Tag Archives: Drawing

Pursuing the Conjunction Part 2

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Nesting Moon Floating Planets On December 18th there was a lot of clouds around in the south-west. My chances of seeing Saturn and Jupiter were not promising. However, I set up my materials and hoped for the best. I had my 15X70 binoculars on a tripod and my sketching materials. Pursuing the conjunction was still my goal even though the forecast for December 21st was abysmal. The four-day moon looked gorgeous above our pine trees. I waited for the clouds to clear until a handy gap offered me Jupiter and Saturn. The planets appeared like two white blobs in my 15X70 binoculars. This view did not bring me enough detail. Also, it was not dark enough to see any planetary colour or moons. However, it was great to see both planets within my field of view. I wanted something more. I figured Jupiter and Saturn would soon disappear into the cloud bank on the horizon. Therefore, I started a different … Continue reading →

Pursuing the Conjunction

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The forecast lately has been rain, rain and more rain. So I decided to get active in pursuing the conjunction as it builds toward December 21st.  Saturn and Jupiter the largest planets in the solar system getting closer and closer. The actual historic alignment may well pass my eyes by but the journey towards the day is worth doing. I took this photo on December 7th at 17:16 Jupiter easy to spot Saturn less so at that time. I had visions of drawing the two planets as they got lower in the apricot sky. Alas, that was not to be due to the precipitation overload in the following days. However, I did manage a partial drawing later that evening, which includes the lovely Delphinus. That drawing (below) had to be abandoned because of cloud and the fact that Jupiter dipped below my horizon before I got to add more detail to that small section of our galaxy. Pursuing the conjunction … Continue reading →

Drawing Active Region 2790

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Drawing Active Region 2790 It was mid-morning by the time I was free to observe active region 2790. That AR was the larger of the two visible on the solar disc. After I set up my chair, drawing equipment and solar telescope, it took some time to settle into the drawing. It is my habit to observe the subject before deciding on how I will deal with it. This was a very dramatic, active area. Swirling fibrils were well defined around the sunspot. Solar drawing is difficult because for me anyway, I have to break the view down into shapes. Then I can draw that shape on my page. However, many references back to the shape and the page must take place for the drawing to be accurate. Sometimes the view is stable for say ten minutes. Then it may deteriorate for a time before becoming crystal clear again. This process can be very time consuming and takes lots of … Continue reading →

Active Region 2781

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Drawing Active Region 2781 Well, finally I got to see Active Region 2781 !! This active region is an enormous sunspot island of activity. AR 2718 is making its way across the Earth-facing surface of the sun. The last few years have given us crumbs in sunspot regions. However, the suns new eleven-year solar cycle has begun. We can look forward to more action in the future. This active region is over 100,000 km long. I was pleased to be lucky enough to have the time and a sunshine morning to capture it. These are somewhat complex drawings to do. Sometimes my pastel blows off the page before I get to fix it. I also have to try to balance the focus and the bandwidth every few minutes to enable clarity. Or at least the best achievable clarity. That morning the seeing wasn’t the best. The edge of the solar disc was wobbling like the heat haze you sometimes see … Continue reading →

Drawing the Perseids

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Drawing a meteor shower On several occasions in the past, I have drawn the Perseid meteor shower. I am not sure if anyone else has done this ? I might be the only mad woman to have tried. The Perseids are fast and are therefore in my opinion the most fun meteor shower of the year. With luck the sky is clear and the air is warm. You can sit back and be enthralled by the action of ancient pieces of comet debris hitting our atmosphere at 37 miles a second. Video about the method Because it is an enjoyable excercise,  I decided to share how I go about recording the meteors in the video above. The pencil drawings are done on the night in real-time. I use a clip board and an A4 sheet of paper.  The colour version is usually produced the following day. It is difficult to see colour properly in the dark. It is, therefore, more … Continue reading →

Go Observe C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)

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Comets are the ultimate solar system travellers. I love finding them, to follow and also to draw. They are exciting because they move and morph. C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) is one such visitor. Seasonally we have the changing constellations. As predictable as a ticking clock. On view constantly  are circumpolar constellations. Planets take their turn in the sky to show themselves off.  Our moon is always gorgeous and as steady as a rock can be, one of our night sky beautys. However comets are so unpredictable, that is part of their allure. They may or may not make it round the sun. Perhaps they might crash into Jupiter. One  might even expand to be the largest object in the solar system. Or they might have internal gas explosions causing them to spin. Some have huge tails and some lose their tails. The very best kind reveal themselves to everyone on the planet by becoming visible to the unaided eye. C/2020 F3 … Continue reading →

