Peachtober 2021 

A daily prompt challenge for October 2021

Day 1/31 "Tulip" Tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, native to the Eastern US and so named due to its tulip shaped leaves. The flower even looks like a tulip! What cute baby leaves :D Saunders waterford paper, Japanese Gansai watercolors. Reference

Day 1/31 "Tulip" Tulip tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, native to the Eastern US and so named due to its tulip shaped leaves. The flower even looks like a tulip! What cute baby leaves :D Saunders waterford paper, Japanese Gansai watercolors. Reference photos by Katja Schulz, Angelo Brathot, Amos Oliver Doyle, Sten Porse.

Day 2/31 "Smoke" Prairie smoke, Geum triflorum, an early blooming wildflower with nodding pink flowers. After pollination, they turn upright and their styles elongate into wispy plumes. Whoa! Also called Old Man’s Whiskers! Saunders waterford paper,

Day 2/31 "Smoke" Prairie smoke, Geum triflorum, an early blooming wildflower with nodding pink flowers. After pollination, they turn upright and their styles elongate into wispy plumes. Whoa! Also called Old Man’s Whiskers! Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photos by USFWS Mountain-Prairie.

Day 3/31 "Cloud" Tall thimbleweed, Anemone virginiana, has a pretty cool cloud-like seed head. They look like thimbles then fluff out when they’re ripe, ready to be dispersed by the wind. At work, we call them “George Washington” because the fluff lo

Day 3/31 "Cloud" Tall thimbleweed, Anemone virginiana, has a pretty cool cloud-like seed head. They look like thimbles then fluff out when they’re ripe, ready to be dispersed by the wind. At work, we call them “George Washington” because the fluff looks like his wig. Haha! I used only burnt umber for this monochromatic painting. Saunders waterford paper, Daniel Smith watercolors. Reference photo by me.

Day 4/31 "Hand" A hand lens, used for observing tiny features on plants, such as hairs on veins or glands on leaves. A must have for botanists! I haven’t painted a non-living thing in a while, so this was a ton of fun! Saunders waterford paper, Wins

Day 4/31 "Hand" A hand lens, used for observing tiny features on plants, such as hairs on veins or glands on leaves. A must have for botanists! I haven’t painted a non-living thing in a while, so this was a ton of fun! Saunders waterford paper, Winsor & Newton Designer’s gouache, Japanese gansai watercolors. Reference photos by me.

Day 5/31 "Rise" It’s a little baby Solomon’s seal, Polygonatum biflorum, rising from the ground in the spring! Full grown plants arch gracefully with flowers and blue berries that dangle along the stems. Saunders waterford paper, Prismacolor Premie

Day 5/31 "Rise" It’s a little baby Solomon’s seal, Polygonatum biflorum, rising from the ground in the spring! Full grown plants arch gracefully with flowers and blue berries that dangle along the stems. Saunders waterford paper, Prismacolor Premier colored pencils, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photo by me.

Day 6/31 "Fall" The leaf of a sugar maple, Acer saccharum, dressed in fall colors. Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photos by James St. John.

Day 6/31 "Fall" The leaf of a sugar maple, Acer saccharum, dressed in fall colors. Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photos by James St. John.

Day 7/31 "Treehouse" An actual house in a tree - a bird’s nest found in a small oak! Probably house finch and cowbird (brood parasite). Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors, Prismacolor Premier colored pencils. Reference photos by me.

Day 7/31 "Treehouse" An actual house in a tree - a bird’s nest found in a small oak! Probably house finch and cowbird (brood parasite). Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors, Prismacolor Premier colored pencils. Reference photos by me.

Day 8/31 "Crown" White crownbeard, Verbesina virginica, also called frostflower. A neat plant with winged stems in the aster family. In late fall/early winter, their stems produce “frost flowers,” which I painted here. When the ground is still warm

Day 8/31 "Crown" White crownbeard, Verbesina virginica, also called frostflower. A neat plant with winged stems in the aster family. In late fall/early winter, their stems produce “frost flowers,” which I painted here. When the ground is still warm but the air temp is below freezing, the plant is still transporting sap up the stem. Once the sap arrives above ground, it freezes and extrudes thin sheets of ice out of cracks in the stem that swirl around like flowers. Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors, Derwent watercolor pencils. Reference photo by Mark Adams.

