Chimera

The mythical Chimera, a creature with lion and goat heads, and a snake for a tail.

For my version of the chimera I thought it would be funny to give each of the animals their own personality (rather than just making all of them look menacing). With a stupid screaming goat, an angry lion, and an aloof snake it seems like the makings of an Odd Couple style buddy comedy.

Violet-green Swallow and American Goldfinch

A couple more bird designs for sale at our ChuckleTree Etsy Store.

This time it's the Violet-green Swallow (Tachycineta thalassina) and American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis). I decided to mix it up a bit and have the goldfinch perched on a Bull Thistle (Cirsium vulgare). I know the Bull Thistles are an invasive species, but I liked the bit of complimentary pink, and I have read that American Goldfinches eat their seeds.

The Vault: Ankylosaurus in an Antique Store

This is an oldie from way back in 2009. I have always enjoyed this concept, but there were a few little things about the coloring and design that bothered me, so I revisited the illustration yesterday and did a few minor changes (color changes, smaller border, etc).

I like birds!

For the last couple of years I have been keeping a life list of bird species that I have seen around the world. It currently stands at 250 species from four continents. This has really gotten me into birds, so I have been doing a number of bird cut outs.

It all started with a personal project (above) where I turned the designs into some push pins that I have scattered across my cork board. From the top left corner clockwise, the species are: Chestnut-backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens), Wood Duck (Aix sponsa), Yellow-rumped Warbler (Dendroica coronata), and Western Tanager (Piranga ludoviciana). Now I am working on some designs for sale in our ChuckleTree store. Currently we have three species available (below), but I plan on adding quite a lot more in the near future.

Chestnut-Backed Chickadee (Poecile rufescens)

Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena)

Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)

Prehistoric Paper Inlay Bookmarks

I recently created these bookmarks of a fossilized Tyrannosaurus rex and Trilobite using a new paper inlaying technique. The fossil pieces are cut to fit into the "ground", so the surface of the bookmark is flush (except for the cracked rock texture at the base).

I really like the idea of hiding one of these in a book, only to find it years later - like some kind of archaeological dig.

We still have a few of these available at our ChuckleTree Etsy store if anyone is interested.

Exotic: Cabinet of Curiosities - Fiji Mermaid

A wunderkammer style Fiji Mermaid papercraft. I created this by cutting rigid bristol board which I covered with a light watercolor wash, and then I shaded each of the individual pieces using black pastels. I am quite pleased with the outcome!

This piece is currently available (framed) at our Etsy store.

And here are a couple of extra pictures of the piece: