Newbies- er, New Bees!

Here is the drawing that I mentioned at the end of my last post! I didn't want to upload it before it was given to the recipients. I know the chances that they *just happen* to read my blog or anything related to it are pretty much 0.00000000000000000000000000000001% but I felt it was more respectful to wait to post it.

So in my head, I've been calling the piece "Nectar," partly because, of course, that's what the bees are feasting on in this picture. But also partly because I had just downloaded Tindersticks' first album and was enjoying listening to it on repeat while I was drawing. One of the songs on it is titled "Nectar" which seemed quite appropriate :)




I'm working on a box with some decoupage of this drawing in there... it'll be up in my Etsy shop eventually, which, by the way, is up and running again!! Yay!

"In The Waiting Line" Operation Fill-A-Frame #5

http://www.etsy.com/listing/67648352/in-the-waiting-line-monarch-study

Operation Fill-A-Frame #5 is complete! This was one of the frames I was looking forward to filling the most. "In The Waiting Line" features a big (4th instar) Monarch Caterpillar, crawling and munching his way among the Milkweeds, awaiting the time to turn into a chrysalis and become a beautiful Monarch butterfly!

The title seemed appropriate for a caterpillar and was also the name of a song I listened to while creating the art- listen here:



The mat of this picture is outside of the glass, not under it. (It feels like a hard wood or plastic and is painted.) The two drawings are on a single sheet of Canson Recycled Bristol art paper, and the drawing was created with ink and my Forest Choice colored pencils. I hadn't done a colored pencil drawing with ink in a long time- maybe not since my 30 bugs in 30 days project! I yearned to do something a little realistic, a little cartoony, and so this was created.

This was a quick one, and thus, is a cheap one! $25 for this framed original drawing in my Etsy shop- you can see the listing here :)
http://www.etsy.com/listing/67648352/in-the-waiting-line-monarch-study

I have another frame identical to this one and will probably do another caterpillar/butterfly combo drawing. I'm thinking an eastern Yellow Tiger Swallowtail butterflies for the next one!

New- Featured Item!

NEW!
Featured Item:

"Passiflora" Colored Pencil Drawing
8"x10" double matted & framed in an 11"x14" frame.
$130 and FREE SHIPPING!
Buy it HERE!

I tend to showcase my original drawings and paintings at art shows, or the few pieces I've got over at Gallerie 13 in Mechanicsburg PA. Otherwise, the original work is kept packed away so it doesn't get damaged, or I hang it up so that I know exactly where each piece is and I can find it when I need it. I realized recently that those pieces aren't doing anyone any good just sitting around like that, now are they? So I've decided to start promoting my originals a little more with.... Featured Items. I'll list the item in my Etsy shop and offer free shipping on it... until I decide to feature a different item.

If you'd like to buy one of my featured items but you don't have an Etsy account, it's free and simple to set one up!

New Dragonflies drawing!

"The Dragonfly Meeting"

8"x10" colored pencil & ink drawing

Currently $120 as it is not framed

$145 when I have it framed.

I recently finished this drawing but hadn't gotten a chance to post it on ye olde bloge yet... so here it is!

If you're interested in buying the original, you can email me at samanthasartstudio@verizon.net. I haven't bought a frame for it yet, but would be happy to ship it to you unframed in a plastic sleeve and you can pick out a frame. I have a blue frame in mind at a local frame shop... just need to take the picture and compare colors to make sure it won't clash!

For prints of this drawing, just click the image or go to my new online gallery here:
http://www.imagekind.com/showartwork.aspx?IMID=b9ca77eb-f705-49c8-9136-723956f8256e

I don't think this will be the last of my dragonfly artwork. At various art shows I've been asked countless times if I have any dragonflies, so this is the first full size drawing. Lately I've been doing a lot of smaller artwork- I can produce it quickly and sell it for less than a big ginormous painting that takes months and months. Because of this, I'll probably be doing some series (3-4 pieces) of different bugs since I'm used to having one subject matter in mind for months at a time. For instance, I'm already working on another spider... I hope to eventually have 4 of them as well.

Praying Mantis drawing done!