Day 9/31 "Thunder" A prairie landscape with a thunderstorm approaching. Saunders waterford paper, Windsor & Newton Designer’s gouache, Pebeo masking fluid. Reference photos by Aaron Carlson and Joshua Mayer.

Day 9/31 "Thunder" A prairie landscape with a thunderstorm approaching. Saunders waterford paper, Windsor & Newton Designer’s gouache, Pebeo masking fluid. Reference photos by Aaron Carlson and Joshua Mayer.

Day 10/31 "Frog" Frogfruit, fogfruit, it’s got a few names. This is Phyla lanceolata, a cute little native groundcover. I’ve seen it mostly on edges, which makes sense because it tolerates disturbance. Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolor

Day 10/31 "Frog" Frogfruit, fogfruit, it’s got a few names. This is Phyla lanceolata, a cute little native groundcover. I’ve seen it mostly on edges, which makes sense because it tolerates disturbance. Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photos by Fritzflohrreynolds, Jose Hernandez, Kenraiz.

Day 11/31 "Gold" Yummy! The inside of a ripe pawpaw, Asimina triloba, is a nice golden color. It’s hard to believe this tropical tasting fruit is native to the Midwest. I think it tastes like a combination of pineapple, mango and banana. Have you tr

Day 11/31 "Gold" Yummy! The inside of a ripe pawpaw, Asimina triloba, is a nice golden color. It’s hard to believe this tropical tasting fruit is native to the Midwest. I think it tastes like a combination of pineapple, mango and banana. Have you tried one before? Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photo by deckerme.

Day 12/31 "Honey" Coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens, is a native vine with fused leaves and flowers that attract hummingbirds. I like the colors in this one a lot! The background is a mix of forest green (which I rarely use) and sap green. S

Day 12/31 "Honey" Coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens, is a native vine with fused leaves and flowers that attract hummingbirds. I like the colors in this one a lot! The background is a mix of forest green (which I rarely use) and sap green. Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photo by Eran Finkle.

Day 13/31 "Treasure" A morel mushroom, Morchella esculenta (I think)! Treasure for mushroom hunters. Saunders waterford paper, Japanese Gansai watercolors botanical set (from Choosing Keeping). Reference photo by me.

Day 13/31 "Treasure" A morel mushroom, Morchella esculenta (I think)! Treasure for mushroom hunters. Saunders waterford paper, Japanese Gansai watercolors botanical set (from Choosing Keeping). Reference photo by me.

Day 14/31 "Scout" Looking through binos to scout for something interesting, in this case a chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus)! I don’t know if mushroom hunters use binos but sounds like a good idea to me! I used a bunch of supplies for thi

Day 14/31 "Scout" Looking through binos to scout for something interesting, in this case a chicken of the woods (Laetiporus sulphureus)! I don’t know if mushroom hunters use binos but sounds like a good idea to me! I used a bunch of supplies for this one because I thought the plain watercolor looked too dull...but I might have made it worse. oopsies. Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors, Winsor & Newton Designer’s gouache, Japanese Gansai watercolor botanical set, Prismacolor Premier colored pencils. Reference photo by Gargoyle888.

Day 15/31 "Toast" Okay, this one is a bit of a stretch but see if you can follow me. I thought of marshmallows when I read the prompt, and this plant is sometimes called a marshmallow hibiscus, Hibiscus moscheutos. That counts, right?! I’m not reall

Day 15/31 "Toast" Okay, this one is a bit of a stretch but see if you can follow me. I thought of marshmallows when I read the prompt, and this plant is sometimes called a marshmallow hibiscus, Hibiscus moscheutos. That counts, right?! I’m not really familiar with this plant, but the internet tells me it is native to the eastern US. Beautiful flowers that are sometimes pink! I’m happy with this attempt at painting a white flower! Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photo by USDA-NRCS.

