There are several techniques that prevent compositional mishaps. Let me explain.  I learned drawing and painting before supporting electronic devices entered the market. There were no tracing light-pads, no projectors, or apps for helping artists. I am not planning to give a lengthy diatribe against technical gadgets but learning drawing and painting the old-fashioned way comes with some easy tricks for checking your work-in-progress. These I like to share with you.  A cautionary note here, do not endlessly use tricks. Sketches should show your perspective, your take on life and art ..read more

I have recently had the pleasure of visiting Kruger National Park in South Africa, an emersion in everything wildlife.  In particular, I enjoyed so many elephant experiences.  Wonderful elephant sightings from very young nursing babies to old bulls with amazing long tusks.   Below you see one of my sketches of a young elephant probably around three years of age.  He surprised me with his boldness and came charging into the watering area scattering a herd of cape buffalo.  It seemed impossible that one so small could have that kind of power!   I created ..read more

Last year I purchased a beautiful journal from WonderCabin on Etsy.  The pages are filled with 140# traditional Fabriano hot-press watercolor paper that are not only a joy to paint with but an immense joy to draw on! My journal when opened is 12 inches by 9 inches. Working full time right now does not give me the time that I would love to spend in nature and in my studio.  One day this spring, I brought my journal into the den with my pencil and ink pens.  As I watched TV and with images on my Kindle, began to draw a series of dogwood buds.  I was taken with the "magic ..read more

  Nature replenishes my spirit in so many ways. Clean air and water. The simultaneous serenity and thrill while standing on the edge of millions of acres of public lands. Sunshine warming my face. The sound of rain on my rain jacket. Watching a bee fly; toads, deserts, murmuration. Trees are an organism for which I am supremely grateful. I have always loved them, even before I could understand the depth of what that means. On a grand scale, trees have sustained cultures for millennia. Closer to home and more personally, trees provide life-saving shelter, shade from the powerful sun, b ..read more

 I had a great day today digging for fossils with some of my Master Naturalists friends and Chris & Holly from the Whiteside Museum in Seymour, Texas. I found a few small fossils and one larger one that was part of the head spike on a Xenacanth Swamp Shark. (I was pretty excited!)  If you haven’t ever been to the Whiteside Museum in Seymour, you need to load up and go! Spend some time seeing the exhibits and then eat some BBQ at The Big Empty. You can fill your brain and your belly all in one day! (And, yes I know I have misspelled vertebrae on my page. Apparently I was just t ..read more

 I think we’ve all known special places that have deep meaning for us personally.   Maybe we don’t always recognize it at the time.  There are several natural places that are special to me, but those with the deepest roots are woven from my childhood memories.  Colors and shapes, smells and sounds, and textures like the tactile velvet of new buds or flaking limestone.    The memories stay vivid and strong – some more so, some less.  Most of them comforting, but some, not so much.   They speak of my relationships with nature.  They are both know ..read more

We've come back from 3 weeks on Tenerife, our favourite Canary island.  I took a sketchbook of course and filled it with nature drawings.  This is my favourite and there are plenty more on my blog I've just posted.  I have rediscovered my multicoloured pencils and really love the effects they give.   ..read more

  Spending time with a fallen treasure!   Using a .03 TH lead on Fluid 100 cold press watercolor paper.  This paper is a delight to work on, erased easily and accepts the subtle and the dramatic.   Linda C. Miller ..read more

On our recent visit to Dinan we came across this wonderful specimen of Ginko Biloba, apparently one of the first to be planted in Brittany which features in a census of important trees in the region.   ..read more

Working on a post-burn survey in Foard, County, Texas, we came across this small bird nest with a single speckled egg. I don't have a clue what species it was but I loved the shape, decor and camouflage! The nest was low in a mesquite tree, larger than a humming bird nest but smaller than a King Bird or Mockingbird. The egg was very Sparrow-like but the nest seemed much neater than a typical sparrow nest.  Pen and brown ink in Strathmore 400 Series Sketchbook   ..read more