Sorry, Fritz!

Living stone

Japanese artist Akie Nakata brings found stones to remarkable life with a little paint and a lot of imagination. She chooses stones that speak to her with the voice of a particular character.

“I feel the breath of a life inside each stone,” she says, and sometimes speaks to a stone as she holds it in her hand.

The animals she brings to life look like they could talk back!

To see more of Akie’s amazing art, check our her Instagram.

And listen to her story on boredpanda.

Small wonder

Paedophryne amauensis, a species of frog from Papua New Guinea, is the smallest known animal with a backbone. With an average body length of 7.7 mm, it lives in the leaf debris on the tropical forest floor. It’s nocturnal, so you won’t see it in the daytime. You probably won’t spot it at nighttime, either!

Lucky lemon

A new year can use all the luck it can get. Here’s a time-honored tradition to help it along by creating a lucky lemon pig!

Here’s mine! I feel the luck.

Christmas Gorey

American author and illustrator Edward Gorey’s pen-and-ink stylings perfectly capture the odd angles of all his subjects, including the Yuletide. I raise a glass of foamy nog to him!

Celebrate more of E. G.’s inimitable art here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hug a piece of pie today!

Yuri’s bears

The wonderful illustrator Yuri Vasnetsov was born in Russia in 1900. He studied modern art but found his greatest inspiration in traditional Russian folk art and his love of wildlife. Animals of all kinds spring to life in his drawings and paintings with much humor and sometimes a touch of dread. Bears were a favorite subject. Here are some terrific examples.

Mr. Vasnetsov was able to give all his animal creations a strong and distinct personality. Despite having lost a leg and trekking in deep snow, this bear seems to be looking on the bright side of life. It’s good to be home!

⌃Here are the famous Three Bears in a happy daytime woodland scene.

⌃And a different trio in a nighttime setting.

⌃This bear has found a  reluctant sailing companion, who also serves as a boat!

⌃And this painting shows Yuri’s love of bears is shared by all.

Farewell, summer. Welcome, autumn!

Happy Labor Day!

Happy #LaborDay to all the hard workers out there trying to build a better world one grain of sand at a time! pic.twitter.com/piP3oq6Va8

— Monterey Bay Aquarium (@MontereyAq) September 3, 2018

Summer camp champs

It’s that time of year again. All that’s left are memories and mud. We will treasure the friends we’ve made. This never-to-be-forgotten snail says a fond farewell to its summer camper counterpart at Audubon Sharon, a wildlife sanctuary of the National Audubon Society in Sharon, Connecticut. Until next year, forest friends!