Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Flight

I had every intention of going out and sketching today.


It turned into a photography day.


This is why:


Red-Tailed Hawks in Flight. Photo © C. Werther, 2017


Today, Raptor Recovery at Fontenelle Forest here in Nebraska released four Red-Tailed hawks. Two are in the photo above. They did not fly very high at first- note the tiny bit of the red-orange glove of the volunteer in the very bottom of the photo! But what a beautiful sight it was as they took off.


An awful lot of work goes on behind the scenes to make moments like this happen. There are a bunch of dedicated people who work very hard to get as many of these birds back into the wild as possible. I waded in a couple of months ago, and am volunteering, so I can now see just how much work is involved. Everyone's contribution is important, and the whole system, from the volunteer network of transporters, to the people who clean the cages, to those provide veterinary care, to those who try to teach others about the birds, leaves me in awe of what a group of people can do when they work together.


A bit later, clouds moved in, and photography was a bit easier. This beautiful hawk has found a branch with a view of the field below.


Red-Tailed Hawk. Photo © Camille Werther 2017.

I like a happy ending. In rescue work, this ending is not a guarantee. But it is very sweet when it does happen.





Friday, June 23, 2017

Moth sketches

I have been watering a bunch of seemingly dead iris, hoping they will come back. They were caught in a late freeze, and are mostly a bunch of dead leaves. The other day, though, I saw a few green shoots. They may not make it, but there is always hope if you are a gardener.


Anyhow, I startled this moth with the water from my hose. It flew into my nearby hosta plants and stayed put for a while, which allowed me to take a few pictures and sketch it. I am finding that photography is a very useful addition to my sketching method- it allows me to magnify some details of insects. In this case, I magnified the moth's head to add to my sketch.


I have not identified this to genera or species. The family, I think, is Noctuidae. Some of these are plant pests. Although I took entomology courses in college, I am not a moth expert. Butterflies and moths are becoming my new mind-stretching field of exploration, though. More on that in a future post! (If you are an expert, and know a definite id on this one, please let me know!).


This is a typical sketch page for me. I went back to my half-completed field sketchbook, rather than the mixed media paper one I used in the previous post. Some watercolor from a previous page is ghosting through on the left side, but this is more of a problem in the scan than in my book. I tend to work with a small book (5.5"x8.5"), and prefer the hardbound field books. I take a lot of notes with subjects like this. It can be very important to note where you find an insect, and what it is doing. If I am not using color, the color notes become very important. And with this moth, I noted the lighter underwings when it flew to the hosta.


The moth was gone this morning. I had a yard full of robins yesterday (I counted at least 8 at one point, fighting over the birdbath!), and they hopped right by it, so I suspect it flew away after dark.


I'll be announcing a new sketch series next week, so stay tuned!









Thursday, June 15, 2017

Milkweed Progress

Yesterday, I decided to stop in and check on my favorite milkweed patch at a local park. There were a few flower buds trying to open, but for the most part, the buds were still tightly shut.

Next to a patch of crown vetch, I saw an Eastern Tailed-Blue butterfly, and got a picture. They are so small (almost as small as my thumbnail!), but I love the muted color of the upper wings and the bluer underside of the wings.

I am also trying out a new sketchbook. I thought I'd like the mixed media paper, but I'm finding it's not ideal for my pencil work. I think we artists hope we can ask one paper to do everything, but in reality, that is an impossible request! It is a very nice paper, but not ideal for what I am asking it to do. My Pilot Kakuno fountain pen is fine when writing on the paper, but I generally use that to take notes on the opposing page. I'm still a pencil gal. After trying to fiddle with the resolution and contrast of my scan, I can see why a lot of sketchbook artists have gone to ink with watercolor wash- it is harder to share pencil drawings.

But I sketch primarily for myself. I have always used my sketchbooks to inform my formal paintings. And I love pencil. I was the first thing I picked up almost 30 years ago, and I still love the way graphite glides on paper, and the feel of the wooden casing. This sketch was done with a 2B, which is a bit of a concession for me to share online. In the past, my primary pencil was HB, because I love the silvery tones.

Here is the page. The watercolors did not want to scan well, either. I didn't scan the opposing page with all my notes. There I recorded things like color notes, absence of milkweed bugs (at least that I could see!), and the smell of yellow clover nearby.


Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Road Trip

We are back from a very short road trip down to Louisiana. We had planned a different route this time that took us through northeastern Texas, along some state and U.S. highways.

What a wonderful plan that turned out to be.

The wildflowers in that part of Texas were in full bloom. When I lived in Texas years ago, I fell in love with the fields of bluebonnets and paintbrush. These roadsides, however, were covered with Queen Anne's lace, Gaillardia (blanket flower), Coreopsis, and coneflowers. Every time we rounded a curve, I found myself saying out loud, "This is so beautiful!"

