Return of the 52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 4

Week 4: Insects

Mixed media collage, with potato printing and sponging in acrylic paints on brown paper bag and black card, decorated with white Signo pigment ink and black, green, silver and gold Sharpies.

Update:

Watercolour cartoon on damp watercolour paper with mixed media and black Sharpie.

Week 4: Insects II

Black "Stained" Sharpie ink on dampened watercolour paper, painted in watercolours with white pigment Signo highlights.

Week 4: Insects III

52-Week Illustration Challenge, Week 9

Week 9: Tree

My second ever attempt at scenic watercolour. This is my outdoor pine tree, as decorated for Christmas. Watercolours on white acrylic gesso primed canvas sheet.

Update:
I decided to have another go at both crosshatching and trees!

Weeks 8 and 9: Crosshatching II, Tree II

It was still missing something, until..."

St Andrew is cross

I watched this St Andrew's Cross spider construct his web on my front veranda over several days last week. Check out the amazing markings on his abdomen! The finishing touch was the set of zigzagging, white, diagonal lines which - when he was centred in his web - appeared to make his spreadeagled legs look even longer. The day I decided to take a photo, he'd moved up slightly from his usual location; I noticed he was busy wrapping a hapless, trembling insect with spider silk - for later use... as lunch.

It was only a few days after the arrival of the new lounge suite that I suddenly realised: the large pot plant the spider had used to anchor the web had been quickly slid out of the way of the front door in the dark, to make room for the removal of the two old lounges and the delivery of the big new one.

Wherever St Andrew the spider is now, I'll bet he's very cross!

Eight legs, no prizes

Last week, on "Big Brother", the housemates had a task whereby they had to enter a "spider chamber" and collect a specified number of huntsman spiders.

Today, in the middle of a library lesson with a class of six- and seven-year olds, a large, huntsman wandered into the library, closely followed by a very cheeky bird. just what you need to through classroom management skills into disarray.

Taking my lead from the housemates, I calmly walked over, shooed the bird out the door, and placed a plastic container over the spider so the lesson could continue.

After the students had returned to their classroom, I was able to remove the spider to the garden. Okay, Big Brother, do I get a few nights in the Rewards Room now?