On my walks along the bluff, I get a great view of the tops of trees that are growing further down the hill. I did a quick sketch of these crows as they were roosting, silhouetted by the darkening sky. I was intrigued by the way they were all facing the same direction, and there […]
Jamison Park
Last Saturday was a World Wide Sketchcrawl, and we had a pretty good turnout here in Portland. We met and talked for awhile then spread out and sketched for a couple of hours then met again to share our sketches. I enjoy seeing the different styles and subjects that people choose to sketch.
Verbascum in a field
I spent the afternoon sketching in a friends garden awhile back. In an area away from the main garden she lets the Verbascum reseed themselves, and I thought they were so pretty with the enormous Douglas Firs as a backdrop.
My Mascot
This little guy lives in my studio on the window sill in a shell. I give him a bath (a soak in cool water) once a week and that’s all the care he needs. What a perfect pet, huh!? (Btw, most people call this spidery plant an ‘air plant’ because they don’t need soil. They […]
Helleborus
We had a fabulous sunny day today, and I met this little fellow on my walk around the neighborhood. He lives in a raised bed so I didn’t have to lay on the ground to see his pretty face, thank heavens! I sat on the retaining wall and did a quick sketch. I added the […]



This blog is about my journey as a botanical artist--what I am learning, what inspires me and what I am currently drawing or painting. My desire is to continually hone my skills to better express my wonder and gratitude for the beauty of the creation around me in the Pacific Northwest (USA).