Daniel D. Brown, Ph.D.
@drlaughingmantis.bsky.social
Laughing Mantis Studio
Pittsburgh, PA. breast cancer scientist, artist, woodworker, naturalist, native plant enthusiast, gardener, gamer, husband, dog dad.
Full portfolio on IG @laughingmantisstudio
Pittsburgh, PA. breast cancer scientist, artist, woodworker, naturalist, native plant enthusiast, gardener, gamer, husband, dog dad.
Full portfolio on IG @laughingmantisstudio
I may have a problem.
Nature photos for #iNaturalist
Nature photos for #iNaturalist
July 2, 2025 at 3:01 PM
I may have a problem.
Nature photos for #iNaturalist
Nature photos for #iNaturalist
This piece is called “Deer Resistant My Ass!”
We have a few painted rocks around our garden. After deer browsed my evening primrose literally the day I planted it, I thought about a rock with this quote. Then was like “wait. I have a bandsaw.” #nativeplants #starwars #failure Oenothera biennis
We have a few painted rocks around our garden. After deer browsed my evening primrose literally the day I planted it, I thought about a rock with this quote. Then was like “wait. I have a bandsaw.” #nativeplants #starwars #failure Oenothera biennis
June 1, 2025 at 5:46 PM
This piece is called “Deer Resistant My Ass!”
We have a few painted rocks around our garden. After deer browsed my evening primrose literally the day I planted it, I thought about a rock with this quote. Then was like “wait. I have a bandsaw.” #nativeplants #starwars #failure Oenothera biennis
We have a few painted rocks around our garden. After deer browsed my evening primrose literally the day I planted it, I thought about a rock with this quote. Then was like “wait. I have a bandsaw.” #nativeplants #starwars #failure Oenothera biennis
I found a dead fly in my yard. Turns out it’s zombie fly infected with a fungus that makes it find a high perch, spread its legs/wings, die, and release fungal spores below. I’ve found 3 now, with 1 shipped to @zombiflied.bsky.social at Harvard for science! Just in time for Last of Us finale! 😂
May 26, 2025 at 1:47 AM
I found a dead fly in my yard. Turns out it’s zombie fly infected with a fungus that makes it find a high perch, spread its legs/wings, die, and release fungal spores below. I’ve found 3 now, with 1 shipped to @zombiflied.bsky.social at Harvard for science! Just in time for Last of Us finale! 😂
Zebra swallowtail wing looks like pixel art. #butterfly #naturalist
April 25, 2025 at 12:06 AM
Zebra swallowtail wing looks like pixel art. #butterfly #naturalist
It happened! At least 4 of the 32 zebra swallowtail #butterfly chrysalises that overwintered survived (maybe all). The 1st eclosed today! This shot was NOT planned. 3 more coming in the next 1-2 days. All offspring of this single mom: www.publicsource.org/zebra-swallo...
#pawpaw #nativeplants
#pawpaw #nativeplants
April 24, 2025 at 12:42 AM
It happened! At least 4 of the 32 zebra swallowtail #butterfly chrysalises that overwintered survived (maybe all). The 1st eclosed today! This shot was NOT planned. 3 more coming in the next 1-2 days. All offspring of this single mom: www.publicsource.org/zebra-swallo...
#pawpaw #nativeplants
#pawpaw #nativeplants
Another tiny strip of lawn I’ll never mow again! The other side is neighbor‘s lawn. Shrubby St. John’s wort + foxglove beardtongue from seed. I’ve solarized w/cardboard/mulch around plantings before. Works well enough. If the deer strike and I need to replace, well the hard part’s done.
April 18, 2025 at 12:34 AM
Another tiny strip of lawn I’ll never mow again! The other side is neighbor‘s lawn. Shrubby St. John’s wort + foxglove beardtongue from seed. I’ve solarized w/cardboard/mulch around plantings before. Works well enough. If the deer strike and I need to replace, well the hard part’s done.
Just perusing through your native plant photos. :) this one reminded me of some NE aster shots I took this week! Yes, really. I grew them from seed under light in my basement. Then took them in and out trying to harden them while avoiding freezes. They’re so confused 😵💫 😂. I was shocked.