I started this drawing a couple weeks ago in an airport during a layover on our way to Alaska. I worked on it occasionally during the trip, and managed to finish him (her?) today.

Does it look familiar?

When I was creating my "30 Bugs in 30 Days" ACEOs, my husband suggested that I include a Praying Mantis in the series. I liked the idea, so it became the 8th bug.
When I finished the little card, I was happy with the composition and thought it would make a nice full size drawing (full size for my drawings being 9" x 12" or so).

I'm going to display this guy at my feature artist show in August (I'll post more about that later). He's going into a 16" x 20" frame (which I'm painting green with some leftover paint from the Hydrant project) and will be double matted in white with a green inner mat.

A little about the original idea behind this...
When I began sketching out the Mantis ACEO, I knew I would have to somehow compensate for the fact that most people do NOT like these bugs! (I personally think they're very cool.) They're BIG, they have alien faces, and the way they walk is... kind of creepy I suppose. I decided the way to make the Mantis card a little more acceptable to the general public* was to add in some pretty flowers. No hearts or rainbows or glitter, the flowers seemed sufficient. I chose hydrangeas since I thought the blue hue would accompany the green Mantis nicely.

* Not that "being accepted by the general public" is what art is about, but one of the main reasons that I like drawing bugs is to bring attention to their beauty. This mantis is no exception, and the last thing I want is to have people take one look at the fact that "GROSS IT'S A PRAYING MANTIS OMG!!! EEEEEWWWW!!!!!" and 5-alarm-freak-out about it.

Eastern Hercules Beetle: Bug #30!

Bug #30: Eastern Hercules Beetle, complete!

Here is quite an interesting website about them:
http://entomology.uark.edu/museum/dynastes.html

(I am so sad that I couldn't find a video to include of a clip from "The Nutty Professor" with the mom going "Her-calees! Her-calees! Her-calees!" Oh well.)

I never found very many of these when I was a kid (or as an adult, either). But on the rare occasions when I do find one, they never fail to impress me! They're some of the biggest beetles (if not the biggest) on the East Coast.

At least 5 or 6 times during my bug series, I've looked these guys up for reference photos, then changed my mind. I couldn't think of a composition and kept making things too complicated. I didn't want to duplicate my millipede with a bug walking on an old log with foliage around either. I decided on just a plain bright colored background again, and after scribbling a few colors in the margin of this drawing, picked red as I liked how it looked against the colors of the beetle.

So there we have it, my series is done!
Thanks so much to everyone who followed along, and sorry some of the bugs in the last week or so kept getting posted late. Working on the hydrant in all my spare time meant late-night-buggin', then it just seemed easier to scan a few in at a time, etc.

I'll be on vacation later this week, but when I return, I hope to have some ideas for a new series of some sort! Either more ACEOs, or else perhaps little paintings (8x10's) derived from some of these bugs!

Ladybugs: Bug #29

Look familiar?
This is the same composition as the very first bug ACEO in the series:

I got a little ahead of myself.
I lost track of what day it was, and had planned to do this as my last bug. I wanted to show the evolution and changes I've made in the series. I thought for the last bug, this (re-doing the first one) would be significant.

Turns out it is only Saturday, not Sunday, and I am only on Bug 29!

I really wanted to add some more flowers to the composition, on the sides of the picture- but I also wanted to keep it as close to the original as possible. Instead of doing a blue and green background, I tried to imagine a fuzzed background as if this flower was a photo taken against a whole field of them. The flower was inspired by some that were growing locally last month when I started the series. For about a week along the Susquehanna, these were growing in mass quantities. They didn't last long though, but they were pretty while they were there.

I wish I had gotten a better picture of them growing along the little hillside here:

Stink Bug: Bug #28!

This one sort of goes with yesterday's bug. Dung Beetle (doodie bug)... Stink Bug!
I must have had an overdose of silly last week that needed to explode and be explored on paper.

I added some nice smelling daisies to the composition so those might cancel out the stink. It would have been kind of fun if I had those smelly markers and had done this ACEO with those.

No?


