The Nature Art of Tim Phelps

Beginnings: Classical Training in Carbon Dust and Pen and Ink

With nature always in view and a BFA in graphic design and illustration I returned to school to gain more scientific knowledge in preparation for graduate study in the graduate program of Medical and Biological Illustration at the University of Michigan under the instruction of Gerald P Hodge from 1979-1981. Two mediums stand out, pen and ink and carbon dust. Carbon dust was taught for many years originating over 100 years ago in my current department @ Johns Hopkins by Max Broedel (1870-1941) considered the father of modern medical illustration. Carbon dust is applied with varying sizes of dry sable brushes on either a clay coated surface or textured charcoal paper. Tones are built up slowly with the brushes and accented by carbon pencils pushed and pulled from light to dark and rubbed into the surface. White highlights are created either by erasing with a special eraser, scratching them out with a scalpel or knife blade, or by painting opaque paint on to the paper’s surface close to the drawing’s completion. This drawing represents the type of classical teaching I received and, also, displays my early leanings into the nature art I create today.

My most important pen and ink mentor over 40 years ago was Craig Gosling. Craig’s pen and ink style was casual and spontaneous and seemed to ooze extreme confidence in its mark making. It seemed effortless in his hands but as we come to find out pen and ink is not an easy medium to master. As with all art influences we individually identify with works that we either want to excel in or have an affinity for, embracing a style that wells up in each of us, that speaks to us, and, then becomes us! It however takes Hours upon Hours of PRACTICE and PRACTICE. Over time we pick and choose and look for common artistic ground and then add it to our individual expression. There is where the confidence lies in the simplicity of identifying your own voice and seeing the new found magic flow from your fingertips as desired imagery appears. Joy Soon Follows! For pen and ink and many other things I am thankful and forever grateful to Craig Gosling who passed in early July 2021.

While in the beginning I teach my students the use of the flexible nib pen, Micron pens have been a staple of mine for over 25 years. There is ease to the release of the ink that provides a photo reproductive line that faithfully mimics my desired drawing style and dries quickly on my preferred surface of vellum. In my tenure as a medical illustrator and professor I have created well over 5000 pen and ink illustrations that have appeared in dozens of textbooks, surgical atlases and research publications. For more about pen and ink please visit my blog @ phelpsmandala.com.

Baboon Skull in Carbon Dust

Carbon dust study of a baboon skull created in the graduate program of Medical and Biological Illustration at the University of Michigan under the instruction of Gerald P Hodge from 1979-1981.
Sunflower Visitors

From 1995: A traditional pen and ink line illustration of nature's own mandala in the whorls of a sunflower bloom visited by a goldfinch, skipper butterfly, and a bumblebee. This image acted years later as inspiration for my current fascination and emersion in the creation of my nature mandala images.
Muscles of the Back

This is a pen and ink illustration (1 of 70 created) depicting selected muscles of the back from the book "Dance Science" awarded a Certificate of Merit in the Book Category @ the annual meeting of the Association of Medical Illustrators in 2015. This is an example of the type of art work I have been producing for 40 years.
Great Horned Owl Loose in the Spruce

A traditional pen and ink illustration of a great horned owl part of a collection of black and white nature images I began in the early 90's that has now blossomed into full color interpretations of nature subjects and nature mandalas.
American Toad Pen and Ink

A single American toad, Bufo Americanus and Anaxyrus americanus, with cryptic marking, coloration and warts sits quietly but alert in the midst of tall growing ground clover and tall grasses with scattered rocks and a single fallen oak leaf in this late summer traditional pen and ink black and white scientific illustration.
Triceps Muscle Repair

This is typical of the type of pen and ink medical illustrations I create for surgeons for textbooks and journal articles that I have done for the past 40 years. The 3 images outline the suture pattern used to re-attached the triceps tendon to the ulna. The red and blue color coding instructs the proper direction for the placement of the sutures. Pen and ink has served as a foundation for my visual story telling and is often utilized when I create my art asset outlines for plants and animals before scanning and applying self created patterns and digital painting.

Biodiversity Connectivity

Any of you familiar with my nature mandala art understand that the images I create are meant to provide an emotional response and are sincere in their creation. We each have a strong connection with nature and I believe strongly that this connection contributes significantly to our acts of creating personal images in all of our art media. Perhaps in our creative acts we can be instrumental in guiding collective thought around embracing biodiversity and initiating pledges and promises to nature conservancy.

Biodiversity
The term “biodiversity” refers to the variation of plants and animals, the genetic information found in each, and the varied habitats and ecosystems in which the plants and animals live, all of which have been shaped by evolutionary processes. Although we often think of biodiversity on a worldwide scale, we can appreciate biodiversity intimately in our own backyard gardens, on hikes, and in our travels. We can wonder at its seemingly unlimited variety of forms, from the very simple to the highly complex, and experience biodiversity by glorious sight, sound, touch, and smell. It is important to understand the inner woven significance of the sensory, often invisible and misunderstood, tapestry of nature, and humankind’s intertwined critical role in nurturing nature and allowing biodiversity to flourish for generations to come.

Call to Action with Conservancy
Water, land and air interlinked in action and reaction are being trampled by man’s carbon footprint. Now alerted, we are waging a dedicated foot race to avoid a destructive end. In what seems like a drawn out marathon since the age of industrialism a century ago, may now be turning into an exhausting sprint to an uncertain destination. Nature and man are seamlessly connected through action and reaction, cause and effect, all bound in the round by a potential rebound to our water, land and sky. By recognizing, embracing and conserving nature’s circles of life all tied to water, land and sky, we can create reciprocal circular ripples that can have a profound effect on the meaning and gift of life on our earth. For success the puzzle pieces must fall in place and stay together.

Some passages are from my book Nature Mandalas: Wonders of the Garden, Life Circles of Biodiversity and Conservancy (Schiffer Publishing 2016).

