Green Flash at Torrey Pines

Green Flash at Torrey Pines was selected for Vibrant San Diego, an exhibition of small artworks that will be on display at Artist & Craftsman Supply at 3804 Fourth Ave in the Hillcrest Neighborhood of San Diego September 1st through the 30th. The reception is Sunday, 9/1, from 2-4PM.

If you're local and able to stop by at some point, I recommend visits to nearby Crest Cafe and Babycakes; my favorites are Sam the Cooking Guy's Blueberry Biscuit Bundt French toast and the German chocolate cupcakes.   

Robin Street-Morris. Green Flash at Torrey Pines. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 5.5" x 8.5" (14 x 22cm).

Please click on the image of the art above if you're interested in purchasing a print.

Rising Comet with Morning Star selected for the 93rd Annual California Landscape Exhibition

Rising Comet with Morning Star is a mixed media painting I made inspired by seeing Comet Nishimura (P1 C/2023) from the vantage point of Catalina Island. It's been selected by artist/juror Calvin Liang for display in the 93rd Annual California Landscape Exhibition in Santa Cruz.

The exhibition dates are Wednesday, July 17th through Saturday, September 14th, 2024. The First Friday reception is August 2nd from 6 to 8pm. The Santa Cruz Art League is located at 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.

Robin Street-Morris. Rising Comet with Morning Star. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14” x 21” (36 x 53cm).

2023 Earth & Sky Exhibit at Matthaei Botanical Gardens

My media painting titled Rising Comet with Morning Star was selected for inclusion in the 2023 Earth & Sky Exhibit at University of Michigan’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens. The exhibition will be on display Friday, November 24th through Saturday, December 30th. The reception is Sunday, December 17th from 2:00 to 4:00pm at Matthaei Botanical Gardens which is located at 1800 N. Dixboro Rd in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Matthaei is my alma mater's botanical garden where I took botany courses and fell in love with the orchids, cacti and succulents I grow in profusion.  

I’m quoting myself here from a previous blog post about the piece:

“This mixed media painting was inspired by my sighting of C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) while in Avalon, California looking toward the mainland before sunrise. As always, I packed my DSLR, lenses and binoculars, but no tripod because I can be an idiot at times. I carried a sturdy chair from the hotel room to a high spot around 4AM accepting that I was being overly optimistic thinking it and a towel under my camera might reduce shutter shake enough for some long-ish exposures. I captured the green dot in focus once there was sufficient light in the sky to shoot handheld at f/2.8 with a high ISO. Still, the comet was there above the smog, more or less in the presence of ear-tipped feral cats and me before the din of golf carts and boat motors drowned out the lapping waves.”

Robin Street-Morris. Rising Comet with Morning Star. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14” x 21” (36 x 53cm)

Passage series

Passage XIII (San Diego to San Francisco) has been selected for inclusion in Maryland Federation of Art's American Landscapes: Scenes from the Americas exhibition.

My long-running Passage series is a reflection on trips through storms, over mountains, deserts and water. Once twilight falls, humanity is represented by points of light that emanate from our homes, headlights and other anthropogenic beacons.

Robin Street-Morris. Passage XIII (San Diego to San Francisco). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14” x 20” (36 x 51cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage I (Detroit to St. Louis). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 11” x 14” (28 x 36cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage II. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 9" x 13" (22 x 33cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage III. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 12” x 19” (30 x 48cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage IV. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 12” x 20” (30 x 51cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage V. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 14” x 20” (36 x 51cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage VI. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 14” x 20” (36 x 51cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage VII. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 15” x 19” (38 x 42cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage VIII. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 16" x 20" (41 x 51cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage IX (Victoria to Vancouver). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 12" x 19" (30 x 48cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage X (Homeward Through Mojave Wilderness). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 15" x 19" (38 x 48cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Passage XI (Comet with Venus). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 15" x 20" (38 x 51cm).

92nd Annual Statewide California Landscape Exhibition

​I'm pleased one of my mixed media paintings inspired by a place that's dear to me has been selected for inclusion ​in the 92nd Annual Statewide California Landscape Exhibition at the Santa Cruz Art League.

