Hiking & Painting in Nature – Chicago
I took a few vacation days from work and today decided to get in a quick watercolor sketch. For just about an hour, I stopped at Swallow Cliff Woods North, part of Chicago's Cook County Forest Preseve Zone #7. OK, I'm only human. I did not like this first sketch. It's nice and perfectly "OK" … Continue reading Overwhelmed by Green Sketch
If you're like me, there is no time for anything. Sure there is time for a full time job (yuck), chores (yuck some more), and running to the bank, grocery store, gas station (yuck, yuck, yuck). Tell me, what's left? Isn't this our life? When do we get to live it? Well, I say to myself, … Continue reading Lunchtime Escape Sketch
I am grateful on this Memorial Day that I can do what I wish in a free country. What I wish to do is hike where I want and paint what I love. I do not take that for granted! Today I am going to paint a little creek I found at Morton Arboretum . It … Continue reading Let’s Paint a Little Creek!
My son has a way with animals. They seem to come to him all the time. I however, do not have this same luck. His situation is really wonderful and strange at the same time. He even chose "St. Francis" as his Confirmation name! Well today I was called outside to see the latest animal that came … Continue reading Baby Robin LOVE
In this picture from Lake Katherine I have a male mallard (right) with a head injury (see next picture), but the duck to the left I'm not sure about. It looks too dark to be a female mallard. Does anybody know what it is? These two were inseparable. Any help would be great. Thank you! … Continue reading Who’s the Dark Brown Duck?
Lake Katherine is a quiet little nature oasis in the middle of Palos Heights, IL. It's a nice get-a-way when you're strapped for time, I just love it! Some features are: waterfall, lake, herb garden, butterfly garden, veggi garden, designated prairie area, trail around the lake, and a trail all along the Cal-Sag river. Wildlife loves it too! This … Continue reading Lake Katherine Wildlife
Remember my lovely visitor Mr. Rose-Breasted Grosbeak? Well I think you will be surprised at how easy he is to paint! No really, it will be easy..I promise. Here is our reference picture: Let's do what we love to do best...paint nature! When life deals you a crappy hand and things aren't going your way, … Continue reading Let’s Paint the Rose-Breasted Grosbeak!
Hen and Chick SketchDid you ever find yourself at work dreaming about 50 million other things you would rather be doing? Well, that's me Monday through Friday...50 weeks out of the year! When I daydream it's pretty much the same thing....nature and art, nothing much else! So the other day I raced home to sit in … Continue reading Hen and Chicks Sketch
Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there. For your present, I am going to show you how to paint a white trout lily! Here we go.... First I'll show you my reference photo that I took in the Palos Woods, part of Cook County's Forest Preserve District, a few weeks ago. How delicate and … Continue reading Let’s Paint the White Trout Lily!
"You're such a snake!" Why does the idea of a snake conjure fear and evil? Could it be the story of Adam and Eve? The snake is the bad guy in that scenario, but don't be fooled...evil can take the form of anything...good or bad...and the snake is a creature made by the Creator too. While … Continue reading Snake in the Woods Sketch
