Wild and Wondrous: Fawn

The next request for this year's Wild and Wondrous series is a gentle fawn:

I used a different style for this shy babe because I didn't feel the recent direction of the previous creatures was appropriate, and I really like how it turned out. Also, the ferns help frame it, so I'll be doing that on my future pieces in the series.

Just a reminder: this weekend, you can find my art at the Salt & Honey Market at the Gateway in SLC! It is an amazing space with lots of talented local vendors. Come by for a visit and to find something special for your own mountain mama!

Wild and Wondrous: Wolf

The next request in the Wild and Wondrous illustration series is a wolf:

He looks a little fearsome I think. Steer clear of this fella!

Wild and Wondrous: Cougar

Here is how that cougar turned out in the end:

Here's a fun little fact: mountain lions, pumas, and cougars are all different names for the same creature. And speaking of cougars, I met one on a night hike with my sister this week! I still have my face and a healthy fear for wild creatures, but what an experience! I shall have to share more about that one!

Color This Bear Coloring Contest!

I'm hosting a coloring contest right now on Instagram, and I'd love you to join in! Coloring pages for grownups are a great way to customize your own piece of artwork perfectly for your space, and you can color this grolar bear however you'd like:

Here are the details:

1. Download the bear coloring page for an amazing introductory rate before it goes up to full price April 15. Pricing rewards for loyalty, guys. That's how I roll.
2. Print it up and color like there's no tomorrow! I have some fun treatments to show you and can't wait to see what you can come up with too.
3. Post your creation all over Instagram using #colorthisbear.
4. You get a bonus entry for each post using the hashtag #colorthisbear and for each person you tag in those posts!
5. A winner will be randomly picked from the entries. Will you be the lucky person?
6. If you win, you get to pick your favorite animal to be turned into a similarly-styled coloring page! How neat is that?

This contest runs through March and into April. A winner will be selected April 15. Coloring takes time, right? I can't wait to see what lovely things you have in store for this little guy!

Cougar Illustration Process Shot

It's not very often I have a piece that shows all the process steps at one time, but here's a quick look at what steps I went through to create this cougar illustration as part of my Wild and Wondrous series:

1) Sketch in pencil
2) Trace in pen (erase pencil)
3) Step out pattern placement
4) Fill in pattern
5) Finish and define outline

Wild and Wondrous: Monkey

Here's the next in the Wild and Wondrous series:

This silly little monkey has been up to mischief, I'm pretty sure. You can see the previous illustrations from this year-long series here and here. There are some additions in the works, too!

Wild and Wondrous: Lion

Here's the next wild beast I've been working on as part of my Wild and Wondrous illustration series:

His puffy hairdo is a fitting crown. You can see the first illustration here. I've been asking my loved ones what their favorite wild beast is, and I've been surprised at the variety. I can't wait to share more as they are completed.

Wild and Wondrous: Grolar Bear

I'm working on an illustration series this year of wild beasts. I'm calling it my Wild and Wondrous series and you can see more throughout the year on my Instagram account. The first one I finished this year was this crazy grolar bear, a mix between a polar and a grizzly:

This one seems serious, but don't be fooled by the calm expression. The fierceness is just under the surface. I'm pretty happy about how it turned out, and I'm looking forward to adding more to this series. It's such a fun illustration style!

Snowflake Mini Series Part I

For the month of January, I created a series of colorful snowflake illustrations to celebrate winter. Here are the first four of the series:

There are so many fun things to do during winter, like snowshoeing, sledding, creating snow sculptures and snow paintings, going on frozen lake adventures, and of course visiting the pristine forests. It's hard to pick a favorite, but I'm going to ask anyway: what's your favorite winter activity?

It's a Good Day for Nature!

I love nature so much, but sometimes I feel like I come across like this to most other people.

I can't help myself, but hopefully I can keep finding good ways to share the enthusiasm without all the factual inaccuracies. How neat is that?

Days of Wildlife Illustration Series and Free Baby Giraffe Printable

Last month I worked on a series of animal sketches from friends' Instagram requests, which was one of my favorite illustration series so far! I was delighted at the variety of animals people picked and it was a fun challenge. And here they all are in one place:

I made some tweaks to the baby giraffe and turned it into a free printable, which can be found in my store:

You can find it here as a thanks for visiting this corner. Feel free to print this little guy up to add to your home and let's all continue sharing the wonder of nature together!

Autumn Leaf Watercolor Series Part I

You've probably noticed my latest nature art series if you follow my daily posts on Instagram: autumn leaves. If so, I hope you enjoyed it! Tomorrow the last leaf falls so to speak. (At least I'll be posting the last painting in this year's series. The real leaves may continue to fall.) What is your favorite thing about nature this time of year? For me, it's the unapologetic display of colors! Here are the first nine in the month-long series:

This series consists of paintings of leaves I've personally collected this autumn then painted. Is gathering fall colors a favorite pastime for you too, I hope?

Instead of drawing these geometric-style like I was planning on, I realized that what I needed to focus on the most was allowing the colors to shine through. So, I switched things up for the month of November by showing a watercolor series.

I'm amazed at the way each tree adjusts to seasonal change on its own and on a smaller scale how each leaf on the same tree does the same: changing in its own time and shining in its own way. Gosh, I'm so lucky to live in a place that gets to enjoy the best season ever invented!

Young Naturalist

I ran into this set of gems while digging through a random box:

I can't even believe I kept these for so long! I'll have you know that this little flora collection earned me a 2nd place ribbon at my elementary school nature camp. How neat is that? And there is my first caddisfly case! (I found another one earlier this year.)

Decades later, nature still amazes me every single day! Thank you, camp counselors, for instilling an appreciation of nature in my tiny little heart.

