Shrub Grassland Plants

Dawn Nelson November 11, 2015

I love the smell and color of the different sagebrush plants. This is an initial sketch. I'm still in the process of applying watercolor. I often go back to drawings and add color or details at a later time.

Sketching at Gainan's

Dawn Nelson June 27, 2015

My goal in this sketch was to focus on patterns and shapes, using a pen to draw them. I loved how varied they were in this arrangement. I also enjoyed adding color with watercolor. The background behind the arrangement was an old wooden orderly-patterned trellis. My interpretation of the trellis was a bit more random.

Zen Coho

Dawn Nelson March 6, 2015

Comments..

Inking phase of my Zen Coho painting, now completed and shown on my gallery page. Enjoy all the patterns!

Rimrocks

Dawn Nelson February 12, 2015

My first sketch of the rimrocks, which tower above our neighborhood, Billings, and the Yellowstone River. They provide a natural launching pad for airplanes (Billings airport is located along a portion of the rimrock plateau) and birds alike. At first glance, they seem dry, brown, and unexceptional, but if one observes them long enough, they show their sublime beauty. I find myself admiring them, especially in the early morning or late afternoon light. The rimrocks show their colors - not just brown - but oranges, reds, and yellows, plus the various greens of the trees and shrubs sparingly popping out of the rocks.

Snowy Owl

Dawn Nelson February 12, 2015

Adult snowy owls on the tundra. We are all enchanted by these seemingly mystical snowy white birds, especially given it’s magical role in the Harry Potter series. Aside from this, I've learned some parental facts about snowy owls that I find touching.

Breeding pairs of snowy owls are typically monogamous. They parent cooperatively and are highly dedicated and protective of their owlets. The male hunts for food to bring back to the nest, while the female keeps the owlets warm and safe and breaks up the food for them to eat. Unlike many other birds of prey, mother snowy owls will nurture an owlet that is sickly, even taking some food away from stronger siblings so that it will have a fighting chance. She will also tenderly brood the owlet even if there's no chance of survival to keep it warm as it dies. Look for sketches of owlets coming soon.

Burrowing Owl

Dawn Nelson February 12, 2015

Juvenile burrowing owls responding to an intruder unwittingly entering into their underground nest. Intrusions like this regularly happen because many animal species (in addition to the owls) use tunnels and burrows made by prairie dogs or other digging mammals. These "tunnel towns" occur in dry, open landscapes. In cowboy country, these diurnal, long-legged owls are known as “howdy birds” because they nod their heads, as if in greeting, while exiting their burrows.

Great Horned Owl

Dawn Nelson February 12, 2015

We had moved from the big city to a quiet rural town when I first heard a Great Horned Owl. I had no idea what it was, but reveled in the new nature sounds all around us. I remember standing by our open bedroom window in the middle of the night, listening to the owl the first year we lived in our house (by then I had figured out what it was). I was enchanted. The sound visually reminds me of a small bouncing ball, in which there is a big bounce, then a few smaller successive bounces as it moves away. Allaboutbirds.org describes the call as a deep, stuttering series of 4 to 5 hoots. HOO...hoo hoo hoo hoo.