In Loving Memory of Louie, a Terrier

People sometimes ask me to paint a picture of their beloved pets.  In this case, Louie died unexpectedly when he was quite young.  Fortunately, his mistress and her relatives had many photos of Louie, including one that was perfect for me to work from.

I started by using acrylic graphs to enlarge the photo.

After I had drawn Louie carefully on tracing paper over the left graph, I used a drawing pencil to blacken the back of the tracing paper.  You can see the blackened back through the tracing paper.  I blackened most of the head area because I knew I wanted to draw in a lot of details.  I laid the tracing paper on 140 wt. cold-pressed watercolor paper and  traced over the lines I wanted as a guide.

Once I had a light pencil outline of Louie, I painted over the outline with a pale wash of Cobalt Blue.

In the yellowish tan areas, I used a mixture of colors, mostly Burnt Sienna and Quinacridone Gold.  If an area such as the inside of the ears seemed to need a red cast, I added a bit of Quinacridone Red.

For Louie's eyes, I used Quinacridone Gold, then Burnt Sienna.  I made the black for the iris using Burnt Sienna and Cobalt blue.  In a few places I mixed the Burnt Sienna with Ultramarine Blue.  I reserved the white highlight in the eyeballs with Maskit.

Several times I traced over Louie's head with marker on tracing paper to be sure I was happy with the placement of the shadows.

I played around with the eyes for several sessions.  Eyes are very important in any animal portrait.

My daughter suggested that the ears needed to be a trifle bigger.  A line as slender as a sixteenth of an inch can make a big difference in getting an improved likeness.

You probably have noticed that the first layers of paint on Louie's face are Cobalt Blue.  As I added more layers, I added Burnt Sienna to the blue to get Louie's black spots.

Louie's favorite blanket was red and gray striped.  I simplified the pattern.

I didn't have his blanket but I had another striped blanket.  I draped it on a stand so I would know the likely directions for the stripes.

The blanket took a fair amount of time to paint since I had to keep in mind that the stripes would appear smaller in the distance.  I was inventing as I painted.

After I finished the blanket, I painted the final details of fur on Louie's body.  The  painting is 18 inches (45.72 cm) by 14 inches (35.56).

Brukner Nature Center, Butterfly Transit, Friday, August 1, 2014

I feel as though I am taking a quiz as I post this blog.  I have a stack of field guides beside me.  Again, I didn't walk on the butterfly transit, but Phil Shafer sent me his photos.  Please, if someone finds an identification error on this post, let me know.

I'll start with the photos that I am sure of.  This is a Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)Wingspan 3.0-4.0 inches (7.6-10.2 cm)  The only butterflies similarly colored in our area are swallowtails and they have tail-like appendages.

Next, an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) Wingspan 3.5-5.5 inches (8.9-14.0 cm)  This is a rather ragged specimen but the striping on the wing is a good clue.  The photo was taken at an unusual angle.  Butterflies are not cooperative models.

Silver-spotted Skippers are easy to identify because of the big white-silver spot on the hind wing. The orange above the silver spot is another clue.  Its scientific name...Epargyreus clarus, Wingspan 1.75-2.40   inches (4.4-6.1 cm)

That's it for the butterflies I immediately identified.   Below is one I think is a Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui  Wingspan 1.75-2.40 inches (4.4-6.1 cm)  The spots on the upper wingtip and those eyespots on the underside of the hind wing are the basis for this guess.

This butterfly is in the Sulphur family.  There is a dark spot on the upper wing and the sunlight shining through that wing shows that the upper side of the wing has a wide band along its edge. I also see a small eye encircled by orangish red on the underside of the hind wing.  There seems to be a patch of orange on the front wing where the hind wing passes over it.  Maybe an Orange Sulphur?

Is the butterfly below a Hackberry?  It seems to be rather small and I know Hackberries are often found near people and their possessions.  I am  not sure the pattern on the wings is right.  After looking at photos in the field guides of the Hackberry Emperor and the Tawny Emperor, I am leaning toward calling this a Tawny Emperor.  Both are commonly called Hackberry butterflies because the food plant for both is the Common Hackberry, a tree with a distinctive warty bark.

