Showing posts with label Sketching at the North Museum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sketching at the North Museum. Show all posts

Monday, August 21, 2017

#eclipse Helios Eclipses: Zones of Totality and Partiality


The Great Helios Eclipse of August 21, 2017.
Sketched at the North Museum from a Lunar Moth specimen, a Moon Snail shell, and a cut Sunflower which also substituted for a Sunflower Sea Star with ink and watercolor.


In the Zone or Path of Totality, a large Lunar Moth, Actius luna, named for the Greek word luna for "moon", lands on but having no mouth parts does not feed on, a Sunflower, Helianthus, named for the Greek work helios meaning "sun" and anthus meaning "flower" and blocks the entire center of the bloom which is actually many smaller florets that can number up to two thousand each of which may make a seed so that only the sterile ray flowers ringing the edge all with one large brightly colored petal which make up the corona can be seen. 


A Partial Helios Eclipse during which a Moon Snail or Naticidae from the Italian, natica referring to a part of the anatomy I shall call "buttocks" moves across the face of a species of Sunflower Sea Star or Pycnopodia helianthoides, from the Greek helios for "sun" but does not entirely block the view of the rays or arms of the sea star is a very short event since Moon Snails though voracious predators themselves feeding on clams, crabs, and in a cannibalistic way on other snails by drilling holes and releasing acid and sucking out the their prey's innards quickly fall prey to Sunflower Sea Stars. 

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Strange Meteorology...



The road to Lancaster on November 19, 2016 was bright with azure skies. As I descended in altitude from the hills above Oley to the lower lying farmland in Amish Country, the temperature rose. The thermometer joyfully proclaimed 72 degrees. 


There were trees along the way that had yet to give up their leaves of red, yellow and gold. 


But during the afternoon the sky turned an unfriendly shade of gray. 



And the wind kicked up and the oak leaves in front of the Museum flew. The temperature plummeted. 


By 9pm the white stuff started to fall! A day of shorts and snow shovels.


Oil pastel resist with ink and watercolor wash for the colorful corn.


Ink and watercolor wash for the husk. Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Sketchbook.

Monday, November 21, 2016

Turkey Trot a la ROZ


Sketching at the North Museum November 19, 2016 with Carol and Sheila. Texas Turkey in gouache on Strathmore 500 Series Mixed Media Sketchbook. Couldn't help but think of Roz Stendahl while painting this!