Nature art & illustration blog by studio tuesday

Zebras illustration

2012-01-28T17:29:00.000-08:00

This is a 5x7" illustration commission I finished up about a week ago.

The zebras were tough to figure out how to transform into my style, although it looks obvious after seeing it. The baobab trees in the background were much easier to draw - and fun. They are an odd looking tree, but suit this minimal style well i think.

Below is a pre-watercolored scan of it.

Bird Eggs Drawing

2012-01-15T06:43:00.000-08:00

This was a little sketch I had lying around, I decided to finish it up and watercolor it. It is a collection of seabird eggs. Included are Terns, Gulls, Puffin, Murre, and Guillemot eggs

Print on Etsy

Still lifes and new landscape watercolor

2012-01-01T13:52:00.000-08:00

Some recent watercolors. Little objects are very fun to paint.

Also finished this miniature landscape this weekend. Measures 7 x 2½". This is Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Maine.

Click on the images to enlarge.

Dog portrait watercolor

2011-12-12T14:29:00.000-08:00

Several of the dog commissions I've done for Christmas.

New owl illustration and updates

2011-11-30T08:49:00.001-08:00

Here is a little owl illustration i finished up yesterday. A little grey owl in a forest of birches and falling leaves. I redrew this 3 times before I was finally happy with this one. Birch trees and leaves are particularly fun to draw.
Print available here.

The Shark tooth painting is taking a while to finish. There is a lot of detail and small work that is time consuming. But I'm happy with how it is turning out. Here are a couple more update pictures. Eventually they will all be labeled with corresponding names at the bottom.

Chesapeake Shark Teeth watercolor

2011-10-30T18:05:00.000-07:00

This weekend I have been working on a watercolor of the types of shark teeth found here in Maryland along the Chesapeake. I've been having a lot of fun doing the research for this project. Most of the shark teeth are from my own collection and it is fun to learn more about them.
I'll post more about this as I work on it.

I also got out on the Potomac and in addition to some decent shark teeth, found this Crocodile tooth. It's my first whole Croc tooth anywhere near this size so I was pretty happy.

Plesiosaur

2011-10-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

Just a little Plesiosaur doodle. Thinking about doing some Dinosaur illustrations.

New Illustration

2011-10-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

Recently finished a new 11x14" illustration, one of the few larger ones I've done. The lighthouse and stone wall is loosely based off Goose Island Lighthouse which is North of Tasmania (Australia).
I kind of like how the shrubs mimic the fan corals

Click for Full View

Details below

Dog watercolor

2011-10-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

I just finished this dog commission. It is part Boston Terrier, part Pug, aka a Bug.

Click to view full size.

Snowy Coast Christmas Card

2011-10-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

I spent the weekend inking various projects including another Christmas card, which I also managed to finish watercoloring. I'm pleased with how this one turned out as well, they are fun little scenes to imagine and create.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83490055/snowy-christmas-card-with-lighthouse-and

Christmas card

2011-10-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

I'm really looking forward to Christmas this year! I finished up my first Christmas card last night. I like watercoloring cozy little scenes like this. I might do a couple more different cards if I have time.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/83003574/lighthouse-christmas-card-with-whales

Mushroom watercolor.

2011-09-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

A quick 4x6" watercolor of an orange mushroom from yesterday's hike.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82057393/orange-mushroom-watercolor-print

Lab watercolor

2011-09-17T16:00:00.000-07:00

Been busy the past couple of weeks painting and finishing up commissions. Happy with how this lab commission turned out.

I managed to get out for a little hike today. I've never seen so many mushrooms at one time. Here are a few of my favorite shots. I especially liked these orange ones.

Also saw a lot of Jewelweed along the creeks and streams, another pretty orange. It is my favorite wildflower.

Dog Portrait Commission

2011-09-05T19:27:00.000-07:00

This is a detail from a commission I painted over the weekend. A cute pup named Diego. Pretty happy with how this one turned out.