Greetings from Biodiversity

This “Greetings From” postcard celebrates and encourages embracing biodiversity in our world in the name of conservation. This colorful array of animals and plants is displayed on a colorful habitat background in this conservation biodiversity nature panel. This retro postcard brings all of these organisms together in an elegant manner as an alert and call for conservancy. Embrace the great outdoors and all that lives there while wandering with wonder in nature.
Not Without Bees

Not Without Bees! A blue jigsaw puzzle, with a large yellow flower blossom and pieces with honeybees missing, is presented as the backdrop to detailing the importance of bees and flowers. Flowers are an integral part of energy transfer in food webs. Seed and fruit production sustain life for organisms big and small, including man. Commercial crops of flowers and vegetables require pollination and bees make this all happen.
Biodiversity Connection

We must cultivate an awareness and understanding for the importance of Biodiversity Connectivity; humankind depends on it. Nature and man are seamlessly connected through action and reaction, cause and effect. For success the puzzle pieces must fall in place and stay together. The text narrative covering Biomimetics, Symbiosis, beetles as successful insects, mutualism, Monarchs and milkweed, iris landing pads, decline of amphibians, and predator and prey can be found on my blog entry "Biodiversity Connectivity" @ phelpsmandala.com.
Organism Classification Mandala

With a world filled with beautiful and fascinating forms representing biodiversity, methods of identification have to be devised to describe how each form is different from the other. How can we keep track of the billions of different life forms that fly, swim, crawl, walk, lurk, hide, flower and reproduce everywhere? We classify them.
Chiva Biodiversity Mandala

South American Chiva artwork is characterized by the creation of circles, lines and a variety of geometric shapes and used to describe depictions of animals and plants in bright colors and outlines. This artform can be found decorating rural transportation buses in Colombia and Bolivia and has been in existence for over 90 years. The whimsical image I have created celebrates the interconnectivity of biodiversity found in tropical rainforests.
Eyes on Nature

Titled “Eyes on Nature” this full color nature print is a celebration of biodiversity and a call to conservancy. 42 animals are displayed with their colorful eyes or wing eyespots only in a compelling mosaic patchwork presentation.
Flight Patterns

Titled “Flight Patterns” this full color nature print is a celebration of biodiversity and a call to conservancy. 42 butterflies and moths are displayed in this compelling mosaic patchwork presentation. This nature art print brings all of these splendid butterflies and moths together in an alert and call for urgent conservancy. Each of these insects has appeared in multiple versions of mandalas and nature panels. Please embrace the great outdoors and all that lives there while you wander with wonder in nature.
Bird Songs

Titled “Bird Songs” this full color nature print is a celebration of biodiversity and a call to conservancy. 30 birds inclusive of a variety of songbirds, owls and other raptors, and exotics are displayed in this compelling mosaic patchwork presentation.
Red Black Gray Butterfly Mandala

6 black, white, and red piano key butterflies paired with 4 larger muted gray and white black veined and yellow crescent edge winged orchard swallowtails are displayed on a white background in this beautiful butterfly nature mandala.
Biodiversity Conservation Mandala

This circular mandala arrangement brings all of these organisms together in an elegant manner as an alert and call for conservancy while celebrating biodiversity. Embrace the great outdoors and all that lives there while wandering with wonder in nature.

The How and Why of the Nature Mandala

I began this visual story telling journey 12 years ago. I was looking for a new path to express my fondness for nature in a new vehicle for telling others about biodiversity and nature conservancy. I welcome you to take an exciting eco-trip “around” my world of nature mandalas. Over 1400 nature images and circular mandalas and retctangular panels have been created to date represented in over 34 collections found on my website @ phelpsmandala.com.

My nature mandalas cast an artistic eye on the real and imagined architecture of plants and animals. Vibrant illustrations and engaging narrative invite my viewers to wander in and wonder at nature's seemingly endless variety of forms, from the simple to the complex. Using the graphic and symbolic patterns of mandalas, I combine color, texture, and symmetry to tell the story of organisms and their roles in healthy ecosystems. My plants and animals are presented in visual form outlining morphology and habitat with descriptions of their importance to medicine and science and conservation issues.

I create my own flame and tie-dye designs, comic book dots, fish scales bird feathers, and coral hexagon patterns, etc. that can be reused at will. I also create reusable “coffee-stains,” paint splatters and brush stroke patterns that are color-adjustable as needed. Adjusting opacity and “multiplying” colors on duplicated layers also brings surprising and pleasing effects.

The artistic character of my nature mandalas is reminiscent of the “dots and dashes” approach that has resided in my pen and ink mark-making for over 30 years, keeping the technique personal and comfortable. But, I also have taken a little from all of the artists I have admired on my journey of discovery since my youth: Elizabeth Buchsbaum, the artist of her brother Ralph’s book Animals without Backbones, Charley Harper, Craig Gosling, Jerry Hodge, Walter Linsenmaier, Albrecht Durer, Alphonse Mucha, Ernst Haeckel, and others.

The selection and illustrating of my flora and fauna are of my choosing based upon my love and fascination of organisms of my youth and current curiosity. While I strive to be “somewhat” faithful to each organism’s identification keys, I enjoy introducing whimsy to my work making it engaging and delightful.

Noting that mandalas are meant for intense attention and meditation and are packed with shapes, colors and designs for cerebral story telling, the challenge becomes not allowing the overall geometry of the repeating elements in each of my mandalas to overpower the individuality of the organisms to which I had applied artful and loving ornamentation and detail. I do not want to overwhelm the viewer; I want the story and art to be easily enjoyed for its simplicity, and, I want my subject matter to be appreciated for the shapes and patterns I have created and the craft behind the process.

The essence and act of mandala creation has pulled me in and delivered just as advertised. Mandalas are enthralling, thought provoking, meditative, and joyful tools. Their swirling patterns and colors and rhythmic repeating nature feel fulfilling. Finally, it is the actual crafting and creation of individual art assets and placing them in repeating mandala arrangements that brings focus to my objective---a combination of Fun and Fine Art---defining and completing my “art circle.”

