A colored-pencil sketch on paper of a Whooping Crane, standing in lateral view. Nearly all of its feathered body is pure white, with dark colored legs and black mustache-like facial markings leading up to a red head-cap, and a dirt-colored beak. Its neck and beak are long and slender.

For my last #NearbyNature2025, I’ve drawn one of the rarest birds in North America: the Whooping Crane. They are the tallest bird on the continent at nearly 5 feet, a bit taller than the more abundant Sandhill Crane. On this New Year’s Eve, I saw these magnificent birds for the first time. #alabama

Detailed watercolor painting of a Hermit Thrush perched on the red fruit of a Staghorn Sumac plant. The bird's head is cocked downward towards the fruit, with a clear, bright blue sky background.

One more piece before we ring in the new year! And my phone did a decent job with the photo. I'll take a better photo later, I just wanted to share it now!

A Hermit Thrush enjoying some Staghorn Sumac.

#BirdArt #SciArt #Watercolor #ArtYear #NearbyNature2025 #AnimalArt #FineArt

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First was my #NearbyNature2025 series, which was really fun. Really relaxing detail work, and cool critters that share the environment where I live.

Detailed marker illustration of a Boreal Chickadee perched on a thin branch with lots of fruticose lichen. The chickadee is very puffed up, suggesting extreme cold.

A Boreal Chickadee from Birdtober for #ArtAdventCalendar on Winter Solstice. I have only seen one once, at Sax-Zim Bog, so I gave him a little fruticose lichen on his branch and puffed him up!

#BirdArt #SciArt #ArtYear #NearbyNature2025 #AnimalArt #FineArt

Digital painting of a mountain lion in the snow. The mountain lion is almost in full profile, stalking from right to left, its gaze intent on something not visible in the painting. Flecks of snow stick to its coat, especially the back legs and tail. The foreground is mostly snowy with some rocks peeking through, indicating uneven terrain. There is a bare bush in the background.

Today’s piece for #ArtAdventCalendar, and another #NearbyNature2025

Digital painting of a bull moose on a winter landscape. The moose is oriented at a three quarter angle toward the viewer, and his coat is covered in white frost. A cloud of white steam is floating around his nose. The landscape is patchy snow with sage and brown grasses poking through. There are frosted trees in the background.

My first entry for this year’s #ArtAdventCalendar, which I’m also claiming for #NearbyNature2025

A nice way to finish the year, I love seeing everyone’s art. 🩵

Colored-pencil drawing of a mottled-brown-color Pecan Weevil on a blank white background. The weevil is standing at an angle to the viewer, such that its right side and top side are fully visible. The snout is hilariously long and slender on this species, used to drill into nuts.

For November’s #NearbyNature2025, I’ve drawn the Pecan Weevil (Curculio caryae). In the same genus as more famous oak weevils, this species lays eggs in pecans and other hickory nuts. It is native to the southeast, but is a notable agricultural pest. #bugs #sciart #wildlife #alabama

acrylic painting of a white-throated sparrow sitting in a tree

photo of a white-throated sparrow sitting in a tree

11 months down, 1 to go! so pleased with myself on following through on the #nearbynature2025 project! and a different bird each month, from a photo i've taken, of whoever was around that month! for november, it's a white-throated sparrow! #birdsky #birdwork

A cropped in piece of an illustration depicting common arthropods in the Western Mojave. From left to right: Blue Death Feigning Beetle (Asbolus verrucosus) Armored Stink Beetle (Eleodes armata) Giant Hairy Scorpion (Hadrurus arizonensis)

Cropped in bug!
Beetles & Spicy Friend
#art #sciart #bugsky #nearbynature2025

Funfacts for nearby nature:

The hairy scorpion is the largest scorpion in North America.

Beetles like this Eleodes and Asbolus have fused elytra. They cannot open their shell. BUT, they do still have wings in there!

Detailed watercolor painting of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet perched among orange fall leaves

First finished piece since the end of Birdtober! A Ruby-crowned Kinglet enjoying the beautiful fall leaves. #NearbyNature2025 fun fact: apparently they run on just 10 calories a day, which is funny considering how they never stay still!

