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heatherfranzen.bsky.social
Heather 🌻
@heatherfranzen.bsky.social
270 followers 140 following 530 posts
🇺🇸🇵🇭
I draw and paint critters.
Use #art to see my art only (tap and hold on mobile).

Interests: Animals, books, nintendo, anime, zines, tea, nail polish, fountain pens, personal websites

Website: heatherfranzen.com
Funsite: yogomagpie.neocities.org
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Heather 🌻
paintingsoprano.bsky.social
We end #BirdArtWeek2026 with #CharismaticEndemics. The Resplendent Quetzal can be found only in Southern Mexico and
Central America. It's also one of my favorite species and is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful. 😍

#birds #sciart #art #artist #ink #coloredpencils #fabercastell
A shining green bird with a bright red chest and long trailing tail feathers sits proudly on the end of a broken branch.
January 24, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Reposted by Heather 🌻
raptorqueen.bsky.social
It's the last day of #BirdArtWeek2026! Today is #CharismaticEndemics. The Ipswich Sparrow has a fairly broad range, so it isn't technically endemic to one spot, but it breeds ONLY on tiny, beautiful Sable Island, Nova Scotia (better known for its sand dunes and feral horses!).

#art #SableIsland
A small rectangle of brown paper with an oil pastel drawing is held up near a vining plant. It depicts a fluffy brown and white sparrow with yellow around its eye, surrounded by reddish grass with sand dunes in the background.
January 24, 2026 at 11:51 PM
Reposted by Heather 🌻
rosalarian.bsky.social
People get their news via social media these days. Newspapers always have a comics section, because if there's not something good to look forward to, people stop showing up to learn about the bad. So post your art &don't feel bad about it. We're the cheese wrapped around these hard to swallow pills.
January 24, 2026 at 8:07 PM
heatherfranzen.bsky.social
The final bird for #BirdArtWeek2026! For #CharismaticEndemics, I chose the lesser prairie chicken, a grouse found only in the Southern High Plains of the United States. It is unfortunately a vulnerable species due to habitat loss.

Holbein acryla gouche on a wood coaster, 4x4"

#art #sciart 🪶
January 24, 2026 at 8:12 PM
Reposted by Heather 🌻
drandrewthaler.bsky.social
Settings > Content and Media > Autoplay Video and GIFs

Turn it off, now.
January 24, 2026 at 3:46 PM
heatherfranzen.bsky.social
#BirdArtWeek2026 - #PhotoNotAvailable
St. Kitts Bullfinch, possibly extinct. There are some possible sightings, but nobody has ever been able to take a proper photo of it.

More info about this bird and my painting process on my blog!

Holbein acryla gouache on a 4x4" wood coaster
#art 🐡 🪶
Painting of a black and red bullfinch perched on a twig.
January 24, 2026 at 2:20 AM
heatherfranzen.bsky.social
Coding an entire website from scratch is daunting but getting started is SO easy. All you need is a neocities or nekoweb account and this beginner’s guide. It was written for the author’s 12-year old child.

make.yourownwebsite.org
Make Your Own Website
This guide helps beginners get started making their first website with HTML/CSS. I originally wrote this for my daughter, then 12 years old, so she could make a website for a school project.
make.yourownwebsite.org
January 23, 2026 at 6:06 PM
heatherfranzen.bsky.social
Social Media is a hellscape so I am again reminding everyone that personal websites are still out there, and RSS still exists!!

There is a brand new neocities directory of RSS feeds (rss-list.neocities.org) to make finding RSS feeds easier.

You can use RSS to follow sites, blogs, and newsletters!
The BIG List of Neocities RSS Feeds
rss-list.neocities.org
January 23, 2026 at 5:51 PM
heatherfranzen.bsky.social
For #BirdArtWeek2026 - #RuleBreakers I chose the bearded vulture because it eats bones. Other animals eat bones, like hyenas, but the bearded vulture lives almost exclusively on bones...like 90% of their diet is just bones!!...and that feels illegal.

#art #acrylicgouache #acrylagouache #sciart 🪶
A vulture hunches over a pile of bones. A long, thin bone, perhaps a femur, dangles out of the vulture's mouth. Everything looks dark except for the vulture's striking eye, which stares directly at us.
January 23, 2026 at 12:58 AM
Reposted by Heather 🌻
neogonzo.bsky.social
I’ve been wanting to get back into illustration lately and @cornellbirds.bsky.social #BirdArtWeek2026 is a great motivation to jump back in. For yesterday's theme of #HiddenBirds : an adult Cooper’s Hawk using whatever cover is available to ambush potential prey. 😎✌️🦅🪶 #coopershawk #birding
A stylized illustration of an adult Cooper's Hawk hiding on a perch just behind a tree full of colorful autumn leaves.
January 20, 2026 at 6:07 PM
heatherfranzen.bsky.social
Over halfway through #BirdArtWeek2026! For #SpectacularSeabirds I chose the American White Pelican. I am awed by how graceful they are in the air despite their bulk.

A bit more about my thoughts and color choices on my blog.

Holbein acrylic gouache on a 4x4 wood coaster.

#art #sciart 🪶
Painting of a pelican soaring, wings extended forward.
January 22, 2026 at 1:36 AM
Reposted by Heather 🌻
sophmobile.bsky.social
apparently it is #penguinawarenessday!!! I thought I'd join with this piece from last year's #birbfest. It's a magellanic penguin enjoying the sunset 🌞🐧✨ #sciart #birdart #animalart
digital painting of a magellanic penguin
January 20, 2026 at 10:41 PM
Reposted by Heather 🌻
raptorqueen.bsky.social
Day 3 of #BirdArtWeek2026, #BirdSuccess -- until recently, Peregrine Falcons were endangered. They successfully came back from the brink due to conservation efforts and the banning of DDT. And they're such incredible hunters and dutiful parents!!