Below is the painting in it's first stages of watercolor.

Fossils and Dinosaurs

2011-09-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

This Labor Day I took a trip to the Bay and looked for fossils and shark teeth. The highlights were a 1" Mako tooth (large tooth in bottom center) and a similar sized Sand Tiger. Not a terrible trip compared to my others from this summer.

On a similar topic I had fun making this collection of Dinosaur items on Etsy last night. The last few years I have become increasingly interested in the things I was interested in as a kid, dinosaurs being included.

Dinosaur Treasury - full view

Euoplocephalus lino... minouette $26.00	Nautilus design Ame... TypsyGypsyTees $20.00	Fossil Sharks Teeth... midnightcoiler $15.00
Triceratops Print twoems $26.00	Triceratops, Dinosa... TheWordShop $12.95	Original Origami Tr... ShukiKato $25.00
Art Original Illust... megashark $50.00	8x10 Stegosaurus Pr... trendypeas $24.00	Field Museum Chicag... geministudio $260.00
Champ the Plesiosau... nonesuchgarden $80.00	Black Sun T-Rex Din... SeeChangeDesig... $20.00	t-rex nursery art. ... lulufroot $20.00
4" Megalodon T... theladyoflette... $45.00	The Nautilus - 1st ... minouette $28.00	FREE SHIPPING Dinos... SissyLittle $89.99

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

2011-08-28T06:28:00.000-07:00

Working on a new landscape painting today. Hurricane Irene has passed. We didn't get much except some wind and steady rain all night. Still a little windy and wet outside.

This is a watercolor I did the other day of a Razorbill Egg. A seabird related to the extinct Great Auk. I like painting from life as much as possible, but this was done from photos I took at Matinicus Rock.

And a somewhat blurry photo of a Razorbill we saw at Egg Rock.

Puffin art

2011-08-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

A new watercolor for Project Puffin. A lot of the Puffins I saw in Maine were in the water like this, swimming around the nesting islands.

Troublesome Owl Illustrations

2011-08-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

My new project over at 100owls.com is going well. Slow, but steady. Owls, i've found, are fairly difficult to draw. Here are two new illustrations.

After I thought this illustration was finished (but not completely happy with it) it sat for over a month before I picked it up again and reworked parts of it. I think it's one of my favorites now, I'm especially happy with the depth and color.

The Great Grey Owl was tough to figure out how to draw in this style. But otherwise this one went smoothly. I started watercoloring this piece not exactly knowing what I wanted it to look like - usually this means I would be starting it over. After a few light washes I liked how it looked and quit. The snow added the rest. Sometimes spatter, texture, and weather can make or break the illustration.

Also a new shop!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/100owls

An extension of my main Etsy shop, this one is for all my owls.

Busy Weekend

2011-08-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

Just a quick studio shot of some fun orders that went out this week. I should have new art to post soon - I need to paint more seabirds to restock my show in Maine! For now I'm enjoying a rainy Sunday, drawing indoors.

Shark Week

2011-08-05T16:33:00.000-07:00

A new illustration of sharks , pilot fish, and a coral reef. Happy shark week!

Puffin watching

2011-08-02T18:28:00.000-07:00

On my first boat trip out to see the puffins, I was told to look for "flying footballs" to spot them. Sure enough when we pulled up to the island little football birds started flying past. Chunky and cute little guys.

Hmmm, contemplating... shall I do a flying football painting?

Puffin Colony

2011-07-31T07:08:00.001-07:00

A new puffin illustration. Watercolor and ink. Drawn after my visit to Maine and the Puffin colonies. This one in particular was inspired by my trip out to Matinicus Rock, one of the Puffin nesting islands.

We spent about 10 hours out on boats this day. First on a ferry to Vinalhaven, an island populated by mostly fishermen, and then on a lobster boat, which dropped off supplies and researchers at two of the Puffin islands. I was lucky enough to go ashore on Matinicus Rock and view the Puffins and Terns nesting there (and climb the lighthouse). The illustration was inspired by how the Puffins would gather together in little groups. I never knew they huddled so close together.

