Pepsis Wasp

Found this guy in our pool. The tarantula hawk wasp

These wasps require a tarantula to serve as a host or ‘meal” for their larvae. The female wasp will look for a burrow that contains a tarantula and then disturb the webbing around the burrow to coax the tarantula to come out. She stings the tarantula on its underside paralyzing it and drags it down into a burrow. She lays one egg on the paralyzed spider and seals the opening to the burrow. When the egg hatches it eats the still living spider.
DesertMuseum.org
They have the most painful (but not fatal) sting of all animals in the world. Still, I helped him out of the pool.

What’s the Word for Eager and Angst?

I love Jon Stich’s teaching style and his art so I am super excited to start the exercises in this book. This, despite the fact that he’s big on details (not my forte), mixing colors (my artistic Achilles Heel) and drawing items that take more than an hour (I like quick exercises)! Here’s to learning, getting dissatisfied and frustrated, and persevering.

Edible Bags

If you don’t already subscribe to http://www.mymodernmet.com, I highly recommend it. It’s been a wonderful source of creative inspiration and good news. Recently, they published this article about a Japanese businessman (Hidetoshi Matsukawa) moved to create better shopping bags (with a team of like-minded people). They produced bags made of (deer) rice crackers and milk carton pulp after Matsukawa learned that 14 local deer had died from ingesting plastic bags.

Let’s stop complaining about our problems (and each other) and DO something to be part of the solution (I’m telling myself this, too)!

Who Gives a Crap?

Costco shopping and the hoarders were back at it again. Hopped on “Who Gives a Crap” to order toilet paper and help the world. My friend Karen told me about them during the last hoarding phase:

  • 100% recycled paper;
  • They donate 50% of their profits to build toilets around the world (helping over 2 billion people thus far);
  • partnered with companies who help build sanitation systems and provide clean water

Coping and Thriving

These will keep you out of trouble.

4 days to Election Day. Covid is rising (again). Civil Rights protests are simmering. Lots of stressors out there, but keep your nose to the grindstone. Regulate for positive input and positive output will follow. I’m watching comedies, listening to mellow music (Jack Johnson, Johnny Nash, Alexi Murdoch) and taking in affirming podcasts (Marie Forleo is a great one)!

The Opposite of Regret

2e292385-dc1c-4cfe-b95e-845f6f98c2ec.pngI don’t know what is the meaning of death, but I am not afraid to die. And I go on, non-stop, going forward, even though I, Bruce Lee, may die some day without fulfilling all of my ambitions, I will have no regrets. I did what I wanted to do and what I’ve done, I’ve done with sincerity and to the best of my ability. You can’t expect much more from life. 

*From Brain Pickings by Maria Popova

Blind Contour

“Blind contour drawing is a drawing exercise, where an artist draws the contour of a subject without looking at the paper. “

Wikipedia

I find myself occasionally preoccupied with getting things “right” when I draw and paint. Doing blind contour drawings loosens me up and the risk-taking is exactly what I need. It feels a bit thrilling.