Cicada Transformation

If you have ever happen to see a cicada cloaked in its brown, lined shell and want to know how it changes to the complex and beautiful winged creature above, here’s some insight.  By the way, I discovered this last summer. I picked up a cicada, thinking it was deformed and near death only to find this beautiful green insect emerge out of the dull shell within an hour. I made a watercolor to remember it, entitled “Cicada’s New Coat.”

Here is how it happened a couple days ago, while I was walking my dog. I found the arched, pod like, cicada moving sluggishly on the sidewalk. I did not want him stepped on by an early morning dog walker like myself so I picked him up and put him on my arm.  He attached himself to my shoulder and came home with Annie and me. I put him in an aquarium with my violets and begonias (the violets and begonias will otherwise be eaten by my cats if they are not protected). It did not take long for the process to begin.  He hung himself upside down on the screen cover and began to change within minutes.

I took some photos to record the event. I apologize for the quality at times but at least it gives you an idea of how they make there way out.

Cicada in upper right – image one

Cicada – image two with begonia

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I had to go to work after taking this last picture and knew I could not disturb the process so I left him in the aquarium. Needless to say, he was quite eager when I returned home to fly free. He sat still long enough for me to take the first photo on this post, where he sits on my hand. Seconds afterward, he buzzed and flew off from sight. I admit I said a prayer he would be safe. Birds find cicadas quite tasty.

Bold Bison

August 15 – Prior to a lecture on the work of photographer Edward Curtis at the Museum of Wisconsin Art, I walked around to view the images, primarily of Native Americans, in the gallery. I envisioned a sketch of a person for my book but of course, I found myself drawn to an animal image.  It was a group of bison in a field, entitled “As It Was in the Old Days” from 1927.  I wondered exactly what he meant by this title. The great herds of bison had certainly been seriously decimated by this point but the image did not show hundreds of bison that would make me think back to a time of large numbers of animals. But the title did make me wish it was the old days when thousands upon thousands of bison roamed the West. So August 16, 17 and 18 continued with bison sketches; a humble little sketchbook homage to what I wish still remained.

Sidewalk Fish Art and Sketch a Day Book

My words will be followed by an image of my sketchbook pages from July 19 to 22. You will notice that for July 20 I only wrote “chalk drawing from Racine.” After eight and a half hours of working on the ground, on an 8′ x 8′ panel, this is what that chalk drawing came out to be.  Admittedly, I had little energy at the end of the evening to draw in my book…but I figure this counts in a big way creatively.

The pastels I use are from the company “Eternity Arts.” I love the brilliance – great quality for a reasonable price ($1 a stick) – so if you enjoy sidewalk drawing, they are excellent. Your kids will love them also. As a child, I hated how dull chalks were. I have learned why.  It is because they only dye white chalk; no pigment within.  So if you have a young, budding artist, get these pastels.  They will make them (or your inner child) happy.  The sticks are big and chunky so they last longer and hey, big and chunky sticks are just plain fun to work with!

Here are the three studies from July 18, 19 and 21, with notes below.

July 18 – Columbine from Colorado photo…I did this at the end of a teaching sixth graders day so not my strongest but one of my favorite flowers. They are beautiful …and tasty.  Their petals are edible so if you are ever stranded in the woods, munch this flower….but only in emergencies because they are best left to color forest and field.

July 19 – Fallen tree in Greenfield Park: One of the three grand old trees fell last week so before they cut it up and took it away, I wanted to make sure I drew it.  It was hollow inside so its time was coming but it is sad to see a part of the natural history of this park die.  A small tribute for now.

July 21 – Tree from Twin Sisters Trail photo – a striking angled trunk with articulate branches.

Cat, Cloud, Beetle, Fox – Sketch a Day Book

July 14 –  my cat Riley intently focused on the finches outside.

July 15 – the most incredible giant mushroom cloud filled the skies at the end of day (once again a humble attempt at capturing nature’s magnificence)

July 16 – a yellow orange beetle clung to the back window screen

July 17 – I was blessed with seeing a fox in a driveway on an early morning walk in the neighborhood.

Colorado Trip – Studies and Sketch a Day Book

Every year (or at least every other year), I make my pilgrimage to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. It is a type of holy land for me. It is where I feel at home; where my soul finds a peace and closeness to God that is otherwise challenging to find in a city.  Going “home” this time had its bump with altitude sickness on the second day but I recovered quickly as soon as we drove down to 9,000 feet.  Traveling to the alpine level at about 12,000 feet was probably not the wisest choice early on in the trip but I had wanted to go to Grand Lake for a couple of days. It seemed best to travel from the Denver airport to Grand Lake first then back to Estes Park, where my friends and I would spend the majority of our time. I had never seen the West side of the park and I wanted to see the moose that resided there.

