I’ve had some forced time off the bikes this past month. Usually I spend about nine hours a week on my mountain bikes. Trying to make lemonade out of lemons, and having a bit of extra time, I started doing … Continued
Over the years I’ve learned that most wasps, bees and hornets are pretty tolerant of humans, and if you approach them carefully, they leave you alone.
We’d usually start looking for the spiders after the towel fights got out of hand…
Here’s another sketch from photos I took at the Hershey Gardens’ Butterfly House. I look forward to painting it! This butterfly is native to most of South America.
Tan Jumping Spider (Platycryptus undatus) I love these curious little jumping spiders! I’ve painted many different types in the past, but this is new to the collection. The Tan Jumper is one of the more common species found in Michigan. Globally … Continued
Yes, another Jumping Spider! I can’t get enough of these endearing arthropods. I’m looking forward to seeing them again this spring. Occasionally I’ll come across one in the house in the winter and wonder what the little guy is finding … Continued
Yes, it is a watercolor painting of a spider. Sorry if you’re not a fan, but I really like jumping spiders and enjoy photographing, drawing and painting them. These interesting little guys are ambush predators, pouncing on their prey much like a … Continued
“My name is Matt, and I like Jumping Spiders.” Typically when people see my photos, sketches or paintings of jumping spiders, I hear the same things: “Yuck!” “The only place I want to see that is on the bottom of my … Continued
Most spiders get a bad rap. Almost all are beneficial, devouring garden pests and presenting no harm to humans whatsoever. Sure, some have a sinister look to them, but they mostly live their lives hiding out, waiting for their next meal. In … Continued
As you can tell from the content, I intended to post this a few weeks ago, but my spare time was spent birding… Yes! I love spring. I always get excited by the reappearance of plants and animals that didn’t attempt to tough out … Continued