Art Patterns

I create my own flame and tie-dye designs, comic book dots, fish scales, bird feathers, and coral hexagon patterns, etc. that can be reused at will. I also create reusable “coffee-stains,” paint splatters and brush stroke patterns that are color-adjustable as needed.
Ant and Aphid Mandala

In this symbiotic relationship, aphids feed on the sap of young plants and ants drink their honeydew or “milk” a sticky resin-like sugar-rich fluid secreted by aphids by stroking the aphid’s abdomen. Honeydew acts as a nutrient for the ant and as a repellant to possible predators. Ants in turn are also known to “protect” aphids from their predators.
Brown Wren Leaf Mosaic Mandala

10 perky little brown and orange chatty and chunky Carolina wrens, Thyrothorus ludovicianus, are displayed on a mosaic brown leaf art deco pattern in this songbird nature mandala. I was out in my yard one morning and happened to watch a truck drive down the street; a little wren was hit by the truck and killed. The bird was lifeless. I cupped the bird in my hand carefully cradled it and spread its wing feathers and focused on the moment. I found a spot in my garden and laid the little wren to rest. I was struck profoundly by this moment.
Box Turtle Diet Mandala

The diet of the omnivorous eastern box turtle, Terrapene carolina carolina, can include berries, fruits, beetle grubs, leaves, and flowers. The shells of turtles are composed of two parts: the top shell or carapace and the bottom portion called the plastron. The box turtle’s dome shaped shell has a hinge that completely closes the plastron like a trap door for protection. The coloration of the shell has mosaic and lined markings in browns, yellows and orange hues peppered with brown and black spots.
North Atlantic Puffin Nest Mandala

North Atlantic puffins with multicolored beaks and orange feet, Fratercula arctica, on their nesting site with cream white eggs are shown in this North Atlantic sea coast nature mandala. This mandala is 1 of 6 donated nature mandala prints sized 32” x 32” for framing and permanent installation in a patient care area in the Department of Radiation Oncology @ Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore MD in 2022.
Green and Yellow Birdwing Butterly Mandala

6 green and yellow birdwing butterflies, Ornithoptera priamus, with broad oval shaped wings visit an exotic brightly colored jungle with green and yellow spear line-leafed spider plants and green ferns in this tropical nature mandala. Visit phelpsmandala.com for over 300 butterfly images inspired by nature.
Moonlight Moon Moth Mandala

Generally nocturnal by nature, 4 yellow and green Malaysian moon moths, Actius maenas, with brown patterned velvet wings with long red tails and colorful eyespots are paired with 4 yellow comet moths or Madagascan moon moths, Argema mittrei, with broad yellow and lime colored wings also with prominent eyespots and long red tailed hind wings with yellow tips. The adult saturnid moth lives only 3-7 days and does not feed or drink because it has no mouthparts or stomach.
Chlorinea Butterfly Hippocratea Mandala

6 metalmark clearwing Riodinidae family Chlorinea genus swordtail dark blue butterflies with orange heart shapes on their hind wings are shown on a purple background with yellow 5-petaled flowers and green leaves of the hippocratea plant, its caterpillar’s host plant, in this neo-tropical broad leaf forest butterfly nature mandala. Amazing and unique, transparent wings are an evolutionary advantage providing camouflage and protection for clearwing butterflies at rest and in flight from potential predators.
Red Panther Chameleon Mandala

4 red panther chameleons, Furcifer pardalis, with yellow, red, blue, and green colors and patterns and red spiky spines on their backs are arranged with red, tan, light green and dark green leaves on brown vine branches in this tropical forest nature mandala. Panther chameleons of Madagascar are known for the ability to change their patterns and colors to blend in with their surroundings. Dominant colors like red and green are tied also to their individual geographic locations.
Barn Owl Midnight Mandala

8 barn owls paired in twos, Tyto alba, with white heart shaped facial discs and chests, dark piercing eyes, and speckled body markings are robed in beautiful orange, white, brown and warm gray marked and striped feathers are silhouetted in light blue and displayed against a backdrop of high peaked blue gray barns in this midnight ghost raptor owl nature mandala. Owls are able to rotate their heads in a 270-degree motion because they possess special anatomical adaptations in their neck bones allowing for non-constricted blood flow from heart to head.

My Love for Amphibians

I have always liked amphibians since going grocery shopping with my grandmother when I was 7 years old. Holding hands we would walk into the store and pass by a square upright glass vending box with little treasures encased in plastic capsules like bouncy balls, shiny plastic jewelry and bumpy and speckled rubber frogs. By putting a dime into the slot and turning a crank, a little toy could be yours! I could see that little frog but could never quite catch him. How I wanted my own little frog! It took me a few years before a toy frog was mine.

Belonging to the order Anura, there are thought be over 5000 named species of frogs in the world filling a variety of niches adapted to different habitats and integrated into multiple food webs with still more species to be discovered. The smallest frog can sit on a dime, while the largest has a body over a foot long. Members of this clan are found on all continents accept Antarctica.

Multiple threats exist for frogs. One of the most wide-spread diseases is caused by Chytrid fungus found in moist environments, infecting many of the amphibian species. This infection is leading to population declines and extinctions in Africa, Australia, the Caribbean, portions of Europe and the Americas including central, south and the western portion of the US. Domestic and foreign trade of amphibians for food and research may be at the center of this continual and sometimes epidemic spread of the Chytrid fungus. The frog’s thin skin can absorb toxins found in their habitat, either from water or land, so they are important bioindicators. When their numbers dwindle, it tells us that something is seriously wrong in our world.

I have included a few salamander images too. Exploring shallow creek beds, skipping stones, and catching salamanders in Indiana was the most fun growing up. With anticipation, I would carefully lift large flat rocks and often found colorful olive and orange curled-up small salamanders and then would try to catch them before they could wriggle away. My appreciation of nature began at these times while standing in small quiet pools cupping slimy creatures, marveling at their small and unique features and then turning them loose before carefully replacing the rocks in their rightful places, respectful of returning nature in the manner I found it.

Leaping Frogs Nature Mandala

8 green tie dye leaping bullfrogs hopping on spear shaped green floating plants are shown with a white, yellow and purple lotus blossom in the middle of the pond on a white background in this garden amphibian pond nature mandala.
Red Bromeliad Dart Frog Mandala

8 red and green poison dart frogs are surrounding a red bromeliad flower bloom pool with tiny tadpoles in this amphibian jungle nature mandala. This image is part of a collection of 11 of my nature mandalas sized 30" x 30" as framed prints on permanent display in the Skip Viragh Cancer Building @ Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore MD.
Amazon Striped Dart Frog Mandala

8 yellow bodied blue striped poison Dendrobates dart frogs with blue legs sit camouflaged among aqua striped yellow philodendron fallen leaves near a blue pool of water with gurgling bubbles and are shown in this tropical rainforest amphibian jungle nature mandala.
Tie Dye Frog and Mosquito Mandala

For the fun of it for the child in all of us! 4 frantic green tie dye frogs eagerly gobble up a ring of buzzing mosquitoes with their flagging pink tongues in this garden and pond nature mandala, From my book: Nature Mandalas: Wonders of the Earth, Wind, and Sea (Schiffer Publishing 2016).
Frog Gathering Mandala

