The season is changing, which also means the bumblebee season is drawing to an end 🍁 Last week I noticed some Common Carder bee queens and males on my balcony, probably from the nest beneath my ivy 💗🎉 I'm going to miss "my" bumbles 💔🐝 🐝 #summer #autumn #bumblebee #lookforbeauty #melissahalley

The 6th watercolour in this series is the Mourning Cloak (North America) or Camberwell Beauty (Britain). In Dutch it's called 'Rouwmantel', which translates to mourning cloak. #watercolour #butterfly #mourningcloak #camberwellbeauty #nymphalisantiopa #rouwmantel #melissahalley

I have at least 5 of these on my balcony. Weaving webs from pot to pot, pot to balcony fence, clothes line to ceiling and across the walking area. The latter I always try to move which sometimes works, sometimes not so much 🕷🕸 #araneusdiadematus #kruisspin #europeangardenspider #crossorbweaver

The 5th watercolour in this series is the Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Purperstreepparelmoervlinder). Hint about the series theme: 1962 🦋 Painted true size on a 10x10 cm black square 🦋 . . . #watercolour #butterfly #lessermarbledfritillary #brenthisino #savetheinsects #melissahalley

Just finished reading 'Wilding' by Isabella Tree. Very interesting and now I need a bigger balcony 😉

Zo doe je dat als de uitslag van een onderzoek niet bevalt: www.vlinderstichting.nl/actueel/nieu...

Don't just look up for birds and butterflies. Look down too because these babies are out and about 🐸

Look at the Honeysuckle go! All this on my Amsterdam balcony 💚 At night I can smell the blooming flowers all the way in my living room 🌸🌸 #honeysuckle #lonicerapericlymenum #kamperfoelie

Nice crowd at my balcony 🐝🌸🌼

The 4th watercolour in this series is the False Heath Fritillary (Woudparelmoervlinder). Hint about the series theme: 1960 🦋 Painted true size in a 10x10 cm black square 🦋 . . . #watercolour #butterfly #falseheathfritillary #melitaeadiamina #woudparelmoervlinder #savetheinsects #melissahalley

Every morning I enjoy this view, a Common carder bee comming home 🐝😍 This spring a queen has build her nest in a big flowerpot on my balcony. It's partly beneath the ivy (hedera helix). Guess she was happy with both the comfrey (next to the ivy) and the straw/ fallen leaves I use for mulch.

Time to work on the 4th watercolour of this 15 part series, the False heath fritillary 🦋 Again so small!! 😅 #watercolour #butterfly #falseheathfritillary #melitaeadiamina #woudparelmoervlinder #melissahalley

Dit stemt mij heel droevig 😢 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The 3rd watercolour in this series is the Scarce Heath (Zilverstreephooibeestje) Hint about the series theme: 1959 🦋 Painted true size in a 10x10 cm black square 🦋 #watercolour #butterfly #scarceheath #coenonymphahero #zilverstreephooibeestje #savetheinsects #melissahalley

These are so small!! Its total wingspan is only 3,4 cm. The smallest butterfly of this 15 part series is going to be 1,8 cm. How?! 😳🦋😅 #watercolour #butterfly #scarceheath #coenonymphahero #zilverstreephooibeestje #melissahalley

Working on the third watercolour in this 15 part series, the Scarce Heath (Zilverstreephooibeestje) 🦋 #watercolour #butterfly #scarceheath #coenonymphahero #zilverstreephooibeestje #melissahalley

1) Today, May 22nd, is International Day for Biodiversity. As far as biodiversity goes the Netherlands is not doing well. More and more species are in danger or have disappeared.

Vandaag, 22 mei, is het de Internationale Dag van de Biodiversiteit. Hoe doet Nederland het? Dat wordt bijgehouden op Nationaal Dashboard Biodiversiteit:

Nog even in het kader van Wereld Bijendag gisteren:

Today is World Bee Day 🐝 Bees (and insects in general) are having a hard time with herbicides, pesticides, habitat loss and climate change.

This morning I had a couple of bumbles having a little nap on my balcony 💛 Among them this little Early Bumblebee, Bombus pratorum or in Dutch Weidehommel 💛🐝 #spring #savethebees #savetheinsects #savethepollinators #organicplants #organicgardening #nopesticides #noinsecticides #melissahalley

Het hele fragment (of de hele uitzending) terugkijken is de moeite waard. De distelvlinder, klimaat, grenzen, vluchtelingen, het is allemaal één verhaal 🦋

This past week was so much fun. Thanks to everyone who came by, thanks @oskarmaarleveld.bsky.social for letting us use your studio and most of all, thank you Saskia Lensink, @lindarusconi.bsky.social and @edithbrouwer.bsky.social for yet another amazing week. #BlikOpWG #blikopdebuurt #melissahalley

Friday morning I added my last drawing to the wall. Want to see what Saskia Lensink @lindarusconi.bsky.social @edithbrouwer.bsky.social and I created? Only today, Saturday, between 12 and 5 at: Marius van Bouwdijk Bastiaansestraat 183 #BlikOpWG #blikopdebuurt #wgterreinamsterdam #melissahalley

Deze vrijdag en zaterdag!! 🌳💚🌳

As I suspected I ended up drawing these two platanus hispanica multiple times this week. I did some research and found out they were planted in 1891!! That makes them at least 134 years old! They have a diameter of 1.0 to 1.5 meter and are between 18 to 24 meters high.