April 15, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Just perusing through your native plant photos. :) this one reminded me of some NE aster shots I took this week! Yes, really. I grew them from seed under light in my basement. Then took them in and out trying to harden them while avoiding freezes. They’re so confused 😵💫 😂. I was shocked.
Before and after. Evening primrose grown from seed in my basement. 😂 #nativeplants #gardening #eveningprimrose #deer
April 15, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Before and after. Evening primrose grown from seed in my basement. 😂 #nativeplants #gardening #eveningprimrose #deer
Made a new #hobbit hole for our front garden. Partly to make kids/parents smile when they walk by. But mainly to make myself smile. Scrap fence cedar and acrylic paint. It’ll look better with real plants around it I think. Pieces cut on #scrollsaw. #woodworking #geekart
April 8, 2025 at 1:35 AM
Made a new #hobbit hole for our front garden. Partly to make kids/parents smile when they walk by. But mainly to make myself smile. Scrap fence cedar and acrylic paint. It’ll look better with real plants around it I think. Pieces cut on #scrollsaw. #woodworking #geekart
Current vibe post Chewie’s “cryptorchid” surgery. Fun tangent: this lead to me learning that “orchid” means “testicle.” Hat tip to @metalmarks.bsky.social for sharing this illustration of why the plant is called an #orchid in our Pittsburgh #Naturalists signal chat. #DogsofBluesky
April 4, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Current vibe post Chewie’s “cryptorchid” surgery. Fun tangent: this lead to me learning that “orchid” means “testicle.” Hat tip to @metalmarks.bsky.social for sharing this illustration of why the plant is called an #orchid in our Pittsburgh #Naturalists signal chat. #DogsofBluesky
Happy to have this recent wooden monarch #butterfly piece shown at the University of #Pittsburgh #EcoArtisans Sustainable Art Expo today! Bonus materials showcasing #milkweed, #nativeplants, #pawpaw, and zebra swallowtails.
April 2, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Happy to have this recent wooden monarch #butterfly piece shown at the University of #Pittsburgh #EcoArtisans Sustainable Art Expo today! Bonus materials showcasing #milkweed, #nativeplants, #pawpaw, and zebra swallowtails.
lol I took that same photo
April 1, 2025 at 1:39 AM
lol I took that same photo
Plant Milkweed!
#Monarch #Butterfly wood #intarsia is complete! Started this thing in Dec24! Made from 310 pieces of wood handcut on a scrollsaw. Ebonized black walnut, orange-dyed ash, American holly (all scavenged). + A bit of wenge, and painted metal cord antennae. #woodworking #nativeplants
#Monarch #Butterfly wood #intarsia is complete! Started this thing in Dec24! Made from 310 pieces of wood handcut on a scrollsaw. Ebonized black walnut, orange-dyed ash, American holly (all scavenged). + A bit of wenge, and painted metal cord antennae. #woodworking #nativeplants
March 26, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Plant Milkweed!
#Monarch #Butterfly wood #intarsia is complete! Started this thing in Dec24! Made from 310 pieces of wood handcut on a scrollsaw. Ebonized black walnut, orange-dyed ash, American holly (all scavenged). + A bit of wenge, and painted metal cord antennae. #woodworking #nativeplants
#Monarch #Butterfly wood #intarsia is complete! Started this thing in Dec24! Made from 310 pieces of wood handcut on a scrollsaw. Ebonized black walnut, orange-dyed ash, American holly (all scavenged). + A bit of wenge, and painted metal cord antennae. #woodworking #nativeplants
Cold & rain makes for a great day to do my annual refinish of this inlayed patio sunflower table I made. Downside of oil-finish: yearly maintenance. Upside: it’s easy and much prettier than something like spar urethane. It stays on our porch so at least somewhat limited exposure to elements.
March 22, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Cold & rain makes for a great day to do my annual refinish of this inlayed patio sunflower table I made. Downside of oil-finish: yearly maintenance. Upside: it’s easy and much prettier than something like spar urethane. It stays on our porch so at least somewhat limited exposure to elements.
If any of you happen to be #pittsburgh local, the monarch I’m working on will be displayed at the “EcoArtisans Sustainable Art Expo” on April 2nd (10-2pm, WPU, Pitt Campus).
March 19, 2025 at 3:29 PM
If any of you happen to be #pittsburgh local, the monarch I’m working on will be displayed at the “EcoArtisans Sustainable Art Expo” on April 2nd (10-2pm, WPU, Pitt Campus).
Next 2 stages of glue up. Since body is glued, I 1st did the bottom wing, pressing them toward center with cauls. Then repeated with forewings. You can see the cauls (a superglued scrap and a wedge) in the second photo to apply clamping force. The pieces interlock at the body creating a pivot point.
March 18, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Next 2 stages of glue up. Since body is glued, I 1st did the bottom wing, pressing them toward center with cauls. Then repeated with forewings. You can see the cauls (a superglued scrap and a wedge) in the second photo to apply clamping force. The pieces interlock at the body creating a pivot point.
1 step of glue up has begun. I usually find it helpful to glue at least 1 piece to serve as a stable reference when I go to glue the rest. Tiny errors are additive (especially with over 300 individual pieces of wood). So it’s best to take it in stages. I’ve never had a stress-free glue up. 😂
March 18, 2025 at 12:03 AM
1 step of glue up has begun. I usually find it helpful to glue at least 1 piece to serve as a stable reference when I go to glue the rest. Tiny errors are additive (especially with over 300 individual pieces of wood). So it’s best to take it in stages. I’ve never had a stress-free glue up. 😂
March 16, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Demonstration of homemade iron acetate (vinegar+0000 steel wool) stain. I’ve had this stuff sitting in the shop for a year+ with no loss of potency. After the steel wool mostly dissolves, I run it through a tshirt or coffee filter. Some maple turns shades of gray. Walnut and red oak turn black.
March 16, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Demonstration of homemade iron acetate (vinegar+0000 steel wool) stain. I’ve had this stuff sitting in the shop for a year+ with no loss of potency. After the steel wool mostly dissolves, I run it through a tshirt or coffee filter. Some maple turns shades of gray. Walnut and red oak turn black.
1 way I make my #woodworking more sustainable is by ebonizing common woods like this black walnut instead of using e.g. ebony. Vinegar + steel wool in an old mason jar = iron acetate (& hydrogen, so don’t seal it💥!). The solution reacts with tannin to create various shades (depending on species)
March 16, 2025 at 6:58 PM
1 way I make my #woodworking more sustainable is by ebonizing common woods like this black walnut instead of using e.g. ebony. Vinegar + steel wool in an old mason jar = iron acetate (& hydrogen, so don’t seal it💥!). The solution reacts with tannin to create various shades (depending on species)
Time to cut a riser to add some depth to the body.
March 15, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Time to cut a riser to add some depth to the body.
Such a satisfyingly tight fit!
Cue obligatory gratuitous comment by my wife (or any Michael Scott fans).
Cue obligatory gratuitous comment by my wife (or any Michael Scott fans).
March 14, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Such a satisfyingly tight fit!
Cue obligatory gratuitous comment by my wife (or any Michael Scott fans).
Cue obligatory gratuitous comment by my wife (or any Michael Scott fans).
1st step of glue up has begun: tacking in the little bits with cyanoacrylate so I can shape them as part of the larger sections. #woodworking #butterfly #intarsia
March 14, 2025 at 12:46 AM
1st step of glue up has begun: tacking in the little bits with cyanoacrylate so I can shape them as part of the larger sections. #woodworking #butterfly #intarsia
Some of these pieces are tiiiiny. Cutting those on a scrollsaw is…fun. But hey , it’s better than reading the news.
March 13, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Some of these pieces are tiiiiny. Cutting those on a scrollsaw is…fun. But hey , it’s better than reading the news.
And still more to cut…
March 12, 2025 at 9:36 PM
And still more to cut…