32 colorful frogs have gathered in a circle including leaping green tie dye bull frogs, crouching brown wood frogs, beautifully marked and patterned dart frogs in red and blue and yellow, blue, and green, bronze, and, green and red spotted frumpy horned frogs, and, orange footed and red eyed green perching tree frogs in this frog collection nature mandala.
Yellow Jungle Dart Frog Mandala

Frogs have skin of many colors encompassing the entire color wheel depending upon their habitat to either stand out as a warning to predators or to blend in to hide from them. Their bodies can be green, yellow, orange, red, blue, black and white and even purple with combinations of each. 8 yellow and blue poison dart frogs are presented in this jungle nature mandala.
Red Eye Tree Frog #4 Mandala

9 whimsical green arboreal hylid red eye tree frogs with orange feet, with the scientific name Agalychnis callidryas, rest on branches of jungle leaves in this green rainforest nature mandala. These tree dwelling frogs are native to Mexico and are often kept as pets in vivariums.
Philodendren Blue Dart Frog Mandala

12 tiny blue dart frogs play hide and seek in this philodendron jungle leaf night time nature mandala. From my book: Nature Mandalas: Wonders of the Earth, Wind, and Sea (Schiffer Publishers 2016).
Maple Leaf Spring Salamander Mandala

4 red salamanders with black stripes and black tipped tails are breaking the surface of a pond with fallen and leftover submerged maple leaves below on a brown background in this amphibian garden nature mandala. Spring is the time of year that salamanders migrate and gather to breed in vernal or temporary pools of water.
Leaf Litter Salamander Mandala

4 dark green salamanders in 2 groups of 2 with small lime and pink spots on their backs and their tails intertwined lay on a forest bed of leaf litter consisting of 4 brown maple leaves, 8 maple seed helicopters, 4 multicolored oak leaves, 4 bronze capped green acorns and 4 walnut shell halves in the middle---all presented on a tan background texture with brown coffee stain markings in this leaf litter forest floor nature mandala.

Ornamentation in My Art Creation

I am intrigued by craft, pattern, and ornamentation and introduce this design element often into my nature mandala subjects and into their backgrounds. Why not bathe flowers, fish, butterflies, and birds with hot rod fire? Introducing the crafts of tie die, flame painting, and indigenous fabric designs like those found on Mexican horse blankets into my animal and plant representation allows me to teach others about the historical significance and enjoyment of other elements of art, design, and world culture. The internet opens wide vistas and vision into world cultures such as Pakistani Truck Art and Chiva Bus art to share what artisans create for automotive tranporation for the enjoyment of others. To that end I have also been enamoured by Native American weaving designs since I was a child. I have incorporated these many decorative designs and motifs into a number of nature images to delight my viewers and to encourage an appreciation for various indigenous artforms.

Flame Bat Moonlight Mandala

There is fire in the sky with this swarm of 18 little brown bats, scientific name Myotis lucifugus, with flame painted wings in this night time moonlight nature mandala.
Mexican Blanket Butterfly Mandala

4 fictional multi-patterned and multi-colored Mexican horse saddle blanket butterflies with varied designs of stripes, triangles, and broken triangle line patterns on their wings are displayed on a repeated Mexican horse blanket icon pattern colored in middle blue on a light lime green background with a bright orange and yellow geometric center in this fantasy butterfly garden nature mandala. A few of the butterfly examples that you may find in my butterfly collection as well as some hard-shelled beetles are fictitious insects created for your enjoyment and amusement.
Pakistan Truck Art Garden Mandala

A number of nature elements including butterflies, flowers, sunrise, thistle, sea shells and feathers inspired by Pakistan Truck Art in this nature garden mandala.
Red Chiva Frog Art Deco Mandala

4 Chiva art inspired green, orange, red, and yellow frogs (loosely based on the Red Strawberry poison dart frog Dendrobates pumilio) are shown with a green frog repeating pattern design in this art deco rainforest nature mandala. The frogs were created with lines, small circles, triangular and crescent shapes typical of designs like those painted by the renowned Chiva bus painters of South America.
African Moon Moth Mandala

4 broad wing saturnid yellow silkmoth Moon moths with eye spots on their wings are displayed on an African Square mosaic art deco design in matching colors of red, orange, yellow, green, and brown in this decorative and bright colored moth garden nature mandala. Like all insects, saturnid or giant silk moths have six legs and three body segments: the head, thorax and abdomen. They have furry robust bodies, large velvet-like exquisitely colored and decorated broad wings, and wispy feather shaped antennae.
Hopi Sparrow Hawk Nature Mandala

8 American kestrel, Falco sparverius, or sparrow hawk with colors of muted purple, deep bronze and black in 4 groups of 2 are shown on a Hopi native american inspired decorative mosaic background with the same color scheme as that of the kestrels in this raptor nature mandala.
Navajo Giant Swallowtail Butterfly Mandala

4 beautiful giant swallowtail butterflies with brown and yellow black veined wings, Papilio cresphontes, are displayed on a background of inspired Navajo weaving terraced box textile design of brown, orange, and yellow colored pyramid stacked boxes. To draw interest to the center, orange, yellow, red and blue terrace stacked boxes mimic the color of the eyespots found on the long tail projections of this butterfly's hind wings all portrayed on a light orange background in this Southwestern Native American butterfly nature mandala.
Brown Navajo Turtle Mandala

Four orange and brown box turtles with ornate high domed shells are decorated with a weaving fabric mosaic Native American inspired geometric pattern made up of stacked squares and formed into outlines of combined colors of orange, gray, brown, and yellow that imitates the actual markings and patterns found on the plates or scutes found on the shells of turtles. This same pattern is repeated as subtle iconic designs in muted warm brown tones and presented as a Native American turtle nature mandala.
Sagebrush Moth Crescent Mandala

6 soft white and tan sagebrush moths with orange furry bodies, wavy patterned wings, and red striped feathered antennae, Hemileuca hera, are paired with an Navajo Native American crescent and diamond circular design with colors of orange, lavender, purple, warm tan, dark brown and red accents on a white background in this Southwestern prairie woodland nature mandala.
Navajo Blue Swallow Spiral Mandala

10 Barn swallows with outstretched wings, Hirundo rustica, glossy blue in color and identified by their cream colored chest an orange cinnamon throat and forehead and a deep forked tail with white spots are displayed on a background of inspired Navajo weaving terraced box textile design of blue, orange, and yellow colored pyramid stacked boxes. To draw interest to the center, blue orange, yellow and terrace stacked boxes form a single box shape and is shown on a light orange background in this Southwestern Native American swirling songbird nature mandala.