Also, here are two commissions that were a lot of fun to draw. Deep and Shallow Ocean Scenes.

Deep Ocean: Vampire Squid, Angler Fish, Eel, Plankton, and various Jellyfish

Shallow Sea: Octopus, Nautilus, Seahorses, Coral, Crabs, Anemones, Jellyfish, Starfish, Seaweed, and Fish

Maine Lighthouses

2011-07-25T20:16:00.001-07:00

Here are just a few lighthouses we saw in Maine. Had a lot of fun driving around and seeing them. I plan to paint them, which will keep me busy for quite a while.

Curtis Island Lighthouse in fog.

Marshall Point Lighthouse (above and below). I visited all the close ones in foggy and clear weather for some different pictures.

Owl's Head Lighthouse from the ferry

Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. Fun tide pools and rocks to explore.

New Landscapes

2011-07-23T18:08:00.000-07:00

A very new Etsy shop for my landscape watercolors.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/dslandscapes

Not much there at the moment but I will be adding to it.

This is Curtis Island Lighthouse, which sits on a little island at the entrance to Camden's Harbor.

Maine Trip - Wildlife and sea birds

2011-07-14T12:34:00.001-07:00

Saw a lot of great wildlife in Maine. Which included Puffins of course.

We visited 3 islands where they nest. The pictures above were taken on Matinicus Rock where I got to go ashore for a bit. This day we spent 8 hours on ferries and a lobster boat - a very fun adventure.

Also saw a lot of other cool seabirds, including this Murre (below).

Other fun wildlife included Seals, Minks, Loons, Eagles, Razorbills, Petrels, Cormorants, and Eiders.

Arctic Terns nesting on Matinicus Rock. Below is the baby tern i got to hold.

2011-07-11T19:18:00.000-07:00

A great trip to Maine, visiting seabird and Puffin colonies. And a lot of cool lighthouses. More about it later.

Project Puffin Show in Maine

2011-06-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

Off to Maine for a week. Show at Audubon's Project Puffin. Opening is July 6th, 5-7 pm.

311 Main Street
Rockland, ME 04841

Ring-billed Gull Watercolor

2011-06-22T20:47:00.001-07:00

A windy evening on the beach. This Gull was nestled in the folds of the sand.

New commissioned work

2011-06-21T15:13:00.000-07:00

Busy with commissions and getting ready for my show in Maine! Here are a couple of commissioned feather watercolors I painted the other week.

6 Owl Feathers. Really happy with all the detail in this one.

Detail of 6 Owl feathers. Click for larger view.

Great Horned Owl Feather. Painted life size - roughly 11.5"

Detail

Owl Illustrations

2011-06-11T15:43:00.001-07:00

I'm working on a new project. It will be 100 different illustrations of owls. So far I'm only on number 5, but you can check out and follow the project at 100owls.com.

More small bird illustrations

2011-06-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

A couple more from the series.

Atlantic Puffins

Royal Terns

Coastal Birds

2011-06-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

Been working on a series of birds off an on between projects. Small 3x3 illustrations. Here are a couple.

Quail Egg Series

2011-06-01T14:30:00.001-07:00

New quail egg watercolors.

New Quail Eggs

2011-05-29T10:42:00.000-07:00

Been doing a lot of painting. I just bought these blown quail eggs on Etsy for one of my next projects.

from http://www.etsy.com/shop/smilemercantile

May Fossil Trip

2011-05-26T14:00:00.001-07:00

Had a good day looking for fossils last weekend. Found a couple decent sized Mako teeth and even an arrowhead!

Puffins

2011-05-25T16:23:00.000-07:00

Some Puffin illustrations for a show in Maine.

2011-05-22T07:55:00.001-07:00

If you're near the Silver Spring, MD area you can check out my show at the Chesapeake Framing Company. It's a mix of watercolors and illustrations. Up till the end of June.

