Pipi Longstockings was an Orb Weaver spider that lived on my front porch for most of 2009. I named her Pipi after the character in a book I read who always wore striped stockings.
Pipi made it through our December blizzard but the January nights below 20ˇ proved to be too much and she passed away. I had thought several times that she would not make it through the night, but every morning I would go out and she would be down on the ground at the edge of the little pile of hay I put out for her. When the sun warmed her up she would go sit in the web and do her work. I still don’t know how she lived as long as she did -- nature is just amazing when it comes to survival.
I don’t think you can really see it in the scan here, but Pipi’s top side was silver metallic kind of like the dull side of tin foil. She really was a beautiful spider and I will miss seeing her every day.
This is ink & watercolor on Hemp paper in the Nature Journal. I always knew I would find a use for that jar of Daniel Smith German Silver watercolor powder that I bought 15 years ago! ha!
What a wonderful entry, Laura! Spiders amaze me, too...I would miss Pipi, too. You really captured the look of this beautiful orb weaver...
ReplyDeleteBeautiful sketch Laura, and poor Pipi...
ReplyDeleteBeautiful entry, and touching story. It might be hard for some folks to understand the idea of becoming attached to a spider, but I certainly can. Lovely sketch of Pipi (I loved the Pipi Longstocking books as a child too!).
ReplyDeleteJust beautifully done! Poor guy.
ReplyDeleteWell call me silly but I just love the fact that you liked this spider! Beautiful drawing too.
ReplyDeleteLovely post and super drawing.
ReplyDeleteLove the drawing and I love the name too. I can tolerate spiders outside the house but not indoors - shudder.
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