I LOve Owls!

When I was about 9 years old I was out in my wooded backyard doing what 9 year olds do—just wandering around on a “Midwest close-to-Halloween” fall day. It was late afternoon and a glint of moving white caught my eye. I was awe-struck by this ghostly blur that I had never seen before. I watched as it glided easily through brown and yellow leafy branches and soon disappeared. I wasn’t quite sure what I had seen and I certainly did not know its name (barn owl). It has been and continues to be moments like these that define my interest, passion and joy in all things “nature.”

There are over 200 species of owls in the world and most are cryptically camouflaged to blend in with their surroundings. They have binocular vision and have many more rods in the retinal layers of their eyes than we do and that allows them to see in very faint light, making them highly efficient nocturnal hunters. While they cannot rotate their eyeballs to look up, down, or sideways, owls are able to horizontally swivel their heads in a 270-degree motion because they possess special anatomical adaptations in their neck bones allowing for non-constricted blood flow from heart to head. In total darkness, owls rely on their keen hearing to focus on the location of their prey utilizing their concentric ringed feather covered facial discs that direct noise to their ears. Their stealth-like flight is aided by tiny soft branches called barbules that are extensions found on the edges of their flight feathers that zip together and silence the sound of their flapping wings. A few species, like the screech and great horned owl, have prominent ear tufts on the tops of their heads that can point upward or lay flat used in communication with other owls in their territories and with the opposite sex.

Over the years I created multiple illustrations of owls in watercolor, pen and ink and now in digital paint. My raptor rapture has resulted in images of these owls: screech, barn, saw-whet, eagle, snowy, barred, great horned and great grey. In creating my multiple examples of these magnificent raptors I revel in detailing their colorful and exquisite feathers providing an artful robe of luxurious decorative tapestry. In this process I celebrate and individualize what excites me in biodiversity and ornamentation down to the finest detail to give my subjects a loving and personal touch.

Brown Leaf Barn Owl Mandala

5 light brown, tan and cream colored barn owls, Tyto alba, are in flight towards us through a brown leaf collage of many colors on a white background in this autumn forest nature mandala.
Barred Owl Pinecone Mandala

A group of 8 barred owls, Strix varia, camouflaged in clusters of pine cones are shown in this woodland nature mandala. Barred owls are partial to habitats that include wooded areas of both conifers and deciduous trees near swamps with a preference for trees covered in vines in lowlands. Dense forests with mature trees of oak, maple, and pines are perfect for perching and nesting adjacent to open areas for feeding.
Saw-Whet Owl Hideaway Mandala

This homage is to the little saw-whet owl named Rocky that traveled unwillingly 170 miles from her upper state NY habitat in a large pine tree that would grace Rockefeller Center Christmas 2020 and to those who discovered her and had the presence and purpose to care for her and return her safely home. Rocky wandered with wonder in nature and so can we at every turn. Hope and peace to all.
Eagle Owl Night Perch Mandala

8 Eurasian eagle owls, Bubo bubo, wearing regal orange, bronze, and cream colored feathered robes and glaring with intense orange eyes are silhouetted by moonlight and surrounded by barren tree limbs in this nighttime owl nature mandala. Equipped with attuned facial discs and silent flight feathers, eagle owls are superb night hunters in their perch and pounce mode of attack.
Hawk Owl Snowflake Mandala

Since my childhood my love for owls continues with this new image. 12 small hawk owls, Surnia ulula, with beaded crowns on top of their oval shaped heads and powder blue facial discs with yellow eyes and short beaks greet the viewer in the center of a warm gray background with falling snowflakes of varying sizes surrounding them. The owls are wearing dark and light gray banded feathered robes with glowing orange and powder blue chest feathers in this winter owl lovers nature mandala.
Flying Great Grey Owl Mandala

6 flying great grey owls with outstretched striped wings in a fan shape, scientific name Strix nebulosa, have taken to the air on a muted warm gray background with a faded lattice art deco design pattern in this northwest forest nature mandala. The great grey owl has a long and slender body almost three feet in length with a five foot wingspan and the longest tail of all owls.
Screech and Saw-whet Owl Mandala

4 rufous morph or red colored tiny screech owls Magascops asio, with conspicuous white eyebrows and prominent head tufts are grouped with 4 Northern Saw-whet owls, Aegolius acadicus, with dark round heads with tiny white feathers on top and bright yellow eyes shining through a dark colored facial disc. Both owls are finely dressed with similar beautifully patterned feather robes and are shown on an art deco mosaic octagonal design made up of varying sizes of diamonds and angled rectangles of brown, orange and beige on a black background in this majestic raptor nature mandala.
Blue Jay and Barn Owl Mob Mandala

20 blue jays, Cyanocitta cristata, swarm 4 barn owls, Tyto alba, in "mobbing behavior" in this woodland nature mandala. Owls and other raptors are often mobbed or harassed primarily by crows but also by songbirds like blue jays and robins by being dive bombed by them either in flight or roosting in a tree. Because there is strength in numbers, mobbing behavior provides less risk on individuals, and collectively protects young and territories and can help ensure the propagation of the species.
Screech Owl Night Watch Mandala

A flock of 8 screech owls, Megascops asio, are on neighborhood watch hiding behind dark purple maple leaves on a star filled moonlit all on a purple background in this night time raptor nature mandala. Owls have many more rods in the retinal layers of their eyes than humans and this allows them to see in very faint light, making them a highly efficient nocturnal hunter. In total darkness, they rely on their keen hearing to focus on the location of their prey.
Great Horned Owl Icon Mandala

4 Great Horned owls, Bubo virginianus, with brown patterned feathers, white chests, and orange upright feathered head tufts are arranged on a brown background with a repeating indigenous inspired owl icon with staring eyes in this Great Horned Owl nature mandala. Most people unmistakably believe that an owl’s ears are located at the erect tufts of feathers seen on top of its head. In both tufted and un-tufted owls, buried below specialized feathers at lateral edges of an owl’s concave facial disk, or ‘ruff’ lie the asymmetrically placed ear conchs or openings, its true ears.

