stormy spring day in the Headlands
This gallery contains 2 photos.
It’s a little bit early for wildflowers but I was walking in Bernal Heights Park yesterday morning and noticed a number of flowers in bloom, including some surprising species. So I decided to go a little farther afield to see what else was blooming nearby. The Marin Headlands seemed like a good choice and I [...]
I sometimes design tattoos too.
I don’t do it often and I don’t take it lightly, but I do sometimes design tattoos for people I know. Being a heavily-tattooed person myself, I know what elements make for a good tattoo design. I also care deeply about the accuracy of the details in the drawing of any natural subject. This is where I really bring my skills to bear.
This is an initial full-scale sketch for a full back piece for a friend of mine. He’s a native of the land of gorgeous, gnarly oaks: Sonoma County, CA.
initial sketch for William's oak tree tattoo
Spring is here!
The tulips, iris, & freesia are in bloom, the roses have buds, the herbs are fragrant with the recent rains. It is a gorgeous time to be out in the world.
2012 Art of Nature exhibit
The first installment of “Birds We Love to Hate” will be part of the 2012 Art of Nature Exhibit at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. I will also be doing the Art Demos on April 14 and May 4 at the museum. Come see me in action!
Randall Museum sketching
This gallery contains 3 photos.
There’s a sweet little museum on the hill just north of the Castro District called the Randall Museum. It’s often overrun with kids but the views are spectacular and the opportunity to draw animals is stellar. While I have mixed feelings about captive animals, they sure offer some great opportunities to draw! The birds are [...]
Portland winter
One of my favorite parts of the late winter in Portland are the small bundles of hope that come in the form of crocuses pushing through the mud and moss in the yard. They are the early harbingers of spring and the bright spots that make the long, grey winters bearable. It’s magical how such a small and simple flower can be so important when it seems like spring will never arrive
Urban sketching
Today was another gorgeous day with plenty of opportunities for drawing. The Sunday Farmer’s Market at Fort Mason is reason enough to go to a different part of the city. The bonus is the variety of views.
sunny February sketching
This gallery contains 6 photos.
As it is most places these days, it’s warm here in San Francisco. I try to take advantage of it by getting out and sketching. Yesterday, I was at Chrissy Field and this gorgeous male Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) caught my attention. The blooming willow trees are pretty spectacular too. Today, I went to an [...]
Feature in BirdScope
The most recent issue of BirdScope, the newsletter of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, has a feature on the Bartels Science Illustration internship program that I participated in in 2009. Here’s the link to the story: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/Page.aspx?pid=2397&frcrld=1&ac=ac
sketching in Sonoma County
This gallery contains 5 photos.
This weekend I visited a friend in Sebastopol, CA, in the southwestern part of Sonoma County. Saturday afternoon, we took a quick walk at Laguna de Santa Rosa park. The trail winds along a waterways, seasonal ponds, and dairy farms. We sat to sketch oak tress on the far bank of the river in the [...]
