Project InSECT LLC

Sonoran Desert Sunsets-Pastel on Paper

2010-04-06T09:57:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of smaller soft pastel paintings I accomplished this past winter. I love the desert sunsets! The originals are so much brighter than the digital camera can capture. More to come.

Hummingbird 2-Pastel on Wallis Paper

2010-03-11T11:30:00.000-08:00

Artist: Jessa Huebing-Reitinger
11" x 14" Pastel on Wallis Paper 2009

Updating a pastel painting I completed for a series of hummingbird images. I had fun with this one as it is based on a particular species of hummer, but I couldn't help myself when it came to playing with the colors and design....so thus it ended up as an imaginary hummingbird. I have tons of new paintings to update to the blog....will post more as I can! Let me know what you think.....

NEW! Launch of Zazzle Store-Gurupainter!

2010-01-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

I've been busy working on a Zazzle store "Guru Painter" featuring some of my paintings on apparel, posters, cards, coffee mugs, and many other items. It's a lot of work, but fun at the same time. Check it out...I've got a long way to go but I've got a good start, primarily on the Hummingbird Collection. Enjoy!! More to come:)

Look for a personalized gift at Zazzle.

Hummingbird 1-Pastel Painting

2009-10-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

A new painting fresh off the easle. This is an 11" x 14" pastel painting titled Hummingbird 1. The first of a series planned for the winter of 2009-2010. I used creative liscence for the coloration, but it is roughly based on a broad-bill species. I used mostly Sennelier soft pastels on Wallis Museum pastel paper, which gave way to brilliant colors, and of course some alterations to the natural colors of the bird. Let me know your thoughts, I've got 9 more scheduled to come.......fun, fun, fun!

Leaf Footed Bug on Passion Flower-Pastel Painting

2009-10-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

Here is another Project InSECT flashback. Pictured above is a finished image of "Napoleon" the leaf footed bug on a passion flower 2006. This extravagant insect is found in Brazil and is so called "leaf footed" due to the "bell bottom" style back legs. The finished pastel painting is 16" x 20" on Wallis Museum Paper. (The best pastel paper in the world by the way:) I normally do not paint flowers and such in the backgrounds of the insects, but have from time to time taken on the challenge of leaves and flower petals.

Luna Moth Painting-A Pastel Study

2009-09-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

A flash back to spring 2008, I painted this 30" x 22" Luna Moth pastel study for a much larger oil portrait which measured 108" x 72" and completed in July 2008. I still don't have those pictures posted in the website (projectinsect.com) art gallery, but maybe one of these days it will happen:)

Above is the detail of the study painting, the light on this one was fun, and the polar bear like hair on his head and body make him so lovable and cute. It is the way the speciman looked under the microscope. I think fuzzy wuzzy was a moth!

Goin Dancin-Finished Pastel Portrait

2009-09-22T15:17:00.001-07:00

Here is the long awaited finished pastel portrait of Goin' Dancin, a racehorse owned by Lanham Racing. The portrait size is 24" x 36" and was very challenging once I got to the bottom portion with the horse and jockey crossing the finish line. My hubz made a funny comment as I finished up the piece, he said, "I think this is the first painting you have done where you actually got to paint a finish line at the finish line."

The full picture above was digitally photographed by Photographic Works here in Tucson today. They did a fantastic job. Below are 2 detail pics of the horse and jockey that I took with my little camera at the easle......enjoy!

Goin Dancin is pictured here winning a stakes race at Turf Paradise located in Phoenix, AZ. I was able to meet the horse in person and photograph him a few times on and off the track which really helped me capture his expression and personality.
The jockey and horses chest were very challenging as the detail was quite intense in these areas. The jockeys head is no bigger than a quarter to give you an idea of size.

Goin' Dancin-More Progress on Final Painting

2009-08-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

Another stage in the final painting, with more to come. The next phase is a kin to a Fred Stone (equine artist) style of image. Growing up some time as a kid in "horseland" Ocala, Florida, I would beg to sit in the galleries for hours, just to study the paintings of race horses he had done covering the gallery walls. He was one of my early artistic inspirations.

Goin' Dancin-Progress on Final Painting

2009-08-27T13:14:00.001-07:00

Above is the detail of the progress ongoing of "Goin' Dancin" pastel portrait sized at 24" x 36" on Wallis paper. The pic below shows the whole face and neck. However, not showing is a full body with jockey racing to the finish line below his muzzle yet to come in further progress reports.....check back soon!

Pastel Study-"Goin' Dancin"

2009-08-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

This a small 11 x 14 pastel study of "Goin' Dancin" done on Wallis Museum paper. Below are some detail pics for you to view. It has been about 10 years since I painted a horse...it's like riding a bike, you never forget once you've learned! It takes me right back to my childhood on the farm. I will be posting new pics of the final large portrait next. Stay tuned.