The exhibition runs July 12th through September 9th, 2023. The gallery's location is 526 Broadway, Santa Cruz, California 95060. The reception is Friday, August 4th from 5-8PM.

Robin Street-Morris. “Trail to the Clouds (Catalina Island).” Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14" x 20" (36 x 51cm).

OCEAN / EARTH / AIR exhibition

Three of my nature-inspired, mixed media paintings were selected for inclusion in OCEAN/EARTH/AIR, an exhibition juried and hosted by the Surfing Madonna Oceans Project, a local pro-environment and arts group here in San Diego County. The dates are March 29th through April 30th at The Poway Center for the Performing Arts located at 15498 Espola Road. The reception is taking place from 1-4PM on Sunday, April 23rd and will feature live music and readings by this events winning poets. General gallery hours are Tuesday-Thursday 10AM-2PM, Friday 12-5PM and Saturday 10AM-3PM.

Robin Street-Morris. Fata Morgana IV (Catalina Island). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14” x 19” (36 x 48cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Nighthawks with Waxing Gibbous. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14” x 19” (36 x 48cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Phantasm (White Whale). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 13” x 21” (33 x 53cm).

An Angraecum sesquipedale-inspired painting

This painting was inspired by one of my own orchids that blooms faithfully every winter. I'm a huge fan of Angraecoids for both their flowers' celestial appearances and their incredible evening fragrances.

Please send me a message if you’re interested in the original painting or tap on the image if you’d like to support a living artist through a print purchase, always much appreciated.

Robin Street-Morris. Darwin's Star Orchid (Angraecum sesquipedale). Transparent watercolor on 300lb hot press paper. 12.5" x 19.5" (32 x 50cm).

Surfing Madonna Oceans Project "Save the Ocean" Exhibition

A trio of board members of the Surfing Madonna Oceans Project selected a mixed media painting of mine for inclusion in the second annual “Save the Ocean” exhibition. This group show of California artists will be on display at the Escondido Municipal Gallery from October 7th through November 4th, 2022. The reception is October 8th from 4 - 7PM at 262 E. Grand Ave. in Escondido. Gallery hours are Tuesday 11:00 - 6:00PM and Thursday-Saturday 11:00AM - 4:00PM.

Robin Street-Morris. Crescent Moon with Venus and Offshore Oil and Gas Platforms. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14" x 21" (36 x 53cm).

Nighthawks with Waxing Gibbous

This mixed media painting is loosely inspired by watching lesser nighthawks hunting for insects near an oasis in Twentynine Palms, California.

Robin Street-Morris. "Nighthawks with Waxing Gibbous." Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 14” x 19” (36 x 48cm).

Please tap on the image of the painting above if you’re interested in a print or contact me directly if you’d like to inquire about the original art.

Comic-Con Art Show 2022

Here are the eight pieces of original art I framed with archival materials for the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con Art Show. It’s taking place July 21st through July 24th. I'll have two panels of work for sale in auction format. The Art Show is located in the lobby level of the Manchester Grand Hyatt in Grand Hall CD along with this year's Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards. Doors will be open Thursday & Friday: 9:00 AM–9:00 PM, Saturday: 9:00 AM–6:00 PM and Sunday: 9:00 AM–7:00 PM. Silent auction final bidding closes Saturday at 6:00 PM. Winning bids are posted at 9:00 AM Sunday morning. All purchased art must be picked up Sunday by 6:30 PM. You don’t have to have a Comic-Con badge to visit the art show.

If you see a piece you’re interested in owning, please send me a message, as I have other work I can hang. Prints may be ordered by tapping on the images of the art below. Thanks for supporting living artists!

-Robin Street-Morris

Robin Street-Morris. Puma. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb incised hot press paper. 10" x 17.5" (25 x 44cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Sleeping Volcanoes with Evening Star. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 14" x 19" (36 x 48cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Phantasm (White Whale). Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 13” x 21” (33 x 53cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Empyreal Brume. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 14" x 21" (36 x 53cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Storm. Transparent watercolor and colored pencil on 300lb hot press paper. 8” x 8” (20 x 20cm).