The Hard Facts About Beetles

Coleoptera is the order of insects that we commonly identify as beetles or simply the creepy-crawly category of “BUGS.” Beetle shells are made of a hard exoskeleton to protect these miniature terrestrial tanks in their travels across rough terrain above and below the soil. Excavating under rigid rocks, tangled and pointed twigs, and escaping the beaks of birds and other predators is a tough life so beetles need tough shells. Ancient formation of wings over 300 million years ago began as tiny flaps on an ancient bug’s back. The forewing buds hardened and expanded into hard protective moveable shields called elytra that swing laterally to allow the flexible and tender hind wings to pop out ready for flight.

There are over 360,000 named species of beetles in our world occupying land and freshwater habitats almost worldwide filling important niches as scavengers, detrivores, predators, and prey. With special limb adaptations they even work construction: by digging and tunneling, cleaning up debris, aerating and breaking up soil and providing cleared pathways for plant roots to grow.

Back in the day you could make your own beetle collection with metal molds, liquid latex rubber and a hot plate for young nature lovers like me. Mattel Toys came out with the Thingmaker Creepy Crawlers Bug Maker Kit in 1964. You can still find these kits on EBAY and yes I AM tempted by this recent discovery. Included in the box set were multiple metal 4″ x 6″ molds of everything creepy imaginable: multiple beetles and bugs, spiders, snakes, centipedes, rats, bats, lizards, and of course my favorite —frogs (see my blog on amphibians). Perhaps Mattel hoped an adult would oversee the bug making activity because there IS hot metal and hot latex involved. Nonetheless on Saturday nights when my parents went out, I made multiple rubber representatives of nature to my heart’s content with no adult supervision. You picked your favorite creepy candidate, poured into the mold either a solid mix of your favorite color of latex from a squeeze bottle or you could mix it up almost like tie dye and pour in multiple colors and end up with a one of a kind custom cool creation! Much like the easy bake oven your sister may have had, you slid the metal tray into the desktop oven and anxiously awaited what would soon emerge. Once the little rubber nymph was cooked you excitedly pulled the metal mold out and after a brief cooling period you scooped out a cuddly and wiggly new pet with special tools. With bug in hand you can chase your older sister around and revel in her screams! You can’t see the smile on my face but you can imagine this activity greatly contributed to my love of all things “Nature.”

Bird of Paradise Goliath Beetle Mandala

8 Red velvet goliath scarab beetles cluster on the orange and white blooms and green sheathes of the bird of paradise plant (Strelitzia) in this tropical jungle nature mandala.The family of scarab beetles, Scarabaeidae, has over 30,000 species worldwide. Like all insects, members of this family have three body sections: a head, thorax, and abdomen. Their muted or iridescent colored bodies are robust, domed, and ovoid in shape and can grow in some species like the Goliath beetle to a length of 6 inches.
Red Goliath Beetle Detail

I want to share with you the amount of detail I add to my nature assets whether plant or beast. I revel in detail and ornamentation as you can see throughout my nature images.
Macrodontia Beetle Nature Mandala

6 macrodontia beetles, Macrodontia cervicornis, also known as the Sabertooth Longhorn beetle, congregate on top of a background duplication of their distinct art deco wing cover design in this insect nature mandala.
Jewel Diamond Beetle Mandala

6 shiny iridescent multicolored jewel beetles, family name Buprestidae, are arranged on a mimicking art deco diamond tile pattern of 6 additional jewel beetles in this insect garden nature mandala.
Red Shield Bug Hibiscus Mandala

6 brightly colored shield bugs, Ixora Shield Bug, Catacanthus punctus, in red, orange, yellow, and green with blue heads and found in Australia visit surrounding yellow hibiscus flower blooms on a white background in this sunlight daytime beetle garden nature mandala.
Spotted Ladybug Leaf Litter Mandala

8 blue spotted orange ladybugs are nestled in a pile of leaf litter of brown autumn leaves and maple seed helicopters and are snug as bugs in a rug in this coffee stained tan forest floor nature mandala. Like all flying beetles, the ladybug wears a protective pair of armored shields or elytra that cover its delicate hind wings below. This hard shell protects the beetle as it burrows into wood and soil in search for food and aids in escape from predators from above ground.
Ladybug Picnic Nature Mandala

4 dark blue flame painted ladybugs resting on a blue mosaic tile picnic table with a ladybug hexagon design are shown in this summertime backyard party nature mandala. From my book: Nature Mandalas: Wonders of the Garden (Schiffer Publishing 2016).
Lanternfly Longan Tree Mandala

4 Indonesian lanternflies or lanternbugs, Pyrops intricatus, have long snouts or proboscis used in probing tree bark. This amazing bug has broad orange top wings with green and orange wing veins and yellow spots and yellow and orange hind wings with white wing veins tipped in chocolate brown. These insects found in Vietnam are displayed in this nature image with the fruit, leaves and spindle knobbed branches of the Longan tree, this insect’s host tree, all on a yellow highlighted background in this Indonesian tropical forest lanternfly nature mandala.
Art Deco Yellow Shield Bug Mandala

6 yellow and black taxicab colored shield beetles, Runibia decorata, are shown on an art deco mosaic design in yellow, orange and gray colors on a yellow background in this decorative insect garden nature mandala.
Brown Whirligig Pond Nature Mandala

12 brown and blue whirligig beetle bugs, scientific name Gyrinidae, swirl on the water's blue surface while 4 blue silhouetted frogs watch from below in this garden pond nature mandala.

A-Fishionados

I grew up in a household of “a-fishionados.” My late father enjoyed freshwater and saltwater fishing and instilled the love of fishes in his 3 amigos. My two older brothers as teenagers had multiple freshwater tropical fish tanks with varieties of cool and colorful fish including oscars, angelfish, and catfishes (my favorite), and separate aquariums for Siamese fighting fish and a piranha. Later in his life my father continued his fascination with aquariums breeding Ancistris Plecostomus suckermouth catfish. In graduate school at the University of Michigan my master’s paper was titled “Six species of Lorcaria from Paraguay.” Loracariidea is the family of armor-plated catfish that includes many varieties of Plecostomus a few of which found their way a few years later into a 55 gallon tank that amused my young children years ago.

