rusalka's Gallery

Winged Dancer by rusalka

Fri, 11 May 2007 09:06:39 -0000

Having been inspired by Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake, and leaning on many tips in Ursula Vernon's Scribble Tutorial, this figure emerged.

Medium: watercolor, watercolor pencil, brush pen
Tags: Raven wing dancer scribble

cat sketch sheet by rusalka

Fri, 11 May 2007 08:32:44 -0000

Sketches of some of the felines in my life. I'm a bit partial to the little kitten in the bottom right corner -- that's my cat Fenchurch experiencing her first snow, perhaps hoping to lift herself out by the tail. I get a lot of sleepy cat sketches when she's decided I've been drawing too long, and my lap would make a better snoozing spot than an easel.

Medium: graphite
Tags: kitten sleep cats

Alert Downy Woodpecker by rusalka

Fri, 11 May 2007 08:26:49 -0000

I love these guys. They come and hang out 'round the suet feeder. I had a dream inwhich I visited a pet store and discovered that, not only did the owner stock the usual parrots and cockatiels, but also an assortment of woodpeckers. Not that I'd ever want to cage one... but I s'pose there's some sort of longing in play. On a semi-related note, my sweetie and I were awakened by a machine-gun-esque rat-tat-tat-tat-tat this morning. Atypical noise in rural Nowhere. Turned out to be a red-shafted flicker on the roof, voilently pecking away at the top of our wood stove's metal pipe. Hmph.

Medium: graphite
Tags: sketch woodpecker downy alert perky

Roost of the Pygmy Nuthatch by rusalka

Tue, 01 May 2007 06:52:00 -0000

Says the site All About Birds: "No records exist of Pygmy Nuthatches roosting alone. They always huddle in a group, sometimes with more than 100 in a single cavity." Not only are they gloriously cute and perky, the parents also have helpers who care for the current offspring (widely thought to be the offspring from previous years). They've got to be some of the neatest birds I've ever seen.

Medium: Pitt brush pen, watercolor
Tags: cartoon bird tree pygmy nuthatch roost

Wings at Work by rusalka

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 23:34:06 -0000

A sketch I made while trying to improve upon the flion in this gallery.

Medium: graphite
Tags: sketch wings feathers

Flion Sketch by rusalka

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 23:31:07 -0000

An older sketch of a winged lion -- I've tried tweaking his pose for accuracy many times, but I always lose the nice shape and dynamism that I like with this guy. Ah well.

Medium: graphite
Tags: lion sketch happy winged flyon flion

Deer Sketches by rusalka

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 23:27:20 -0000

Some sketches I drew of the deer in the back yard, while working on a Christmas card.

Medium: graphite
Tags: deer sketch stag

Spring Fever by rusalka

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 05:29:15 -0000

A winged wolf, painted in watercolors. I used masking frisket to cover up the wolf area while working on the background. This piece may get some serious reworking.

Medium: watercolor
Tags: wolf watercolor winged

Warning Barks by rusalka

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 16:00:00 -0000

If you've ever stumbled upon a squirrel at a park, you know that squirrels have no concept of "size" or "fair fight". This was a study in dappled light and a stylized animal. Image updated 24 April 2007. (Saturation adjusted and signed)

Medium: watercolor, colored pencil, brush pen
Tags: squirrel light dappled foliage

March Winds by rusalka

Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:00:00 -0000

At many other times of the year, Rothan's pride took to napping away the sunlit hours. The shade beneath a large Ranook tree filled with a tangle of legs and wings propped in the air, dowsing the elusive breeze. March, however, brought ocean winds from across the rolling western hills, carrying the tang of salt and electricity. It was then that the flyon mastery of currents became apparent. If one was patient, one might here an occasional whoop of joy.

Medium: watercolor, colored pencil
Tags: lion watercolor pencil sky winged flyon flion