Robin Street-Morris Celebrant (Raven at Skull Rock). Transparent watercolor on 300lb cold press paper. 14” x 19” (36 x 48cm).

Robin Street-Morris. The Stare (Owl Moon VI). Transparent watercolor, colored pencil and soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 13” x 13” (33 x 33cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Black Widow Moon. Transparent watercolor and powdered soft pastel on 140lb hot press paper. 12" x 18" (30 x 46cm).

Celebrant (Raven at Skull Rock)

This mixed media painting screams “every day is Halloween.” It’s loosely inspired by Skull Rock in Joshua Tree National Park. Truth be told, there was a much smaller scrub jay perched on said rock formation, the raven was near a campground and the sky didn’t suggest the 15 was on fire. Combining imagery, simplifying some elements and adding others where they are not is part of what makes art art in my opinion.

I'm planning on framing this piece for my display in the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con Art Show running July 21st-July 24th. I'll have two panels of my original work for sale in auction format. The Art Show is located in the lobby level of the Manchester Grand Hyatt in Grand Hall CD along with this year's Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards. Doors will be open Thursday & Friday: 9:00 AM–9:00 PM, Saturday: 9:00 AM–6:00 PM and Sunday: 9:00 AM–7:00 PM. Silent auction final bidding closes Saturday at 6:00 PM. Winning bids are posted at 9:00 AM Sunday morning. All purchased art must be picked up Sunday by 6:30 PM.

Much of the diverse work in my own studio was purchased at this annual event. If you’re local or in town for the con, please consider dropping into the art show and supporting living artists. You don’t need a badge to enter the Manchester Grand Hyatt to check it out.

Robin Street-Morris Celebrant (Raven at Skull Rock). Transparent watercolor on 300lb cold press paper. 14” x 19” (36 x 48cm).

Please tap on the image of the art if you’d like to view print options. Select the Purchase Original Art tab in the navigation bar if you’re interested in owning the original.

Owl Moon VI (Barn Owl)

This is the latest in my Owl Moon series. As always, it was inspired by an actual owl encounter. This barn owl was perched in a palm and peeking around the corner at me, no doubt hoping I’d leave and stop scaring any nearby mice and rats away. Their eyesight is keen, but they hunt primarily by listening.

Robin Street-Morris. Owl Moon VI (Barn Owl with Crescent Moon). Transparent watercolor on 300lb cold press paper. 9.5” x 9.5” (24 x 24cm).

If you’d like to purchase a print, please tap on the image of the art. Contact me directly if you’re interested in owning the original painting. As always, thanks for supporting living artists.

Formations

I've been sluicing ore for a few years from a local mine here in San Diego County located along the way to Palomar Mountain State Park and I made a friend. She wants to see more of the gem etc.-inspired work I created back in the day and I made this blog post for her. The pink tourmaline piece was made in response to an image of "Pala pink" long before San Diego was on my radar when I was working at the Exhibit Museum of Natural History (now the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History) in Ann, Arbor Michigan. I could see revisiting this source of inspiration based upon specimens I've found myself, but I'm mostly personal landscape-driven these days. Who knows, though? I enjoy having an arsenal of overlapping interests that continues to inspire me. They are all rooted in natural history.

Please tap on the images of the art below if you’re interested in purchasing a print of one of these. Contact me via the “purchase original art” tab in the navigation bar above if you’d like to inquire about original art.

Tourmaline. Transparent watercolor and colored pencil on 300lb hot press paper. 18” x 28” (46 x 71cm).

Chrysocolla I. Transparent watercolor and colored pencil on 300lb hot press paper. 20” x 20” (51 x 51cm).

The above piece was juried into a group show at the Ford Center in Dearborn, Michigan. I never submitted the rest of this art for anything.

Smithsonite I. Transparent watercolor and colored pencil on 300lb hot press paper. 8” x 10” (20 x 25cm).

Smithsonite II. Transparent watercolor and colored pencil on 300lb hot press paper. 11” x 15” (28 x 38cm).

Dispersion. Transparent watercolor and colored pencil on 300lb hot press paper. 8” x 11” (20 x 28cm).

