I was able to get more out of this comparison study than I would have by studying a single cactus sample. Comparing two similar cacti species side-by-side highlights the similarities while also emphasizing the differences. I created a Venn Diagram and used it to note the characteristics of each plant and its overlap with one another. This way I did not feel confined by the remaining space on the sketched page and it was a new way for me to try to document my observations with attention to pattern, form/function, change, etc. A second (or third!) page may be required for all the questions that are generated. And a whole other writing book for the answers! There is so much to learn... and it is a wonderful thing.  

Helen de Groot, Virginia  2/12/21 The temperature is in the 20’s and the ground is covered with snow. Though I know that the hellebore is in bloom under the snow and chick weed is up, I opted to compare a couple of house plants. I’m not sure I will worry about balancing drawing, writing, and recording. I will do all three, but I want to draw. I’m not sure anyone other than myself will ever look at it. It is relaxing for me to draw. I do realize that I will learn a lot through this experience.

1) It was too cold to venture outside today (7F!), so I chose two of my indoor cacti for the comparison study. Even though I've owned these two plants for years, studying them in the context of the comparison study was very useful for noticing new details. I was surprised that the spikes on the two were actually opposite- the left plant seems more concerned with protecting from the top (w/larger, thicker spikes directed upwards) whereas the right cactus has it's largest spikes pointing down. I wondered if that might be due to different predators for each type of cactus. I learned that there is so much we don't truly "see" on a day to day basis.

I am having trouble figuring out how to add sentences above/below my inserted pictures? Any suggestions? Thanks!

I compared pine trees - two different types. It as interesting to see the differences once you started to compare. I made an observation while comparing that I don't think I had really registered before - the pine tree on the left had needles along all aspects of the branch, whereas the one on the right had a lot of bare branch exposed. I didn't have as much time as I wanted to really get into more detail but I absolutely love this method and plan to do this more often!

This was my first day using this journal.  I really enjoyed the lessons and sitting at the dining room table since it was cold outside.  The feeder is just outside the window and is a constant source of entertainment.

Really enjoyed my first comparison study. Have often looked at bladderpod seeds, dry on the ground, as well as those still hanging on plant (some dry and others various shades of green), but never paid close attention. By comparing pods, became more aware of the process of change. I didn't really make use of numbers except as labels; in the future I think I will be more likely to consider using drawing, writing and recording numerical data; but, I think the balance will vary. Thank you to all of you who have shared, especially photos of your journal pages; they're ALL inspirational. Whoops. Noticed dated 1/14/2020 instead of 1/14/2021. Happy New Year!

This exercise encouraged me to look at the two plants very carefully. While on the surface, the orchid and amarylis differ greatly, they have similarities that became obvious as I observed them carefully. I enjoyed cataloging their parts!

I find that I spent so much time recording that I don't lave enough room for the sketching. I discovered that I enjoyed referring back to the lesson points and reflecting on comparisons. It stretched my thinking.

It is January, so there aren't too many flowers in the garden. I did find a Mimulus and Yarrow - the focus of my comparison study. The provocations above helped focus my observations. Thank you!

Did this in ink for better visibility. One similarity I didn't note down is the irregular shape of the shells. Need to improve in capturing their curvature along different axes.

I did the exercise two times and was amazed at how much I missed on the first attempts! This is very useful.

I chose salvias for my project. Because of bad weather I picked the flowers from the planter by the front door.. Too rainy and cold to sit outside.  The variety on the left is Black and Blue Salvia.  The color is a very dark purple blue. The variety on  the right is Skyscraper.  It is a pink although it is described as purple on the plant tag.. they are definitely different.  The Black and blue flowers are much shorter than the Skyscraper flowers. The Skyscraper has a cluster of flowers at the top of  the stem. I thought the leaves were smooth along the edge but looking closer I saw they are serated. I think I will be looking closer at what I am drawing and this class helped a great deal.  

I work in fisheries so had some thawing fish heads - My comparison of albacore vs sockeye eyeballs led to a morning spent studying the physiology of the support structure for the two different eyeballs - it was super interesting. I have looked at fish for 25 years and never thought about how the eyes sat in the head and why.

I decided it was too cold for me to sit outside comfortably. I've been doing Feeder Watch and often watch the backyard where I have a water bath and several feeding stations. The Red-breasted Nuthatch that appeared for the first time a month ago has fascinated me. Seeing RBNU in the forest trees is very different. I have been surprised at their tiny size, only 4 inches, smaller and slimmer than the Goldfinches and House Finches that come to my feeder. Everyone says how cute they are with their behaviours of sneaking in so quickly you hardly see them and it's so true. They are adorable! Drawing the 3 birds together I noticed how different their patterns are, how different their bills are even though they are all seed eaters. The Nuthatch has such a long pointed slender bill but I know that's for digging and poking into tree bark for bugs etc. They also hide their food in bark crevices. I think when they fling themselves into my feeder and swoop out so fast I can hardly see them that they are hiding the seeds in the Ponderosa Pine tree that is next to the feeder. I should add the Black-capped Chickadees that come to the feeder to show how large they appear beside the Nuthatch.  I want to do this sketch again but add and compare the BCCH and add some water color paint.

Comparing two snakes that crossed my path today.

I decided to compare two yard plants that I thought would share some similar characteristics.  Turns out that they don’t!  When comparing them, I wasn’t really excited about it.  But in my observations I did notice that the bunnies use the fountain grass as a place to hide out and hang out, so that made it a bit more interesting.

I'm having so much fun with this - and I see so many ways to use comparison studies.  I began with a comparison of two oak leaves.  Honestly, I'd never really thought much about the fact that there are so many different kinds of oak trees.  To start, I randomly picked two different leaves and used them for my first comparison study.  This made me curious to know more about the trees in my area - and I've been learning more about them each day.

I choose late-season wild Snowberry and Rose fruits for my comparison. What I really enjoyed about this exercise is how it made me look for detail and to appreciate the beauty that can be found in natural objects as they start to disintegrate at the end of the season. I especially liked the shape of the curved rose thorns when you look very closely. While snowberries appear white from a distance, when I held them against a the snow, they are actually a light, creamy white. For fun, I tried out the watercolours to add another dimension to the page. It is very hard to make something look white (or creamy white) on a white journal page!

This fall we have had a flock of Clarks Nutcrackers and several Stellar Blue Jays co-habitating in our canyon. At one point we had over 50 Nutcrackers, but the majority of them moved on and about a dozen have stayed and the Jays are staying too. In the four years that we have been here (Salmon Idaho) we have not had Nutcrackers in our canyon so this is very interesting. There are differences and similarities between the two species. Physically they are similar in size.  Socially the Jay is much more aggressive, but the Nutcrackers are very verbal if you invade their space. The Jays seem to be solitary where the Nutcrackers are in a large group, but are paired up. They are both feeding on the Douglas Fir pine cones but the Jays are always looking for a handout at the feeders. A very interesting note; this past spring we planted fifty White Pine seedlings, along with Ponderosa, Lodgepole and Western Cedars. We did this to bring diversity to our DF woodlots but also to attract Nutcrackers (their main source of food is WP seeds).  The seedlings are not producing seeds yet and will not for quite some time, but whenever I tend to the WP seedlings the NC's put up quite a ruckus. Is it possible they were drawn to the canyon by the presence of the seedlings?