Marisa
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marisamorby.com
Marisa
@marisamorby.com
2.7K followers 450 following 1K posts
Research, design, art

Connecting people with nature.

Newsletter: marisamorby.kit.com
Ceramics shop: mm.gifts
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marisamorby.com
Catching up on Birbfest challenge
Day 22: Galak Cockatoo
Day 23: Red-breasted Nuthatch
Day 24: New Holland Honeyeater
A pencil sketch of a Galah cockatoo with a pink head and chest and grey wings. A pencil sketch of a red-breasted nuthatch with. Reddish brown chest and a white and black striped head. A pencil sketch of a New Holland Honeyeater that has black wings and a black tail with a swatch of bright yellow on the side of the wing and under the tail. Its belly is white with black striping.
January 25, 2026 at 3:56 PM
marisamorby.com
I have to paint this one tomorrow but day 22 of Birbfest Challenge is the Galah Cockatoo. I spent awhile trying to get the perspective right so ran out of time to paint!
Pencil sketch of a Galah cockatoo. These birds are pale pink to dark pink and have a fluffy light pink crest.
January 23, 2026 at 7:27 AM
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Day 21 of Birbfest Challenge is the Ornate Fruit-dove. There are two sub-species, each living in different ranges. One has a magenta head and one has a yellow-green head. These birds only eat figs and live in Western New Guinea and Papua New Guinea.
Watercolor of an Ornate Fruit-dove. This one has a magenta head and yellow beak. It has white banding on the neck, followed by orange-yellow on the shoulders. It has a light green stomach and deep green wings.
January 22, 2026 at 5:58 AM
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I’m tired today so my Birbfest challenge sketch was really fast, but day 20 is the Dalmatian Pelican. These birds are menacing but also have cool hair!
A colored pencil sketch of a Dalmatian Pelican. They have a grey beak and bright orange pouch. They are a grayish white with lots of feathers on their head that are in a kind of cowlick formation so it looks Like they’ve swooped their hair to the side.
January 21, 2026 at 6:01 AM
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Day 19 for Birbfest Challenge is the red-legged seriema.
This is a colored pencil sketch of the red-legged seriema. They have red-orange long legs, and are large like an ostrich. They have a red-orange beak and have grey-black plumes starting at the base of their beak. They are a mottled brown, grey, and tan to help them blend in to their habitat.
January 20, 2026 at 4:09 AM
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Day 18 of Birbfest Challenge is the Tufted Jay.
A colored pencil drawing of a Tufted Jay. They have a white chest and stomach and black wings, tail, and head. Their head has two white spots on the cheeks and above the eyes. They also have a large black crest of feathers on top of their head like a Mohawk.
January 19, 2026 at 5:04 AM
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Day 17 for Birbfest Challenge is the Spangled Cotinga.
A colored pencil sketch of a spangled cotinga. They are bright, iridescent blue with a magenta throat patch. They have black and blue wings and a black tail.
January 18, 2026 at 4:31 AM
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Day 16 for the Birbfest Challenge is the Eurasian Wigeon.
A colored pencil sketch of an Eurasian Wigeon. They have a goldish tan crest and a brown head with a green stripe behind their eye. Their bodies are a light gray with black patches on the wings.
January 17, 2026 at 6:21 AM
marisamorby.com
Finally put together and set up my orchid cabinet! My next task is to repot them. Over a decade ago I grew orchids that were absolutely stunning, but ever since I moved to Oregon I've had trouble getting orchids to bloom. I tried avoiding grow lights for my plants but finally gave in this year.
A light green metal cabinet with glass sides and shelves. Inside are four orchids, none of which are blooming.
January 17, 2026 at 12:29 AM
marisamorby.com
Day 15 of Birbfest Challenge is the short-eared owl.
An black and white ink sketch of a short-eared owl, they have a striped pattern and little tufts of feathers on the top of their head that look like tiny “ears”
January 16, 2026 at 5:03 AM
marisamorby.com
Birbfest challenge day 14 is the silver-eared mesia
This is a watercolor painting of the silver eared mesia. They have black feathers on their face and a white-grey band of feathers right behind their eye that look like little oblong “ears”. They’re yellow-green with grey feathers on the shoulder that turn into a band of red and then an orange-yellow.
January 15, 2026 at 6:48 AM
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Day 13 is the White-Eared Pheasant!
This is a sketch of a white-eared pheasant which is a large white bird with black plumes for tail feathers. They have a black and red head with a light peach beak.
January 14, 2026 at 4:54 AM
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Day 12 for the birbfest challenge is the Common Redpoll.
A minimal sketch of the common redpoll in pencil and colored pencil. The red and brown head and chest have been emphasized in this sketch.
January 13, 2026 at 6:02 AM
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Day 11 for the birbfest challenge is the Mountain Bluebird!
Sketch of a Mountain Bluebird. These cute little birds are light blue fading into white and are about the size of a sparrow.
January 12, 2026 at 4:15 AM
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Birbfest challenge day 9 is the American Purple Gallinule.
A colored pencil sketch of the American Purple Gallinule. They have a bright orange-red, slightly hooked beak with a bright yellow tip. The feathers are a mix of purple, blue, and green with a hint of gray-brown. The top of their head has a small light blue patch of feathers. They have huge taloned feet and extremely long legs in comparison to their body.
January 11, 2026 at 12:55 AM
marisamorby.com
Birbfest challenge today is the Indian Paradise Flycatcher.
A watercolor of an Indian Paradise Flycatcher. The background is gree and the flycatcher sits on a bamboo stalk. These birds have black, iridescent heads with a plume on the top. They have small white-ish grey bodies and two long tail feathers that cascade down and are about twice the length of their bodies.
January 10, 2026 at 2:14 AM
marisamorby.com
Today's birbfest challenge choice is the Andean cock-of-the-rock. They are hilarious looking birds from all angles and I love them.
A close up, cartoonish sketch of the Andean cock-of-the-rock. This is a pigeon-ish sized bird with bright orange feathers and a huge half disc-shaped plume on the top of it's head. Imagine a bright orange mohawk make of feathers that runs straight from the tip of the beak to the back of the head in a straight line, and that's what the plumage looks like. They have pitch black shoulder feathers and their middle feathers on their wings are a blue-ish gray. Their mohawk is SO pronounced that you almost can't see the top beak. This illustration is of the bird with it's mouth open, tongue out like it's screaming at the top of its lungs. The text reads "He screeches at the heavens. They do not respond."
January 9, 2026 at 12:24 AM
marisamorby.com
Day 7 of Birbfest Challenge is the Steeler’s Sea Eagle. Or as I like to call it, the Terror Muppet.
A watercolor illustration of a Steller’s Sea Eagle eating a fish. Every picture I see of this bird is simultaneously goofy and scary. They have a huge orange, curved beak for ripping open fish and sharp, long talons. They are pretty fluffy because they live in very cold weather and are a brownish-black with white on the wings of their shoulders.
January 8, 2026 at 2:52 AM
marisamorby.com
My birbfest challenge for day 6! The Northern Emerald Toucanet!
A colored pencil sketch of a Northern Emerald Toucanet. They are bright green with turquoise and purple at the tips of their feathers, except for the tail, which has red tips. They have a bright yellow and black toucan shaped beak. They have a similar and dimensions to a toucan but are smaller.
January 7, 2026 at 5:35 AM
marisamorby.com
Day 6 of #blogvent is a poem. The inspiration came from one of my favorite books "Entangled Life: How fungi make our worlds, change our minds, and shape our futures." It's a love letter to the world and a beautiful book.