Glacial I. Transparent watercolor and colored pencil on 300lb hot press paper. 8” x 10” (20 x 25cm).

Glacial II. Transparent watercolor and colored pencil on 140lb hot press paper. 12.75” x 20” (32 x 51cm).

Emerald. Transparent watercolor and colored pencil on 300lb hot press paper. 18” x 28” (46 x 71cm).

Flourite. Transparent watercolor and colored pencil on 300lb hot press paper. 18” x 28” (46 x 71cm).

Ruby. Transparent watercolor and colored pencil on 300lb hot press paper. 10” x 16” (25 x 41cm).

Nebulous. Transparent watercolor and colored pencil on 300lb hot press paper. 8” x 11” (20 x 28cm).

Opal. Transparent watercolor and colored pencil on 300lb hot press paper. 18” x 28” (46 x 71cm).

Fossil I. Transparent watercolor and colored pencil on 140lb hot press paper. 14.25” x 22” (36 x 56cm).

Fossil II. Transparent watercolor and colored pencil on 140lb hot press paper. 14.25” x 22” (36 x 56cm).

Fossil III. Transparent watercolor and colored pencil on 140lb hot press paper. 14.25” x 22” (36 x 56cm).

Fossil IV. Transparent watercolor and colored pastel on 140lb press paper. 14.25” x 22” (36 x 56cm).

Ammolite. Transparent watercolor and colored pencil on 300lb hot press paper. 14.25” x 22” (36 x 56cm).

NightVisions 2022

My mixed media painting titled Oasis was selected by a panel of four jurors for inclusion in NightVisions 2022 at the Coconino Center for the Arts in Flagstaff, Arizona. The exhibition is being produced by Creative Flagstaff in collaboration with Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition. The exhibition dates are May 21st – August 27th, 2022. The opening reception is Saturday, May 21st with a members and special guests preview from 5-6 pm. There will be a keynote lecture at 6 pm by astronomer David Levy who co-discovered Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9 in 1993. The public reception is from 6-8 pm.

My inspiration for this piece was spending a late evening looking up outside our tiny cabin at Twentynine Palms Inn near Joshua Tree National Park. We’d just gotten to see Saturn’s rings through a volunteer’s telescope at Sky’s the Limit Observatory and Nature Center.

Oasis. Watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 14" x 20" (36 x 51cm).

(Please tap on the art if you’re interested in a print.)

Desert View with Starlight and Cactus (at Anza Borrego). Watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 14" x 19" (36 x 48cm).

The above is a companion piece to Oasis that I didn’t submit to the call for entry. I’m not intent on selling the original due to its sentimental value, but prints are available if you tap on the art.

Asterism over Black Mountain. Watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 14" x 21" (36 x 53cm).

Whale watching in Monterey

Victoria, British Columbia (Canada) in 2009 is where and when I saw my first cetacean in the wild, a mammal-eating transient killer whale. Since moving to San Diego, I’ve been able to observe many more species between Cabo San Lucas and Victoria, including around the Farallon and Channel Islands. One of my favorite things to do is park myself on a bench at Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and watch the eastern North Pacific gray whales hugging our coastline for relative safety. They make trips between their feeding grounds in the Arctic and where they most often give birth in Baja, California (Mexico). Some do so along the way and I’ve been lucky to see a newborn calf in San Diego waters that still had its natal folds. They make these perilous semiannual journeys in the presence of large ships and pods of killer whales that prey on the young grays. It’s about 6,000 miles each way.

Being up in Monterey for a few days recently afforded me the opportunity to head out with Monterey Bay Whale Watch again.

Southern sea otter with a crown of sparkles

A humpback whale lunge feeding on a school of fish with shorebirds dining as well

The mighty back of a humpback whale

The darker bands above the coastline are smoke from the wildfire near Big Sur which we’d planned on revisiting for two nights till the 1 was shut down. It was started by an ember blown from a burn pile inexplicably going while there were strong winds in the area.

Humpback mating behavior

This Pacific white-sided dolphin inadvertently put on a spectacular show for us while hopefully living its best life.