And what kind of skipper is the one below?  The lack of distinctive color pattern and the way it holds its wings makes me think skipper.  The knobs on its antennae also seem to be like those of skippers. 

The following two photos are of the same plant.  The first shows the rolled leaf.  The second shows the caterpillar that was in the roll.

Ruth looks for these every time we walk the transit.  I can't remember which butterfly this caterpillar develps into. The caterpillar eats wild indigo or false indigo.  I can't remember if it eats both.  I did note that according to the wildflower field guides both plants are in the Baptisia family.

I know the insects that like Milkweed (Asclepias) better.

Below are three young Large Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus) nymphs and one adult.  Because they belong to the order Hemiptera, Suborder Heteroptera, they don't pupate but molt as they grow until after the last molt they become an adult with the adult coloration and and body parts.

This caterpillar is also common on milkweed.  Called the Milkweed Tussock Caterpillar, it pupates over winter in a cocoon and emerges as a nondescript tan moth in the spring.

Brukner Nature Center, Butterfly Transit, July 26, 2014

Thank you, Phil, for sending the following photos.  I didn't come for the transit walk because I was watching a grandson and his dog compete at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus.

Common Wood Nymph (Cercyonis pegala)--Wingspan 1.8-2.8 inches (4.6-7.1 cm)

I like this photo because it shows the delicate vein pattern in the wings.

Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta) Wingspan: 0.80-1.25 inches (2.0-3.2 cm)

There can be two or more broods of Summer Azures during the summer.

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) Wingspan: 1.75-2.40 inches (4.4-6.1 cm)

Many butterflies, like this one and the Common Wood Nymph, nectar at Purple Coneflowers.

Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)  Wingspan: 4.5-5.5 inches (11.4-14.0 cm)

I am really sorry I didn't get to see this butterfly.  It is one of the largest butterflies in North America.  It is in Ohio but not common.  I haven't seen one this year.

Phil took a photo of the upper side of the wings, and also took two nice photos of the underside.  The first time I saw a Giant Swallowtail I was really surprised to see how different its underside is from the upper side.

Come have a visit with Fleeta Mae at the Glenmore Playhouse in Cheviot

Fleeta Mae has lived a long time, seen a lot, and learned a lot.  If you visit her at the Glenmore Playhouse in Cheviot, Ohio, she will give you a warm welcome as well as lots of entertaining gossip about the little town she lives in, Precious Heart.

Here is her living room.  Behind the couch is her sewing machine where she stitches away to earn a living.

Fleeta Mae is never too busy to talk with friends and you are her friends come to visit.  She will tell you about some of the most important events in her life and, sometimes, what she learned from them.  Because she has a unique view of life you will find yourself laughing as well as commiserating.  She lets you get a word in about your experiences as well.

Fleeta Mae is the only actor in this play but like good actors and good comedians, the time flies as you and she talk.  You will laugh and you will reflect as Fleeta Mae relates episodes of her long life.  She never stays on one topic long enough for her friends to become bored which is more than can be said for some older ladies.

During the intermission, she (and members of The Drama Workshop) offers you treats that remind you that you are spending time in Precious Heart, TEXAS.

Chocolate boots and ten-gallon hats

More boots, cacti, and Texas shaped cookies

Fleeta Mae is big-hearted.  She has come all the way from Precious Heart, Texas to help The Drama Workshop earn money for their next big renovation project, the ramp, which will make the theater handicapped accessible so the next time she comes she will have access to more of her friends.  The playwright who helped her organize her thoughts, Ted Karber, Jr.  came for her opening night which was a special treat for all who came that night.

Fleeta Mae took time to pose with her drama workshop friends and to share some photos from her scrapbooks, too.  Greg Smith is her favorite cousin.  He supports her in nearly all her endeavors.