Prairie Buffalo Sunrise Pastel

2009-07-02T14:20:00.000-07:00

I do realize of course that I have been blogging everything but insect work lately, alas, I have been going through a lot of my archives and found many works that have never been publicized or shown to the general public. This is one of these works. A 16" x 20" soft pastel on Wallis paper, which was a study for a large oil painting commissioned for Farmers Insurance Midwest Regional Offices, Overland Park, Kansas in 2002. It was the last corporate commission completed prior to the birth of Project InSECT. So you see, the sunrise foreshadowed with buffalo in the foreground, had a much different meaning for what was to come in my life... huuuummmm:)

Capturing the Desert in Pastels

2009-06-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

The desert is a wonderful landscape to push a color pallet...especially when you are painting in the high noon sun. It seems to me to be easier in the late or early sun, as the colors tend to fall in the yellow-orange hue for early day, and magenta-violet in the late of the day. Mixing these colors with green may be difficult, even for veteran painters. The key is lightly applied layers upon layers with soft pastels.

The 3 paintings in this post were all painted as plein air paintings within 1 hour....which can be a challenge to those of us who don't practice this on a regular basis. But when the mood strikes, and the vision is there, it is time to paint! I often challenge myself with a close up of nature in plein air format instead of the overall landscape view.

The blooming cactus of the Sonoran desert in the spring have captured my attention and plein air inspiration. May it be told, I prefer to paint a plein air painting of something such as the cactus up close, especially on the wonderful, sunny, spring days here in my beloved desert.

Pastel Portrait of My Grandfather

2009-06-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

I painted this 8"x 10" pastel portrait of my grandfather over a year ago and finally digitized it yesterday. I used a photo taken in 1918 by my great-grandfather, Ed Huebing, whom was quite the hobby photographer creating many photo albums which included a slew of documented information about the town I was born in, family events, and community happenings. I have several sepia-tone photos of my grandfather as a child that I would love to paint....it is a real treat to go back in time and use my family history to create from nearly 100 years later. Although painting them in pastel at this small size it is bit challenging!

To the left is the actual sepia tone photograph I used. It captured me especially because the expression on my grandfathers childhood face is one that I would see from time to time when I was growing up. It is also an expression I wore on my face as a child, I call "frump mode". My grandfather, Merriwell Huebing Sr. passed in his sleep in April at the age of 95. His love of nature, hunting, fishing and his art making inspired and shaped me to become the artist that I am today. Thank you Grandpa.

New Pastel-Cactus Wren

2009-06-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

I just completed this little 8" x 10" pastel last evening! I shot photos of these loud cactus wrens in April and just loved the pics I got, thus I was inspired to paint the little stinkers. I mostly took this small piece on as a study for a larger full body pastel in the future sometime. Hope you like!

Sketches for Race Horse Commission

2009-06-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

Here are 2 sketches I just completed for a commission. I have not painted an equine portrait in years, but it was initially my beginning in art. My first national media attention, at the age of 16 came from pastel horse portraits, and growing up on a horse farm, inspiration came easily on a daily basis.

The portrait is of Goin' Dancin, a horse that belongs to dear friends and clients out of Lenexa, Kansas. I am fortunate to have spent live moments with this beautiful horse, as he currently trains and races at Turf Paradise, Phoenix, AZ, only 2 hours from home! I would love to hear your feedback, as to which layout you artists out there favor...or other comments as well. Looking forward to painting this beauty at 24" x 34" soft pastel on Wallis paper, and revisiting my love of youth.

My Tucson Desert

2009-06-14T22:18:00.000-07:00

I got a new Canon digital Rebel XSi this past fall, and have only found the time to experiment with it this past spring. I captured some incredible images as seen above a horny toad that sat on the edge of a large black ant colony. He blends in so well with the surroundings, in fact, James is such an ant lover, he walked over and surprisingly discovered him. I made the run all the way home to get the camera and when I got back, the little stinker (3" long) stayed still long enough to get some great shots. However, capturing him snarfing down the ants that came his way is another story. I got the timing right, but had the wrong aperture setting....blurrrryy pics!

This past spring has been the first real desert bloom we have witnessed. Above is an Ocatillo bloom, which can be incredible against the blue sky back drop. Most of the Ocatillo's in our back yard desert reach 12 to 20 feet in height, so this pic was taken from afar...The only insect I have witnessed on this cactus plant is a robber fly, which sit and wait for their prey to fly by so they can catch it in mid air, similar to catching a football if you were thrown a pass. I have thousands of these pics...just wish I had the time to blog them all...that is all for now, I will be blogging some new artworks this week...I'm excited!! Been too long.

