersweet and rose hips. Though not an unusual practice, it was a rather colorful surprise and quite worth the cold feet… Read More
Drawn In 