Pacific white-sided dolphin headed up to bow ride

Northern right whale dolphins are finless (and adorable in my opinion).

That’s a northern right whale calf leading the charge.

California sea lions thermoregulating

All Risso’s dolphins appear to be smiling.

This is Casper, the aptly named and locally famous albino Risso’s.

Gray whales heading south

Gray whale mating behavior

Gray whale diving into the swell

Goodnight, Monterey Peninsula.

A California landscape art exhibition

Paintings of mine titled Bioluminescence at Torrey Pines I and Calefaction were selected for the 91st Annual Statewide California Landscape Exhibition in Santa Cruz. The show will be on view at the Santa Cruz Art League November 19th through January 9th, 2022. Here they are being held by some of my friends after I carefully framed them with archival materials. You may find the Anna’s hummingbird if you look closely.

Robin Street-Morris. Bioluminescence at Torrey Pines I. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 14" x 19" (36 x 48cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Calefaction. Transparent watercolor and powdered soft pastel on 300lb cold press paper. 15" x 20" (38 x 51cm).

Harvest Moon

Equinox Greetings from San Diego.

Night-fragrant orchids like Neofinetia (Vanda) falcata make excellent moon viewing company, as do the neighborhood bats. I've been lucky to see barn owls fly across it and great horned owls backlit by it as well.

Fuukiran Moon. Fall, 2021.

Speaking of night-fragrant orchids, this Brassavola cucullata flower has a crab spider in it. This is a pretty frequent occurrence for me (not 100% on the species of spider yet). They must have some success catching insects attempting to pollinate it. I’ve read some rather unflattering descriptions of its fragrance, but I’m a fan of citrusy everything. This plant is now an old friend I acquired in person at Miller’s Tropicals of Texas more years ago than I care to contemplate.

A great horned owl “eye” peeks over the mountains.

Gaze

This drawing was made as a meditation of sorts on a shared moment with a Catalina island fox, one of the six subspecies of island foxes that are descendants of mainland gray foxes.

Robin Street-Morris. Gaze (Santa Catalina Island Fox). Colored pencil on 300lb cold press paper. 12” x 18” (30 x 46cm).

Heading to Catalina Island out of San Pedro to look for foxes and snorkel among abundant fishes will take you past Angels Gate Lighthouse, built in 1913. The 9,250’ breakwater was built with rock quarried from Catalina. You’ll likely see many seabirds, cetaceans and pinnipeds near the Port of Los Angeles, along with casual mariners and what feels like a greater number of enormous container ships overflowing with Earth’s grave goods.

Hotaru-gari VIII etc.

Fireflies exist in California, but they're not the showy sort I knew living in the Midwest. Most species out here are only bioluminescent in their larval stage, so making a point of watching fireflies is a big deal to me when visiting Michigan in the summer. Somehow there's never enough time to enjoy said activity. We’re lucky to have friends and family there still and our schedule is packed meeting up with them at restaurants during prime firefly hours. My New World Orchid friends were kind enough to share a delicious grilled dinner with us before we played a couple games of cornhole out back in their rural yard. They’ve let it become mostly meadow much to my delight and the wildlife's as well. As the sun sank lower, one of nature's subtle fireworks made an appearance. I also got to appreciate them while walking around the Diag of my alma mater's campus in between gentle rains.

Robin Street-Morris. Hotaru-gari VIII. Transparent watercolor and soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 15” x 21” (38 x 48cm).

(Please click or tap on the image of the art if you’d like to purchase a print.)

A more recent and unusual moment in nature is this one that took place in Two Harbors on Catalina Island last week. We passed a flock of American crows and paused to watch them while they returned our gazes. After we walked away, one of them flew over and dropped this California mule deer bone one step behind us and then returned to its group. Its intent will remain a mystery.

California mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus ssp. californicus)

Two of my mixed media paintings were selected by the jurors of the Carlsbad Oceanside Art League’s 69th Open Juried Fine Arts Awards Show, so I framed them archivally and made sure to get them where they needed to be before heading to San Pedro to catch the ferry. Their gallery is located at 300 Carlsbad Village Drive, Suite 101 in Carlsbad, CA. The art will be on view there through October 3rd, 2021.