Chesapeake Framing
10507 Metropolitan Ave.
Kensington, MD 20895

Owl Illustrations

2011-05-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

Been drawing owls and puffins lately. Here are some of the owls!

New comic

2011-03-05T15:29:00.001-08:00

Hat comic. Watercolor and ink.

Click on panels for full size.

Dunes Watercolor

2011-02-20T17:56:00.001-08:00

A new watercolor print.

And some gull photos from Stone Harbor trips.

Sandpipers watercolor illustration

2011-02-19T14:04:00.000-08:00

New watercolor illustration in the shop!
Available as a print too.

Seashore watercolor sketches

2011-02-08T15:14:00.001-08:00

This one is from some watercolor sketches done on a vacation over the summer. Seaweeds and various crab parts found washed up on the beach.

Process of a custom watercolor illustration

2011-02-06T10:06:00.000-08:00

This is a recent 11x14" watercolor commission I finished. The client wanted a night scene, with a lighthouse, whale, moon, and other fun sea creatures.

Preliminary sketch of idea. Sea creatures include octopus, fish, anemones, and starfish.

After feedback from client, some fun improvements include a baby whale and the light beam from lighthouse.

Illustration is started. Design is lightly drawn in pencil and then inked.
Drawn on 300lb., hot press watercolor paper, which is a heavy weight paper with a relatively smooth surface. India ink is used because it is waterproof, doesn't smudge, and doesn't fade.

First inking completed.

The first layers of watercolor.

First layer of sky painted. Additional layers added on waves.

Sky almost complete after 4 layers of watercolor.

Animals, seaweed and other details painted (my favorite part). Water painted with 3-4 more thin layers. Large rock added on coast to address a slightly awkward empty area.

Many lines are reinked at this point to sharpen and darken after the watercolor, additional bubbles and other details added. Some lines are thickened as well to give a sense of depth.
Sent to client for feedback.

Finished painting. Give the full view a look!

Clients only wish was to change the stripes in the lighthouse to red. This can be tricky and involves scrubbing out the watercolor and repainting. But I think it was a big improvement and added some needed color in the top half.
Final touches include more texture in the water, detail in the house, and some more small stars.

Sketches for Iceberg Illustration

2011-01-30T09:06:00.000-08:00

I found these preliminary sketches for one of the early whale illustrations and thought they were kind of neat. I don't usually do this much sketching for them, but I was still working out the style and size here.

Here is the finished illustration.

Fox and Moon Watercolor Illustration

2011-01-19T19:58:00.000-08:00

A new watercolor illustration. These night scenes are pretty fun to paint. Happy with how these colors came out.

In Etsy Shop

Fossil Shark Tooth Collection

2011-01-13T16:45:00.001-08:00

I like collecting things.
I've amassed a pretty good collection of fossilized shark teeth. It's fun hunting for them and I've seen a lot of wildlife and other interesting things while searching for these.

These were collected in Maryland, along the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. I've also found arrowheads, Native American beads, other fossils - including Crocodile teeth and coral, and a lot of sea glass!

Watercolor Studio Photo

2011-01-13T16:38:00.000-08:00

A quick photo of my work table.

Fishing Bobbers Watercolor Painting

2011-01-09T16:18:00.001-08:00

This is a watercolor doodle I did yesterday of my collection of fishing bobbers. Collected on trips to the beach, walks, and other adventures. Check out the large view!

Click image to view larger.

Ocean and Seashore Illustrated Alphabet

2011-01-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

Here is the finished alphabet!

In my shop as an 8x10" Print.
Large 11x14" print will be available soon!

Ocean Alphabet

2011-01-08T11:39:00.000-08:00

B, C, and D

Ocean ABCs

2011-01-07T17:54:00.000-08:00

A couple more from my alphabet illustration.

Ocean Alphabet

2011-01-06T20:50:00.000-08:00

Almost finished with a new project. It's an illustrated alphabet of the ocean. Here's a little preview of E, F, and G.

