Category: nature

on the first day of daily drawing.

If you haven’t been keeping up with my daily notes, then you may also be unaware that I’ve dubbed March 2023 a month called #mARTch and am planning on drawing, sketching, painting, and otherwise being squwetchy all through the 31 days of this month, As I write this, the first day of March is essentially three quarters over, but I’ve fulfilled my end of that bargain and already produced a not-terrible watercolour. In my planning

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of a hundred little bugs.

Did I mention that I have a biology degree? It factors into this post, so it’s worth mentioning now. Bachelor of Science with a specialization in molecular genetics and minor in entomology, convocation 1999. I can’t say that I’ve used it much in my career, though having it has opened numerous doors. And occasionally it rears up as a useful bit of dormant knowledge in my head such as when I need to help my

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of a million little leaves.

The autumn weather and colours brought me on a long wandering walk this past weekend through the rolling single-track trails of our local river valley. Fifteen minutes of brisk strolling in the direction of the parklike preserve finds multiple opportunities to step into a wilderness that changes with the season. For a few days, literally only days, each year the trail is a glorious canopy of oranges and yellows, and on rare days it is

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of nature studies and pinecones.

Autumn arrived like an express train, passing between the trees with a gust of chilly wind and leaving behind a noticeable change in the mood. The leaves changed colour with its arrival, folding from a mature, ripe green hue to patterns of orange and red and yellow and brown. These are colours to which I have learned this year to give new names: ochre, umber, rust, and olive. While I spent hours of my weekend

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of curious wildlife.

It didn’t take long for me to become a paper fanatic after I started working on my art more. One sketchbook lead to three or four sketchbooks which lead to a small stack of books, pads, and bricks, each designated for a purpose or a theme or a specific style of art. I have a hardcover sketch book just for drawing people. I have a coiled watercolour pad just for scenes painted from photos. I

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