After uprooting my newly planted herbs and flinging them on the deck, this little demon crow has been burying peanuts in my plant pots. I have put wire cages on the plants so that he can’t get at them and … Continue reading Crows and Ravens, Muses & Sketches
The Platanus genus is a small group of ancient tree species, commonly called Plane Trees or Sycamores, dating back to the Paleocene period, 66 to 56 million years ago. The bark of the Plane Tree has a distinctive pattern that … Continue reading Studies on the ‘Camouflage’ Bark of the Plane Tree
For days 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 of my January 2022 ‘Sketch a Day’ challenge I abandoned the Tanum pond in Sweden and ‘flew’ down to Mexico to see some very different ponds at the Puerto Vallarta Botanical Garden. … Continue reading Studies of Water in the Puerto Vallarta Botanical Garden
As an artist having a change of scenery does wonders for inspiration. 2020 was a write-off for me in most ways but in 2021 I learned to dig deeper into myself to find inspiration in the ordinary and mundane. 2022 … Continue reading Studies of Water Reflections for my Paintings (1)
I used to tell people, “I paint rocks”, but when everyone took that to mean that I was painting on rocks, I changed it to “I’m painting portraits of pebbles”, quite a different thing! I have always been a pebble … Continue reading Painting Portraits of Pebbles
Wild flowers in the city. In the city there are empty lots where people have scattered wildflower seeds and they erupt from the earth like this. Most of the empty lots eventually get built on. Sometimes the city takes them over … Continue reading Wild Flowers, Weeds & other Urban Scruff
During the early months of Covid I didn’t go anywhere; I was listless and uninspired. We have the Sea Wall nearby but it was always packed with people. After seeing a video showing how much plague could be spread by … Continue reading Catching an Impression of Yellow Flag Irises
A pencil sketch of a Screw Pine that was just outside of our hotel’s restaurant patio in Mexico, done while sitting at the restaurant. I took a couple of reference shots of the Screw Pine for later. I have run … Continue reading Artworks and Photos of a Screw Pine (Pandanus)
In April and May 2020, during the worst of the Coronavirus, I stayed inside and started painting irises from photos, not the way I usually like to work. These photos of yellow and white Flag Irises were taken in 2017 … Continue reading Close Examination: Artworks and Photos of Flag Irises
The yuccas are in bloom this month in Vancouver. Watercolour painting in my sketchbook of a yucca that has grown tall enough to turn itself into a tree. This was inspired by a yucca ‘tree’ growing besides Las Margaritas in … Continue reading Yuccas in Bloom, July’s Plant of the Month
Batz Gallery 