Heliconia rostrata with visitor. Colored pencil on hot-pressed watercolor paper. #botanicalart #botanicalillustration #naturalhistoryillustration #coloredpencil #tropicalplants

Aurora over Seattle tonight: #seattle #aurora

Uncoiling Hapu’u (Cibotium menziesii) fronds. Native Hawaiian tree fern. Sakura Micron pen on sketchpad. #inktober #botanicalart #botanicalillustration #penandink #tropicalplants #naturalhistoryillustration

Salal (Gaultheria shallon). Micron pen on sketchpad for #inktober. #botanicalart #botanicalillustration #naturalhistoryillustration

Linden leaf. Brown, sepia and black Sakura Micron pen on watercolor paper. #SciArt #botanicalart #illustration #penandink #naturalhistoryillustration

Fallen leaf, colored pencil and colored ink on paper. #SciArt #botanicalart #illustration #penandink #micronpen #coloredpencil

Finished! Nasturtium and Bumblebee. Colored pencil and colored ink. #SciArt #coloredpencil #botanicalart #botanicalillustration

Work in progress: Nasturtium in colored pencil. #botanicalart #illustration #SciArt #coloredpencil

Sold -Oakleaf Hydrangea - colored ink and colored pencil. Off to its new home! #SciArt #botanicalart #illustration #coloredpencil

Finished: Mussaenda philippica “Doña Aurora.” Colored pencil on watercolor paper. #SciArt #botanicalart #illustration #coloredpencil #tropicalplants

Rainy morning irises, Seattle. #seattle #photography

Work in progress: Mussaenda philippica “Doña Aurora.” Colored pencil on watercolor paper. #SciArt #botanicalart #illustration #coloredpencil #tropicalplants

Work in progress: Illustration of Texas Mountain Laurel (Dermatophyllum secundiflorum) from field sketches done in Green Valley, Arizona. Colored pencil on paper. #SciArt #botanicalart #illustration #coloredpencil

Finished! Illustration of honeybee visiting tangerine blossoms at an orchard in Papaikou, Hawaii. Colored pencil on paper. #SciArt #botanicalart #coloredpencil #illustration #pollinators

Magnolias, #seattle

Work in progress: Tangerine, Papaikou, Hawaii. Colored pencil on paper. #SciArt #botanicalart #botanicalillustration #coloredpencil

Another lightning strike over Seattle #wawx #wx #seattle

Lighting over Seattle tonight #wawx #wx #seattle

Finished “Snack Time,” illustration of various parts of chocolate trees (Theobroma cacao) enjoyed by various species: Chinese Rose Beetles (Adoretus sinicus) and the human artist (Homo sapiens). Colored pencil, colored ink and graphite on Canson Bristol+ paper. #SciArt #botanicalart, #illustration

Detail of progress on “Snack Time,” my illustration of damage by Chinese Rose Beetles (Adoretus sinicus) to cacao (Theobroma cacao) in Hawaii. Colored pencil, colored ink and graphite. #botanicalart #SciArt #tropicalagriculture #cacao #illustration #workinprogress

Lunar eclipse last night, from #seattle. #lunareclipse

Working on illustration of Rose Beetle damage on cacao tree leaves in Hawaii. “Snack Time:” Colored pencil, colored ink and graphite on paper. #SciArt #botanicalart #illustration #penandink #coloredpencil #workinprogress

Small field sketch of Texas Mountain Laurel (Dermatophyllum secundiflorum) with measurements and color tests, for a future illustration. Colored pencil in sketchbook. #SciArt #botanicalart #coloredpencil

More work on “Snack Time,” Chinese Rose Beetle damage on cacao tree leaves in Hawaii. Colored pencil and colored ink. #SciArt #botanicalillustration #coloredpencil #botanicalart #tropicalplants #workinprogress

Work in progress for my Theobroma cacao project. Cacao tree leaf in colored pencil. #botanicalart #illustration #SciArt

Field sketching one of the huge scarlet chandeliers of flowers on Hamakua Chocolate Farm’s Pride of Burma (Amherstia nobilis) tree. Each blossom is much too big for my largest sketchbook, so I drew individual components and made measurements for a future finished drawing. #SciArt #Hilohawaii

Spent yesterday sketching a Pride of Burma (Amherstia nobilis) blossom at Hamakua Chocolate Farm’s botanical garden near Hilo, Hawaii. Each enormous chandelier of scarlet flowers is much too big for my largest sketchbook so I can only draw portions. Will “assemble” for a life-size finished drawing.

Current location: Hilo, Hawaii, Earth, Milky Way. #astrophotography #hawaii #hilo

African Nutmeg (Monodora myristica), in Hamakua Chocolate Farm’s botanical garden. Unrelated to culinary nutmeg, but sometimes used as a substitute. Native to tropical Africa from Sierra Leone to Tanzania. The amazing complex flowers hang down from the branches like lanterns. #SciArt #tropicalplant

Sketches from Hamakua Chocolate Farm near Hilo, Hawaii. Jade Vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys), Pride of Burma (Amherstia nobilis) Samoan Gardenia (Tabernaemontana africana) and Gold Dust Day Gecko (Phelsuma laticauda) #SciArt #coloredpencil #botanicalart #illustration #tropicalplants #hilohawaii

Starlight, Hamakua Chocolate Farm near Hilo, Hawaii. I am here for field sketching in their botanical garden, gathering material for tropical plant drawings. #hawaii #tropicalplants #hilohawaii #nightphotography #SciArt

Finished the Papilionanda Mimi Palmer “Pink” from Singapore’s National Orchid Garden. Colored pencil on Fabriano Bristol + paper. #SciArt #botanicalart #coloredpencil #orchids #tropicalplants

More work on the Papilionanda: #botanicalart #coloredpencil #singapore #singaporebotanicgardens #orchid

Work in progress: Papilionanda Mimi Palmer “Pink,” from Singapore’s National Orchid Garden. Colored pencil on paper. #orchid #SciArt #botanicalart #coloredpencil

Finished: Japanese Black Pine (Pinus thunbergii) cone in black, brown and sepia Micron pens. #botanicalart #botanicalillustration #micronpen

Closer to done on the Japanese Black Pine (Pinus thunbergii) cone. Brown, Black and Sepia Micron pens on Fabriano Bristol + paper. #botanicalart #botanicalillustration #penandink #workinprogress

Work in progress: Japanese Black Pine cone in sepia, black and brown Micron pen on Bristol board. #botanicalart #penandink #illustration

Starting my next botanical illustration: Japanese Black Pine (Pinus thunbergii) cone in black, brown and sepia Micron pen. #botanicalart

A year of botanical art. Looking forward to the next one!

Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) cone in brown, sepia and black Micron pens.

Camelia blossom after winter rain. Pink and black Micron pen with colored pencil.

More progress on the Douglas Fir cone. Brown, Sepia and Black Micron pens.

Work in progress: Douglas Fir cone (Pseudotsuga menziesii) in brown, black and sepia Micron pen.

Faded Oakleaf Hydrangea leaf. Micron pen and colored pencil on illustration board. #botanicalart #botanicalillustration

Snowberry twig with faded leaves. Colored pencil on illustration board.

Dried Witch Hazel leaf with raindrops. Sepia ink and colored pencil on illustration board. #botanicalart #illustration

Finished drawing of nearly-empty magnolia seedpod. Black and brown Micron pens and red colored pencil, on illustration board. #botanicalart

Maple seeds. Colored pencil on illustration board.

The last red seed. Work in progress: Magnolia seedpod in black and brown Micron pen and colored pencil on illustration board. #botanicalart