Dan
@pleinairinplainair.bsky.social
Geek of all trades, master of a few. Plein air painting. Model making. Sci-Fi. Amateur Radio. Video games. Books. Astronomy. If there’s hobby I haven’t enjoyed, it’s because I haven’t tried it. https://danielholmes.art
Day 22 of #ArtAdventCalendar back in April I participated with a few friends in Plein Airpril. I knew going in I wouldn’t complete the whole challenge, but I got a couple decent studies out of it. I bought some watercolor pencils long ago, but I’d never really had much chance to use them. Until now.
December 22, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Day 22 of #ArtAdventCalendar back in April I participated with a few friends in Plein Airpril. I knew going in I wouldn’t complete the whole challenge, but I got a couple decent studies out of it. I bought some watercolor pencils long ago, but I’d never really had much chance to use them. Until now.
Day 21 of #ArtAdventCalendar. The Crab Nebula. Acrylics, 9x12
December 21, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Day 21 of #ArtAdventCalendar. The Crab Nebula. Acrylics, 9x12
Day 20 of #ArtAdventCalendar. Rho Ophiuchi gas cloud. 9x12 acrylic, one of a series I’m calling Plein Airless.
December 21, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Day 20 of #ArtAdventCalendar. Rho Ophiuchi gas cloud. 9x12 acrylic, one of a series I’m calling Plein Airless.
#ArtAdventCalendar day 19. Cloud study. The mountains were just an afterthought I quickly added in to give some grounding. Clouds were moving real quick,so captured the general shapes and tried to get some movement.
December 19, 2025 at 7:14 PM
#ArtAdventCalendar day 19. Cloud study. The mountains were just an afterthought I quickly added in to give some grounding. Clouds were moving real quick,so captured the general shapes and tried to get some movement.
Day 18 of #ArtAdventCalendar getting close to the end, which is good, I’m running out of semi-publishable pieces. Today is a tower I did a quick sketch of a while ago.
December 18, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Day 18 of #ArtAdventCalendar getting close to the end, which is good, I’m running out of semi-publishable pieces. Today is a tower I did a quick sketch of a while ago.
#ArtAdventCalendar day 17. Early pastel of some trees in Millenium Park, Chicago. I’d used them once before.
December 17, 2025 at 6:25 PM
#ArtAdventCalendar day 17. Early pastel of some trees in Millenium Park, Chicago. I’d used them once before.
#ArtAdventCalendar day 16. A Gorn bust. It was tricky to replicate the crappy hand painted look of the original tunic.
December 17, 2025 at 12:51 AM
#ArtAdventCalendar day 16. A Gorn bust. It was tricky to replicate the crappy hand painted look of the original tunic.
Some rocks at Daniel’s Park. Sun was literally straight overhead, and no shadows. I’d never seen that before. #ArtAdventCalendar.
December 15, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Some rocks at Daniel’s Park. Sun was literally straight overhead, and no shadows. I’d never seen that before. #ArtAdventCalendar.
Day 14 of #ArtAdventCalendar. Quick still life of an old jug. I was trying out charcoal pencils. I’m not a fan.
December 14, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Day 14 of #ArtAdventCalendar. Quick still life of an old jug. I was trying out charcoal pencils. I’m not a fan.
Day 13 #ArtAdventCalendar. A friend and I painting at Red Rocks State Park in Nevada. We were at an International Association of Astronomical Artists workshop in Las Vegas. Can’t wait for the next one!
December 13, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Day 13 #ArtAdventCalendar. A friend and I painting at Red Rocks State Park in Nevada. We were at an International Association of Astronomical Artists workshop in Las Vegas. Can’t wait for the next one!
Halfway through #ArtAdventCalendar. Some quick sketches at a life drawing event. I’ve never been good at nose placement, so was just working on that.
December 12, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Halfway through #ArtAdventCalendar. Some quick sketches at a life drawing event. I’ve never been good at nose placement, so was just working on that.
Day 11 of #ArtAdventCalendar is a white oak drawing from February. I was just deciding that I liked sketching trees at this point and still learning how graphite works.
December 11, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Day 11 of #ArtAdventCalendar is a white oak drawing from February. I was just deciding that I liked sketching trees at this point and still learning how graphite works.
Day 10 already? Sheesh! Almost half over with #ArtAdventCalendar. I traveled to Salt Lake City last spring, and while waiting for my friend to get ready I quickly sketched out a couple trees. Not completely done due to my friend arriving, but I like the spontaneity of it.
