An Art Work A Day

I am so happy that my sprained ancle got better so quickly. I did as the doctor said and let pain be the only thing that stopped me, wrapped it up and walked more and more even though it was very very slowly and carefully and very short steps on Tuesday, Wednesday I could walk more normally as the swelling went a bit down and each day it improved and now today I walked nearly normally. I even managed a small very very slow and careful jog today. The advantage of having to mover slowly is of course that I then had time to admire the busy food gathering of the bumble bees.

I used to hate spiders and most insects but the more I study them the more I love them. (nodp)

Every day I celebrate the miracles of nature

I have just been watching BBC's series Life in The Undergrowth with David Attenborough. Wonderful series. That ispired today's painting's title.




Blue Antstract,
acrylics on paper
32x41cm

This painting was mounted and framed (was in exhibition) and as such difficult and expensive to post internationally. Contact me if you are still interested for price and possible dismantling

Today I drove down to school and spent most of my day there. Also visited a collegue for tea and cheese and had a lovely time. The countdown for starting work again has began - only one day left now. I hope you like my painted pun on that today.

Unfortunately my router died yesterday so that is why this work is a bit delayed in posting. I am getting a bit fed up with having to buy new stuff these days. Time to pay down on mortage instead of increasing my debts each month. :-(((.

I had lots of fun painting this one yesterday, Imagining putting clotes on this nerdy figure and making him look so uncool.



Nerdy,
watercolours on paper
ACEO
2.5x3.5inches
$9
p&p is FREE

Today is the Twentyfourth day of the August challenge

Tribute To a Beautiful Earth
Celebrating and Conserving Our Planet with DailyPainters.com

and today I give you an ink painting of a bird mum bringing food for her chicks. If for no other reason, our maternal instincts should lead us into preserving our planet and tidying up after earlier mistakes or abuse of our natural resourses. I chose to have the nest hidden and I really believe that the wise animals keep their offspring away from any human beings - in general we ruin things for them.

Today I watched the opening seremony of the Olympic games in Beijing. I therefore brought out my ink stone and ink stick and my chinese brushes as well as rice paper. It has been a while since I used these technique so I definately need to practice a bit before my brush work is as I would like it.

Insects are both a pest as well as something that all of nature depends on. I therefore find it a very suitable subject matter for this challenge.

OLympic Mantis,

ink on rice paper

16x24cm

nfs, needs mounting first, if you want it unmounted then please contact me.
p&p worldwide is FREE

Romance and Tears,
encaustic art
7x9cm
$11


p&p is FREE












Some has asked me how my praying mantis are doing and most are doing well. Here is one of them. It had a bit of problem with it and dropped it twice before it was able to hold it long enough to kill it.



Indian Flower Prayin Mantis with its prey

I have had a lovely day today. My daughter (20) visited and she has got an appartment finally and yesterday my son (19) got the contract for his job/practical learning place for the next 2 years and it was a veru good contract. As every parent can relate to, life is often very good when the children's lives are sorted.


Paradise Bouquet,
encaustic art
7x9cm
$15
p&p worldwide is FREE


This is the family's extra house which is used like most use a cabin. It is situated quite high up and my daughter and I went for a walk after going through the house and checking it. The basement did not look good. the mice had had a field day and LOL even the electric mice reppelant beep thing was eaten on. The basement tend to get to humid during spring and late winter and we use up tons of the dryball-stuff which drags moisture out of the room.

While tidying up in the basement, removing huge amounts of mouse droppings I also guided this one here out.

Lithobius forficatus - steinskolopender - Brown Centipede

As I came home and wanted to wash some clothes for my daughter who is moving this weekend and wanted everything freshly washed, I saw this little beetle and helped it get out of the house. before doing that I had to take some photos of course. I hope to add the species tomorrow.

It is now 3. a.m. and I have had a lovely night with two of my collegues, talking and drinking wine and eating cheese and biscuits while solving the problems of this world. :-) . This is how we might end up feeling tomorrow even though I think we showed a bit restraint.

Invation of the Alien Species,

encaustic art

7x9cm

$13

p&p worldwide is FREE

Today I got some new praying mantis. This is a Creobroter gemmatus - Indian Flower Mantis, L2/L3 I think, meaning it has molted once or twice. Much more shy than the other mantis I have. Very pretty.

As for my Tenodera aridifolia sinensis = Chinese praying mantis, Most have molted for the third time and the terrarium has lots of empthy "skins" handging or lying around. The first photo is of one of them in the final part of getting out of the old skin. The third photo is of one beside the empty skin. It is so amazing that they come out a third bigger than the old size. Imagine how tight that old skin must have felt in the end.

Life has its ups and down that is for sure. Last night my spring cold broke through so the last 24 hours has been marked by a sore troat as well as a runny nose, headache etc etc. so I have taken care of myself today to give my body a chance to fight this. In a minute I will be making muffins/chocolate cup cakes for those of my students that will be at school tomorrow preparing for their English Exam on Tuesday.





Natural slides,
encaustic art
7x9cm
$18
p&p worldwide is FREE






My baby ghost has grown and is so lovely. Problem is that she is so active if I take her out of the cage that it is difficult to get good photos of her. If she is not trying to climb my arm then she is swaying like a leaf in the wind blurring any photos. Here are a couple that show how lovely she is like a sculpture. Phylocrania Paradoxa - Ghost praying mantis- spøkelseskneler (2 photos below)























Unfortunately only 1 out of 10 nymphs survived transpostation due to bad packing. This single one is healthy and hunting and active and lovely. so here is photos of a Parasphendale agrionina - budwing praying mantis. (two photos below)






This is how big those mantids that has survied of the 150 that hatched 10 days ago is now. Tenodera aridifolia sinensis = Chinese praying mantis (below)

In a month the local art and crafts guild/union will have its spring exhibiiton. Since getting things framed is difficult close to this I have planned on starting a bit already now in finding out which works to display this year. This one will have a lovely red mount but I have not decided on the frame yet.

Encaustic for the exhibition no 1,
11x16cm
nfs









This is a stick insect of the species,
Eurycantha Calcarata Stick Insect and under is an empty skin because one of them molted today.

Today I went for a walk as usual as well as trying to capture whatever creature visited my flowers in the garden. Below is one of the visitors today. As I take macro photos I get to see this amazing world that we do not usually see simply because it is too small.

I have other news as well. My baby Ghost is not so babyish any more. Today it molted and came out of the old skin much larger and oh soooo beautiful. I have not managed to get a proper photo of it yet but hope to be able to get one tomorrow.

Brilliance,
encaustic art
7x9cm
$15
p&p worldwide is FREE
























From Wikipedia:

Eristalis tenax is a European hoverfly, also known as the drone fly (or "dronefly"). It has been introduced into North America and is widely established there.
It looks somewhat like a drone honey bee, and likely gains some degree of protection from this resemblance to a stinging insect. The adults are called drone flies because of this resemblance. Like other hover flies, they are common visitors to flowers, especially in late summer and autumn, and can be significant pollinators.

This has eyes that are apart in the forehead so it is a female.