Fleeta Mae's door will be open again this coming weekend.  Check The Drama Workshop's website for times and other information.  I promise you.  Fleeta Mae will make you chuckle and laugh.

www.thedramaworkshop.org

You will contributing to a worthy cause, the building of the handicapped accessible ramp.  All proceeds from this play will go toward the ramp.  

Brukner Butterfly Transit, July 19, 2014

I walked on the Butterfly Transit with the transit volunteers for the first time in more than a month.  Phil sent me the photos he took.

We weren't sure we would see many butterflies.  The temperatures were in the low seventies ( Fahrenheit ) and the sky was cloudy.  The day turned out to be the best day for seeing butterflies that we have had this summer.

Pearl Crescent on Butterflyweed.

Red Admiral on the steps of the amphitheater.

Red-Spotted Purple on Purple Coneflower

Eastern-tailed Blue among the plantain, grass, and clover.

Monarch chrysalis remains on a milkweed.  We saw two Monarchs, one of them Ruth identified through her binoculars as being a female.  

We didn't see any Monarchs last year.  I hope the Monarchs are recovering from whatever caused their sparse numbers last year.  

We found a tiny Monarch caterpillar.  Ruth who raises Monarchs said the caterpillar was in the second Instar, which is what the stages are called that it will go through as it grows larger.  It  sheds its skin each time it advances to another Instar.

Below is another caterpillar that we saw.  It is from the moth family.

This Large Milkweed Bug was nearby.  The small red bug is probably a young Large Milkweed Bug.  

Ruth has a section on the record page where she lists the blooming flowers.

The Asiatic Dayflower is still blooming.

We saw this beautiful pink flower in the meadow.  None of us had ever seen it there before.  Brukner's intern went out into the meadow.  She said the flowers had a lovely scent.  

The rest of us chose to stay on the trail.  This is Chigger season in tall grassy areas.  They cause people's skin to itch for days when they hop on and borrow in.

Out along the drive, we saw a garter snake sunbathing.  One person in the group said they saw a garter snake near the Interpretive Center front door also.

Chicory,One of my Favorite Wildflowers

                        Chicory, Cichorium  intybus

Tom took this photo at one of the open fields at Magee Marsh a few years ago.  Until I looked at his photo, I didn't realize what a beautiful center this flower has.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's map of the United States, Chicory is found all over the continental U. S.  Surprisingly, their map of Ohio doesn't show it in all of our counties.  Miami County is one of those where Chicory's presence is not recorded.  I know it is along roadsides and waste areas and fallow fields here.  Chicory is like dandelions, so common we don't think about it.  I am still looking for a perfect photo of Red Clover, Queen Anne's Lace and Chicory to add to this blog.  A field of these three flowers is one of my favorite sights in summer.

I looked up Chicory on several websites because I was curious about it.  I had never heard of any use for it except as a substitute for coffee.  Chicory is what gives New Orleans coffee its special flavor.  And I remember my dad talking about using Chicory as a coffee substitute during WWII.

I learned from the Encyclopedia Britannica site that Chicory is native to Europe and was introduced into the U.S. in the late nineteenth century.  It is cultivated in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, and Germany.  The writer added, "and to some extent in the United States".  I bet the U.S. site is somewhere around New Orleans.

In addition to roasting and grinding the roots to add color, body, and bitterness to coffee, roots may be boiled and eaten with butter.  The leaves can be served as a vegetable or salad.

Other names for Chicory are French endive and succory.  I have also heard it called wild bachelor's button.

Nunsense, A Production of The Drama Workshop, Wins Awards

The Drama Workshop has received multiple awards for the 2013-2014 season's production of Nunsense.  I have posted the Orchids from the Association of Community Theatres - Cincinnati (ACT) Awards as an update to my original blog, Nunsense, Delightful, Rollicking Nonsense, which was published on October 16, 2013.  After listing them on that blog, I decided to repost them here.

My information came from my son, Ray Persing who is active in theatrical group.