Desert Ponderings

Through a series of unfortunate events, I got the chance recently to spend the night camping in the desert (which in and of itself was not unfortunate at all). My soul is two parts mountains and one part desert, and it turns out that it's impossible for me to spend time in either place without waxing ponderous. The stars are one of the best parts about the desert. I remember seeing the Milky Way from my house, but now I'm lucky to see anything more than a few major constellations. Spending time in the desert makes me feel so small and so big, and helps me readjust to my place in this crazy big world. It feels familiar and like home to me and certainly alters my perspective for the better.

Then, there is just something about the desert that shouts life. While I took my sunrise hike alone I stumbled across a raven nest, a stinkbug digging a hole in the sand, and a cottontail rabbit that I nearly stepped on (sorry for the heart attack, little guy!), all in just a few short minutes. My grandparents were desert downwinders who picnicked with their neighbors while watching the atomic bombs exploding in the distance. It's always amazed me that nuclear testing happened in the deserts where people thought there weren't any living things. There is so much life in the deserts, and some of the best, hardiest kind at that.

I love the deserts and the lessons they teach of resilience, patience, and the ability to thrive. Deserts hold a wonder all their own.

Alphabet Birds Part V

As tribute to the fantastic fowls of North America, I worked on an alphabet series of bird illustrations last month. I drew one bird for every letter of the alphabet. Here are illustrations Q-T:

Quail, Red-tailed Hawk, Scrub Jay, Thrush

I loved the variety of birds in this alphabet series, but I think it's totally possible to do a similar set of shore birds, birds of prey, mountain birds, or even prairie birds. Loved it!

Alphabet Birds Part IV

I was inspired by the amazing fall bird migration to focus on bird illustrations for the month of October. I thought it would be a fun way to showcase the variety of birds by picking one bird for each letter of the alphabet. It's been difficult to choose just one kind for each letter because there are so many amazing birds to pick from. But, I managed to narrow my pickings down to North American birds and narrowed it further by mostly sticking with birds I have seen.

Part IV of the bird series shows off birds M-P:

Magpie, Nighthawk, Osprey, and Peregrine Falcon

I could do a thousand million of these, I'm pretty sure, because of the variety of birds to pick from, and all the different quirky stances and silhouettes. Guys, I just love all the birds. (Yes, even pigeons.)

Alphabet Birds Part III

As part of my focus on birds for the month of October, I've been sharing a series of North American birds for every letter of the alphabet on my Instagram account. It's been exciting to learn about each type of bird, and I couldn't help but share a fact along with each illustration. Sharing the fascination, guys. Sharing the fascination.

These next four are Ibis, Jay, Killdeer, and the Long-eared Owl:

Stay tuned for the next set of four, and spread the fascination for nature!

Alphabet Birds Part II

Here are the next four birds (E-H) of the alphabet bird series I'm doing in the month of October:

Eagle, Flicker, Great-horned Owl, Heron.

I've enjoyed drawing these illustrations in my sketchbook and sharing a little fact about each kind of bird along the way. Nature is so fascinating! Stay tuned for the upcoming illustrations or check out my Instagram account for the daily updates, where you can request to see an illustration of your favorite bird.

Alphabet Birds

As a tribute to the amazing bird migration (and for Feather & Fir's namesake--birds are the best!) I've been drawing a North American bird for every letter of the alphabet. During the month of October I'm posting them on Instagram along with a quick fact about each highlighted bird, so be sure to check them out here on the daily.

Birds are so marvelous to me! It's fascinating how as a group they can seem so similar, but once they're examined a little more closely their distinct personalities and unique features shine. Each little species contains a wonder all its own!

Here is a recap of the first four illustrations, just in case you missed them:

Thanks for stopping by today! If you'd also like to see what our family is up to, you can follow our tomfoolery on my personal blog, here.

Moment of Wonder: Bighorn Sheep

One of my most memorable moments of wonder happened earlier this year while hiking with a friend. It had snowed the night before and the canyon was full of the kind of frosty fog that leaves feathery ices crystals on every surface. With each tiny blade and twig coated in delicate winter attire, our normally straightforward hike was transformed to an otherworldly version of itself. The snow padded any sound and we walked quietly taken by the incredible beauty surrounding us and avoiding any noise that might break the spell.

As we worked our way through the fog, we were met with new scenes every few steps. It had been a long time since I had felt that overwhelming joy of discovery as strongly as I did that day. I eagerly picked my way through the snow and fog, soaking in as many details as I could, and expecting something magical to happen.

The best thing about expecting something magical is that it usually happens.

The timing could not have been any more perfect. As we neared a corner in the trail, the fog cleared just enough to see dark shapes. As I was thinking how odd it was to run into other hikers on the trail, but then as we got closer I realized the massive shapes were much larger than people. In the middle of that thought, the fog suddenly cleared, and standing in front of us were two bighorn sheep with their majestic curling horns and powerful stances. We stopped short and I locked eyes with one of them, and in that moment there was no fear from either of us, but a mutual acknowledgement. The brief encounter seemed to last for eternity, and in that moment I felt I was privileged to share in the strength and wild wisdom of that creature.

Then just as quickly as they appeared, they turned and climbed up the cliff wall bordering the trail, without leaving any sign they had been there at all. It was so magical I still sometimes question if it really happened, especially when I walk past that same spot and marvel at the sheerness of the cliff they disappeared up so effortlessly.

From the foggy setting to the hoofsteps echoing through the cold, the moment could not have been any more magical. And while that magic cannot be replicated, I hoped to be able to convey the fearlessness and strength I gained in that moment with an illustration and watercolor piece, which will be up in the shop soon:

Here's hoping something magical brings you delight and the joy of discovery this week!