Courtnie the Honey Bee Revisited

2009-06-11T23:08:00.001-07:00

Thought I would get back to blogging, as it is something I've wanted to do for over 6 months. I just had a birthday edging me ever closer to 40, and feel that my diary has been neglected...so here are some pics of a painting I performed at the Johnson County Central Resource Library, Overland Park, Kansas in 2005. You can see how my canvas begins pictured below...much like a kindergarteners"mess" with lines drawn all over the place. I love paint for this reason...I can re-draw and paint-over as many times as I need to until she gets there.

She is a 48" x 60" oil on canvas and fuzzy as a bear! She took 5 weeks to complete and will be the supporting role to Mildred the mantis for the 3rd book in our Children's book series. The librarians all said they wanted to hug her as I finished the final golden hairs......Imagine, huggin a honey bee....I find it odd to say, but I can:)

I must give a shout out to Suzanne Berry, a bug painter that has not only inspired me to blog again, but has rejuvinated my adoration and love of insects. Keep painting those incredible bugs Suz! Can't wait to see your next! More blogin to come....I mean it this time!

"How Mildred Became Famous" Our First Children's Book

2008-12-28T11:53:00.000-08:00

Here, we finally are, in the printing phase of our highly anticipated first children's book, "How Mildred Became Famous". The pastel illustrations exceeded our expectations. As with most things at first attempt, the learning curve can reach heights of a Mount Everest.... and we finally made it to the top with a lot of hard work and multiple delays along the way, but we finally made it. Please enjoy several images of some of the illustrations below. We'd love to hear what you think. Let us know.

Illustration for pages 12-13

Illustration for pages 14-15

Illustration for pages 20-21

Illustration for pages 30-31

Take a look at some of the illustrations closeup.............
A closeup of an ant crawling on a raspberry.

A closeup of a buzzing honey bee.

A closeup of Mildred after molting with her beautiful new wings.

A close up of a fat hairy fly on a flower.

We can't wait to see it all in print. The next book begins with layouts in March where Mildred meets Terie the Salt Creek tiger Beetle and learns all about this endangered tiny beetle and her habitat. Hopefully, I will have time to blog the progress of the next book on a weekly basis since we have cleared our schedule for 2009 just for the production of book II. Happy New Year. Until next time......

Bug Hunters Ananymous!

2008-07-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

Hi all! Finally back online. Thought in some spare time of the midnight hours I would blog again...as that is what my world has come too these days. I chose to blog about some of the awesome insects we caught and photographed while we performed in Muscatine, Iowa during the crazy floods and heat of the summer months of 2008.

(Pictured Below) I captured this Katydid nymph on the little bush right outside our front door on my way to the Art Center in early June. I couldn't believe his color, nor his coloring for such a little stinker. No bigger than a quarter of a penny, he sure posed for the camera with plenty of Napoleon attitude.
(Pictured below) I finally have captured the notorious eluding "scorpion fly" on camera. Believe me, I've been trying a long time, and not only that during the capture of this one, I managed to stay out of the poison ivy to get the shot...that in and of itself is a miracle! Isn't she an awesome insect?

(Pictured Below) This curious creature below was one that James and I had never encountered before in all of our travels. One Monday morning, we set out to go bug hunting at the Muscatine Nature Center and stumbled upon this awesome fly. He glistened gold and had the strangest posture holding his abdomen in a crescent moon shape the entire time I photographed him. We did indeed collect the specimen and he may be a painting in the near future.

The first Mayfly of the season.....did infact show up on time despite the flooding on the Mississippi river just 7 blocks away from our apartment. Photographed on the Lilac bush outside our humble labode....I thought he appeared quite regal, angelic and beautiful for a 24 hour lifespan.

Wilbur the Luna Moth Pastel Study

2008-04-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! We arrived in Muscatine Iowa about 3 weeks ago and have been busy ever since. In fact busy isn't even the word! This town is great! Right on the Misssissippi River, and full of great people and places to go. James is performing over 100 programs in this area of Iowa over the next few months as I paint a 108" x 72" Luna moth named "Wilbur" (as pictured the pastel study to give you an idea). Tonight was our opening reception, and it was fantastic! Thanks to all of you who helped and gave efforts to help us install, and plan. We give you our deepest gratitude. I begin tommorrow morning on the giant canvas, and have a group of 3rd graders visiting the Art Center after lunch to take in the presentation and performance of Wilbur coming to life on canvas. Our schedule is so full, for the summer, but I will do my best at blogging when I can.

Ward Parkway Art Fair 2008

2008-03-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post some pics of James and I performing and exhibiting as Featured Artist at the 45th Annual Ward Parkway Art Fair in Kansas City last month. It sure was a cold couple of weeks up there, but it was great! Thanks to all of you that came out to see us, many of which I haven't seen in years. We also would like to thank our huge supporters in donation of their time and efforts helping us install, man the gift shop, and help pack up at the end. And the huge applause goes too: Dave, Junior, Nic , Ryan, Robert and Teri for the awesome photos! We love you guys! And last but not least, Thanks to Jamie for getting us up there for this event. We know how hard you worked for it:o) See you all in August.