Technically this guy is also called a Shield Bug due to his shape.
Fact: this is one of the few TRUE BUGS (Order Hempitera) that I've done in this series. Yes, I've been lying to you most of the time... though not on purpose.
What makes a bug a True Bug?
True Bugs have piercing mouthparts, something like a beak, and they can't chew. Which means he'd make a great dinner companion, because who likes to listen to people chew?? Not me.
Their antennae typically have 5 segments.
They also have half wings, or at least most of them do... the cicada is an exception.
Here's a website with some neat pictures and more information on True Bugs!
http://www.insectpod.com/category/animalia/arthropods/insects/true-bugs/

Dung Beetle: Bug #27

Yeah, that's right.
I did it.

Behold!! The very first (and..... probably last) of some Poop Art.

(Pop art? Poop art? Get it?? HaHAhAHaHHA.)

There are a few common categories of bugs. You've got your charismatic bugs- butterflies, ladybugs, dragonflies. Bugs that everyone loves!
Then you've got what some would consider to be gross bugs- centipedes, praying mantis (Can you believe it!? Some people think they're gross!) and spiders (though they're not actually bugs).
And then there are the bugs that are just silly. Like the dung beetle. These members of the scarab beetle family find piles of animal poop and roll pieces of it into balls. They dig a hole and bury the doodie ball, and the female lays her eggs on it. When they hatch... INSTANT BREAKFAST. That's right, these beetles feed on poop. Lots and lots of it.
Click here to learn all you ever wanted to know about a bug that lives on poop: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dung_beetle

"Dung" sounds so innocuous though. I mean, we all know what it is.
It's poop!!!
It would be a lot more hilarious if this bug was just referred to as one of the following:

Poop Bug
Excrement Afficionado
Sultan of Sh#t
Maniac Fecalpheliac
Doodie Roller
Consecrate of Crap

Bumble Bee & Rose: Bug #26

I knew I wanted to include at least one composition with some bees in my series. I did honeybees for Bug #6, but knew I wanted to eventually add a bumble bee, too. So here he is, in his giant, fuzzy glory! Actually maybe too giant... I tried to illustrate a small, baby rose bloom here with the small petals all packed in together, not fully unfurled. But I think I just ended up making the bee look REALLY HUGE.

Huge bees.... Awesome. All the more fun for petting.

Water Beetle! Bug # 25

Click to see him in my Etsy shop!

Tuesday's bug is a Water Beetle! I don't really know a lot about these guys, except that you can often find pictues of them actually killing small frogs to eat, some people eat them, and some of these water beetles can get VERY BIG!
Those are known as the Giant Water Beetles.

My husband did ask what the background is supposed to be, so just to clarify... This beetle is diving down in some shallow water, amongst some green water plants and marshy reed grass.

Swallowtail Butterfly & Zinnia: Bug #21

Bug #21: A beautiful Tiger Swallowtail!

We used to have so many of these in our yard in Maryland. They love Zinnias, so the one in this picture is having a drink from a reddish-orange one. I tried playing around with the stylized lines again, and really I think they added a lot to this composition!

Why the purple sky?
I had done the purple sky with the fireflies, which looks great at night. I wasn't sure how it would look for a daytime picture, but I really didn't just want to do another blue sky either. So what goes well with yellow? Its complimentary color purple, of course! It's different, and kind of.... fun.

What do you think?

Bug #19: Field Cricket. Very NOISY

My husband said before he went to sleep,
"I want to see a cricket when I get up tomorrow."
I like crickets, too, so a cricket makes us both happy.
(Plus up here, I yet to see any of those big ones that, from far away, look like giant spiders. Ugh!)


I've gotten into a bad habit of doing some of my bugs very late at night. I need to take the time and do them in the afternoons when I've got more creative energy. Save things for later that don't need to sap all my creativity.

I know I'm technically late getting this guy up, and will be late getting tomorrow's up, too- but I'm timestamping it correctly so when I go back in virtual bug blogging time, I can see which bug corresponded to which day :)

It's been super busy this week in the House of Little Bug: A meeting for the fire hydrant project, butterfly housing, Etsy selling and shipping, and other fun stuff.

