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Strawberry, Strawberry, Pea

Sketchbook, Krista Anandakuttan Spring 2015 A spring to remember: strawberry, strawberry, (strawberry, strawberry), pea. Of note: Fragaria x ananassa: not a berry, a strawberry is really an aggregate accessory fruit… Enjoyed (wild) since the stone age,...
Pressing topic

Pressing topic

I used to mount plant specimens at an herbarium, and I miss it. And I want some mounted specimens of my own. I collected, pressed, and mounted some simple garden finds: camellia cuttings, and several smaller plants like dandelions, miner’s lettuce, and clover....
Getting to know an emu

Getting to know an emu

My notes read: “liquid amber eyes.” It’s the first thing I notice, standing face to beak with an emu, as it approaches to look me over. Neat biological things I note too, in my sketchbook– things that make this specifically an emu and not...
More Winter: sketches with boots on

More Winter: sketches with boots on

Bare branches, a feather, mud and daffodils. I love winter sketching with boots on. Oak tree, Laguna de Santa Rosa, colored pencil   Apple tree in February   Great-horned owl feather, colored pencil and watercolor   Daffodils! Daffodil...
A Closer Look: Winter

A Closer Look: Winter

January studies & sketches… Never underestimate mud, or your own curiosity. (Feeling like a little kid today) What’s under the woodpile? Salamanders, 1 worm, slugs and snails, a centipede, 2 roly-polies (one is blue) and a ladybug. Impossibly pink...
Teaching Pen & Ink: Feathers, Fur and Fins

Teaching Pen & Ink: Feathers, Fur and Fins

It started with the intriguing sentence “teach what you know”…. I love working in pen and ink. No gray areas, just black and white, simple tools and lots of decisive marks. No erasing. But, how would I teach pen and ink? After copious notes and...