Stopped in My Tracks
While out for a run last week, this giant mushroom on the side of the road quite literally stopped me in my tracks. I took a quick look and knew I had to sketch it. Driven by curiosity and enthusiasm, I managed one of my fastest two miles in recent memory completing a loop that led me back to it. The mushroom was so large it wouldn’t fit life-sized in my sketchbook, so I used a 9×12” sheet of watercolor paper. I’ve since returned to the small grouping of mushrooms where this… Read More
Spring Begins with Yellow
Bright pops of color against a landscape of brown, gray, and increasing green, who wouldn’t be happy about yellow flowers in early spring? Not only are we heartened by the blooms, so too are the flowers’ pollinators. Flies are among the first insects to awaken in spring. It turns out that they lack color vision, but they can perceive bright blooms against a darker background. And although they add moments of annoyance while sketching, I have to give them their due in service of spring. Tips & Techniques– If you want to… Read More
A Welcome Sign
Today, I bring you Skunk Cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus, one of my favorite spring plants. I love its hardy nature– poking up even through the cold ground in its eagerness to welcome spring. Its hooded spathe and hidden spadix are gorgeous, if perhaps overlooked or underappreciated. Its roots are also absolutely incredible: strong, deep, and grounded. And its unfurling green leaves, bright in sunlit wet woodlands, are a reminder to tap our own inner strength, push through the mud of adversity, and shine forth.
Low Tide Sampler
I’m continuing to explore tidepool life from our recent trip to California, while it snows on our daffodils here in New York. This Low Tide Sampler includes several phyla of animals commonly found along the coast. Species within each group share characteristic traits and, once you get to know them, it becomes easier to identify species that are new to you and to recognize features that resemble their relatives. The Pacific sand dollar, for example, is like a flattened sea urchin; its five starred pattern resembles its relatives, the starfish. I especially… Read More
Get Sketching!
It’s that time of year when I’m eager to put pen to paper, but cold, gray days dampen my enthusiasm for going outside. It’s the perfect time for my annual pilgrimage to the Pember Museum of Natural History in Granville, NY. Open just a few hours on Saturdays, I arrive and get to work quickly. There are so many choices amidst the wealth of specimens, but I’m always drawn first to the nests and eggs. From there, I branch out to birds and insects. I focus intently, keep my pen moving, and… Read More
Winter Flowers
Mop-topped goldenrod dance in the frozen field. I find them a fitting celebration of winter: stark and windswept, but still lively and lovely, especially when tinged with frost. I like walking out into the cold field and sketching a few right in place, feeling the same air and wind that chills and rattles their thin leaves. I also appreciate being able to take a few home to study and sketch without wind or gloves. On this first day of winter, I wish you a season full of new discoveries, unexpected gifts, and… Read More
Along the Roadside: November
If you were to walk along the roadside here, you would see a landscape of tawny browns, russets, and grays, mixed with pale ochres and faded greens. But every now and then, a pop of red hangs on, waiting for wind or birds to snatch it away. It’s late November’s palette. I appreciate its bright surprises, glinting in the cold sun. Tips and Techniques- Even when it’s cold, I often take my sketchbook with me when out for a walk. I stop to sketch what catches my attention and hope that a… Read More
Indian Summer
Back in my own habitat this week, I enjoyed sitting and sketching in the field in the warmth of Indian summer sunshine. The goldenrod is in its glory, while other plants are fading. Still, I like showing flowers past peak and I find their curling petals and dried seedheads as worthy of sketching now as when they were in their prime. Tips and Techniques– Consider not only what you want to convey with your subject, but also how you want your page to feel. After sketching this page using a sepia 005… Read More
Diving into Seaweed
How often have you walked along the seashore or a rocky beach and not given a second glance at one of the most important players in the ocean: seaweed. Seaweed, or marine algae, live in the marginal world between the tides and in deeper waters where sunlight still penetrates. Arguably, they are the key to life for the world’s oceans and the larger species that we notice and care about. But as an artist, the variety, color, and beauty of algae are just as fascinating. Seaweeds are identified and grouped by the… Read More
Finally! Mushrooms
I’ve been waiting patiently for mushrooms to come. It’s been hot and humid. It rained. It was humid again. Perfect mushroom weather. Still, I waited. Mushrooms, it seems, have a mind of their own. Some years they come. Others, they don’t. One year there are twenty or more varieties. The next year ten. And then, finally, they appeared. I seized the moment and here’s the result. Tips and Techniques– If you are a fungi enthusiast—or are intrigued to know more—I highly recommend Drawing and Painting Fungi, An artist’s guide to finding and… Read More
