
Nature Journal
Inktober Week 1

It is Inktober! This year I am taking the course from Sktchy: Inktober2020 Portrait Challenge. I am not planning to stick to only portraits, but I am going through each day’s course and using what I am learning.

My main focus this month is learning portraiture. Portraiture has terrified me my entire art life. It is time to lay that ghost.

Day 1 of the classes I learned how to create ink delivery systems out of sticks from the back yard and dipping ink. It was so much fun! I thought Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s image lent itself well to this style. This was such a freeing experience.


6 of my nieces have joined me this year. We zoom once a week to look at what we are doing and I give them one assignment a week. This week was to do a blind drawing and then I also have to do it. I forgot how much fun some of these fundamental drawing exercises are! I hope they can cut loose and just enjoy their pens.

Li’l Piney on my Deck



Green Heron
Ref Photo: Nicculus PanPork – Facebook – Indiana Birdography – June 2020
Doe, a Deer
Bandits
This is Notch – I think she may be a first time mother. She has at least 2 babies so she got bold enough to come up to the deck. It seems they get hungry about this time of year. I also see them in the deep winter when the snow is thick. Otherwise, they only visit at night. How do I know? My tomatoes growing on my second story deck keep disappearing.
Bunny Season
Bunnies are everywhere. It is so fun to watch the siblings chasing and hopping over each other.
Chipmunk!
Least Flycatcher
These little fellas are so cute and simple in their coloring. I believe this is the first I have ever seen one, and it was right off my back deck.
Blackpoll Warblers
During the shutdown I have not been birding like normal, other than off my back deck. However, the back wild space has delivered in spades – actually, in what we birders call “lifers” (the first time you spot a species.)
We had a couple of Blackpoll Warblers go through last week, giving a brief, yet very delightful glimpse as they paused on their travels from S. Am. to Canada.