Flyingfish Wave Panel

Juried by Fine Art America from over 17,000 images from over 6000 worldwide artists the fall of 2022, “Flyingfish Wave Panel” was one of only 20 images displayed on a billboard in the United States. These fish found their home right here in Baltimore on 95 South just south of downtown! 9 whimsical blue, lavender, pink, and cream colored four winged flyingfish with large eyes and large pectoral and pelvic fins fly through the air above blue and white iconic wave and air patterns on an aqua blue background in this whimsical flyingfish ocean nature mandala. Pectoral fins aid fish in navigating water; those of flyingfish assist them in lifting from the water and glide in air currents achieving gliding times of over 40 seconds and travel distances greater than 1200 feet.
Chivas Red Plecostomus Mandala

The Chiva art of Colombia, characterized by ovals circles, lines, and bright colors, inspired this red plecostomus sucker mouth catfish jungle nature mandala.
Japanese Puffer Porcupinefish Mandala

4 brown and tan pufferfish with spines on a yellow background with red Japanese "fish" symbols are shown in this nature mandala. This was my favorite fish as a child and I still love it! A final deathly deterrent includes a killing chemical present in the porcupinefish’s flesh known as tetrodotoxin. A bacteria living symbiotically within the stomach, liver and sex organs, this neurotoxin can also be found in the flesh and muscles of the fish. It has no affect on the porcupinefish but can prove lethal to its predators including man. Known as fugu, the poisonous flesh of the porcupinefish is considered a delicacy in Japan and other places. It must be expertly prepared by extensively trained chefs to prevent possible paralysis or death being delivered to the discriminating diner.
Blue Surgeon Tang Mandala

12 yellow tailed blue tang surgeon fish, Paracanthurus hepatus, are shown on a mosaic art deco background of blue, yellow and gray crescent shapes and dots on a white background in this marine barrier reef nature mandala.
Clownfish Spiral Mandala

12 orange clownfish, genus Amphiprion, with white stripes bordered by black outlines, and yellow fin rays, spines and face surround 6 yellow clownfish also with white stripes bordered by black outlines are displayed in a spiral arrangement on a white background with muted orange and yellow rings of seaweed stands interlaced between them all. 28 species of clownfish or anemone fish are represented in the genus Amphiprion and can be found in multiple colors: orange, yellow, pink, red, brown, and black with a variety of markings of stripes and patches.
Moorish Idol Blue Coral Mandala

A school of 8 yellow moorish idol fish, Zanclus cornutus, with dark blue stripes are swimming along a blue coral reef populated with multiple blue striped scallops in a marine undersea nature mandala.
Snook Catch Swirl Mandala

5 dark green large snook, scientific name Centropomus undecimalis, fish swirl around a school of small fish in search of a catch in wetlands waters in this everglades nature mandala. I have been to the Everglades a few times fishing for tarpon and “snoooooks.” Fish chasing begins before dawn heading out into and under the cathedral branches of the mangroves in a boat in which you have to lie down to deftly navigate through them. On the other side are gleaming pockets of inviting sunlit small bays. Snook or robalo are like long and slender bass that can hit your bait with a bang. They are dark green in these backwaters and light glimmering bronze in the open ocean surf. Their water swirls chasing small fish has brought me to this mandala swirl.
Manta Ray Diet Nature Mandala

3 manta or devil rays consume large amounts of tiny microscopic plankton and crustaceans in this ocean nature mandala. Celebrate biodiversity! Mantas are planktivores feeding on tiny sea invertebrate organisms known as zooplankton comprised of tiny crabs, shrimp and other sea faring creatures. As filter feeders, they can either engulf balled up swarms in deep water or rise to capture carpets of sumptuous zooplankton floating on the water’s surface. As individuals or in large groups swimming in columns, somersaulting and swirling about, mantas have developed a number of feeding strategies to direct millions of micro organisms into mighty (but not menacing to man) gaping mouths.
Yellow Boxfish Sea Scallop Mandala

6 yellow hexagon plated boxfish with hexagon shaped scales are paired with red, yellow, and green striped scallop shells in this underwater marine coral reef nature mandala. In high school I made a slab clay boxfish and stamped its scales with a hexagonal shaped piece of heavy wire.
Cardinalfish Reef Nature Mandala

12 black striped tan banggai or longfin cardinalfish, Pterapogon kauderni, swim in swirling schools on a coffee grounds stained brown and tan background in this pastel underwater marine reef nature mandala. The cardinalfish is on the conservation endangered species watch list.

Flowers and Their Visitors

This folder celebrates the beauty of plants and flowers that surround us. For thousands of years, plants have nourished us with their bounty of fruits and nuts, leaves, flowers and roots. Herbs and spices add culinary flavor to the foods we eat. They have provided clothing and apparel with configurations of cottons, flax and hemp; often infused with colors from plant and berry-based dyes. Plants have contributed compounds and creativity to the development of cosmetics and beauty products.

Medicinal plants have been noted, recorded and passed down over thousands of years of successful curative and holistic use. Every world culture utilizes native plant species and believes in their medicinal and rejuvenating powers. Through careful study, medicinal plants, flowers and herbs presently serve as a basis for the creation of therapeutic drugs through actual ingredient use and as a basis for the creation of their synthetic forms. Other areas of study include assessments and testing of plants and herbs in herbal medicines, in commercial and cosmetic products, and as food ingredients. From my Book: "Nature Mandalas Wonders of the Garden" Schiffer Publishing, 2016.

Red Dahlia Blossom Mandala

A single glowing red, pink and orange petaled perennial dahlia flower blossom is shown in this beautiful flower garden nature mandala on a white background. Dahlias are favored flowers that come in many varieties and bring color and interest to neighborhood gardens across the world.
Yellow Dahlia Skipper Butterfly Mandala

6 light brown and orange skipper butterflies, least skipper, Ancycloxypha numitor, hesperiidae, surround the bloom of a light orange dahlia flower on a white background in this bright garden butterfly nature mandala. Skipper butterflies are often mistaken for small moths because of their short and robust bodies. They are called skippers because it looks as if they are skipping while in flight.
Pink Thistle Nature Mandala

A single thistle bloom of this pink thistle, Cirsium discolor, is surrounded by multicolor developing outer petals that will form a base that supports the flower on a tall thorny green stem. Green spiky medieval snowflake like leaves are shown surrounding the central yellow, pink, magenta and green flower bloom in this summer meadow thistle nature mandala presented on a dark green background. This variety of thistle is prevalent in mid to late summer meadows and parks here in Maryland. With medieval bristly and thorny leaves and tall stalks also covered in thorns it is considered a garden invasive weed but I find their shape and manner inviting. Their floret blooms growing on a large flowerhead are also inviting to multiple pollinators such as varieties of bees and numerous butterflies including skippers, one of my favorite butterflies. Their nectar provides nourishment for resident hummingbirds and magnificent migrating monarchs.
Dragonfly Daylily Mandala

