A new adventure-- archival prints of my watercolors

I recently opened an Etsy shop -TinkersHeart- featuring archival art prints of my watercolor paintings. I am very happy with the results of the printing process. The color reproduction is quite good and the texture and feel of the paper gives prints the same appearance as the original watercolor. The print of the bird above is available in the shop and below is an image from an earlier post of the squirrel, owl, and bird in progress. 

The raven in progress and the finished print

Last look at autumn- snow is on the way

Several weeks ago my family and I attended the annual Swapper's Day Flea Market in Johnstown, Ohio.  It began as an opportunity for local sportsmen to have their dogs compete in timed trials, then as the event grew in popularity, participants brought items to swap, trade, or sell.

You can find everything from socks to antiques and guns for sale.

While I was out running errands a couple of weeks ago, I came across this beautiful guy. He had been hit by a passing car, but was still in good shape for making some nature studies from. He is a Black Rat Snake, fairly common in central Ohio. 

 He measured not quite three feet long, not full sized for a Rat Snake. They typically grow from four to six feet long, although some have been known to exceed eight feet.

 I love the iridescent reflections on his belly. Rat snakes can discharge a foul smelling substance from their musk glands when alarmed.

 This closeup shows the beautiful scales on his back and the subtle brown rings around his body. Most eastern Rat Snakes freeze in position when threatened in order to blend with their surroundings. I hope to use these photos for reference for some paintings.