Cute Colorful Snail: Bug #17!

I can't believe I'm already on Bug 17! This series is really flying by (Ha! Bugs! Flying by! ...I kill me)!

Click to see him in my Etsy Shop

Today's bug is a sweet little snail, meandering through the thick weeds of a garden.

But wait.
Are snails really bugs?
The answer is....... technically, NO!
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Are_snails_insects
They are members of the Mollusks family!

So, similar to the Roly Poly, I've included another bug in this series that isn't really a bug. According to my husband, "it doesn't count!" But since the series is something I'm doing for fun, I'm including little critters that most people commonly perceive as being bugs. Part of the reason this is fun is because I can add them to the series and make it an educational project. I love being able to share information about bugs that others may not have know, such as the agony caused by the red Velvet Ant, and the endearingly peculiar (and totally harmless) Hummingbird Moth.

Least Skipper Butterfly- Bug #16

Today I was thinking about charismatic bugs. You know, the bugs everyone loves. Probably because I've been pretty delusional about how most people really feel about bugs. Sure on Etsy I can find tons of bug related accessories (click these to see results for yourself!)- purses, jewelry, art, clothing, needlecrafts- everything! Etsy's got quite a bug loving crowd!

So, back to reality- what is one kind of bug everyone likes? Butterflies of course! Why else would there be so many Butterfly House attractions all over the US?

You can see him in my Etsy shop by clicking him!

And one of the cutest families of butterflies has to be the Skippers! They almost look similar to moths in that their bodies seem large in comparison to their wings, which might explain why they are not the best of fliers. They're also quite fuzzy like a moth. But what made me want to draw one was its big, round eyes! Its eyes seem HUGE compared to its head!

This one here is a Least Skipper (I think). He's perched himself on some red Butterfly Weed, a color I thought would set him off nicely. I kept the background somewhat simple since I wanted all of the emphasis to be on the butterfly, plus they are so small that in order to get a good macro shot of one, the background would likely be quite out of focus anyway!

If you'd like to read more about the little skippers, here's a page with lots of great information!
http://www.cirrusimage.com/skipper_photos.htm

Beautiful 6 Spotted Tiger Beetle: Bug 15

I have to admit, this is one of my favorites so far!

Beetles come in so many shapes, sizes and colors. But some of the most beautiful ones I remember seeing in my own yard in the summer were these gorgeous iridescent bluish-green ones. They like to hang out in the woods, on the ground, along paths or near the water.

I've illustrated this Tiger Beetle on a fallen oak leaf, lit up by the sun. I thought the orangey-browns and yellows of the leaf was a good color to really make this bright beetle pop! And when you see these guys in real life, they really do like to be on leaves!

Here are a couple of websites if you'd like to see or learn more about them:
http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/six-spotted_tiger_beetle.htm
http://www.cirrusimage.com/beetles_green_tiger.htm
Click here for some gorgeous results from Flickr!

Damselfly: Bug 14 done!

Closely related to the Dragonfly is.... Today's Bug, the Damselfly!


This one is called a Bluet Damselfly. They like to hang out in grassy areas by the water, as I illustrated here. The males are blue, and the females are can be brown, greenish brown, or blue as well.

So what's the difference between a Damselfly and a Dragonfly? Are they the same?
Nope.
There are many differences, but one of the main differences is that Dragonflies do not have the same hinges on their wings as Damselflies and therefore cannot put their wings together when at rest, as Damselflies do. Damselflies cannot fly as quickly as Dragonflies. Damselflies' eyes are located closer to the sides of its head, whereas a Dragonfly's eyes are more toward the front of his face.

13th Bug finished! Ants today!

These ants are on their way to a picnic!
Is it your picnic?
I hope not.
If it is, hopefully they are just stopping by to check out your leftovers!

Ants,
Having fun.
On the run.
In the sun.
The one in front
Looks like he has a mustache
Wait
That doesn't even rhyme.

This card was inspired by the swarms of bugs that attack me down by the river when I go walking, biking, jogging- anything. Sometimes it's gnats, sometimes it seems like little mosquitos but thank goodness they don't bite. Today it was just these little teeny black specks that looked like pepper. You could hardly see them, but you could feel them... YUCK!

