Hiking & Painting in Nature – Chicago
On a dark forest floor, this mushroom was found. Almost comical upon first glance, as it is the size of a basketball... hence the name giant. These puffballs can grow full size overnight. And my National Audubon Society Mushroom Field Guide states that an average size giant puffball can contain 7 trillion spores. 7 Trillion! … Continue reading Giant Puffball Mushroom Watercolor Sketch
The air is heavy with humidity, the sun hot on your skin, but the rushing sound of water provides a cool comfort as if there's relief within touch. And there is. The heat did not seem to bother the monarchs flitting in between the leaves of the tree next to the falls. Their wings so … Continue reading Waterfall Glen in Watercolor Pencils
My kayak glides on the water, like a feather does carried by the wind. I drift along the shore of a tiny green island. A killdeer stares me down not moving an inch. I tempt my fate and move in closer. We are just 4 feet apart. Still in a staring contest, I study his … Continue reading On Lake Whalon Watercolor
The air is sweet green. It has been raining for two days and while most are scoffing, I welcome the rest. A steady downpour puts me in a trance without me even realizing it. I stare at strings of rain like crystal beads against the dark of pine. Beating rain pelting the ground is rhythmic … Continue reading Soaked Pine Watercolor
To enjoy the song of spring, it cannot be played on an iPhone or any other artificial electronic device. That would be an insult to your ears. To see a male rose-breasted grosbeak look you in the eye and hear him bicker at you for being too close to his turf is a very intimate … Continue reading The Song of Spring Watercolor
Yesterday I went on a birding adventure at Red Oaks Nature Center with the DuPage Birding Club. Red Oaks is located adjacent to the Fox River and has an observatory deck right over the river, perfect for viewing waterfowl and migrating birds. When birding, it is helpful to go with a group of knowledgeable people … Continue reading Male and Female Common Goldeneye Watercolor
Black squirrels are not common in Chicago. I've only seen two in my lifetime, so you can imagine how jubilant I was to find one running in my own backyard. Happy like a little child. Nature has that way about it....to make you young again when you least expect it. To catch you off guard … Continue reading Black Squirrel White Snow Watercolor
If you're lucky enough to live in an area where you have both downy and hairy woodpeckers, you may be hiking in the woods and see one of them. They look identical except for the fact that one is small and one is large. But how can you quickly tell who is who if they … Continue reading Quick! Downy or Hairy?
Snow is softly falling and I have the privilege to watch without interruption, to watch without keeping track of time, to watch without any obligations for the remainder of the day. For once in a long time I can be instead of do. I do not have much experience being. I am only familiar with … Continue reading Snow on Sage Watercolor
There is something sad about this incomplete pine. Or maybe it's not sad at all, but I'm looking through sad eyes. I'm still processing the loss of a friend and I'm not going to lie, it does not get better with time. Especially when I pick up a paint brush and do the very thing … Continue reading Incomplete Pine Watercolor