It has been almost a year!

2008-03-21T16:04:00.000-07:00

Wow has it been a long time. I'm not sure I even remember how to do this bloggin thing! So we will give it a whirl. To catch up on some news, James has been painting in pastels and creating some awesome works. I too have been painting but mostly getting ready for our exhibit coming to Muscatine Iowa and Powell Gardens happening this spring and summer 2008. Below are some of what we've created, starting with the grasshopper pastel that James finished last month (only his 5th painting).
Below is a finished pastel that James did....isn't it awesome! His very first one to boot. It is a Polythemis moth some of which we hatched and reared back in 2005. They are huge moths found in the Midwest US.

This pastel was quick-1 hour and came out great! I caught the cactus in bloom right outside our RV before we left for Denver in spring 2007

And finally, below is the finished pastel of the prior blog from 1 year ago. I actually did finish it! Unfortunately haven't had any time to take that easle out into the desert this past winter or spring. Maybe next winter:o) Until Next time!

A Big Change of Pace

2007-04-20T14:31:00.000-07:00

To start...all I gotta say is "this bloggin is nuts!" the pictures somehow never seem to end up in the spot I intended with the dialogue to go under it. Any how, this pic above belongs down below under where I am pictured painting. This is a close up of the plein air I was working on at Gates Pass, sorry for any confusion:o)

With the Sonoran Desert Cactus in bloom (one pictured above), I decided it was high time I get myself a French easle so I could do some plein air paintings outside. I've only wanted one for the passed 25 years, and finally here it is. James and I took off for the hills and I began my first paintings out in the open air since the early 1990's.

The day was beautiful! We went up to Gates Pass and you can see the rock formations in the background that I'm looking at for the painting. (Above picture is what I talk about here....)Below is a close up of the pastel in progress, about 20 minutes in. The lighting changes so quick, so all the plein air pieces I started this day will be done in 2 parts. Need a day with little wind, so I can have my umbrella up to protect me from the beating down sun.

Below is James standing in front of a towering saguro cactus right near camp. Look how tiny James is next to this collassal cactus! They are beginning to bloom now which is early for them, and some like this one, don't even have any buds.

A look at my references for the Tarantula Painting

2007-02-27T00:39:00.000-08:00

I have entered the third week and third coat of oil paint on this massive painting, and it continues to evolve.

This is a detail shot of the Tarantula hawk wasp (pepsis wasp) sitting on the "pearl" found in the Saguaro cactus arm skeleton that I found. I thought it would be perfect for the background of her while she is stalking the tarantula as a predator.

Above is a close up pic of the rare "pearl" we found in this saguaro cactus arm skeleton I am using for the painting. It appears that a healthy live saguaro will develop a scar tissue to any intruders or foreign matter and this particular pearl is believed to be the left behind evidence of an insect that burrowed into the cactus us when it was alive and well. Being very rare as an occurrence, we stumbled upon something that fit right in with what it is we do with an insect focus.

I must admit, this to be the perfect piece of saguaro cactus that I imagined for this painting. James and I searched acres of the Sonaran Desert, and as the hours passed, it became apparent to me that we were literally looking for a needle in a hay stack! What a great and exciting find we made for this painting.

Painting Progress

2007-02-20T11:52:00.000-08:00

Nine days in on the painting at the Desert Museum. The visitors have been awesome, and the interaction while painting has been so exciting. I finished the second coat of paint on Sunday and begin the third coat on Wednesday when I perform again. I will take a pic of the saguaro arm skeleton reference I am using for the background habitat and post with next blog, so that all of you can see how intense and twisted it really is. Thanks for tuning in!

New Painting at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

2007-02-09T21:24:00.000-08:00

Pictured above is day 4 working on this massive new painting at the Desert Museum. I am painting a female Tarantula hawk wasp in her hunt for an Arizona blond tarantula male as he crosses the desert in search for a female. You can see my specimens at the lower left next to my paint palette and did I mention this painting is 60" x 120"! I have until April 22 to get this one done....and I'm excited about this one.

I've had great crowds and visitors peering in on my creative process and demonstrations. Folks from all over the world, and the response has been awesome! The paintings look great in the gallery space and I'm getting a ton of ooowws and aaahhs...that's what makes me tick, just what the doctor ordered. It feels good to put the show on again after our 3 month vacation.

Above a quick pic of the progress, just 4 days into it, she is coming along nicely. If your wondering about the background, James and I went out into the natural desert here and searched for a saguaro cactus arm skeleton, and to my delight after searching all day, we found the perfect specimen for the painting. I will take a pic of it and blog in a future post. The piece we found also has a something very special about it as I have been informed by the botanists at the Desert Museum. Stay tuned.

