Insect Map, Finally Complete!

Wow!  Undertaking the map project was enlightening in a lot of different ways.  First, I didn't realize how much time it would take to produce something that large, with that much detail, especially when trying to capture something from my youth.  I'm happy to have done it, but happy that I can move back to something a little smaller and more manageable through a couple of hours.
I also learned that drawing a map of a place you once knew brought back a lot of memories, transported me back in time to almost reliving some of the things that occurred there.

When painting this map, I remembered being chastened once for not watering Dad's garden the way that he showed me, but also how he rushed to me in the garden after that reprimand when he noticed that I was tearful at the rebuke.  I remember him kneeling in the soft, dark soil and asking him to forgive me for hurting my feelings.

I remembered laying under the massive cherry trees we had in the yard and playing with my dog, "Pepper" and watching the birds come and eat the cherries that were in abundance.

I also remember tying strings in a 45 degree angle to the side of my house, staking it to the ground, and then finding tomato worms in the garden and having races up those strings as the worms slowly crawled from the bottom of the string to the top.  GOOD TIMES!

Anyway, I hope you get as much enjoyment out of the finished product as I have had making it.  It's clear that I love painting insects, studying them and finding out what makes them tick...but I think I'm going to take a pass for a while on the little critters.  I also learned that when you do big projects, its harder to document.....I couldn't really scan anything, so I just had to take pictures of various details.  Sorry about the poorer quality on the photos.

Here's a few close-ups of some of the insects:

Red, continued...

I stated in the previous post that there is something deeply satisfying for me to paint in red.  Continuing with the "red" theme, I added this little fella to the Umbrella Monk doodle that I did the other night.  Lady bugs are such a beautiful little insect.  The bright color is actually a warning to predators that they don't taste too good.  But, OH, how fun they are to paint!

What's coming next on the "Red" page?  Not sure yet, but it will be fun to paint, whatever it is.....

My Fair Lady....bug.

These weekend has given me a lot of time to sit and listen to people far wiser than me via General Conference while working on a few more envelopes for various people, friends.  I'm so grateful that there are kind, sincere and trustworthy voices in a world that is belching with discord and anger and I find some solace in knowing that leadership still can be found despite the apparent drought of integrity that we see so much of.  

Nonetheless, I went back to my doodling of insects, something I love, for one envelope.  There is something magical about the contrast of black and red on the backs of ladybugs!  I also did an envelope for some young, yet insightful new parents that just lost their firstborn during childbirth.  Finally, I returned to the sea for a quick doodle of an octopus for yet another envelope to send out this week.  There is so much color in the ocean, and I find myself going back to fish and other things therein to explore with the pen.  

A special thanks to all who reached out through comments and other means to share your thoughts about posting.  They were appreciated!