Octopus Garden Illustration

2011-01-05T17:38:00.000-08:00

New illustration of a busy octopus garden. With sounds. This one was fun to draw.

Commissions

2010-12-27T16:27:00.000-08:00

December was a busy month. I even had to take a week off of work to finish paintings. Thanks to all who have bought my work and have supported my art in other ways! Here are some of the commissions from the last month.

8x10" watercolor

5x7" watercolor/pencil

Detail from "Sandpipers" 11x14" watercolor/ink

Commissions

2010-12-12T10:44:00.000-08:00

Busy with commissions. More after Christmas.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Forest Glen

2010-11-19T20:36:00.000-08:00

I thought I would write about where I live, because it's a pretty interesting place. It's now called the National Park Seminary. I'll give some history of it another time, but essentially it was an abandoned school campus from the late 1800s.

The land contains a lot of interesting buildings, including a Japanese pagoda, a Dutch Windmill, a Spanish Villa, and a small castle. Many of the statues scattered around the grounds are still there as well.

This is the abandoned Spanish Villa. In the foreground are stones stairs and a well. I love how you can still see the landscaping, now overgrown and wild. You can even pick out the same pines from this old picture.

This is one of the large statues on the property, probably my favorite one. It's back faces an old road that I like to walk down. Songbirds feed on the road, hawks hunt along it, and deer, foxes and raccoons live in the nearby woods. It is a good place to look for wildlife.

You can see how large and impressive the statue is from this old picture. It's size makes very surreal and a little creepy as it looms over the shrubs and stares into the woods. This place is melancholy. It feels like something out of Lord of the Rings or Hellboy.

More later...

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

2010-11-15T18:37:00.000-08:00

New linocut. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

This is one of the reference photos I took. It's feeding holes look like someone fired a mini cartoon machine gun into the tree.

Wolf Paintings

2010-11-12T16:55:00.000-08:00

The other evening i was taking a walk and saw a red fox trotting through the woods and across an old road. This new sighting has only fueled my new obsession with wolves and foxes.

I think one of the hardest things about painting wildlife, especially foxes and wolves, is not making a cheesy painting. Here's a couple really nice (and not cheesy) wolf paintings that have been inspiring me.

The Black Wolf of the Currumpaw (1894) by Ernest Thompson Seton

This one was painted by Danna Ray, a fellow artist selling on Etsy. Take a look at her awesome work here: http://www.dannaray.com/

This one just makes me really happy.

Carolina Wren

2010-11-07T09:35:00.001-08:00

I painted this watercolor of a Carolina Wren over the weekend. They are funny little birds. I watched one this morning on an old well and stone wall, peeking its head into every little nook and crevice. Sometimes it looks like they dart around exploring just for fun.

Also, they sound like a tiny squeak toy being rapidly squeezed.

This is a photo I took last winter of one.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/60986542/5x7-print-carolina-wren-watercolor

Ocean Creature Series

2010-11-04T19:36:00.000-07:00

I just finished this series of fun little ocean creatures. These were fun mini watercolors to paint and very minimal planning was involved. I started doodling in little 3x3" squares which became these paintings.
I drew stuff like this a lot when I was a kid, especially sharks and anemones.

Nuthatch

2010-10-31T14:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween. Here's a little sketch of a White-breasted Nuthatch.

Fishing Lures

2010-10-11T17:13:00.000-07:00

I made this ink and watercolor doodle last night of my collection of fishing lures. I think they are such odd and fun little objects. I like how this one turned out a lot. I think I'll try to do more drawings like this.

Here's an older watercolor of one too.

Vacation

2010-09-01T20:01:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my vacation at the beach in Stone Harbor, New Jersey. Saw lots of cool birds, animals, and plants and took hundreds of pictures.

A Black-crowned Night Heron.
Happened to have my camera when I saw this guy early in the morning.

I like this lucky shot of some shorebirds flying off.

