Let’s switch for a minute to the Southwest. My sister sent this organic sculptural ensemble from Arizona. We have always referred to the individual piece as Cat’s claw. However, when I googled the plant name today, I couldn’t find any images that matched the dried fruit(?). Everything referred to the thorns on the Cat Claw […]
Monthly Archives: May 2009
A Sweetbay Celebration
A few Saturday’s ago, I wandered down the tree line in back of the house to the multi-trunked Sweetbay, Magnolia virginiana L., in hopes that there were still fresh blooms to paint. I had my watercolor sketchbook, travel set of holbein watercolors and my NIJI waterbrush. No campstool. No pencil. I just wanted to paint! […]
Memorial Day at the Beach
Highlights of the day; a good sized pod of Bottle-nosed Dolphin swam by not too far off shore, but what really made my heart soar was watching children collecting Starfish in shallow pools left behind by the receding tide and bringing them down to the ocean to throw them into deep water. I couldn’t contain […]
Mississippi Kite and Fast Sketching Techniques
I saw my first Mississippi Kite, Ictinia mississippiensis, in April of 2008. Of course, I was walking the dogs which made identifying any field marks near to impossible, given the distance between us and the perched bird. Yes, luckily it was perched in a dead tree that was at the edge of a small patch […]
Bloomin’ Wetlands
My favorite boardwalk trail through the wetlands is blooming away. Pickerelweed, Pontederia cordata, is a favorite of mine. Are the flowers blue or purple or both? Something I pondered for quite awhile before doing this painting. When I first started walking this trail, 3 years ago, Pickerelweed was the dominate plant. It now makes a […]
Kildeer Family Encounter
Over the last month, Rob and I have been noticing a pair of Kildeer hanging out in the same spot close the curb on a road we frequent. Could it be they are nesting? It would be just like Kildeer to nest in this precarious spot – traffic all around. Mind you, the road is […]