See the #blogvent calendar: marisamorby.notion.site/blogvent-202...
Stardust I read once that some scientists think life started because a single rock or many rocks careened through space and crashed into the earth and on the rocks were tiny specks of life that found our waters and felt the warmth of our sun and the waters fed them and the sun helped them grow I like to think this I want this to be evolution I want to be part of the stars I want to look at you and know that we are made of stardust - Marisa Morby
December 7, 2025 at 6:23 AM
marisamorby.com
Today I planted roses, moved a few plants to areas that better suit them, and planted some mystery bulbs that might be snowdrops or possibly tulips; I’m not really sure, but it will be a surprise. And now my reward is a cozy hot chocolate.
A white mug with hot chocolate, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings sits on a live edge wooden table. In the background is a lit Christmas tree with crystal ornaments and a red and white tree skirt.
December 1, 2025 at 4:48 AM
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What a curious little borb
A black ink sketch of a chubby little bird with his head cocked to the side inquisitively.
November 14, 2025 at 4:52 AM
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If you see this, post your bird art 🐦

A recent sketch practicing pencil.

#birds
A black and white close up pencil sketch of an Eurasian tit.
November 10, 2025 at 6:37 PM
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@bell.bz talking about how we can work better across design and development teams. The two biggest principles being communication and feedback. If you get that right, the rest will follow. @beyondtellerrand.com
And standing in front of a yellow slide that says Async communication. Andy standing in front of a slide that says Feedback.
November 7, 2025 at 9:55 AM
marisamorby.com
Great talk by @nerdy.dev playing with midi and CSS. Such a fun and joyful way to create. (Turn the sound on) @beyondtellerrand.com
November 6, 2025 at 4:36 PM