#BirdArt #SciArt #FineArt #Watercolor #AnimalArt #ArtYear

A colored-pencil drawing of the wandering spider Ctenus hibernalis in dorsal view. It is overall dark brown, with a pale dorsal stripe on both the cephalothorax and the abdomen. Its legs are posed asymmetrically, in a relatively active pose.

October’s #NearbyNature2025 post is of Ctenus hibernalis, a harmless species of wandering spider found almost exclusively in Alabama. They are comparable in size to large wolf and fishing spiders, but are way more secretive than either (I’ve only ever found three). #sciart #wildlife #alabama

an acrylic painting of a cormorant perched on a dead tree. its mouth is open

a photograph of a cormorant perched on a dead tree. its mouth is open

10 for 10! here's my #nearbynature2025 entry for october! the cormorants are returning to falls lake. they leave a few sentries during the year, but winter is really their time to shine here. this one stayed very still for a long time and let me get some great photos! i used this one as a reference

Detailed watercolor painting of a Northern Parula perched on an oak branch next to oak leaves and catkins.

I finished this Northern Parula last week but only just got around to photographing it. Somehow, I've often seen these guys facing towards me, and I think they look adorably inquisitive.

#Watercolor and Chinese ink on Fabriano hot press

#BirdArt #SciArt #NearbyNature2025 #FineArt

Marker drawing of a Boreal Chickadee perched on a licheny log, very puffed up. 3 Copic markers are pictured with the drawing

#Birdtober Day 3: Boreal Chickadee

Here's one closer to home! Though the cinnamon flanks are a little brighter than in life. Since I go up the Sax-Zim Bog to see these guys, I wanted to draw one really floofed up.

#BirdArt #ArtYear #SciArt #Copic #Ohuhu #NearbyNature2025 #dailyartchallenge

A sketch of a Mountain Lion! (Puma concolor) Perched on some rocks as you would expect to find in the desert on inselburgs or fluvial fans that carry big rocks down mountainsides, particularly in ecotones where deserts meet mountains. The rocks themselves have some lichen growing on them, a small california buckwheat, and a little beavertail cactus poking out too.

Mountain lion sketch for Transition Habitat
And... some buckwheat and beavertail and lichens. I streamed this one, and thanks to all the ppl who hung out with me~

Also, this is some #NearbyNature2025
Famously, THE big predator of Southern California.

#sciart #mountainlion #art #sketch #puma

Colored-pencil sketch of a Mexican Long-nosed (formerly Nine-banded) Armadillo on a white background, walking away at an angle from the viewer

Just barely making it for September’s #NearbyNature2025, here’s the Mexican Long-nosed Armadillo. Formerly known as a northern subspecies of the recently-split Nine-banded Armadillo, this is the only Xenarthran native to Alabama today. They are mostly nocturnal insectivores. #wildlife #alabama

thanks so much! i've really enjoyed the #nearbynature2025 project, both as a participant and as an observer. it's really cool seeing what wildlife lives where people are

an acrylic painting of a young green heron standing on a dead tree trunk

a photograph I took of a young green heron standing on the trunk of a dead tree

I'm so pleased to be 9 for 9 on my #nearbynature2025 quest! september's painting and photo were made and taken, respectively, on sunday the 14th. it is a young green heron that I saw whilst out kayaking on falls lake #artsky #birdsky #birdwork

Ink and colored pencil drawing of a very large blue-black wasp with bright orange wings perched on a desert milkweed plant.

Saw one of these intimidating creatures on our desert milkweed the other day - tarantula hawk!

#NearbyNature2025

Colored pencil sketch of an American Grass Mantis in side view, on a white background. The mantis is pale brown and extremely slender, and has its front legs stretched fully forwards with its antennae swept back.