The two drawings I did yesterday. I'm glued to these two huge 'platanus' trees and might, maybe, possibly draw them all week ☺️ #BlikOpWG #blikopdebuurt #wgterrein #wgterreinamsterdam #melissahalley

Here we go!! #BlikOpWG

As of this week (May 12th to May 17th) Saskia Lensink @lindarusconi @edithbrouwer and I will be working at our project 'Blik op de Buurt' for a 6th time! All 4 of us will let the neighbourhood of WG-terrein inspire us 🎨

Aanstaande maandag werken aan de 6e keer Blik op de Buurt! Volgende week vrijdag de opening en zaterdag van 12 tot 17 uur open voor publiek! @edithbrouwer.bsky.social @lindarusconi.bsky.social

Door deze bezuiniging valt voor Nationale Parken vanaf 2026 geld weg voor educatie & informatievoorziening Vanaf 2027 voor natuurherstel, verbetering van biodiversiteit, spreiden van recreatiedruk, vergroenen van overgangen tussen landelijk en stedelijk gebied. nationaleparken.nl/nl/nieuws/sa...

The 2nd watercolour in this series is the Large Blue (Tijmblauwtje) which is actually quite small 😉 Hint about the series theme: 1949 🦋 Both female & male large blue are painted true size in a 10x10 cm black square 🦋 #watercolour #butterfly #largeblue #tijmblauwtje #savetheinsects #melissahalley

The second watercolour in this 15 part series is on its way, the Large Blue (Tijmblauwtje) which is actually quite small 🦋 #watercolour #butterfly #largeblue #tijmblauwtje #melissahalley

En dan zie je waar de echte bedreiging voor de #wolf vandaankomt: niet van de #veehouder, maar van de #ragefarmer Vandaag #wolven op #dododonderdag #levendedoden #donderdagdodo @zoogdiervereniging.bsky.social @soortennl.bsky.social www.groene.nl/artikel/de-w...

This is the first of a series of 15, or at least, that's the plan 😅🦋 Hint for Dutch connoisseurs what the series is about: 1946. I painted both female and male purple-edged copper about true size in a 10x10 cm black square. #watercolour #butterfly #purpleedgedcopper #rodevuurvlinder #melissahalley

Dandelion with some kind of sweat bee (Lasioglossum/ groefbij) on my balcony 🌼 My neighbours are probably not too happy about them but I don't care 🌼🌼🌼🌼🐝 #dagvandepaardenbloem

I'm so happy! After a little misunderstanding about the colour my dear client was overjoyed with the final result 🦋 Because of a loss in the family the original photograph was very dear to my client so it was very important to me to get everything right 🦋 . #watercolour #protectnature #melissahalley

I'm so happy! After a little misunderstanding about the colour my dear client was overjoyed with the final result 🦋 Because of a loss in the family the original photograph was very dear to my client so it was very important to me to get everything right 🦋 . #watercolour #protectnature #melissahalley

Common carder bee (akkerhommel) enjoying the comfrey (smeerwortel) on my balcony 💜 . . . #spring #savethebees #savetheinsects #savethepollinators #organicplants #organicgardening #nopesticides #noinsecticides #inspiredbynature #nature #protectnature

Today I had a royal visitor: a wasp queen 🐝 I was on my balcony and noticed her on the inside my bedroom. I had been away for two days and no idea how long she had been there. I used a glass to capture her and took her outside. I thought she might be too weak to fly and may be thirsty. She was.

Almost forgot that next to the first day of spring today is World Sparrow Day (March 20th)!

Hoping on client approval 🤞🏻🦋 #watercolor #butterfly #woodlandringlet #voorjaarserebia #lookforbeauty #inspirationalwalk #forestwalk #inspiredbynature #protectnature #melissahalley

Lekker buiten spelen!! nos.nl/artikel/2559...

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Look at this beauty! Almost 3500 year old birb 🐦

Some progress on the woodland ringlet 🦋 #watercolor #butterfly #woodlandringlet #voorjaarserebia #lookforbeauty #inspirationalwalk #forestwalk #inspiredbynature #protectnature #melissahalley

A few days ago I shared this picture of the result so far with my client and got a possitive response 😊 So on painting the butterfly 🦋🖌 #watercolor #butterfly #lookforbeauty #inspirationalwalk #forestwalk #inspiredbynature #protectnature #melissahalley

Still working on the grassy commission and can't show too much so for now my box of paint (one of many). Btw irl the jar of paint water is way less murky 😅 . . . . . #commission #watercolour #lookforbeauty #inspiredbynature #nature #naturelover #protectnature #inspiration #forestwalk #melissahalley

Delicate and loving art by Teagan White 🍃🍂