"Achilles and Hector" is finally finished!

2007-02-06T13:15:00.000-08:00

Above is the finished pic of Achilles and Hector. Hector is the mantis nypmh you can barely see in his beak and was the last of details added to the painting. I finished him on January 28, 2007 and had a huge turn out with about 100 people for the varnishing and signing on January 30.
Above is a detail of Achilles head and added feathers under the eye from previous progress photos.
This pic shows the details of the belly, back, and tail feather ....these feathers were extreme to paint but the colors were so fun and challenging!
Pictured above are my Aunt and Uncle that live here in Tucson and they joined us for the varnishing and signing party. This was the first large painting of the exhibit that they had seen in person and they just loved him! I think he turned out great! And I have already started a new painting at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum this past Saturday on a large canvas...pics posting soon.

Webcam Launched!

2007-02-05T20:22:00.000-08:00

Hey Project InSECT Fans! This is Project InSECT friend and web designer Lacey Lewis reporting in for Jessa and James.

Achilles was in fact finished by Jessa's goal date, and images of the completed painting will be on the way soon. She and James are now busy performing at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, thus updates have been slightly delayed.

Can't get enough of the awesome bug art? Check out the webcams! Watch live to see Jessa perform live 10:00 - 18:00 MTZ Wednesdays through Sundays, or check out the webcam archives while they are not performing.

A few more days to go

2007-01-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

I am getting so close to wrap up, I can taste it! Above is near completion of the breast feathers. Below is finish of the belly feathers and meeting of the tail feathers. You can also see where I filled in the inside of the fore wing. Today I am going to finish up the long awaited tail feathers and hope to plug the baby mantis in his beak by the end of the weekend! Wheeewww!

Getting Closer!!

2007-01-17T22:12:00.000-08:00

The breast feathers have finally begun to take shape and will upload more pics tomorrow. These were taken two days ago..and I've put in 20 hours since then. You can see how rediculous these tiny bird feathers are and to give you an idea, the white and grey feather area measures about 8" x 12" on my canvas and took 2 solid 12 hour days to paint.
Here is a pic taken further back and you can see where I have blacked in the feather shapes on the underside of the wing and the rest of the breast feathers are to come!

From Dizzy to Cross-Eyed

2007-01-13T14:41:00.000-08:00

The back feathers have begun and boy is he popping bright now. The way these iridescent back feathers overlap is real crazy to sort out which is what and what is where. I got all of them laid in yesterday with only shadows and highlights left on each one, I would guess there are near 200 feathers tips on his backside. Above is a detail of the way they look so far, with the base carve out of feathers I left in the bottom right corner. I love the color palette on this particular part of the bird, very fun to mix and paint.

Getting Dizzy

2007-01-11T01:32:00.000-08:00

Hi all, I just put in a 14 hour day on the painting and I got most of the iridescent throat feathers done along with a patch between the shoulder blades on the move. I had to take a photo of him from a right angle as I do have bad glare due to the lights I am working under on this big painting, so he does seem a bit ascue. I do have to say, standing in front of the painting, is a bit crazy because the colors are so intense it messes with your vision, and the iridescent throat feathers make me go hummm??!! WOW
I thought I would throw in a close up of the throat feathers, although it is no where's near the same in person...They really do look iridescent with regular ol' oil paint..and made my eyes go nuts while painting...quite dizzy in fact, and don't know how much of this maddness I can handle again in the future. But I am quite pleased with the outcome. 1 more week to go and counting....Stay tuned for updates!

More Throat Feathers

2007-01-07T19:52:00.000-08:00

These feathers are taking forever...I finished the top and back of the head except a few minor spots of toning and highlighting. The throat is half done from top portion. I was delayed today in getting any painting done, in which I had hoped to put in a long day and get the rest of the ruby throat finished, but unfortunately, James has been sick with a cold and this morning I woke up with the nasty myself. I have a one week deadline on this painting now, and with seven days left and many more feathers to go, I see that cold or not, I will be painting around the clock to make it happen. I feel like I'm running in the Tour De France with this one.

Bring on the Color

2007-01-04T15:34:00.000-08:00

I've finally gotten started with the irridescent colored feathers as you can see on the top of his head...It is taking hours to get an area no bigger than 3" x 3" done in one painting session. The colors and complications of feather design is crazy, but this is what I call the fun stuff...and for those watching me it's like watching moss grow on a rock (as an artist friend of mine put it)
The results are coming along nicely though....and I will update with somemore pics over the weekend, check in again!

Achilles with background

2006-12-27T21:54:00.000-08:00

Here is a more final pic of the background...his beating wings give an impression of the sheer force of a helicopter taking off. This was pointed out to me by various on lookers as I sat on the concrete floor to paint it...at the time, I felt I was fighting with it to make it look a certain way, and out comes this movement of wind that everyone else saw. I guess, I had something different in mind, but am very pleased with it now that I've lived with it for a while.