I thought, I should do some kind of swarm of bugs, but what should I draw? What would be a fun group of bugs to draw? Gnats and no-see-ums aren't very interesting...

So ants, while not in a swarm, crossed my mind as I was jogging along, and I visualized how they're always in little lines- you can put sticks or rocks in their path and they'll just go right over it. A long path of ants sounded like a fun thing to draw...

12th bug done: A Monarch Emerges...

Today's bug: A monarch emarges from her chrysalis!

Today's bug came from inspiration of how I spent the afternoon. It was my first day as a volunteer at the Butterfly House! When they emerge from the chrysalis, for the first few moments they aren't exactly the beauties we see fluttering around in the summer! I wanted to illustrate that for those who may not have realized what they look like when they first come out.

I did a lot of pollinator/butterfly gardening back in Maryland, and I thought I knew a lot about butterflies and their life cycles. I learned so much today, and I'm sure this summer I will learn a lot more.

At the butterfly house, there is a box of about 200 Chrysalis. Today 4 or 5 opened, but I only got to see one open while I was there. It wasn't quite as dramatic as one would think, as a staff member had to assist it... so I didn't really feel I got to experience the full magical effect. But today was a cold day, barely even 60, which is a very unhealthy temperature for butterflies to decide they want to come into the world. We also had no sun, so after they came out of their chrysalis, there wasn't anywhere for them to warm up.

A few of them didn't make it. They kept falling, failing to cling to anything (which is necessary so that their wings can hang down and unfold) , or they would hang but their wings just wouldn't fill out. Poor butterflies, what should have been a happy and exciting time for all was filled with worry instead.

For most of the afternoon, I checked out the different kinds of chrysalis and which butterflies would be emerging from them. I studied the different stages, and how the youngest were still the bright colors of their caterpillar, and the ones just about to pop open were much darker (in cases of monarchs and black swallowtails).

Photo by MsEli (Eli Griffith) on Flickr.

Here is an example of a monarch very close to emerging from a chrysalis.

Photo by Dannie Quinn (shantaya ~ dannie) on Flickr

A black swallowtail chrysalis, newly formed (it's bright green!).

I learned that Luna Moth cocoons look like a simple rock or old leaf that you would never even see, sitting there on the forest floor. The caterpillar wraps itself up in a leaf, and spins a silken chrysalis inside. So even though butterflies have a chrysalis, and a moth has a cocoon, inside that cocoon is a moth chrysalis. Check them out!
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=luna%20moth%20cocoon&w=all

11th Bug Done! Hey, what is that!?

My scan didn't come out very accurate here, which is disappointing because the background has a whole bunch of different shades of green instead of just the two that are showing up here. I hate to say "It looks better in person" but... eh... it does. Maybe tomorrow I'll try to photograph it outside in the daylight...

Today's bug is another not-so-well-known bug. I had these all over my yard in Maryland in 2007 and 2008- they LOVE butterfly bushes!



Hey!!!1 That's no bug. That's a baby hummingbird! Wait, are those antennae? So it must be a bug. It looks soft and fuzzy like a bumble bee. But it has a proboscis like a butterfly. Is it a mutant butterfly!?
Wrong again.

It's actually a Moth!!

These closely mimic the color and movements of hummingbirds. They have olive green bodies with reddish brown stripes toward their fuzzy little bug butt. They're known as Hummingbird Clearwing Moths, part of the Sphinx and Hawk Moth family.

There is a close relative to the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth, called the Snowberry Clearwing. I know that name is ridiculously cute and adorable as hell, and no, I didn't make it up. It looks a lot like the Hummingbird Clearwing except the body is very yellow in color and its bands and wings are black instead of brown, mimicing a bumble bee.


Here is the collection of reference photos I used. I took these last summer, probably 20 or more pictures of the same little guy. These bugs are very tame and will let you get quite close without flying off.

Click here for a ton of other images of these Clearwing Moths... they are just so cute, I can't get enough, either.