A belated post, but in July we saw incredible numbers of fireflies in upstate New York. It was as if the fields were sparkling and shimmering in the warmth of the summer night.

I've had the real treat this spring and summer of numerous indigo bunting sightings, including frequent and long observations of this male. He and his cautious, secretive mate have nested a short walk from our house and were successful in raising at least one fledgling so far. Prior to this year I had only spotted two indigo buntings ever so seeing a number of them - including the mating pair - has been wonderful.

The experience has inspired some new work in ink, including the sketch below, and may lead to some paintings in oil as well.

With spring slowly beginning to emerge, I'm enjoying seeing and sketching delicate blossoms. This sketch was done indoors, with the flowers gradually opening during the course of the session.

Thanks very much for visiting my website. I recently completed my studies in The Landscape Atelier. An area of special focus for me has been in depicting the edge of meadows and clearings, places where open space meets trees and tangle. This has long been one of the most intriguing aspects of landscape to me. It's a fascination with that border between two contrasting environments where life abounds. A variety of plants thrive along these edges and animals cling close to the shelter of trees and brush, venturing tentatively out into the open and away from cover. There's mystery, too, in not knowing what's in the woods or beyond the line of brush, inviting curiosity and stimulating the imagination.

Most of my recent work shares this interest in the edges within landscape, and it continues to be a source of inspiration for me.