Halloween Bird Hats!

This is the sixth year that I’ve made Halloween costumes for one or both kids. I guess they really haven’t been costumes so much as hats. One drawback is that the kids have to spend a lot of time explaining … Continued

Katydid Pencil Sketch p 55

posted in: Sketchbook, Sketches | 2

“Grasshopper!” That is the usual answer that I get when people have seen sketches or photos that I’ve taken of katydids. That is a pretty reasonable guess.  Katydids, grasshoppers and crickets all belong to the order Orthoptera. The katydids certainly … Continued

Carolina Wren Pencil Sketch p54

One Carolina Wren wasn’t enough! These cute birds can make quite a racket at times. The males are exceptionally vocal, making a “teakettle-teakettle-teakettle” call. These wrens are also known for making nests in odd places. I’ve seen photos of their … Continued

Carolina Wren Pencil Sketch p52

posted in: Sketchbook, Sketches | 0

I like the Carolina Wrens. I’m always impressed that they brave the frigid cold and stay around all winter. In the bitter weather they regularly hide in our window wells to get out of the harsh wind, snow and cold. … Continued

Jumping Spider on Daisy Step-by-step Transparent Watercolor

Well, you can’t accuse me of selling out. While I love jumping spiders, I can’t imagine there is a huge market for detailed watercolors of them. Maybe I’ll be proved wrong. For a while frogs and toads were among my … Continued

Assassins in the Backyard!

posted in: Photos | 0

As the cold weather gets ready arrive in mid-Michigan I’ve been trying to photograph the last of the insects and spiders. I found  these two fascinating specimens in our garden. Both are true bugs of the order Hemiptera. Hemipteran insects … Continued

Spur-winged Plover Pencil Sketch p51

posted in: Sketchbook, Sketches | 0

This is a pencil sketch of a Spur-winged Plover (Vanellus spinosus) from the Toledo Zoo. They are also sometimes called Spur-winged Lapwings. They get their name from a claw-like spur hidden under each wing. The birds are common in sub-Saharan … Continued

Male Crested Wood Partridge Pencil Sketch p50

posted in: Sketchbook, Sketches | 0

Page 50. I’m now halfway through my hard bound sketchbook without any major artistic disasters!  The pressure is on to have a strong finish in the second half. The cover and binding of the sketchbook is starting to get pretty … Continued

Reckless Jumper Pencil Sketch (Pelegrina proverta) p49

posted in: Photos, Sketchbook, Sketches, Spider art | 0

Over the past few years I’ve become more and more interested in jumping spiders. It is a real challenge to photograph them in order to get drawing and painting references. Sometimes I photograph them in the field, and other times … Continued