The only problem? There was no safe place to pull over and take pictures!

The back roads were busy. It might have been because there was a LOT of road construction on the interstates- all the way through Kansas and Oklahoma, we had periodic one-lane stretches of highway. I suspect many travelers decided to take the back roads instead. Anyhow, that made it impossible to stop. I was so disappointed... but this is where being an artist is an advantage. Those roadsides are now etched into my brain. I can see the ranch fences, the fields of longhorn cattle, the ditches covered in flowers. I know the flowers, because I have sketchbooks full of them.

I also know that I will have to paint them. Soon, before the memory fades.

It was also a spectacular drive for birding. We saw bluebirds flying over Kansas wheat fields. We saw a rice field near Crowley, LA, with a bunch of egrets- and a Roseate Spoonbill mixed in. And we saw a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher streak across a Texas state highway.

So, if you have to travel this summer across this great country of ours, I urge you to slow down. Take the back roads. Enjoy the view. Savor the things that make each state unique and beautiful. And cherish the memories.

Coming soon- some of the visual memories, I am sure. The Polyphemus moth painting is being varnished in my studio. On to the wildflowers!




Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Studio work

Lots going on in the studio. I am working on my portfolio of natural science illustration. Pulling together years of work into a cohesive portfolio has been fun. Each drawing and painting brings back a host of memories. It's wonderful how much comes back... the smells of a place, the temperature, the sounds. When you draw and sketch outdoors, it cements all these things in your memory, whether you are aware of it or not.

In addition, I'm working on a large acrylic painting of a Polyphemus moth that I found at the base of a tree in my backyard. It's been challenging and fun. As you can see, I just have the basic outline blocked in. The body of the moth is almost done, but I have more shadows to put in. The abstract-looking background is a block-in to be developed later, but I kind of like it the way it is! The black gesso I used covered the canvas incredibly well. It is really making everything stand out.









This is a particular moth, not an illustration of a general one. The wing was torn, so I am leaving that the way it was. The moth was so beautiful. The spots on the wing were see-though silvery.

I've also been playing around with acrylic gouache. I've not tried this product before, and am enjoying it, but as you can see, there is a learning curve.


It's been a satisfying week. In addition, I've been doing some field sketching. Hope to post some of that soon. If it is spring where you live, go outside and draw! You will not regret it. :)

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Astronomy Sketches

I've been planning to put some of these on the blog, but time has been getting away from me! This is a sketch of the penumbral eclipse in my astronomy journal. I learned quite a bit during this adventure, mainly that I should always sketch the moon's major maria and craters in before the event! It is too difficult to juggle a sketchbook and a pair of binoculars or a telescope, and draw in details. Lesson learned. Next time, I will plan (and draw!) ahead.



The second drawing shows the orange glow that appeared around the moon later that evening. I like the Ingres paper a lot for sketches like the first one (graphite), but less for ones like this (waxy colored pencil). The colored pencils I was using just did not want to cooperate on this paper.

I also have sketches from last week's lunar occultation. I hope to share more of my sketches in the future, and beg for your patience as I try to get them to show up better in the photos. I think scanning might be a better option.



Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Snow Crystals

When I was little, I dreamed of living in a cabin I had seen in a photo, surrounded by snow, fireplace smoke coming out of the chimney, and a peaceful landscape all around. In south Louisiana, snow was a rare event.

While I am not living in that cabin, I do get to see snow here in Nebraska. And when the weather conditions are just right, as they were this morning, the snow crystals are stunning.

The first photo is simply sunlight reflecting off the snow. Note the symmetry! I could not see this on the screen as I took the photo. All I could see was a glint. What a beautiful surprise!

sunlight reflecting on snow



The next photo shows a sectored plate. You can see most of it in the bottom center of the photo. The snow crystal's branches are fairly thick and pointed. This was revealed as I pushed back some snow that had accumulated on a wooden deck.







Here, a real beauty: a stellar dendrite. Note the side branches on each arm of the snow crystal.


Yet another lovely snow crystal. This one was melting as I took the picture.


All of these snow crystals form at a fairly narrow range of atmospheric conditions. Not every snowfall in Nebraska produces these. I am so happy I was able to grab a camera, kneel down in some snow, and share this beauty with you.

If you keep your eyes and heart open, the world is rich with beauty.

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

New Beginnings

2017 has begun! I have been away from the blog for a while, making lots of changes. I hope that you will enjoy them. First of all, as I hinted last fall, I am going to use this blog to focus on nature and art again. This is where I am happiest: the intersection of my professional life, and my heart.

I painted my studio the grey color I mentioned. Everything is off the walls, and I am enjoying the peaceful color. The next stage is to decide whether to add curtains that are patterned, or bamboo blinds. Pictures to follow.

Thank you for reading, and sticking around through the break. I hope you will enjoy the blog's new look!