sketch: yellow perch

The Yellow Perch is a fish species found in North American rivers and lakes. They are a beautiful fish adorned with orange fins and a tiger-like pattern on its body. They are a cold-water fish, so they can be enjoyed for sporting well into the winter for ice fishing. Yellow Perch are probably the best tasting freshwater fish too, especially cooked in a fish fry.

This is my sketch of a Yellow Perch in all its vivid glory. I feature my drawing in my fishing video on my channel, about panfishing with fake maggots. Check it out if you haven’t already! My video is action-packed!

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illustration: blue crab underwater

I’m feeling crabbie today. Perhaps from being indoors for so long. But it gives me the chance to do drawings :)

The Blue Crab, a regional seafood delicacy, is commonly found in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. In my artwork, I depict the crab as energetic and alive, reaching out for possible food to float by in the strong currents under the sea.

My print is available online. Check it out at my store.

Happy Earth Day and Happy weekend all!

illustration: turtle on log

My Red Eared Turtle is enjoying life by basking on a log, under the sun. All by itself. A kind of “social distancing”, shall I say? On that note, be safe everybody. We will pull through this tough time. My job has closed down for 2 weeks. So I am home, trying to lift my spirits by drawing, and keeping busy. I also plan to go outside and take in the warm sun, just like my turtle!

What are you doing to stay positive? Let me know :)

sketch: titmouse

I like to observe different birds that come to the feeder. During the recent Nor’easter (the 4th snowstorm of the season), birds come in large numbers to the deck in need of rest and sustenance. Bird feeders are a lifeline for winter birds. Essentially, birds need to consume nearly half their own weight per day to make it through a cold winter day.

This is my drawing of Titmouse, one of the birds that visits me. It is a small yet handsome songbird with its pointy head crest. Titmouse is a funny name. Somebody must have been tipsy when they named the bird.

diamondback terrapin

Diamondbacks are some of the most beautifully decorated creatures in the Terrapin family. My illustration displays the brilliant orange crystalline-like scutes on the carapace of the shell, although the turtle appears in a wide variety of patterns and colors. They can be observed in the brackish marshes and rivers in the Chesapeake Bay. With their strong horned beak, they like to feed on mollusks and crustaceans.

For my pet turtles, which are Red-Eared Sliders, I made a video on How To Clean Your Turtle Tank. Please feel free to check it out and let me know what you think! https://youtu.be/z8J7UED_F9U

Illustration: fall leaves

Here, in the Northeast, the leaves are starting to change. Hear the subtle crunching as you walk outside. Gracefully, they float down from the heavens like orange and yellow snowflakes. Although the air is crisp, the colors will soon illuminate the vista with brilliant warmth.

Do you look at the different shapes and try to identify what tree they are from? What tree is common in your area?

I made four watercolors, and then turned them into postcards. Feel free to check them out at my store.

tiny house 4

This is the biggest of my tiny house drawings, so far. Complete with a nice deck, super high ceilings and plenty of windows for natural light!

Happy Memorial Day weekend everybody!

drawing: blue jay

The Blue Jay is a clever North American bird. Although the population of Blue Jays in the eastern US declined after industrialization, they eventually adapted and learned to survive in urban environments. They even expanded their range throughout the midwest. Without even seeing a Blue Jay, their loud squawking is recognizable. Blue Jays are omnivorous, mostly consisting of nuts, seeds and fruit in their diet, they also can eat insects and sometimes rodents.

My birdfeeders are not big enough for the Blue Jay, but sometimes they make a cameo appearance. When they do, it is treat to see them.

Happy Easter and Happy Passover all !

illustration: rainbow trout

Rainbow trout were originally abundant only in North American rivers, then they were introduced to other waters around the world due to its delicious taste and challenge as a fighting game fish. Rainbow trout are generally a smaller cousin to the Salmon fish. They thrive in cold clear water. When you see the presence of trout in a river by you, it is a good indicator that the river is healthy, clean and pristine.

My rainbow trout illustration is done in watercolor.

illustration: clams

The earliest clams first appeared 500 million years ago. Clams are a bi-valve mollusk. Unlike oysters and mussels which need to be anchored to rocks in order to survive, clams burrow themselves within the sandy bottom of the ocean floor.

Although clams may look uninspiring, they play an important part to healthy coastal waters because of their role in filter feeding.

I am experimenting with a new type of art pen which gives me a finer line. It reminds me of when I used Repidograph pens in school. Drawing clams formations is a good exercise for me to study contours and detail. So with my clam sketches, less is more.