Markers on black paper*

#Art #BirdArt #SciArt
Painterly marker art on black paper: a Peregrine Falcon sitting over red eggs with two fluffy white babies.
January 20, 2026 at 11:28 PM
Reposted by Heather 🌻
catiecreating.bsky.social
Day 1 of @cornellbirds.bsky.social #BirdArtWeek2026 with the prompt #BirdsWithWhimsy: the Black-Billed Magpie.
#birdart #magpieart #birddrawing #magpies #ballpointpen
A flying black-billed magpie is drawn with ballpoint pen and charcoal on grey-tones paper.
January 19, 2026 at 4:12 AM
heatherfranzen.bsky.social
For today’s #BirdArtWeek2026 theme, #BirdSuccess, I painted a couple of sandhill cranes. In the 1930s, they were pretty much wiped out in the Eastern US, but have since recovered.

Holbein acryla gouache, 4x4" wood panel

#art #sciart 🪶
Acrylic gouache painting of two sandhill cranes standing together in the tall grass during golden hour.
January 21, 2026 at 4:03 AM
Reposted by Heather 🌻
conservnamibia.bsky.social
Are you aware of the plight of Namibia's penguins? If not, you need to read this article by Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF).
African penguins in Namibia and South Africa are struggling for survival.
#penguinawarenessday
conservationnamibia.com/articles/nam...
Namibia's African Penguin on the Brink of Extinction
The African Penguin is classified as Critically Endangered, mainly due to overfishing in Namibia and South Africa. Urgent action is needed to avoid extinction of the world’s smallest penguin.
conservationnamibia.com
January 20, 2026 at 3:03 PM
heatherfranzen.bsky.social
It’s Penguin Awareness Day!

Check out these older works of mine. They are both African Penguins, which I declared my favorite animal as a 9-year old visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Digital drawing from 2017, acrylic gouache painting from 2018. Time flies but penguins do not.

#art #sciart 🪶
A digital drawing of an African Penguin standing on some rocks. A sketchbook open to a page with an African Penguin mid-step.
January 20, 2026 at 2:53 PM
Reposted by Heather 🌻
tofupixel.bsky.social
boots #wip
pixel art sketch of 2 geese wearing big silly red rubber rain boots with yellow soles
January 20, 2026 at 1:37 PM
Reposted by Heather 🌻
tstld.bsky.social
Red Vulture 1

Acrylic on masonite
5x7

#art #birds #nature
Painting of a vulture made with acrylic on masonite.
January 20, 2026 at 2:21 PM
Reposted by Heather 🌻
raptorqueen.bsky.social
I set out to draw a small owl, entered a flow state and did a whole 9x12" page in marker??? ANYHOOT, this is a Boreal Owl for #BirdArtWeek2026, #HiddenBirds! They're small, rarely seen, well-camouflaged and even described as "mysterious".

Posca and Ohuhu markers on coloured art paper.

#Art #SciArt
Painterly marker art on green paper: a brown and white owl sitting in the hollow of a slightly mossy tree in winter. It's snowing.
January 20, 2026 at 1:17 AM
Reposted by Heather 🌻
kungfugrip.bsky.social
Eating the AI art in protest is ironically more Art than whatever the fuck the ai guy was doing
January 19, 2026 at 3:15 PM
heatherfranzen.bsky.social
Second bird for #BirdArtWeek2026 / #HiddenBirds is a hidden American Bittern 👀 I've always wanted to see one in the wild but haven't had any luck yet. They hide too well.

More info about this painting on my website blog.

Holbein acryla gouache on a 4x4 in. wood coaster.

#art #painting #sciart 🪶
Painting of an American Bittern poking its head up above the reeds.
January 19, 2026 at 8:11 PM
Reposted by Heather 🌻
paintingsoprano.bsky.social
Day 2 of #BirdArtWeek2026 (January 19) continues with #HiddenBirds! How about a trio of barn owls? ❤️🦉

#art #artist #drawing #sketchbook #birds #nature #owls #barnowls #coloredpencils #fabercastell
Three barn owl fledglings peek curiously out a tree hollow.
January 19, 2026 at 3:21 PM
Reposted by Heather 🌻
animalphotorefs.bsky.social
The Art Gallery has gotten a facelift!

I wanted to better feature all the fantastic creations people have submitted.

You should check it out, there is some incredibly cool art in there.

www.animal-photo-references.com/art-gallery-...
A screenshot of an image gallery on a black webpage, featuring three works of art. The middle image has the title of the art and the artist’s name in the caption.
January 19, 2026 at 6:08 PM
Reposted by Heather 🌻
raptorqueen.bsky.social
I was inspired by @cornellbirds.bsky.social's #BirdArtWeek2026 so I did a quick marker piece for #BirdsWithWhimsy featuring a Lesser Yellowlegs, because a bird with legs like that and a beak that long has to count as whimsical, those are the rules. I got to see these funky lil guys last year!
Marker art of a Lesser Yellowlegs, a medium-sized shorebird with long yellow legs, grey, brown and white patterned feathers with a light belly. It has a black eye and long black beak. It's standing one-legged in turquoise water that makes up the whole background.
January 18, 2026 at 6:00 PM