For August’s #NearbyNature2025, I’ve drawn the American Grass Mantis (Thesprotia graminis). These are small, very slender mantises endemic to the southeastern U.S. They have a typical carnivorous diet for a mantis, but oddly can reproduce both sexually and by self-cloning. #sciart #wildlife #alabama

Relief lino block print featuring a portrait of an American Crow done with black ink and a golden yellow background.

Relief lino block print featuring a portrait of an American Crow done with black ink and an ocean blue background.

Relief lino block print featuring a portrait of an American Crow done with black ink and a ruby red background.

Reduction block print inspired by the American Crow! 🦅🖤✨
Done with THREE different colour variants for the month of August Print Pals' crew over on my patreon ~*
www.patreon.com/lioninthetrees

#art #SciArt #NearbyNature2025 #printmaking

Detailed watercolor painting of an American Herring Gull standing on a flat mound of snow on top of water.

Just finished this American Herring Gull. I think we'd like them more if they didn't go after our fries!

I played around with table salt for the background. Not sure how good it is for my paper, but it's a fun effect!

#BirdArt #SciArt #Watercolor #FineArt #ArtYear #NearbyNature2025 #AnimalArt

Block print featuring a Scrub Jay using a variety of blues with a teal ink background printed on a cream paper. The bird is surrounded by flora including California Poppies that create a border around the piece.

Block print featuring a Scrub Jay using a variety of blues with a sky blue ink background printed on a cream paper. The bird is surrounded by flora including California Poppies that create a border around the piece.

Reduction block print inspired by the Western and California Scrub Jay! 🪶🌿
Done with two different colour variants for the month of July Print Pals' crew over on my patreon ~*
www.patreon.com/lioninthetrees

#art #SciArt #NearbyNature2025 #printmaking

This is also a #NearbyNature2025 piece. Though I usually have to seek them out, I once heard one in my suburban yard, I was quite surprised!

Digital painting of a Coral Pink Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle. The beetle has green, blue, and yellow-red iridescence with a white carapace on the dorsal side of its abdomen, its legs are long and spindly and it is covered in fine white hairs.

My August entry for #NearbyNature2025 is the Coral Pink Sand Dunes tiger beetle. It is endemic to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park and its scarcity makes it a contender for being listed as an endangered species. They are a max of 12mm long, just little guys.

the heatwave we've had in the north carolina piedmont for the last few weeks broke for the weekend. i was able to get out in the kayak saturday and sunday and get some decent bird photos. made my august #nearbynature2025 painting of a belted kingfisher i observed through some tall grasses. #birdsky

Colored-pencil drawing of a young male Ruby-throated Hummingbird perched on a thin branch, facing sideways towards the left side of the page with its body turned more towards the viewer. Its belly is bright white and its back and head are a deep green, with a speckled ring of green/red spots just starting to appear on its throat.

Another bird for July’s #NearbyNature2025, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (specifically a juvenile male). These tiny, pollinating birds migrate from the eastern U.S. to Central America and back again each year, and need a lot of sugary fuel to do so. #birdart #wildlife #alabama

the best pic i had up till now was the one i used for my july #nearbynature2025 piece, where most of its body was obscured by the branch it was sitting on: bsky.app/profile/melv...

A white soap snail with a grooved shell and goofy, asymmetric eyes sits on a camping picnic table. Out of focus in the bathroom is a conifer forest with a ring of camp chairs around a fire.

Today ended a 5 day (!) summer youth camp. Extremely anticipating my bed, shower, & not babysitting other people's kids.

One of the activities was soap carving. I made a snail. Like an idiot I put it in my pocket and broke it into six pieces. Here it has been repaired.

#nearbynature2025 #Invert

Detailed watercolor painting of a pair of black terns participating in courtship feeding. The male is in flight and has a minnow in his beak, while the female is perched on a dead branch with her mouth open to receive it. Diffuse cattails are in the background, fading into blue sky.

Happy Flyday with my newest Life List piece, a pair of Black Terns! I saw my lifers last year at Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, 100s of them!

More in the thread about why they're one of my #NearbyNature2025 entries

#BirdArt #SciArt #ArtYear #Watercolor #FineArt #AnimalArt

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