6 purple and green tie dye winged dragonflies have landed in the dark of night on orange day lilies surrounded by green leaves in this nature mandala.
Hummingbird Pink Fuchsia Mandala

8 green and pink ruby throated hummingbirds, scientific name Archilochus colubris, flutter around pink and purple fuchsia flower blooms in this colorful garden nature mandala.
Pastel Pink and White Lily Mandala

A single pink and white tiger lily blossom surrounded by green leaves and green flower buds makes up this lily garden nature mandala. Nature provides multiple versions of mandalas if we are observant enough. Wander with wonder in nature!
Sunflower Emerging Bloom Butterfly Mandala

Green checkerboard butterflies surround an emerging sunflower bloom in this compelling garden nature mandala.
Curved Tiger Lily Nature Mandala

A wreath of 8 blooming curving orange tiger lilies and surrounding leaves and flower buds are displayed in this garden nature mandala. I have cultivated daylilies and hosta plants in my home gardens for years. Orange and green are my family's favorite colors.
Yellow Iris Bumblebee Mandala

Tie dye winged fuzzy yellow and black bumblebees visit 8 bearded yellow iris blooms in this pollinators garden nature mandala. "Bumble bees are the first pollinators called into service because they are skillful and frequent fliers and have fuzzy bodies that are well-suited for collecting and transferring pollen." The art and text are from my book: Nature Mandalas: Wonders of the Garden (Schiffer Publishing 2016).
Chrysanthemum Spider Nature Mandala

6 red, yellow and orange black spotted sheet weaver spiders mimic the floral arrangement of the chrysanthemum flower blossoms in this colorful garden nature mandala.

New Nature Art Directions

While I am not planning on dismissing the mandala circular form, I am thinking beyond the sphere and thinking outside and inside the box. Recently I have been creating long rectangle “rotatable” panels utilizing the same inspired symmetrical thinking around displaying my nature subjects. Rotatable means that the nature panels can be printed and exhibited as a horizontal image or a vertical one depending on the exhibit space desired. My mandala images are faithfully printable up to 4 x 4 feet for display; my new nature panels can be printed and stretch mural-like up to 8 feet with no loss of resolution for exhibiting in nature centers, classrooms, and natural history and science museums to bring attention to the importance of nature conservancy and to instill an appreciation of the beauty of nature’s biodiversity for all ages.

Hummingbird Trumpet Vine Garden Nature Panel

12 green ruby-throated pink, lime and green colored hummingbirds with fluttering wings, scientific name Archilochus colubris, swirl and dive around the red and orange flower bloom clusters of Brugmansia trumpet vine plants in this garden nature panel.
Gecko Jungle Trek Nature Panel

A gaggle of gregarious geckoes with tan and brown spotted and beaded bodies chase each other on a gecko trek across clumps of green and yellow oval cutout tie dye philodendron leaves in this rainforest jungle lizard nature panel.
Ladybug Leaf Litter Hideaway Nature Panel

12 blue and white spotted orange ladybugs are shown nestling in a pile of leaf litter of brown autumn maple leaves and maple seedpod helicopters, also know as samaras, on a coffee stained brown and tan background. They are snug as little bugs in a rug in this coffee stained maple forest floor hideaway nature panel.
Koi Ripple Pond Green Rotatable Panel

A school of 25 beautiful koi can be seen swimming on a muted green background in this creative koi nature panel. 5 koi have broken the water’s surface looking at you.About 2000 years ago common carp were introduced to China and Korea and later to Japan from Eurasia. The word ‘koi’ is Japanese for carp. In the beginning before koi keeping and breeding became popular, koi were kept in pools by farmers as an addition to their diet of rice and vegetables.
African Daisy and Butterfly Rotatable Nature Panel

7 pearl white summer snow African daisies of the genus Osteospermum, are surrounded by 6 Golden-banded Forester butterflies, Euphaedra neophron, noted for its black and gold banding on its blue sapphire forewings and 4 yellow pansy butterflies, Junonia hierta, with brown, yellow, and purple wings. I have put these 3 species together because they are each found in meadow habitats of eastern and southern Africa.
Seashore Seashell Collection Nature Panel

This nature image celebrates trips to the sandy seashore to collect seashells with family and friends that always turn into memorable walk and talks! Displayed are a variety of treasured colorful shells: the exquisite spiral-shelled marine mollusk queen conch, scientific name Strombus gigas, and more recently, Lobatus gigas, accompanied by multiple multicolored smaller spiral shell sea snail shells, and, orange, pink, and purple examples of ribbed-shell scallops all shown on a tan sandy beach background.
Blue Swallow Divine Flight Nature Panel

4 blue barn swallows with outstretched wings, Hirundo rustica, glossy blue in color and identified by their cream colored chest an orange cinnamon throat and forehead and a deep forked tail with white spots are shown in devotional flight with a cloud filled blue sky and displayed on a subtle mandala stained glass blue background.
Tie Dye Frog Pond Nature Panel

There is a lot of activity at the neighborhood pond today with 4 green tie dye bullfrogs leaping from lily pad to lily pad while 6 others are popping their heads out of the water watching this frantic frog activity to see what is happening. Hidden under some of the green lily pads are a few submerged frogs perhaps taking a nap. Children will like this one!
Cycad Cethosia Butterfly Nature Panel

6 Black and red Eastern red lacewing butterflies, Cethosia cydippe, with large red ovals and tiny white spots on their white-fringed black wings are shown visiting the orange and yellow flowering blooms of a fictitious evergreen cycad with multiple groups of long feathery deep dark green leaves in this lush dark Australian rainforest jungle butterfly nature panel.
Dog Day Cicada Sunlight Nature Panel

8 green and orange dog day cicadas glimmer in the yellow baking summer sun flying through green leaf branches while others are silhouetted on an orange background in this insect nature panel. These cryptic looking cool bugs with what look like vintage Buick grilles for a nose have always fascinated me. They are feared for no reason at all: they do not bite or sting and only make a lot of noise high up in the trees.