Robin Street-Morris. Empyreal Brume. 2021. Transparent watercolor and powdered soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 14" x 21" (36 x 53cm).

Robin Street-Morris. Bioluminescence and Skyglow. 2020. Transparent watercolor and powdered soft pastel on 300lb hot press paper. 14" x 20" (36 x 51cm).

Redux

We may move and become part of another place, but none of us can change where we're from. In my case, that's Lake Michigan's eastern shore of sugar sand beaches and dunes. I doubt I'll ever return to my salmon stream to stay. I would be unhappy leaving San Diego's leopard sharks, mountains and desert to move back. But I do still enjoy visiting the lake and friends who are excited to see me. I stay on top of conservation issues related to the Great Lakes and pick up trash on the beaches and in parks while I'm there. I swam my laps along the buoys in Ludington. It was somewhat surreal not having to do the stingray shuffle to get out there like I do at home. My subconscious has merged pods of pilot whales I've seen just south of the U.S./Mexico border and my hometown lighthouse. I’ve even seen killer whales pass it while I slept.

A lone gull off of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. I’ve been asked here in California if one can see across Lake Michigan. Yes and no. I’ve certainly seen Chicago’s skyline from Grand Mere State Park near where I grew up, but that’s a short distance away. The lake is about 118 miles (190 km) across at its widest point.

Sandhill cranes before they descended to Arcadia Marsh Nature Preserve. A relative by marriage lamented to us during our visit that they tear up lawns. I prefer wildlife to manicured sod and can hear the Anna’s hummingbirds squeaking in the California fuchsia planted where grass used to be as I type here.

We spotted this doe at dusk in Ludington State Park. Her fawn was nearby and we felt bad putting them on guard even as we quietly padded through.

My snake senses are finely tuned and I knew roughly what I’d heard before I looked over my shoulder and saw this beautiful eastern hognose going about its business in Ludington State Park.

This ruby-throated hummingbird was working Impatiens capensis in Arcadia Dunes Marsh Preserve, as were quite a few others. It didn’t surprise me to see them chasing much larger birds—the hummingbirds pretty much rule the yard here. I used to ride my bike over to the Kennedy Forest portion of Forest Park in St. Louis to watch the hummingbirds visiting these plants. I’d be growing an enormous bank of them if I lived in the region to attract and nourish these birds. Clean feeders are a great addition to a wildlife-friendly garden, but helpful (often native) plants and insects provide better nutrition.

The Lost Lake Trail at Ludington State Park is sublime.

I was lucky to see orange-fringed orchids (Platanthera ciliaris) growing in a small, west Michigan preserve from the vantage point of a boardwalk. This species is endangered in Michigan and threatened in other locations as well. Minimal land has been spared for them to thrive in because wealth extraction of land and our fellow humans seems to make more sense to a lot of people. Argentine ants and plagues may have the last laugh.

Sphagnum moss in the bog supporting the orchids and wild blueberries.

Ghost plants (Monotropa uniflora) can be missed easily if the light isn’t hitting them just right.

A monarch butterfly caterpillar (Danaus plexippus) feeds on a common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). This plant species throws quite the pollinator party and is wonderfully fragrant.

Here’s an adult monarch working common boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) at Arcadia Marsh Nature Preserve.

This American red squirrel and I watched each other for awhile at Ludington State Park.

American white waterlily (Nymphaea odorata) at Ludington State Park.

Flow.

A side of sauce. This shot could have been taken anywhere. My exhibition as a senior in art school studying photography with Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Taro Yamasaki was a series of aesthetically pleasing prints I shot of plastic pollution in the Ann Arbor River.  It bothered me then and more so now. The situation has worsened as our convenience culture continues its conquest.

This white sage is thriving in my alma mater's botanical garden and in various spots in the yard. I love Salvia apiana and so do my animal buddies. The arid house at Matthaei struck a chord with me the first time I saw it. It was my first exposure to the Agaves, Aloes and Haworthias I grow too many of.

Arcadia Dunes is protected, owned and managed by the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy.

Lightning overhead and raindrops on my forehead.