Hot Topic
My desk and my free time have been given over to mushrooms– the best thing to come of our recent exceedingly hot, humid weather. The area under a small grove of oaks in our yard has been very productive. Many mushrooms form mycorrhizal relationships with plants, and oaks have particular fungi associated with them. In this partnership, the fungus provides the tree with nutrients, especially phosphorus, while the tree gives the fungus carbon. Over the years, I’ve tried to track and record as many species as I can, though it’s a challenge. Identifying… Read More
Portugal, Part 3: Cultural Heritage
In the Alentejo region of Portugal, the sweet clanging of livestock bells became part of the soundscape of our workshop at Sofia in Monsaraz. Sheep grazed under the olive groves just beyond our hotel, and we passed them each day on the way to and from the workshop site. I had read about these bells before the trip, so I was thrilled to find an exhibit about them at the Museum of Natural History and Science in Lisbon. Chocalhos, the traditional livestock bells of Portugal, are UNESCO listed for their Intangible Cultural… Read More
Portugal, Part 2: Olive Trees
Portugal’s Alentejo region is known for its olive groves, olive oil, and ancient trees. During my recent workshop at Sofia in Monsaraz, our group passed century-old olive trees lining a farm road on our daily walk between the hotel and the retreat site. I loved imagining their many years in the sun: sheltering sheep, bearing fruit, and growing more gnarled year by year, until each one developed its own distinct personality. I could draw olive trees for days and never tire of them. But time was short, so I only had the… Read More
Portugal, Part 1
I’ve just returned from a fascinating and rewarding trip to Portugal, where I taught a workshop at Sofia in Monsaraz. It was my first visit to the country, and I was captivated by the artistry on display in both Lisbon and the more remote Alentejo region, where we traveled for the workshop. Ceramic-tiled buildings, patterned stone walkways, ornate religious vestments, hand-loomed rugs, colorful pottery—I wanted to draw it all. I don’t often create such an elaborate opening page for a trip, but inspired by tile motifs and frequent sightings of House Martins,… Read More
Tiny Signs of Spring
I began this page in late March when the first daffodils began to poke from the ground and a few green buds appeared on the lilacs. I thought I’d capture spring’s tiny, tentative first steps: woodcocks calling, the phoebe’s return, flowering red maple. I hope you’ve noticed these things too and can make time to get outside to watch the great unfolding of the new season. Tips and Techniques-I find doing a composite page that evolves a little bit each week really helpful in early spring. It motivates me to get outside… Read More
Collecting on Paper 2026
One of my favorite things to do at this time of year is to fill my sketchbook with specimens from a nature center or museum. There are always so many fascinating things to discover, and I enjoy the challenge of arranging them together on a single page. If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ve seen similar pages before. Here’s this year’s collection, plus a few selections from prior years. Tips and Techniques– Sketching in museums and nature centers is a defining part of my work and I can’t recommend it highly… Read More
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
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
Grateful
Sending you good wishes, a bit of November beauty, and gratitude on this Thanksgiving holiday! I’m grateful to you for taking time in your life for art and for your kind “likes” and comments on my posts. It’s a strange thing to send my sketchbook pages out into the world each week and not really know where they go. I’m grateful to those of you who I’ve met in person or online who thank me for being on the receiving end. I’m also grateful for the wonderful artists who take my classes— I love… Read More
Golden Hour
Last weekend I had the pleasure of teaching a four-day botanical and nature sketching retreat at The Ashokan Center in the Catskill Mountains. Hosted by Draw Botanical, it was a joy to work alongside the amazingly accomplished Wendy Hollender, Lara Call Gastinger, Giacomina Ferrillo, Vern Fannin, and nearly 70 participants. I started this page during a session I led on “Sketching on the Go.” It was late afternoon and the setting sun’s still warm light cast its last glow over fields and woods. But really, anytime I get an hour to sketch… Read More
Jean Mackay
The Nature Explorer’s Sketchbook
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Drawn In 