Making Art, the Next Cicada Generation, and Current Reads

Making Art, the Next Cicada Generation, and Current Reads

The roaring sound of cicada tymbals has noticeably quieted. The next generation of periodical cicadas is young and silent. After hatching from eggs laid in trees, they will fall to the ground and tunnel into the earth, where they will live in darkness for years. These days it is the lightning bugs who are putting on a show.

World Migratory Bird Day 2024

World Migratory Bird Day 2024

World Migratory Bird Day was celebrated on May 11 this year. To take part in the celebration, I participated in Global Big Day, an event promoted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, inviting everyone to spend any amount of time looking and listening for birds on that day.

The Merlin and the Crows

The Merlin and the Crows

A merlin preened on a branch of a skeletal tree, contorting its body into all sorts of interesting positions as it tidied and fluffed its feathers with its beak and talons. Far away, in the distant overcast sky, the chatter of two crows sounded. Two black spots flew into view. And they saw the merlin.

Window Birding

Window Birding

Birders are often out in the field, braving sweltering heat, biting cold, glaring sunshine, or unrelenting rain. But immersion in trying elements is not entirely necessary in order to observe birds. In fact, birding can be done from the comfort of the indoors. All one needs is a window.

Breaking the Rules and Using the Black and White Colored Pencils

Breaking the Rules and Using the Black and White Colored Pencils

One very passionate rule, or suggestion, that is quite popular among colored pencil artists is to avoid using black and white colored pencils. The same suggestion can be applied to pastels, paints, etc. And there I sit at my desk with black and white pencils in hand.

Palette of a Landscape Losing Chlorophyll

Palette of a Landscape Losing Chlorophyll

Autumn is touted as a season of beautiful coloration due to leaves undergoing a transformation from green to orange, red, purple, yellow and such. These flamboyant colors are the result of the loss of chlorophyll, a pigment that gives leaves their green color and is dependent on lots of sunlight.