Having slept only a full hour in the cabin the night before surely contributed to my ill feelings. I decided to let my companions sleep on the bed and I on the inflatable mattress I brought. I had slept on it before and had found it comfortable. I did not realize how cold the floor of a raised cabin could become, however. I shivered most of the night and put every bit of clothing I had on my body. I was too nice to ask my friends for an extra blank or to share their space.  My toes were cold for a couple hours after I had woken up.  I did survive though and despite nausea and extreme dizziness at the alpine heights, I was able to appreciate the rest of the day…especially sleeping in a bed in a warm room at the end of it.

The first image posted above is in my sketch a day book, based on memory and photo. It is  my return to the alpine tundra on the same trip a few days later.  This time the landscape had ill feelings – wind, lighting, rain and some thunder. My visit was brief but the clouds were dramatic and moved quickly. I captured what I could. Below is a watercolor sketch of a tundra tree – only a few inches in height but its age questionable. The growing season is short so it could be 20, 30 or more years old.  The other study I made from inside the car. It is a quick response to a vast mountain side. It is always so humbling to be in the presence of such complexity.

Back to the beginning of the trip sketch a day book entries. I did miss June 24 but I spent the afternoon simply taking in what I saw on the cabin steps – a distant view of the knoll, one very friendly chipmunk, flora, and insect visitors. June 26 are the broad tailed hummingbirds at the Estes Park cottage – readily available models at the nectar feeders. And on June 27 I and my friends summited the Twin Sisters peak at over 11,000 feet. Time was short since we had started late in the morning and had not realized how long it took us to get to the top.  I insisted on a five minute drawing.  Long’s Peak was clearly in sight so he was chosen.Watercolor studies of hummingbirdsOn the way to Emerald Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, we stopped at Nymph Lake.  I became mesmerized by eel like creatures in the water only to quickly realize they were leeches but I decided to paint them anyway. Their swimming is done with such grace.  At the same time, it is fascinating how you understand their movement is one of searching, of hunting and so there is aggression present as well. I am not sure aggression is the right word – maybe predatory is better. They are simply doing what they need to survive.  I put the mountain in for good measure. Sketch a day entries – more leeches plus other pond life, alpine ridge view and prairie dogs at the Celestial Seasonings property in Boulder.Time in the car painting due to a heavy downpour of Long’s Peak as the storm made its way over.Photo of Alluvial Falls and the painting that resulted.Our last day was a trip to the Denver Art Museum. It had been quite a few years since I had visited. It has been beautifully redone with an addition made of angles and exhibits updated.   I kept with an animal theme for the sketches – an old postcard with a donkey, a fish weight from Africa and a Sandy Skoglund fox. Also included, an inspiring quote from an African artist. And for the record, I did see a moose in Grand Lake. The photo to prove it – actually two moose – a mother and her young (the person in red is a fisherman). The altitude sickness was worth it.

Self Portrait….”Animal a Day” Art Series

The” Animal a Day” series took a different route for a couple of days. Asked to be a part of a self portrait art exhibit, I was placed in the uncomfortable position to actually make an image of my face. It was uncomfortable for me at least. Most of my life’s work has focused on nature. Granted I am nature, too, but using the human figure is usually not my first choice or much of a choice at all. Speaking through drawings and paintings of trees and animals fits more with what I wish to communicate. But making friends with this challenge was necessary. I asked myself what I wanted the viewer to know about me. Sharing the scene with animals made sense since they live with me, bringing humor and unconditional commitment.

“Quattro Quail” – Sketch a Day Series

Well, not exactly four quail. Actually two quail, a partridge and a grouse but “Quattro Quail” sounded much better for a title. These pages did begin with a quail though with a visit to the Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison, Wisconsin. The tropical conservatory has little families of common and button or painted quail living amongst the ground layer. I was able to spy one of them eating for a brief time – a matter of minutes – before he or she scurried under the brush. The rest of the three similar game birds were from the Dover book.

Spring Rabbits – Sketch a Day Book

Since it is spring, it seemed fitting to include rabbits for these four days in May.

Timid Mouse – “Animal a Day” Art Series

Ginny the mouse came into my house literally and into my life a very thin, hungry little rodent a couple winters ago. She has since stayed in a large aquarium where she spins on her wheel obsessively and favors sunflower seeds above all else. She is still quite timid but has favorably adjusted it seems to being cared for. Here is a little tribute to her.

This is number twelve in a my “Animal a Day” art series.

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Thanks for visiting and as always my images are copyrighted. If you would like permission to use them, please contact me. It is much appreciated from one creative person to another!

Kiwi Bird – “Animal a Day” Art Series

Paging through the Dover “Animal” book once again, the whimsical kiwi was too irresistible to pass up for the next day’s drawing. He looked angry in the original but I chose to make him a more approachable fellow.

If I had a kiwi as a pet and it was a male, “Shaggy” seems an appropriate name.

Artwork available at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KristinGjerdset

Thanks for visiting and as always my images are copyrighted. If you would like permission to use them, please contact me. It is much appreciated from one creative person to another!