June
It’s been a while since I took my sketchbook for a walk. That’s mainly because I’ve been cycling more than walking lately in preparation for a bike tour in July. In a few weeks I’ll be cycling 400 miles from Buffalo to Albany, New York, with the Cycle the Erie Canal ride. It’s an eight-day tour that attracts 650 cyclists from all over the country each year. I’m excited, but also nervous about riding 50-60 miles a day. Hence, the training. But even at cycling speed I’ve enjoyed noticing what’s blooming— vetch… Read More
Odds and Ends
It’s been much too hot and humid to be outside, let alone sketch outdoors. So, I pulled out some things that I have wanted to paint but haven’t made time for. The seaweed floats are from a trip to California several months ago where I picked them up dry from the beach and stowed them home. I had read that you can rewet seaweed and lo and behold, it’s true! I put them in a tray of water and they went from blackened dried up bits of algae to beautiful floating fronds…. Read More
Not quite finished
Every time I thought I was finished with this journal page, something else begged to be included. First, an additional flower, then another flower pod, another leaf, and finally two seed heads. But while I was adding the seedheads, several ebony jewelwings appeared and I thought, okay, yes, you can be part of this too. So here it is, a week of poppies come and gone and a week of painting in the garden. It’s time to turn the page. Tips & Techniques– While it is important to plan your composition and… Read More
If you build it…
Since we moved to our house five years ago, we’ve been converting several areas that were formerly maintained as mown lawn to meadow. This is the first year that wildflowers and milkweed from seeds sown and scattered are blooming and it’s a delight to see butterflies, bees, and dragonflies take notice. A monarch caterpillar was our best resident to date, and I’m glad I sketched it before it either became a juicy meal for a lucky bird or crawled off and hid itself to begin its transformation. Alas, it has been a… Read More
Jean Mackay
The Nature Explorer’s Sketchbook
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