Melissa Halley
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melissahalleyart.bsky.social
Melissa Halley
@melissahalleyart.bsky.social
🎨 Fine Art - Illustration - Nature
🍃 Inspired by nature, its beauty, its fragility and finality
🍎 Vegan
www.melissahalley.nl
We're halfway November and these are still (kinda) blooming on my balcony: Cornflower (top), Blue bonnet (right), Cranesbill (left), Orange coneflower (middle) and some Chamomille (bottom) 🌼
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#autumn #savethepollinators #organicplants #lookforbeauty #inspiredbynature #melissahalley
November 16, 2025 at 3:32 PM
The 8th watercolour in this series is the Black-veined White, Aporia Crataegi or in Dutch: Groot geaderd witje 🦋
Hint about the series theme: 1975 🦋
Painted true size in a 10x10 cm black square 🦋
#watercolour #butterfly #blackveinedwhite #aporiacrataegi #grootgeaderdwitje #melissahalley
November 10, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Happy Halloween/ Samhain everyone!!
🎃🦉🧙🏻‍♀️🔮🕷🍷🧛🏻‍♀️🦇🔪🧟‍♀️🐈‍⬛🌕🐺🍁
October 31, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Working on #10 of my watercolour series that depict the 15 butterfly species lost to the Netherlands over the past 80 years 🦋
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#watercolour #butterfly #savetheinsects #savethepollinators #organicgardening #nopesticides #noinsecticides #lookforbeauty #inspiredbynature #protectnature #melissahalley
October 27, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Last month I found a small part of a wasp's nest. Just a very thin papery 'skin'. Very delicate and beautiful 🐝
#summer #wasp #waspnest #watercolor #sketchbook #foundtreasures #inspirationalwalk #forest #forestwalk #inspiredbynature #nature #protectnature #melissahalley
September 29, 2025 at 2:04 PM
The 7th watercolour in this series is the Pearl-bordered Fritillary 🦋
In Dutch called 'Zilvervlek', which translates to silver spot.
Hint about the series theme: 1969 🦋
Painted true size in a 10x10 cm black square 🦋
#watercolour #pearlborderedfritillary
#boloriaeuphrosyne #zilvervlek #melissahalley
September 25, 2025 at 1:52 PM
The season is changing, which also means the bumblebee season is drawing to an end 🍁
Last week I noticed some Common Carder bee queens and males on my balcony, probably from the nest beneath my ivy 💗🎉
I'm going to miss "my" bumbles 💔🐝 🐝
#summer #autumn #bumblebee #lookforbeauty #melissahalley
September 15, 2025 at 5:37 PM
The 6th watercolour in this series is the Mourning Cloak (North America) or Camberwell Beauty (Britain).
In Dutch it's called 'Rouwmantel', which translates to mourning cloak.
#watercolour #butterfly #mourningcloak #camberwellbeauty
#nymphalisantiopa #rouwmantel #melissahalley
September 11, 2025 at 3:58 PM
I have at least 5 of these on my balcony. Weaving webs from pot to pot, pot to balcony fence, clothes line to ceiling and across the walking area. The latter I always try to move which sometimes works, sometimes not so much 🕷🕸

#araneusdiadematus #kruisspin #europeangardenspider #crossorbweaver
September 7, 2025 at 4:48 PM
The 5th watercolour in this series is the Lesser Marbled Fritillary (Purperstreepparelmoervlinder).
Hint about the series theme: 1962 🦋
Painted true size on a 10x10 cm black square 🦋
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#watercolour #butterfly #lessermarbledfritillary #brenthisino #savetheinsects #melissahalley
September 1, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Just finished reading 'Wilding' by Isabella Tree.
Very interesting and now I need a bigger balcony 😉
August 16, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Don't just look up for birds and butterflies. Look down too because these babies are out and about 🐸
July 12, 2025 at 9:41 AM
Look at the Honeysuckle go!
All this on my Amsterdam balcony 💚
At night I can smell the blooming flowers all the way in my living room 🌸🌸

#honeysuckle
#lonicerapericlymenum
#kamperfoelie
July 4, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Nice crowd at my balcony 🐝🌸🌼
June 30, 2025 at 11:16 AM
The 4th watercolour in this series is the False Heath Fritillary (Woudparelmoervlinder).
Hint about the series theme: 1960 🦋
Painted true size in a 10x10 cm black square 🦋
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#watercolour #butterfly #falseheathfritillary #melitaeadiamina #woudparelmoervlinder #savetheinsects #melissahalley
June 27, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Every morning I enjoy this view, a Common carder bee comming home 🐝😍
This spring a queen has build her nest in a big flowerpot on my balcony. It's partly beneath the ivy (hedera helix).
Guess she was happy with both the comfrey (next to the ivy) and the straw/ fallen leaves I use for mulch.
June 16, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Time to work on the 4th watercolour of this 15 part series, the False heath fritillary 🦋
Again so small!! 😅
#watercolour #butterfly #falseheathfritillary #melitaeadiamina #woudparelmoervlinder #melissahalley
June 8, 2025 at 4:30 PM
The 3rd watercolour in this series is the Scarce Heath (Zilverstreephooibeestje)
Hint about the series theme: 1959 🦋
Painted true size in a 10x10 cm black square 🦋
#watercolour #butterfly #scarceheath #coenonymphahero #zilverstreephooibeestje #savetheinsects #melissahalley
May 29, 2025 at 3:14 PM
These are so small!! Its total wingspan is only 3,4 cm.
The smallest butterfly of this 15 part series is going to be 1,8 cm. How?! 😳🦋😅
#watercolour #butterfly #scarceheath #coenonymphahero #zilverstreephooibeestje #melissahalley
May 26, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Working on the third watercolour in this 15 part series, the Scarce Heath (Zilverstreephooibeestje) 🦋 #watercolour #butterfly #scarceheath #coenonymphahero #zilverstreephooibeestje #melissahalley
May 24, 2025 at 3:59 PM
1) Today, May 22nd, is International Day for Biodiversity.
As far as biodiversity goes the Netherlands is not doing well. More and more species are in danger or have disappeared.
May 22, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Vandaag, 22 mei, is het de Internationale Dag van de Biodiversiteit.
Hoe doet Nederland het?
Dat wordt bijgehouden op Nationaal Dashboard Biodiversiteit:
May 22, 2025 at 7:21 AM