Rainbow Challenge Drawings

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It gave me great pleasure to be part of Cruinniu na nOg for the third time. The unique circumstances of 2020 allowed me to produce a piece of work that exists online for all to use. My Rainbow Challenge video was intended to build on the abundance of rainbows drawn by children during the pandemic. The intention was to hopefully be sent rainbow challenge drawings that reflected learning. Making the video was a challenge in itself because I wanted it to engage people and be useful. Creating the content was not as easy as I thought it would be, However, I slowly got a little more familiar with the software and the problems it threw at me. It is taking time to get used to what the various tools do and even how to access them. It will take a good while yet for all of it to become easy. Issues like, do I record voice and draw at the … Continue reading →

Drawing Active Regions

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Active Region 2765 In very difficult windy conditions I finally managed to do a drawing of Active Region 2765. It was the first decent sunspot region on the sun for a long time. Drawing active regions is a challenging activity and a rewarding one in equal measures. Challenging because they are complex visually. Rewarding because every time you try you have to invent new ways of using materials to gain traction on accuracy. The previous day I had looked at AR 2765 and started a complex drawing using pastel particles. However, the wind made the telescope shake and the drawing became impossible. The shape of the active region was dramatic that day, with wonderful swirling shapes in the mottling around the penumbra. A long filament with clearly defined anchors added to the view. The drawing was abandoned in frustration over the wind and occasional showers of rain. Next day I tried again, this time there was less wind to bother … Continue reading →

Rainbow Challenge

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Normal Just a few weeks ago I was lamenting ( in this blog) the fact that I had nothing to offer an annual Irish creative festival. Cruinniu na nOg (The meeting of the Young). This is a free festival for children and young people all over Ireland. Last year I was in libraries in Castlebar Co Mayo with my workshops Lets Go to the Moon. The previous year I was in Birr Library Co Offaly with Stars Wonderful Stars. They were actual workshops with lots of children, pre COVID 19 when face to face was normal. New normal I decided almost as I was writing that blog to try to make a video which might be relevant. My idea was based on the fact that children have been drawing and painting rainbows as a response to the COVID 19 crisis. A lot of rainbow hugs for healthcare workers. So I figured maybe a little knowledge about how rainbows come about … Continue reading →

50th Anniversary Moon Landing

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  On July 19th it was my pleasure to run two Apollo 11drawing workshops for children in Co Sligo Ireland. This was the eve of the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo moon landing. Seeing the moon landing live on TV 50 years ago was a big deal to me. It influenced my life in many ways, it still does. Therefore being so close to July 20th, I included my workshops as part of the global celebration of Apollo 11 in the IAU ( International Astronomical Union) events list. You can see mine and  the events from all over the world here. Its interesting how the Apollo moon landing absolutly pulled the entire planet together as one back in 1969. A few hours of focused global awe for the achievements of three men on our behalf. We need more of that unity, we need it so much. Ocean FM based in Co Sligo interviewed me about the Apoll 11 moon landing … Continue reading →

Apollo Moon Masterpiece

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Way back in time when I was just 11 years old I bought myself a copy of National Geographic Magazine. The February 1969 issue came with a large comprehensive moon map. The map is jam-packed with moon information, including the proposed sites for the Apollo Missions. This Apollo Moon masterpiece shown above is a true thing of beauty. This treasure has been on my wall for decades, an inspiration every time I look at it. The original artwork for the near and far side of the moon was hand-painted by cartographic artist Tibor Toth.   There were no computers in graphic art at the time. The map was designed by Dave Cook who also did most of the writing for the gorgeous snippets of lunar information included in every nook and cranny. Others credited with the work on the map are  Richard Furno, Dave Moore, and Jay Igno. Back then copying and pasting was just exactly that, cutting out text … Continue reading →

Cruinniu na nOg 2019 – Apollo 11 Drawing Workshop

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I really enjoyed taking part in Cruinniu na nOg last year. The preparation, the fun, the smiles,and the work produced. This year because of COVID 19 the events are all online.  I have found myself unprepared for it and will miss out this time. However, I am working on some online ideas and hope that these efforts will be useful in the future.  Here is what happened in two venues in 2019. Cruinniu na nOg  means the meeting of the young in the Irish language. Creative activities are funded on that special day by the local authorities all over the country. The overarching body is  called Creative Ireland. Ireland as a country therefore  backs creativity nationwide for all her children. My drawing workshop Let’s Go To The Moon – Apollo 11 became part of this government initiative to stimulate creativity. Cruinniu na nOg is aimed to encourage children to get involved in new experiences while creating and also having fun. … Continue reading →