A Turnstone. Didn't notice it was banded until I looked through the pictures. I think this has become one of my favorite shorebirds.

I managed to get this painted while I was away too. This small horseshoe crab had really interesting color variation in it's shell.

Beach combing and Manta Ray Illustration

2010-08-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a little illustration i managed to finish the other day. I like the variety of little things in this one.

Also went beach combing today and picked up a few things to paint.

Help the Gulf Coast

2010-07-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

My print at the HelptheGulfCoast Etsy Shop sold!

You can find my Hot Air Balloon print there now:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/51736412/hot-air-balloon-festival

All proceeds are donated to the recovery effort. Check out the shop for details.

Little Turtle

2010-07-19T18:14:00.000-07:00

Fooling around. This may turn into a larger illustration - i like how the fan coral turned out.

More Shells Studies

2010-07-12T13:08:00.000-07:00

Painted mussel shells today. Watercolor.

Help the Gulf Coast

2010-07-10T08:11:00.000-07:00

Check out this collective Etsy shop created to help the oil spill in the Gulf Coast. 100% of the proceeds are donated to the National Wildlife Federation and OxFam America.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/HelpTheGulfCoast

For more info and details about the donations you can visit the blog here:
http://www.helpthegulfcoastetsy.blogspot.com

I've donated this print

Lots of other great handmade stuff too. You can use the sections to help navigate it all.

Periwinkles collection

2010-07-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

Here is a painting i just finished of my collection of periwinkles.
I picked them up off a beach in Nova Scotia when i was a little kid. I've always loved their variety of patterns and textures. Recently i've been interested in botanical illustrations and this is somewhat inspired by them.

Anyway, prints of this are available in my shop now.

Also, this is a cool blog i found the other day. http://collectionaday2010.blogspot.com/
She posts a different little collection every day.

New Work

2010-07-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

Recently I've been working on some picture books and comics involving my whale illustrations. That took a lot of energy away from this blog, but I'm hoping to update it more often now.

Here is a recent commission I finished. Macintosh:

More later.

2010-04-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went fossil hunting/beach combing. Found some decent sea glass and my first not broken crocodile tooth (bottom center) - a little small, but still very cool! Found a fair amount of shark teeth also but nothing especially big. Saw a few snakes and a TINY baby snapping turtle the size of a beetle. Also managed to stop the beginnings of a forest fire from someones poorly disposed of camp fire.

Plover Watercolor

2010-04-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

I put up a new original watercolor for sale at my Etsy Shop. Check out the listing for more info. Also should have some more bird paintings up in the next few days/weeks.

Linocut Experiments

2010-03-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

Today I experimented with some block printing. I love the look of block prints and have decided I'll invest some time and make more.

This is my first linoleum cut - its a Common Tern. The carving was easier than I expected and the printing was harder than I expected. I can already tell I will enjoy the carving and the printing will annoy me... especially when I upgrade to oil based inks.

Played around with my stamps and some watercolor too.

Magnolia Pod Print

2010-03-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

New watercolor and a series of process photos.

Magnolia Pod prints. Available in my Etsy Shop.

Whales at the Coast

2010-03-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

New large 11x14" whale print available at my Etsy Shop. This one is a rocky coast scene with a lighthouse, 6 whales, and other ocean creatures. I'll be adding an 8x10" size tomorrow.

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=42770959

Feature at Project Cottage

2010-03-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

Kelly at Project Cottage wrote up a cool little article about me and my artwork, specifically my whale series. Go check out the feature and her neat blog!

Brookside Gardens, MD

2010-03-05T12:33:00.000-08:00

Went bird watching today in and around Brookside gardens. Didn't see anything too exciting, just the usuals: a few different woodpeckers, white-throated sparrows, cardinals, etc. But still a nice trip.

This song sparrow had a very pretty song and was really the only decent bird shot I got. The photos I got of the white-throated sparrows are decent enough to paint from - they are attractive birds, maybe I'll paint one soon.

