I just finished the Calandra Lark. Here are some facts about this beautiful bird...
Appearance: It's a large lark, about 17.5-20 cm long, with a robust build, a heavy bill, and noticeable pale eyebrows
. Its plumage is mainly greyish-brown streaked above and white below, with large black patches on the breast sides.
Habitat: This species is found in open plains, steppes, pastures, and dry cereal cultivations. It's mainly resident in the west of its range but Russian populations migrate further south in winter.
Diet: Their main food source is seeds, but they also consume insects when nesting.
Behaviour: Calandra Larks are known to be gregarious outside the breeding season, often forming large flocks.
Song: Their song is considered musical and slower than the Skylark's. It has been historically popular as a cagebird.
As awesome as summer and winter are, I love the transitional seasons the best, especially fall. It's the best time to do sports, orienteering, bird watching, hikes. The crisp air feels so good, and I love the rustle of the dead leaves and grasses on a windy day. While sometimes I get sad to see the branches bare, I also love looking at and analyzing their structure. I find it fascinating that a tree can go from this mighty, fluttering thing to a spindly, knobby structure and remain fundamentally unchanged. It's a bit of a miracle
One of my Swirly Designs, illustrated with different tools such as Graphite, Aquarelle, Ink Pens and Ai & Tablet. Sometimes sheer Vectorillustration/design.
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Urh.-Nr:1811955
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Copyright by Carolina Matthes
Medium : Pen and ink on Bristol Board
Size : 11" x 15 "
Year illustration was done : 1987
This rendering of a broken down wagon, is part of a group of Pen and ink illustrations I did for a christian mission , for their pamphlet that was put together to imform the public about their services and ministry to the military members and their families. This mission reaches out to miltary through offering hospitality, Bible studies, holding retreats, and hosting luncheons for church groups.
Military soldier who are in training also would come out to the rach to spend the weekend off post, to rest, learn the Bible , get home cooked meals, and enjoy out door recreation.
I work as a summer missionary with this mission a couple of summer, helping with up keep of the ranch and helping with conducting the retreats.
written by Stephen J. Vattimo
A Female Pied Flycatcher Ficedula Hypoleuca…
The Pied Flycatcher is a summer migrant to the UK.
As the name suggests, it feeds on flies that are caught by making a quick dash from an obvious perch. There are around 40,000 pairs in the UK each summer. The Pied Flycatcher is a small unmistakable bird that often sits with drooped wings. It spends its winter in Africa.
Identification:
Adult
Adult males and females share the same plumage pattern but are different colours.
Male Pied Flycatchers are small and chunky,13cm in length and are black and white all over, they are quite unmistakable.
The upperparts are black and white, tail is black with white base to outer tail feathers, rump is a slightly paler, back is jet black, wings are black with white wing patch (tertials)
The nape and head is black except for small white patch above the black bill. Chin and throat white, extending to form a half collar.
The entire underparts are white, ie; chin, throat, breast, belly and undertail coverts. Legs, bill and eye black.
Females are brown versions of the male although tail is dark, no obvious white patch over the bill and the collar is less distinct. #piedflycatcher #brd #birdart #birdartist #birdsketch #birddrawing #bampidraws #birdlovers
The European Goldfinch is a striking small finch with a distinctive red face and black-and-white head. Its wings are black with a bright yellow wing bar, while the body is mainly buff or light brown.
During the breeding season, the bill of male and female goldfinches is white, but at other times of the year, it is marked with a black tip.
Female goldfinches are very alike in appearance to males, and visually, it is hard to tell them apart from a distance. At close range, the sexes can be distinguished by the size of the red facial patch, with the females not extending past the eyes as it does in males of the species.
Juvenile goldfinches do not develop adults' red, white and black facial markings until the late summer or autumn after hatching. Until this point, they have streaky buff-brown markings on their heads. Info: Birdfact . com
A pixel piece from a comic I've been working on. Pixels have always had soothing quality for me, Its time consuming but enjoyable. Inspired by some surreal dreams, I've always wondered what sort of amazing creatures remain hidden in the depths of the sea.
Part 2 is coming, tomorrow. I had this one sitting in my procreate for a while. When I drew the picture I wasn't sure where I was going with it. But after letting it sit for over a month I finally figured it out. I have a second template to go with this one, and it will be posted tomorrow.
Took me very long to finally accept the fact that I can do anything, draw anthing on my sketchbook, that my sketchbook is a safe place for me to experiment, play, and explore styles, themes, mediums, and other ideas. I used to be so caught up in developing my own style, and being devoted to drawing only portraits.. Well.. now I’ll remember to “just draw!”
The five part illustration series Don't Lose Yourself. You can lose yourself in many ways; Consumerism, Heartbreak, American Culture, Loneliness, Giving In, Giving Up, Settling. The five part illustration series, “Don’t Lose Yourself” highlights the chaos we don’t notice around or within ourselves when we’re disconnected away from reality. Sinking so deep, we forget our own values or who we are. The collection reminds us to stay within ourselves by showcasing the dangers of what happens when we don’t.
This time two Cloud Study Kittens took an adventure to a distant lake with their special inflatable Dinocorn and gazed into the summer sunset that tastes like Strawberry icecream
Illustrated this for my Resume, summing up my Identity in a doodle. The things that fuel me as an artist and as a creator, my journey as a Seeker and Explorer.
To draw is to notice.
To notice is to pause.
And sometimes, all it takes is a barefoot boy in a camping chair, chasing the drips of a popsicle, to remind us what it means to be here.
This is Popsiclence—a sacred kind of focus.
It’s where observational drawing leads us: out of the swirl, into the now.
And in that now, we heal.
Another "Sick Day Scarecrow" I did recently getting over a cold. There's too much comic stuff to get into to explain this, but in summary its a parallel universe Scarecrow I decided to design who is more of a superhero. Kinda.
"Industrial Timeout" presents a meticulously rendered scene of solitude and tension within a utilitarian setting. The composition is split between a vast, empty white space and a tightly constrained, detailed industrial corner. In the foreground, a single, unassuming cardboard box sits on a pallet. It is labeled "FRAGILE" and "M.P.C." (possibly a reference to 'Minimum Package Content' or a similar industrial acronym), suggesting a precious, yet standardized, cargo awaiting movement.
This figure explores how the relentless pursuit of monetary gain and digital distraction stifles genuine attention and moral listening.
* Visual Focus: The mask is equipped with a headphone covering a single ear. The headphone wire is visibly broken, frayed, and cut short, suggesting a deliberate disconnect or a failed attempt at communication. A small coin dangles conspicuously from the corner of the figure's mouth.
* Symbolism:
* The Headphones: Represent modern distraction and the ability to selectively "tune out" inconvenient truths or moral calls. The broken, frayed wire reinforces the idea of a failed connection to the real world.
* The Coin in the Mouth: Serves as a powerful, visceral metaphor for being "consumed by monetary means." It connects the act of speaking/listening to the theme of greed, suggesting that the voice and ear are functionally "plugged" or corrupted by the all-consuming focus on wealth. The refusal to hear moral guidance is dictated by the pursuit of money.