December 10, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Day 10 already? Sheesh! Almost half over with #ArtAdventCalendar. I traveled to Salt Lake City last spring, and while waiting for my friend to get ready I quickly sketched out a couple trees. Not completely done due to my friend arriving, but I like the spontaneity of it.
Pearls before swine, Dec 10, 2023.
December 10, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Pearls before swine, Dec 10, 2023.
Day 8 of #ArtAdventCalendar. Waiting on my son for his piano lessons, I started drawing in my sketchbook. An elm tree in graphite.
December 9, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Day 8 of #ArtAdventCalendar. Waiting on my son for his piano lessons, I started drawing in my sketchbook. An elm tree in graphite.
Day 7, #ArtAdventCalendar an in process shot, blocking in the major shapes. Turns out I don’t have a picture of the finished piece, and I can’t seem to find it in the pile—my guess is I set it aside to dry and now something is on top of it. Time to clean the studio.
December 7, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Day 7, #ArtAdventCalendar an in process shot, blocking in the major shapes. Turns out I don’t have a picture of the finished piece, and I can’t seem to find it in the pile—my guess is I set it aside to dry and now something is on top of it. Time to clean the studio.
Day 6 #ArtAdventCalendar is quick 10 minute sketch of some sort of bird. Hangs around in my yard over the summer.
December 6, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Day 6 #ArtAdventCalendar is quick 10 minute sketch of some sort of bird. Hangs around in my yard over the summer.
Almost forgot day 5 of #ArtAdventCalendar Trying to create form with color temperature vs value. Not completely successful, but I still like the feel of this.
December 6, 2025 at 5:48 AM
Almost forgot day 5 of #ArtAdventCalendar Trying to create form with color temperature vs value. Not completely successful, but I still like the feel of this.
Day 4 of #ArtAdventCalendar is an old miniature from Deadlands, a Hangin’ Judge. One of the first minis I painted about 25 years ago. I’m only slightly better now. Deadlands is one of my favorite game settings, and with middle school RPG club I’ve been able to play in it again.
December 4, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Day 4 of #ArtAdventCalendar is an old miniature from Deadlands, a Hangin’ Judge. One of the first minis I painted about 25 years ago. I’m only slightly better now. Deadlands is one of my favorite game settings, and with middle school RPG club I’ve been able to play in it again.
Day 3 of #ArtAdventCalendar. I bought a large graphite stick, and am trying to learn control with it. I’ve always had a very heavy hand. I think that comes from years of not having any depth perception. But now that contacts have corrected that, I’m trying to relearn a lot.
December 3, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Day 3 of #ArtAdventCalendar. I bought a large graphite stick, and am trying to learn control with it. I’ve always had a very heavy hand. I think that comes from years of not having any depth perception. But now that contacts have corrected that, I’m trying to relearn a lot.
#ArtAdventCalendar day 2. Some lilypads in a small pond close by. 11”x14” oil on panel.
December 2, 2025 at 10:37 AM
#ArtAdventCalendar day 2. Some lilypads in a small pond close by. 11”x14” oil on panel.
Day 1 of #ArtAdventCalendar is a quick sketch I did of a tree a few weeks ago.
December 2, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Day 1 of #ArtAdventCalendar is a quick sketch I did of a tree a few weeks ago.
Reposted by Dan
A bunch of government accounts joined Bluesky today, and it seems very likely they intend to trawl the timeline for statements they can spin as inflammatory or insidious. I’m denying them access to my posts, and I suggest you do the same. Here’s how to do it in one click.
Blockety block block BLOCK!!!
October 18, 2025 at 1:27 AM
A bunch of government accounts joined Bluesky today, and it seems very likely they intend to trawl the timeline for statements they can spin as inflammatory or insidious. I’m denying them access to my posts, and I suggest you do the same. Here’s how to do it in one click.
Saw @scalzi.com today. As we were driving to the book signing, I told my son about his “Wil Wheaton, Croc Hunter” short story from a year or so ago. My son wondered if his Croc could be signed. @scalzi.com delivered.
September 22, 2025 at 3:17 AM
Saw @scalzi.com today. As we were driving to the book signing, I told my son about his “Wil Wheaton, Croc Hunter” short story from a year or so ago. My son wondered if his Croc could be signed. @scalzi.com delivered.
