Ugh. Just walked past Robert Jenrick being interviewed near parliament saying “The country is divided” and “Mass migration has eroded the national identity.” If that’s true Robert, what exactly are you doing to help heal these divisions? Nothing. I suggest, in fact, that you are making things worse.

#Invertober2025 Day 30: Anoplognathus pallidicollis. Pencil. Verdict: Scarabaeoid if not Scarabaeid - nothing to improve upon, they’re brilliant. Fun to draw! I did start yesterday’s sea urchin but I felt my sanity on the verge of departing so to save everyone, I gave up. #Invertober #SciArt

Me leaving the house to socialise

#Invertober2025 Day 28: Chrysopa Perla. Watercolour. Verdict: lovely things will munch your aphids, wings a bit veiny but overall top-notch critter. #Invertober #SciArt

#Invertober2025 Day 27: Dermacentor variabilis. Pencil. Verdict: difficult to find the allure. Too many legs, not enough wings. #Invertober #SciArt

#Invertober2025 Day 26: Jorunna parva. Watercolour. Verdict: insufficient appendages and a very irritating un-erasable smudge at the last minute. #Invertober #SciArt

#Invertober2025 Day 25: Scutigera coleoptrata. Watercolour. Verdict: TOO MANY #Invertober #SciArt

#Invertober2025 day 24: Perna canaliculus. Pencil. Verdict: Surprisingly tiresome to draw despite total lack of appendages. #Invertober #SciArt

If i had any coding skill at all I'd try and make a version of Metazooa that pulled animal names from somewhere more comprehensive bc why on earth does it not have "okapi" ffs

#Invertober2025 Day 23: Cicindela albissima. Watercolour. Verdict: perfect creature, no notes. #Invertober #SciArt

#Invertober2025 Day 22: Clione limacina. PASTELS FOR GOODNESS SAKE. Verdict: if Eve from WALL-E were a marine invert this is the one she would be. Also haven’t used pastels since I was at school FOR VERY GOOD REASON. #Invertober #SciArt

Medlars very early this year - like all the fruit - but some already bletted on the tree when they’re usually all still rock-hard in November. Best haul I’ve had yet though. Now to work out what to do with them…

#Invertober2025 Day 21: Libellula saturata. Charcoal. Verdict: appendages excellent, antennae are a bit insubstantial. #Invertober #SciArt

#Invertober2025 Day 20: Velella velella. Alas, I am totally unable to summon the enthusiasm for this one. It looks like someone dropped their sandwich bag in the sea. www.meerwasser-lexikon.de/imgHaupt/689...

#Invertober2025 Day 19: Vampyroteuthis infernalis. Pencil. Verdict: almost want to spend a month just drawing these. Such drama! What a show-off!! #Invertober #SciArt

#Invertober2025 Day 18: Sceliphron caementarium. Pen & watercolour. Verdict: wasps are so classy. #Invertober #SciArt

#Invertober2025 Day 17: Pseudoceros concinnus. Some things are made for watercolour. Prussian blue and water. Verdict: it’s the best blue. #Invertober #SciArt

#Invertober2025 day 16: Bathynomus giganteus. Pencil and black ink when I got bored. Catching up so this was way too fast and I didn’t plan it properly. Verdict: much too much #Invertober #SciArt

#Invertober2025 day 15: Ornithoptera alexandrae in pen and wash. Playing catch up! Verdict: all right I suppose if you like that sort of thing. #Invertiber #SciArt

#Invertober2025 Day 14: I am sitting this one out because a) it takes "too many appendages" far too far and b) IT IS NOT YET HALLOWEEN.

Day 13: Banded Sugar Ant (Camponotus consobrinus) [ #invertober #invertober2025 ]

#Invertober2025 Day 13: Camponotus consobrinus, watercolour. Verdict: could do with some wings. #Invertober #SciArt

#Invertober2025 Day 12: Siliqua patula pen and wash. Verdict: insufficient appendages. #Invertober #SciArt

Day 11: Dark fishing spider (Dolomedes tenebrosus) [ #invertober #invertober2025 ]

Day eleven of #invertober Dark Fishing Spider just a li'l guy... #invertober2025

#Invertober2025 Day 11: Dolomedes tenebrosus in pencil. Verdict: too many appendages so don’t draw them. #Invertober #SciArt

#Invertober2025 Day 10: Lumbricus terrestris in pencil. Verdict: I would usually say utterly inadequate appendages but this was delightfully satisfying to draw. And fast. Delightfully fast. #Invertober #SciArt

Argh speed-drawing catch up time! #Invertober2025 day 9: Ascarosepion pfefferi - in interminable watercolour. Verdict: Appendages adequate but TOO MUCH ILL-DEFINED COLOUR. #Invertober #SciArt

😍

#Invertober day 8: Mallophora fautrix in 3B pencil - another 15-minuter, and ohmygoshitwasnotenough. Verdict: correct number of appendages (though some seem to be made of pipe-cleaners, and it could do with some mandibles and elytra.) #Invertober2025 #SciArt

Day 7 #Invertober: Chrysomallon squamiferum. Need to get faster so gave myself only 15 minutes for this. And it shows! Verdict: insufficient appendages, though it makes up for it with decisive fiddilness. #invertober2025 #SciArt

Day 6 Invertober: Phalera bucephala. Watercolour. Lengthy watercolour. Verdict: insufficient appendages. #Invertober #Invertober2025 #SciArt

Nice!!! #invertober2025

Day 5 Invertober: Panulirus versicolor, in watercolour. Verdict: too many appendages. #Invertober #Invertober2025 #SciArt

This person has literally all my respect. Sorry, none left for anyone else.

Day 4 Rhynchophorus cruentatus in felt tip and brush and ink. #invertober #invertober2025 #SciArt

This article manages to name her husband before it names… her.

"6 of flies", ink, watercolour, oil on watercolour paper, 5 1/4 x 7 1/4", 2025 - $150(Cdn) #art #sciart

Day 3 Anthopleura xanthogrammica but I got bored. #invertober #invertober2025 #SciArt

Day 1 #invertober2025 Chrysaora pacifica Bit late and hampered by lack of watercolour paper or masking fluid… so it’s actually painted in inks. Supplies hopefully arriving soon so the rest of the month will be better.

Day 2 #invertober A good idea, poorly executed

What do you do when your media org is captured? You start your own. Introducing....The Nerve!!! @thenerve-news.bsky.social We're all-female, journalist-owned & launching next week. Please help us build a truly independent, progressive new media!👊👊👊

Shout it loud!

My latest cartoon for @newscientist.com p.s. this week I am on a USA/Canada tour with my new book. Details and preorder links at tomgauld.com

Need to bookmark this.

100% this!!!

🕯️🇺🇦 During the combat mission, 39-year-old Maryna Hrytsenko “Mary” — a combat medic of the 3rd OSHB, the chief custodian of the funds of the Chernihiv Art Museum — died. Maryna died on the morning of August 7, 2025, along with two comrades, as a result of an attack by a Russian drone.

Read this immediately

Aston, Detroit.