Day 16/31 "Summit" Another difficult prompt. This is wild columbine, Aquilegia canadensis. I know some of its relatives in the Aquilegia genus survive at high altitudes, which is what I thought of when I saw “summit.” Not sure how high up this speci

Day 16/31 "Summit" Another difficult prompt. This is wild columbine, Aquilegia canadensis. I know some of its relatives in the Aquilegia genus survive at high altitudes, which is what I thought of when I saw “summit.” Not sure how high up this species can grow, anyone know? Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors, Pigma Micron black 01 pen. Reference photo by me.

Day 17/31 "Jar" This one I really struggled with and had to phone a friend. Thank you @arirzed for the idea. This is a common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor, which is in the nightjar family. They are crepuscular or nocturnal and are named after their “

Day 17/31 "Jar" This one I really struggled with and had to phone a friend. Thank you @arirzed for the idea. This is a common nighthawk, Chordeiles minor, which is in the nightjar family. They are crepuscular or nocturnal and are named after their “jarring” call. I focused on its head to show the rictal bristles, those stiff feathers around its beak that help it catch prey while flying. Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photo by Charles Skip Martin.

Day 18/31 "Match" A northern walkingstick, Diapheromera femorata, that matches its surroundings! Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photo by Andrew Cannizzaro This is a daily prompt challenge hosted by @furrylittlepeach fo

Day 18/31 "Match" A northern walkingstick, Diapheromera femorata, that matches its surroundings! Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photo by Andrew Cannizzaro This is a daily prompt challenge hosted by @furrylittlepeach for the month of October. All of my entries are inspired by native flora & fauna of the Midwest US.

Day 19/31 "Uniform" Prairie trillium, Trillium recurvatum, and white trout lily, Erythronium albidum, in matching uniforms. I’ve always thought they looked similar with the dark green/blue color and mottled leaves. These spring ephemerals are long-l

Day 19/31 "Uniform" Prairie trillium, Trillium recurvatum, and white trout lily, Erythronium albidum, in matching uniforms. I’ve always thought they looked similar with the dark green/blue color and mottled leaves. These spring ephemerals are long-lived and some of my favorites to see! A sign that winter is over. Saunders waterford paper, Japanese Gansai watercolors botanical set (Choosing Keeping). Reference photos by me.

Day 20/31 "Sound" One of my favorite sounds in the forest is the song of a wood thrush, Hylocichla mustelina. It sounds metallic, ethereal, and flute-like. What’s your favorite bird song? Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference

Day 20/31 "Sound" One of my favorite sounds in the forest is the song of a wood thrush, Hylocichla mustelina. It sounds metallic, ethereal, and flute-like. What’s your favorite bird song? Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photo by USFWS Northeast Region.

Day 21/31 "Sun" Had to draw a sunflower of course! This one is woodland sunflower, Helianthus strumosus. This painting really focuses on the disc florets - yes, each of those are an individual flower! What we usually call petals are each a ray flore

Day 21/31 "Sun" Had to draw a sunflower of course! This one is woodland sunflower, Helianthus strumosus. This painting really focuses on the disc florets - yes, each of those are an individual flower! What we usually call petals are each a ray floret. Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photos by Joshua Mayer.

Day 22/31 "Heart" Eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis, an early blooming tree with pink flowers and cordate (heart-shaped) leaves! Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photos by The Plantography Project, Cbaile19.

Day 22/31 "Heart" Eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis, an early blooming tree with pink flowers and cordate (heart-shaped) leaves! Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photos by The Plantography Project, Cbaile19.

Day 23/31 “Harvest” A harvestman, also known as a daddy longlegs. It is not a spider because it only has one main body part, not two! I used only oak gall ink that was gifted to me by a coworker. The color isn’t quite red enough, but I liked how it t

Day 23/31 “Harvest” A harvestman, also known as a daddy longlegs. It is not a spider because it only has one main body part, not two! I used only oak gall ink that was gifted to me by a coworker. The color isn’t quite red enough, but I liked how it turned out! Saunders waterford paper, homemade oak gall ink. Reference photos by Thomas Shahan.

