David

For my first attempt at drawing in nature I drove to the Willow Creek Hatchery on the edge of Edmonds Marsh (along Puget Sound in Washington state). There I sat on a picnic bench (the Hatchery is closed now, but thy allow visitors). I was alone and so set to work trying to capture part of a Western Sword Fern (Polystichum munitum) against the trunk of a Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum). The more I worked, the more complicated the scene seemed. I was not surprised as I spent much of my life asa practical ecologist at a Land Grant University and have had that drummed into me by experience. I spent a half-hour getting some sort of an impression down and here is the result, using a pencil from the Cascadia Art Museum.

I thought that I had submitted this earlier, but could not find it. I did not mean to submit it twice though.  How do I delete one?

This is my view of a Bosc pear of which we have a lot this year in the local market.  I did note the reflected light, which I have not thought of as much before.

I could not resist adding color. I have tried photographing yellow warblers once or twice, but had better luck with Wilson's warbler. Drawing them from life is pretty much impossible. Neat photo and good practice.