Coming soon-My blog about an unbelievable and unpredictable internet journey, that will change the course of my family history as I know it and they once knew it. I can't wait for this one!!!!

Our first National Advertisment

2006-12-23T08:18:00.000-08:00

This is the photo that will appear in our first full page national advertivertisment in the January/February issue of Wildlife Art Magazine. I painted Hope the butterfly in the spring of 2004 and is my biggest, most detailed insect portrait to date. I like to point out the tiger face design in her wings, as most people miss this about her. To see more about her, visit www.projectinsect.com/gallery/hope.htm

We are drawing closer to the exhibit and performace at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum beginning February 3. The newest addition to our exhibit will be live webcams....we can't wait to implement this feature and look forward to ongoing webcams in the future.

Our Surroundings

2006-12-16T09:09:00.000-08:00

Above is a pic I took off the desert trails that James and I walk on frequently right next to the campground. A prickly pear cactus in front and a towering Cholla cactus behind that. The most dangerous thing you will find here in the desert at this time of year are the cactus if you don't watch where you are going. All the scorpions, tarantulas, and snakes have pretty much gone into the winter mode as is does get very cold here at night. Although James and I wouldn't mind coming across a few scorpions and tarantulas anytime.
This roadrunner was a hoot......he came right up to our campsite and stole an entire hotdog from our hotdog pack and ran away with legs moving as fast as the roadrunner in the Bugs Bunny Show. We couldn't get over it, laughing ourselves silly. He was a real pretty bird, and we haven't seen him since the incedent.

Romancing the Past

2006-12-14T09:14:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share with you some pictures from my Nanna's old picture books. Above is my grandfather as a kid (on the right) doing some yard work with a friend. Can you believe that is a lawnmower? Boy things sure have changed. The photo to the right is my Nanna with her fishing pole and catch for the day. I would guess these pics were taken sometime in the 1930's.
To the left is my grandfather with his catch of the day, and man did he love fishing...and hunting...and the outdoors. I remember spending much of my time as a youngster fishing with him and watching him tie flies in his workshop for hours and hours. My Nanna was a school teacher and would read stories to my sister and I, collected boxes of trinkets for us to look at and play with and would occasionally break out the toy china for us to have a tea party together. These pictures take me back to my childhood, even though they were taken long before I was born. I will post more olden goldie photos from time to time and share with you some of the history I have become so fond of.

Recent Pics of Achilles

2006-12-13T10:02:00.000-08:00

Above is the final carve out of the throat feathers....without microscopic details and highlights. They are soon to come, and I need smaller brushes, so I am on my way to the art store sometime this week to seek out tiny watercolor brushes that will work for the detail on this oil painting.
I finished the texture and lighting on the bottom of the background...it looks quite fuzzy in texture, very soft, and scribbly. It is a bit different then what I originally set out to do, but it grew on me and think I'll keep it this way. What do you think?

Painting fun at the Tucson Botanical Gardens

2006-12-12T08:45:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, James spent the afternoons painting his famous tattoos at the Tucson Botanical Gardens. As you can see, he had a line as usual, and was cracking his jokes creating a lot of laughs for the crowd. The girl in front is inspecting her fresh new tattoo, as all the kids do until it is eventually lost to the circumstances of having to take a bath. James prides himself on water conservation, as he alone is probably responsible for saving millions of gallons of water over the years, getting kids out of baths in order to save the art painted on their arms.
This is a close up of what James has become famous for...his arm tattoos! Kids and adults are goo-gaa over them and has he ever come a long way with his painting since we started in Kansas City 4 years ago.
A pic of a butterfly sunning himself in the Butterfly house, where you can also find 100% humidity in the desert.
I thought these orchids were incredible...also photographed these in the butterfly house at the gardens.

You never know who's watching

2006-12-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

James and I have been in the company of 2 big owls living right above our RV in tall palm trees. Yes, there are several palm trees here in the desert. During the day they sit up there snoozing and occasionally open their eyes and give a look to see what's going on. They blend in so well, it is hard to see them most of the time, and most often, I forget that they are even sitting up there. In the evening, right after sunset, they begin to hoot, and then disappear into the night on their hunting adventure.

Painting the throat feathers

2006-12-08T11:09:00.000-08:00

Above is a close up of the final changes in progress for the red throat feathers, you can see the new black outlines on the right side of the neck. James took a picture of me working on the painting last night. I also reshaped the eye yesterday and gave him his eyelids with different highlight reflections .

A close up veiw of the ruby feathers after partial carve out....I'm gearing up the courage to begin the very complicated left hand side of the throat today and hope it won't be as difficult as what my mind is telling me it will be.

What Achilles looks like after the new work over the past couple of weeks. The lighting is really beginning to pop him and I plan to paint the final coat on the background this weekend.....more to come later.

