Encountering John Brown / December 16, 2019 by Brad Sneed

I created a series of portraits for a traveling exhibit, ENCOUNTERING JOHN BROWN, that examines Brown’s encounters with important Civil War-era figures. Information about the exhibit may be found at, Overland Traveling Exhibits.

John Brown

Frederick Douglass

Harriet Tubman

Osborne Perry Anderson

Henry David Thoreau

Henry Wise

Pen & Ink / December 11, 2019 by Brad Sneed

I’m stepping away from the stylus and tablet and dusting off the ink, pens, watercolor paint and brushes. That’s right, I’m going analog for this current project (details coming in a later post). It sure is tactilely satisfying to drag ink across paper!

Damsels & Dragons Notecards / September 23, 2019 by Brad Sneed

So… it’s birds AND bugs, I guess. I do love birds, but I’ve got to tell you, I HAD SO MUCH FUN painting these little aerialists! Damsels & