Lex / Cranes
LightNews LightNews
banner
illgottencranes.bsky.social
Lex / Cranes
@illgottencranes.bsky.social
330 followers 510 following 280 posts
Artsy biologist guy, almost a PhD, queer immigrant 🇺🇸->🇳🇴 Limited bandwidth.

e/em, xe/xyr (any spelling!), or he/him 🏳️‍⚧️
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
illgottencranes.bsky.social
Lex / Cranes @illgottencranes.bsky.social · Jan 29
Cranes status: I have pretty bad hand pain and need to limit my use of electronic devices.

Trying to balance my ratio of politics to nature/art posting, but alas, existence is political.
A photo of a very round pigeon plushie reclining in a yellow armchair, blue and gray walls in the background. A pair of headphones squishes its head as it stares off to one side. The photo has been lightly edited for dramatic effect.
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
banditelli.org
Here's a quizzical mandarin duck to start your week off on a good note 🥰 🪶
A mandarin duck floating on the water toward the camera, its head is slightly to the left as if unsure what's going on
December 1, 2025 at 4:46 AM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
cumberlandjc.bsky.social
Toss and Catch....

2024 was a mast year & the hawthorns at Hassop Station #Derbyshire attracted record numbers of Waxwings

The crest, the black mask, the red & yellow details on the feathers, the tongue!

#BirdOfTheDay #Stunday #BerriesandBeaks #EastCoastKin #ArtYear #Birds #UKbirding #Sheffield
Photo portrait of a Waxwing. A winter visitor to the UK when it comes to feast on any available berries. Such a stunning bird with a buff / grey chest and belly, slightly darker back, black chin with dark orange either side and orange forehead leading to a fading buff brown bushy crest. A black line above it's beak stretches into a black eye stripe giving the bird a rather intense and almost malevolent look. the wing markings are more defined than its body with black and white stripes with a tiny detail of red tips to its secondaries. the black tail has a yellow tip and the whole look is finished off with an orange vent. This bird has just tossed a hawthorn berry to get its position right for swallowing Close up of the same bird as the previous photo. It has just caught the berry in its open beak and its tongue which expands into a flat plate at its tip, is also touching the berry to manoeuvre it.
November 30, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
doedryadart.bsky.social
To relax I've been doing more colorful doodles with whatever cheap materials I have.
This is an Indian Rhino with markers and colored pencils
Colorful patterned rhino in a swirly environment
November 30, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
tristansbones.bsky.social
The final piece for Xenovember! 30 days of the #xenomorph, and to celebrate, I figured I'd round it out with something I've never really given proper dues to...

www.instagram.com/p/DRr85V8kpTD/
November 30, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
jeffvandermeer.bsky.social
SOUTHERN REACH READERS and weirdlings in general, here's a call for lighthouse photo submissions if you want a chance to be in the forthcoming Area X: The Southern Reach Files book. Starts Nov. 1, ends Jan 21. PLEASE read thoroughly. Questions, weirdos?

www.jeffvandermeer.com/lighthouseph...
An epic and mind-blowing expansion of the Area X story by way of a hidden metal box full of secret images and documents purporting to be the last report of the Central agent Karen Hargraves. Spanning the 30 years of Southern Reach expeditions, reaching into the past and the future, this full-color book will satisfy Area X completists while adding to the narrative begun with the first four novels, to Michael Sand at Abrams, in an exclusive submission, by Joseph Veltre at Gersh Agency and attorney Alex Kohner (world).
October 26, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
fromageophage.bsky.social
Have I shared him here? I don't think so!
This is Doc, my fancy pigeon
#pigeonsky
November 26, 2025 at 11:58 PM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
saimihanma.bsky.social
Here are 5 more days of #Nudivember. Only 4 left to go!! I need a reward for getting through 30 full days.
A collage of five watercolor illustrations of nudibranchs
November 27, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
downwithdan.bsky.social
not beating the “AI art is lazy” allegations
SUNO r/SunoAl Jo 6h ago Join ThrowRA1234567788777 Sick of having to come up with prompts Discussion ... Hey y'all, looking for some tips here. I like what I've made so far with Suno but now I'm kind of hitting a wall with ideas for prompts. Why doesn't Suno also have a feature to write prompts for you? Like just hit a button the says "new prompt" and then hit make song when it comes up with something that sounds interesting! Thoughts?
November 26, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
timdesousa.bsky.social
Been a bit time poor lately so had to do this in pieces over a few days. I think they’re more of a classic 90s boy band rather than a goth band.
A watercolour of five groove-billed anis, sitting on a branch. From a photo by Mike Melton.
November 25, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
jocelynanderson.bsky.social
The Red-headed Woodpecker is such a sharp looking bird. Love the steel blue edging to their black feathers.
November 25, 2025 at 11:40 PM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
jocelynanderson.bsky.social
A Sandhill Crane with a small splash strolls towards the shoreline.
November 24, 2025 at 10:13 PM
illgottencranes.bsky.social
Learning is a process 😩 I got a few hours into version 1 (bottom) of this painting of a branch and also a bird, before realizing I REALLY didn't like my choices there. So I re-started (top) and like it a lot more with more white showing through.

...also I'm not skimping on paper again after this 😅
Photo comparing two partially-painted watercolors next to each other (newer on top, older on bottom), showing the same subject but with slightly different color choices
November 23, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
kelleywelley.bsky.social
Here is a watercolor painting of a Bartail Parrotfish, Scarus caudofasciatus, for my Sunday Fish Sketch.
Reference photo(s) by Stephen Spangler, Scuba.Spanglers.com

#sciart #marinelife #coralreefs #oceanconservation
#parrotfish #spanglersscuba
#sundayfishsketch
Watercolor painting of a Bartail Parrotfish
November 23, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
leier-coyol.bsky.social
Needle felted keychains, these and more critters will be available this christmas on my shop!
#SciArt #felting #art
November 23, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
ivetasaviary.bsky.social
Red-footed Booby & White-crowned Parrot I drew for the #birdtober challenge

#birdart #wildlifeart #parrot 🪶
Red-footed Booby in flight made with marker and watercolor White-crowned Parrot in flight made with marker and watercolor
November 22, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
neromxm.bsky.social
Dinovember day 22: Sauropelta edwardsorum
(Watercolour painting with ink. Bamboo paper)
#Dinovember2025 #SciArt #PaleoArt
November 22, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
washbearswares.bsky.social
bird wirewrap challenge DAYS 73-84 🐦‍⬛🪶

hoopoe • pileated woodpecker • frigatebird • rainbow lorikeet • violaceous jay • barnacle goose • violet-green swallow • cedar waxwing • indigo bunting • brown-headed cowbird • ostrich • altamira oriole

#birds #birdart #SciArt #art #artist #jewelry
a 6-photo collage of various wirewrapped bird pendants a 6-photo collage of various wirewrapped bird pendants
November 22, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
jocelynanderson.bsky.social
A Pileated Woodpecker tips her head back after getting a beakful of water. Most birds, like this woodpecker, drink by scooping up water with their beaks and then tilt their heads back to send the water down their throats.
November 20, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
casswart.bsky.social
Today is #WorldAnteaterDay 🎉💙

Giant Anteater sketch study. Conservation status Vulnerable. They have a distinctive snout with a 2-foot-long tongue and no teeth, and feed almost exclusively on ants and termites.

#AnteaterDay #GiantAnteater #AnimalArt #SciArt #SketchStudy
Giant ant eater sketch studies and poses. I included a large front facing view and side vies as well as rendering the skull.
November 19, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
davidcsimon.bsky.social
Portrait of a Pied Currawong.
#birds
Photograph of a large black bird from the shoulders up. It has a long, robust beak with a hooked end, and striking yellow eyes. It is somewhat crow-like in appearance, despite being a passerine bird and not a corvid.
November 21, 2025 at 5:58 AM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
davidcsimon.bsky.social
A Brown Cuckoo-dove and his marvellous eye.
#birds
Photograph of a male Brown Cuckoo-dove, from the neck up. It is a rich brown colour with iridescent feathers on the back of its neck (indicating that it is a mature male), a short black beak, and an eye with a bright red ring surrounding a blue centre. Highly detailed close-up of the same subject's eye. The inner blue ring grades from very light blue at the centre to dark blue to almost black on the edges, but is lightly speckled and undulating in gradation. Combined with the black pupil at its centre and the vivid red ring on the outer edge, it looks like a stellar phenomenom - a combination of an eclipse and a supernova.
November 22, 2025 at 3:19 AM
illgottencranes.bsky.social
Some quick acrylic pen drawings on wooden ornaments that I did to procrastinate on a watercolor that's giving me trouble. 😛

Two-sided. Festive and winter pigeons for me, christmas and plausibly all-year rhinoceroses for my mother-in-law. First time drawing a rhino, iirc
A wooden ornament with a portrait of a grey domestic pigeon wearing a Santa hat against a starry blue background A wooden ornament with a painting of a light brown domestic pigeon standing fluffed on one foot amid piles of snow, wearing a red scarf A wooden ornament with a portrait of a rhinoceros inside of a festive green, white, red, silver, and gold patterned border. The rhinoceros has a Santa hat on one horn and the longest horn is decorated as a christmas tree, and it's wearing a white and red scarf. A wooden ornament with a painting of a blue rhinoceros running on a field of yellow, with a green sky - I have a lot more shades of blue than gray, so I just shifted all the colors to be weird. :P
November 23, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
coreyartusimagery.com
I have a second set of Santa Hat Bird greeting cards available! 🎨🐡🪶

Illustrated in Procreate. No artificial nonsense. From birds suggested by folks who came to my art booth this last summer in Humboldt County in northern California.

Buy now to get in time for mailing out!

#art #BskyArt #Christmas
Illustrated Santa Bird Boxed Holiday Greeting Cards Set #2, 5x7" with Red Envelopes
These birds are all dressed up for the Season! Each bird wears a Santa hat of brilliant red, perched on the head of its beautifully rendered form.  Birds include a Raven, an Osprey, a Northern Sp...
goimagine.com
November 23, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
artbyemilytull.bsky.social
These Starlings are back with me having been on display in the USA for 6 months.
"Murmuration 2"
Hand embroidery thread painting artwork
www.emilytull.co.uk/store/p23/st...
#birds #FlyDay #WildlifeArt #FiberArt
A peach fabric background with bird silhouettes overlayed with 12 starling outlines created with hand embroidery. On top of those are 6 starlings which are partially hand embroidered in detail.
November 21, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Reposted by Lex / Cranes
tinylongwing.bsky.social
Half hour environment sketch, Tasmania, late Cretaceous. Leaellynasaura mid-molt out of summer browns and into winter whites scans the landscape in the weak fading Antarctic sunlight.

🎨 #SciArt #PaleoArt
Rough digital illustration of jagged angular rocks emerging out of low brushy plants. At the peak of the rocks, a small fluffy mostly-white dinosaur with a short beak and compact body perches, grabbing the edge of a rock before it decides to move forward. Its extremely long tail hangs down the rock face.
November 22, 2025 at 5:13 PM