Teaching Older Kids in the Desert

2006-12-06T14:51:00.000-08:00

Last evening I had nearly 30 Desert Trails residence participate in a drawing class. It was fabulous. With signs of talent and promise, these older kids from around the country drew their hearts out, and not only amazed me, but amazed themselves as well.

Magnified Hummingbird Feathers

2006-12-03T10:45:00.000-08:00

Here are 2 examples of highly magnified hummingbird feathers taken from my specimen by Stephen Buckman here in Tucson. The red feathers are from his throat, and the green ones are from his back. I wish I could make these pictures bigger, so you could really see the intensity of the details.

A photo for our #1 fan

2006-12-01T19:11:00.000-08:00

I thought I would honor our #1 fan, aka, graffiti mantis with a macro photo I took here in the Sonora Desert upon our arrival a couple of months ago. We love you and miss you back there in KC, and most of all love your creative imagination. You are the best and you know who you are! Thanks for everything!!

Carving out the feathers

2006-12-01T10:36:00.000-08:00

Here are 2 new detail pics of Achilles the hummingbird painting. I have begun to carve out the feathers on the tail and back. I still have a long way to go with detail and color, but it is exciting to see how he is shaping up with just the simple definitions coming into play. Will post more photos soon.

Getting the detail started

2006-11-25T20:22:00.000-08:00

This first pic is of the hummingbird tail, blocked in with a few coats of oil and nothing more.
I decided to start carving out the tail feathers with the specimen under the microscope and the black line drawing overtop of the block in began to take shape. Little shifts and adjustments in form is a very interesting way to develope your painting and take it to the next level.
This is the final pic of shift and base color correction, before I proceed with the microscopic details as I see through the microscope. I find this part to be the most fun, but the most challenging is still to come. Look at the difference between the first tail pic and the last...quite a difference!

Progress of current painting

2006-11-21T08:35:00.000-08:00

I have just finished the second coat on the painting and have one more to go before I start the layers of microscopic detail. He appears very dark at this stage because the undercoats need to be this way in order to pull off the iridescent qualities in the layers to come. I am not used to painting this way, and I'm finding it to be quite a challenge to this point. The lighting and shadow are also difficult as I am making it up as I go along based on the vision I see in my mind. This is typical of all the insect paintings I have done, and takes several layers and tweaking to get it right, which I don't mind, I just end up using more paint and it takes a bit longer.

Progress of the hummingbird painting

2006-11-17T21:39:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post a progress pic of Achilles, the 6' x 6' ruby-throated hummingbird oil painting that I'm currently working on here in Tucson at the Desert Trails RV Park. James and I are currently staying here before our next exhibit at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum . The people here in the park are wonderful and love stopping by to watch me paint and take pictures of the painting in progress. Most of my visitors are retired grandparents and travel to this particular RV park every winter with their motorhome and love to laugh and have good eats. They are our kind of people! This is my first large painting of a vertebrate since Project InSECT started nearly 4 years ago. Although I will still paint the hummingbird just as I do the insects, with a microscope, the 2 different subjects have a lot in common to me through the eyes of an artist and scientist combined....as you will see as the painting evolves. My challenge on this painting is the iredesent hair like feathers which I look forward too in the coming weeks.

Crazy Signs in the Desert

2006-11-13T22:04:00.000-08:00

I had to shoot this photo of James peering under this crazy sign as we are in the insect business. What's funny is they say poisonous insects inhabit the area (here in the desert) and show a picture of a scorpion for an insect. We've been told over and over again, that scorpions and spiders are in fact arachnids, not insects, from our public fans and visitors. So I find it peculiar that when everyone is so up in arms to be politically correct about everything, the State authorities who made this sign didn't get it right either.....all we can do is the best we can to teach people what we know and be politically incorrect from time to time...especially when dislexia hits. That's all I have to say about that! So over and out until next time.

Creation of a hummingbird painting

2006-11-13T21:33:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share with you the pastel layout of the very large hummingbird painting I have started here in Tucson. I have named him "Achilles" and chose to paint a hummingbird on my few months off for a few reasons. First, because I was given a dead specimen of a Ruby throated a few years back and am able to view it under the microscope just as I do the insects I paint, second, because of the irredescence challenge as I face with many of the insect subjects, and third because a large part of a hummingbird's diet is insects. Most people, unless they are ornathologists or birders don't know this about hummingbirds. I have had the opportunity to watch many species in the wild over the past year in my travels, have photographed them and also been able to obtain information from the specialists. So this fall, I am painting "Achilles", the name does have special meaning, as I will reveal over the next months of progress the story of "Achilles and Hector", as the image completes itself....stay tuned.