The earliest blooming plants were out and that was nice to see.

A patch of snowdrops

Helleborus

Witch hazel is fun to photograph. I think I want one in my yard at some point. Here are a few shots of it.

This was a flowering bulb I don't remember seeing before called Winter Aconite. Low growing and very bright.

Weekly Wildlife Photos

2010-03-04T13:34:00.000-08:00

Some shorebirds for this weeks wildlife picks.

Oyster Catcher by Winnu. Some of the most amazing bird photos I've seen. A must see.

Piping Plover Chick by William Dalton. Wonderful collection of wildlife and outdoor photos.

Black Skimmers by Brett NJ. Really nice collection of New Jersey wildlife.

Studio Tuesday Interview

2010-03-03T16:20:00.000-08:00

Vintage Indie featured me as their artist of the week. Check out the feature and my interview here!

Windy Fossil Hunting Trip

2010-03-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

I made it out to the Chesapeake Bay yesterday to hunt for some shark teeth and other fossils. The wind was pretty brutal, but it was a good trip - one of the best trips I've had to this particular location. Maybe all the recent snowstorms helped.

I found several good sized Snaggletooth Shark teeth - which is the largest tooth in the photo below.

Here are the days finds. The highlights include a large Sand Tiger tooth (the long tooth next to the glass) and the largest Ray teeth plate I've found (the comb looking thing in the center).

The sand tiger tooth - almost an inch and a half - made the trip a success.

2010-02-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

Leigh Ann of Junipurr put together a nice collection of birds from different Etsy Shops and included one of my whale illustrations with Puffins. Check out her blog and all the birds here.

Here are a couple of my favorites from the collection.

Bird Card by mirkah

The Key (Miniature Cut Paper Art Print Pendant) by ruralpearl

Weekly Wildlife Photos

2010-02-25T13:27:00.001-08:00

A great shot of a hare in action from Chris Sharratt

A beautiful red fox from rroby

A Red Squirrel. Some great photos of British Wildlife by GZA1970

U for Urchin

2010-02-18T11:56:00.001-08:00

U for Urchin

J and O

2010-02-16T14:24:00.003-08:00

A couple more watercolor additions to the mini nature alphabet.

J for Jingle Shell

O for Obsidian

Weekly Wildlife Photos

2010-02-16T08:58:00.000-08:00

Been stuck inside. Itching to go on an adventure.

Here is the first of a weekly feature that will showcase great wildlife photography on Flikr. Enjoy.

Great Grey Owl.
Harold Stiver has a great photostream of birds and landscapes.

Bobcat kitten
A lot of great nature and Bobcat images in Bocriss' photostream.

A really nice Great Horned Owl
from Raymond Lee Photography

F for Feather

2010-02-15T11:21:00.000-08:00

F for Feather

Q is for Quail Egg

2010-02-14T13:35:00.000-08:00

My new project is creating a miniature nature alphabet. It is series of paintings depicting small objects painted life size - one for each letter of the alphabet. I'm starting in no particular order, here is...

Q for Quail Egg

Blizzard

2010-02-05T16:08:00.000-08:00

Wow. This is the most snow I've seen in DC... I suppose it's the most snow I've EVER seen.

When it stops snowing I think I'll go out on a walk with my camera.
Some more bird pictures for now.

Red-bellied Woodpecker at the feeder

Dark-eyed Junco

Tufted Titmouse

Snowstorm

2010-02-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

We had a snowstorm the other day. Our bird feeders become extra busy when other food is snowed over. It's always a good time to sit inside and do some backyard birdwatching.

Lots of Woodpeckers, Wrens, Chickadees, Juncos, Blue Jays, and more.

A cold Mourning Dove in a Dogwood

Female Cardinal in a Shrubbery

Peanuts for squirrel

Tufted Titmouse nabs a peanut!

Acorn Prints

2010-02-01T13:52:00.000-08:00

Been adding some acorn prints to my Etsy Shop.