Day 24/31 "Bird" A male American goldfinch (Spinus tristis) eating purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) seeds - one reason to not deadhead all the seedheads in the fall :) Arches watercolor paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photos by Ian Le

Day 24/31 "Bird" A male American goldfinch (Spinus tristis) eating purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) seeds - one reason to not deadhead all the seedheads in the fall :) Arches watercolor paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photos by Ian Lee.

Day 25/31 "Bottle" One of my favorite rye grasses, bottlebrush rye, Elymus hystrix. The spikelets are very spread out, making it look like a bottlebrush! Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors, Pigma Micron black 005 pen. Reference photos

Day 25/31 "Bottle" One of my favorite rye grasses, bottlebrush rye, Elymus hystrix. The spikelets are very spread out, making it look like a bottlebrush! Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors, Pigma Micron black 005 pen. Reference photos by Joshua Mayer.

Day 26/31 "Spade" The leaf of a cottonwood, Populus deltoides, is spade shaped. Tried to make it look shiny but don’t think I got it quite right. The little veins are tricky to paint and would have made it look more realistic, but it was time for bed

Day 26/31 "Spade" The leaf of a cottonwood, Populus deltoides, is spade shaped. Tried to make it look shiny but don’t think I got it quite right. The little veins are tricky to paint and would have made it look more realistic, but it was time for bed :) Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photos by USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database.

Day 28/31 "Submarine" Coontail, Ceratophyllum demersum, is a submergent plant, meaning it is rooted underwater and most of the vegetation is underwater as well. I did something with watercolors and colored pencils but didn’t like it, so I painted ove

Day 28/31 "Submarine" Coontail, Ceratophyllum demersum, is a submergent plant, meaning it is rooted underwater and most of the vegetation is underwater as well. I did something with watercolors and colored pencils but didn’t like it, so I painted over it with gouache and drew with pen on top. Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors, Prismacolor Premier colored pencils, Winsor & Newton gouache, Pigma Micron black 01 pen. Reference photo by Forest and Kim Starr

Day 29/31 "Beetle" Did you know that fireflies are beetles?! Photinus pyralis. I really like this one. The black background really makes it seem like it’s glowing! Saunders waterford paper, Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolors and Designer’s gouache.

Day 29/31 "Beetle" Did you know that fireflies are beetles?! Photinus pyralis. I really like this one. The black background really makes it seem like it’s glowing! Saunders waterford paper, Winsor & Newton Cotman watercolors and Designer’s gouache. Reference photos by terry priest.

Day 30/31 "Orange" Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, a very common but beautiful plant. It is a favorite of hummingbirds, and its sap can help treat poison ivy rashes. Another name for it is touch-me-not due to its explosive seed pods. I love how the se

Day 30/31 "Orange" Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis, a very common but beautiful plant. It is a favorite of hummingbirds, and its sap can help treat poison ivy rashes. Another name for it is touch-me-not due to its explosive seed pods. I love how the seed pod curls after the seeds have been dispersed. Also those are supposed to be water drops...guess I need to work on them haha. Saunders waterford paper, Sennelier watercolors. Reference photos by Cephas and me.

Day 31/31 "Cat" American hazelnut, Corylus americana, showing off its flowers. The dangling clusters (called catkins - hehe, this counts right?) are the male flowers. The female flowers are the teeny tiny red bits from the swollen bud. Saunders wat

Day 31/31 "Cat" American hazelnut, Corylus americana, showing off its flowers. The dangling clusters (called catkins - hehe, this counts right?) are the male flowers. The female flowers are the teeny tiny red bits from the swollen bud. Saunders waterford paper, Japanese Gansai watercolors botanical set. Reference photos by Melissa McMasters.

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