Travelin'

Just on East Coast to teach.  Flying coast-to-coast and taking train from Baltimore to DC offered some good sketching opportunities.  Waiting readers and sleeping travelers are great sketch subjects; they sit still!

Sketching on an OTHER ISLAND

In the middle of TWO GLORIOUS WEEKS on Beaver Island in the middle of Lake Michigan. Sketching the houses, the harbor and anything I can see!

Here is the "Wendy Ann" in Paradise Bay Harbor at the Beaver Island Marina. In the background, across the Bay, the CMU Boathouse.

 

Quintessential Beaver Island!  Along the main street, across the street from the harbor, the lilies, daisies, lavender and bright flags of Dalwhinnie's Deli and Bakery.

What's New at Freeland Recycle

Sketching at Freeland Recycle is always fun with tons of old rusty items that one might like for their garden art or just great for sketching. The items in the three sketches are only a few of the many items spread throughout several acres.

Short eared owl

Wow, what a surprise to see this short eared owl fly across the road to an alder tree this a.m. while on a walk. It turned it's head 180 degrees to keep an on eye on me until I was out of site then it flew away but not before the small birds tried to harass it with loud chirping and close charging fly bys.

A day of Sketching on-Island

I saw this vibrant green worm or bug crawling across the road while on a walk. It has four long legs, and shorter ones on each side. I scooped it up with a leaf to take home to sketch while it kept crawling toward my hand holding the leaf. I had to keep a close eye on it while attempting to sketch it. It's a brilliant green with yellow head with red streaks on the side of the head. Don't know if it's a good or bad bug for the environment.

The Oregon Grape has bloomed and now the berries have ripened with hues of blues, purples and greens to attract the wild birds in search for food. I picked this branch, with the one red leaf, off the plant growing on the side of the road. Eventually, some of the other leaves will also turn beautiful colors of red.

Sue, my painting friend, who is a member of Tuesday's painting group, invited us for a plein air painting day in her beautiful flower garden. So I brought my sketching supplies and had a fun day doing quick sketches. This group of colorful plants, Asiatic Lillies, delphiniums, and a hazelnut tree in background created a great composition that I attempted in watercolor.

Larry Hopsalot (grasshopper)

(As named on FaceCrack by my friend Shannon.)

It's a face that more then a mother will love.

:)))

XoXOXOXx

Fuzzy Arm'ed Moth (Brown, Black and White)

Omgawd! wow. This tiny beautiful moth now rivals the great big Lunar moth in supreme awesomeness (in my mind)! This is the first time i have ever seen a moth with extended arms that look completely like a furry fuzzy beast fists.
The coloring is also very bold, and stunning - I am not sure how this works in nature as far as camo... it reminds me a hipster wedding cake.... so maybe it can hide at annoying, hip weddings? I would hide too.
Mr. Fuzz Arms did not blend in well with the colors of wood. But possibly it does with a tree that has alot of white fungus/mushrooms growing on it.

Does anyone know the name of this moth and what caterpillar it comes from?
XoxXOxoXo