Landing in Tucson Arizona

2006-11-10T22:54:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,
James and I have made it to Tucson, Arizona...where the cacti and sunshine are plentiful. We have been here for a month and love it. Getting ready for our gig at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and learning a lot about the Sonoran Desert in the process. The sunsets are beautiful here and the wildlife is amazing. We have several great horned owls that take up residence right out side our RV in the trees and howl right at sundown. As for current paintings between now and February, I am painting a 72" x 72" Ruby-throated hummingbird with all of the microscopic details and plan to enter it into an international competition in 2007. Our campground here is awesome... and the people are great.....with great stories to boot. Mostly all retired, they are all like our grandparents and excited about our project.
As for the bugs, I have captured many great insects on the camera some of which I am to include in this blog. I have spent hours since arriving here getting my photo files in order, as I must confess, they were as disorganized as a marching band out of tune and rythm. So with that said it is time to post some new photos....and photos of my new painting (the hummingbird named Achilles) coming soon. The picture above is a skipper butterfly I caught landing on a flower and the one below is a damselfly I caught sunning himself on the grounds of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and boy did I have fun taking pictures on this day. Bugs where everywhere! I captured 433 pictures of the desert invertabretes in just 2 hours! Watch for more to come! And painting live on webcam as that is beginning Feb 3, 2007. Until next time....

Tiny Spider

2006-09-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

It is coming up on the end of warm temperatures here in Denver, Colorado and this means I will have fewer insects and arachnids to photograph for the next couple of weeks. I found this tiny spider amidst this beautiful violet flowering bush and thought the image has great color and light. I am considering it for my next pastel, although the decision is difficult among the thousands of pics I've taken in the past 2 years.
Next stop is Tucson, Arizona where the daytime temps should be high and I can begin another round of macro photos in the desert. Very exciting!

Busy as a bee

2006-09-09T09:43:00.000-07:00

James and I are rounding out our summer here in Denver. The Butterfly Pavilion has extended our exhibit and performance through October 1, 2006. Our summer has been packed with all sorts of great people and good fun. We have visited some beautiful places here, such as Garden of the Gods and Estes Park and have taken some real great photos of our beloved invertabrates.

Our second documentary is in the works and hope to have it release later this fall. Our first documentary was screened at 4 different film festival nationwide this year, so we are looking forward to the new release of Project InSECT-Denver. We have also added T-Shirts to our product line, which is something I know a lot of you have been asking for over the past few years.

Our next stop is Tucson, Arizona where James and I will be performing and showing at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.....we can't wait.

New Macro Photos

2006-05-15T14:40:00.000-07:00

Pictures hot off the press! To the right is a small nymph katydid waiting for prey a top a beautiful violet flower bud. Below is a wandering lonely ant I was fortunate to just catch a glimpse of as he checked out my camera lens. Both of these insects are about the same in size at a couple of millimeters!
These were just a couple of favorites of the many I have shot in the past few weeks of spring.
Look for more postings coming soon along with the current paintings in progress......Phyllis the Golden tortoise beetle and Vincent the question mark butterfly.

All Photos posted on the Project InSECT Blog are copyrighted images of Jessa Huebing-Reitinger 2006

Camera Time and Bug Stories

2006-05-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share with you a few new pictures I shot with the camera over the past few weeks. Of course, they are mostly flowers and insects, and should be posting some video footage of the bugs in action to our website (education page) soon.

Stay tuned for more pictures! I have literally shot thousands of them over the past three years.

If you have any cool insect stories, please let us know ! Everybody has some kind of bug story, unless you've been living under a rock.

Our Latest Trip

2006-05-09T17:41:00.000-07:00

James and I spent the past week in Denver. We visited The Butterfly Pavilion and The Wildlife Experience in preperation for our fun packed summer at both venues. The buzz has already begun.

We also spent some time relaxing and eating great food with a couple of old friends that I haven't seen for several years. Being in Denver in May, we expected it to be somewhat warmer, however, it was rainy and cold all 5 days until the morning we left. On Friday, we broadcast our 4th Opal Program in conjunction with the Johnson County Library, which is archived and posted on the Opal Program section of our website.

My First Thoughts

2006-04-28T12:45:00.000-07:00

This all feels very strange to me....blogging....but I think I will get the hang of it fairly quickly. I am primarily interested in using this blog to bring up important questions and concerns of all topics, but also discuss ups and downs of the exciting day to day lives that my husband and I lead with this traveling exhibit called Project InSECT. Can you believe that we spend pretty much 24 hours a day, 7 days a week together....can you imagine spending that much time with anyone? The miraculous part is, neither one of us ever complains about it, infact, we are overjoyed because of it.

I am pleased to announce that we are now live with our brand new site!! Thanks to our new awesome web designer. We welcome your comments.

First Post

2006-04-20T12:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Project InSECT Blog! We are a traveling art and insect exhibit. Find out more about us at ProjectInSECT.com