​Are you a bird watcher?  I love to watch the birds, but I wouldn’t call myself a birdwatcher- at least not the hardcore bird list kind of bird watcher.  Those are the types that are super dedicated, who travel the world to check off a rare warbler off their lifetime list (have you seen The Big Year?)   I am more of the "set up 5 bird feeders and baths and wait for them to come to my own yard" kind of birdwatcher.  And I have seen a lot of birds this way!  Yes, I have traveled a little to see migrating birds, and my family trip last May to Maine did include a boat ride out to Petit Manan island to see the puffins at my request.  But I digress- it is because I love to draw them.

​In between dealing with catching every virus bug around for the last two months and was probably sick more than well, I did manage to work on this gourd vase.  It follows a theme that has been part of an ongoing series of sorts..

​Developing your drawing skills is something that is a lifelong process.
 
As a pyrographer, I can’t stress enough about the necessity of drawing skills, and how a good foundation of knowing how to draw and developing a drawing skill that will greatly improve your 

​I have been thinking of creating new classes all year and have scrapped many ideas. Three “finalists” turned in to finished projects last month and these will be my new classes to offer in June at the PA Gourd Fest.  You will able to register for the classes on the PA Gourd Society website on April 1st.

In my last post I mentioned my recent trip to Maine.  While there my family and I went on a little boat sightseeing ride out to Petit Manan Island to see some wildlife.  This is a spot for puffins, terns, auks and eiders and as we cruised back we stopped at Eastern Egg Rock Island to see some harbor seals.  Being inspired by these adorable seals, this was the first gourd I worked on when we got back home.

Did you know that July is World Watercolor Month?  This was started by Charlie O'Sheilds of Doodlewash.  So, this post is dedicated to my recent little foray into watercolor.  

At the end of May my family and I took a vacation to coastal Maine and then spent a few days in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.   I knew we would be spending the entire  vacation outdoors, biking or hiking and just enjoying God's creation all around us. This is such a beautiful part of our country and I was also looking forward to working some plein air painting in my little watercolor journal.

Howdy gourders!  If you signed up for any of my classes in PA for this year (2022) then you are probably wondering what pyrography pens you will need to bring along with you.  I have 3 favorite pens that I use in 99% of my work, and for my classes we use those pens.  Sometimes you can substitute pens and it is not a problem!

I have a lot of favorite artists, but the one that is most often at the top of my list of influences is Rien Poortvliet. Many who have heard of him are likely most familiar with his work as an illustrator.  His most popular book in the United States is Gnomes.  The book that I treasure is his work on Noah's Ark, and if you ever get the chance to page through it, you might agree with me that his paintings do not seem to fit the usual "illustration" category.  Not only finished paintings are shown, but also sketches and studies that let you see the world through his eyes as he studied and recorded on the page what he experienced.

I would like to start a new little series on different artists that have inspired me and shaped my own work in one way or another.  The first in this series is Beatrix Potter.
 
Most famous for her books for children, with characters such as Peter Rabbit and Squirrel Nutkin, I am particularly attracted to her nature studies.  These studies of animals, plants, fungi, landscapes, farmhouses and even furniture were indispensable to her training of observational drawing which led to her being able to create these believable characters, even though they were dressed in little jackets and pinafores!