• It’s been awhile since I sketched in a coffee shop. I left crazy early for work today so I could spend some time with my Pentel pencils. It was so nice to enjoy a Starbucks coffee and just sketch. Hope to see you all at the Wild Wonder Conference starting on Wednesday and my class on Sunday.

    A pencil sketch of a rhino in a coffee shop

  • Finished up this little raccoon sketch while prepping for a conference talk, new podcast interviews and my Etchr drawing course coming out in October. Nice use of my vacation 😊

    A drawing of three raccoons in the hole of a tree

  • Sometimes I find drawing inspiration in the form of a cicada needing a rescue while paddling. It was thankful and hung around all the way back to shore. Future artwork ;-)

    A cicada on my hand.

  • Say hello to our daily visitor, the majestic green heron, brought to life in this sketch right from the peaceful sanctuary of our backyard pond! 🌿🦅 For the art enthusiasts out there, this was lovingly etched out with my trusty Pentel Canada Orenz Nero pencil. ✏️

    A pencil sketch of a green heron standing on a log. A dragonfly is perched nearby on a marsh reed.

  • This magnificent belted kingfisher has become a regular visitor at our pond, serving as a natural, effective manager of our fish population. I’ve long wished to capture the moment of it diving into the water, but maybe next time. Drawn using a Pentel Graphgear 1000 (.3mm -2B, .5mm - 4B).

    A drawing of a belted kingfisher sitting on a branch in a sketchbook with the pencils below.

  • 🐢💚 Caught this little one enjoying some sun by our pond, and just had to sketch him in my Etchr hot press sketchbook.

    Crafted with my trusty Pentel Canada tools, each stroke, every detail was a joy to capture.

    Remember to soak up the sun every now and again ☀️

  • One of my creative inspirations is the butterfly and specifically the monarchs. We have see a number in the last few days. They place their eggs under milkweed leaves so don’t mow them down. They are late but happy to see them!!

    Monarch butterfly egg under a milkweed leaf

  • Picked some walnuts from our black walnut tree before the squirrels got them all. Ink production just around the corner. Wish me luck.

    A small pail of walnuts with a black walnut tree in the background.

  • Watercolor work today while enjoying coffee at the Kanata Equator Coffee. The Etch hot press sketchbook was used for this piece painted with Pentel Canada water brushes and Golden Paints. Hoping to see this animal in its natural environment some day.

    Paint of a polar bear on an ice flow

  • I tried out the new Oil Max Pack of Procreate brushes from Max Ulichney. Really enjoying these! maxpacks.com

    A digital painting of a lily flower and lily pads

  • Thrilled to unveil my drawing of these majestic horses. 🐴💫 Check out my podcast episode #102 for why this was decades in the making. 🎙️🔊 Created with Pentel pencils in a Moleksine sketchbook.

    A mare and foal running through a field with trees and two other horses in the background

  • A morning sketch and stretch produced this little shoebill stork. Watercolor in an A6 Etchr sketchbook. Pentel Canada watercolor brushes and some Golden QoR paints.

    Shoebill stork watercolor in a sketchbook. Surrounded by two palettes and some water brushes

  • Come join us in celebrating International Nature Journaling Week, June 1-7, hosted by the amazing Bethan Burton! I am honored to be contributing to the festivities with a LIVE workshop on Friday, June 2nd at 7 PM EST. Learn more www.naturejournalingweek.com

    A photo with me sketching in a field promoting my upcoming workshop

  • Drawing Inspiration🎙️Ep100 is here, podcast fam! We’re diving into the history & celebrating with a $100 giveaway thanks to Etchr! 🎁 Tune in by June 5. Grateful for your audio tributes on the 4yr journey. Homework may feel familiar! Here’s to the next 100! 🥂🎊 drawinginspiration.fm/100

    A collage of the show art from all 100 episodes of the Drawing Inspiration podcast

  • A little sketch practice on my day off at a coffee shop in advance of a workshop I am doing next Friday about creating textures with pencils. Details to come. Subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date.

    A profile sketch of the head of a baby rhino. Pencils used lying in front.

  • It’s World Turtle Day!

    A collage of 6 turtles. Sea, snapping and painted created in different mediums.

  • I cut up a 4’ by 8’ 1/4” piece of hardboard into fourteen smaller pieces for drawing/watercolor boards. 24” by 32” (2), 16” by 24” (4), 12” by 16” (8)

    Fourteen pieces of hardboard cut up and lying in 3 piles on my driveway.

  • Our first clutch of mergnasers have emerged with a total of 19 ducklings. Two more clutches to come and one of them are wood ducks.

    A female merganser in a pond with 19 ducklings

  • A little graphite sketch in my Etchr A6 hot press sketchbook. I know some of you aren’t fans of bugs but I love their textures. This is a sisal agave snout weevil beetle. You’ll find it’s larvae in some bottles of tequila. Drawn with a Pentel Orenz .3mm 2B

    beetle graphite drawing in small sketchbook behing held by the artist with a mechanical pencil resting on the desk in front of it.

  • A fruit study. Ok, and a hissing cockroach :-) Spotted at the insect display at the Museum of Nature in Ottawa. Painted with a Pentel water brush and QoR watercolors. Etchr A6 sketchbook and an Art Toolkit palette.

    a watercolor study in a sketch book of a hissing cockroach ona rock beside a couple of pieces of orange.

  • It’s coming up on episode 100 of the Drawing Inspiration podcast at the end of May. It’s been an incredible 4 years. Has the podcast impacted you? If so, go here and leave an audio message. I may use it on the show drawinginspiration.fm/contact/

  • A baby sea turtle in watercolor inspired by the photography of Sketched with the a Sakura pen, painted with Pentel Canada water brushes and QoR and DS watercolors in my A6 hot press Etchr book. This was quite challenging trying to capture a sky which I don’t typically paint.

    a watercolor painting of a baby sea turtle just below the surface on the ocean under a purplish sky. the book is on a table with two art palettes, brushes and pens.

  • Sketching to relax

    Sometimes I sketch to finish and other times I sketch to meditate and explore. This was 45 mins of just slowly enjoying the paper, pencil and the sounds. I don’t do exercises. For me the exercise is just drawing. Today I needed more from this and so I took it slow and took it all in. I forget sometimes to do this for mediation because it buys me a few hours of joy I can lean on for the rest of the day. Yes, I’ll probably finish eventually…maybe. Enjoy the time and keep drawing.

    start of a tiger drawing including its ear and eye. pentel orenz nero pencil and a moleskine sketchbook

  • I sat outside this evening and a sketched this great blue heron with a ballpoint retractable pen using black, blue and red as well as green for the grass. Some white Gelly roll for feathers and highlights. Sketched on Strathmore toned tan paper.

    great boue heron sketched in ballpont using black, red and blue ink as well as white Gelly roll. sketched on strathmore toned tan paper.

  • This male wood duck looks great and he knows it. Our pond friends are all coming back.

    A male wood duck perched on a post with trees in the background.

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