Association of Community Theatres - Cincinnati (Act) Awards

"ACT legend has it that The Orchid Awards are named after the orchids that were given to each female attendee of the first ACT banquets.  Today, the Orchid Awards are ACT - Cincinnati's way to recognize  and encourage excellence in over 23 performing and production areas.  Orchid Awards are given to those who have been nominated by adjudicators who have attended ACT member productions though the ACT Adjudication Program.

The adjudicators simply nominate those areas of a production they feel are outstanding or excellent examples of the craft.  Everyone involved in the production is therefore eligible to be acknowledged by an award.  If at least two of the three adjudicators considers the performance or production area of outstanding quality and nominates the same performance or production area, the person or persons responsible for that area is awarded an Orchid.  Orchids are therefore highly coveted acknowledgments of the best a production has to offer."

Excellence in Choreography - Lauren Kinker
Excellence in Chorus - Linda Abbott and Cast
Excellence in Dance Execution - Lauren Kinker and Cast
Excellence in Direction - Liz Ingram
Excellence in Ensemble - Liz Ingram and Cast
Excellence in House - Ray Persing and Megan Bush Schultheis
Excellence in Music Direction - Linda Abbott
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance as Sr. Mary Regina - Dianna L. Davis
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance as Sr. Hubert - Karen Sowards
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance as Sr. Robert Anne - Amy Shaffer Waldfogle
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance as Sr. Mary Leo - Kate Stark
Excellence in Musical Theatre Performance as Sr. Mary Amnesia - Catherine Fields Shultz
Excellence in Orchestra - Linda Abbott, Marsha Moore, Eric Day, Charles Kleesattel
Excellence in Overall Performance Quality - Liz Ingram
Excellence in Set Construction - Ray Persing and Crew
Excellence in Stage Management - Tobie Braverman
Excellence in Vocal Direction - Linda Abbott

And still the awards keep coming.  The Ohio Community Theatre Association Southwest Regional Awards were announced the fourth weekend in June.

The OCTA SW Regional is held the 4th weekend of June every year.  Every theatre group in the greater Cincinnati area is invited to bring a half-hour excerpt from one of the shows that were produced the previous season.  The excerpts are adjudicated by 3 judges from other areas of the state, and the top shows invited to the state conference to be held over Labor Day weekend.  The OCTA awards come in three levels - Merit indicates a nomination by one judge; Excellence, by two judges; and Outstanding indicates all three judges nominated for the award.

Excellence in Ensemble: The Cast (Karen Sowards, Dianna Davis, Caitlin Ingram, Catherine Fields Shultz, Amy Shaffer Waldfogle, Cynthia Ballard Mottel, Elisabeth Roeper
Outstanding in Set Design:  Ray Persing
Excellence in Musical Performance as Sr. Robert Anne - Amy Waldfogle
Excellence in Acting as Sr. Mary Regina - Dianna Davis
Outstanding in Musical Performance as Sr. Hubert - Karen Sowards
Excellence in Direction - Lizanne Ingram
Excellence in Musical Direction - Linda Abbott

The Drama Workshop Nunsense Production was invited to present at the 2014 Ohio State Conference.

Congratulations to all who were part of the production

Director - Lizanne Ingram
Producers - Megan Schultheis and Gretchen Gantner
Music Director - Linda Abbott
Choreography - Lauren Kinker

CAST
Sr. Mary Regina - Dianna Davis
Sr. Hubert - Karen Sowards
Sr. Robert Anne - Amy Waldfogle
Sr. Mary Amnesia - Catherine Schultz
Sr. Mary Leo (regular season) - Kate Stark
Sr. Mary Leo (excerpt) - Caitlin Ingram
Sr. Mary Queen of Scots - Elisabeth Roeper
Sr. Mary Kay - Cynthia Mottel

Band
Linda Abbott - Keyboard
Chuck Kleesattel - Bass
Marsha Moore - Woodwinds
Eric Day - Percussion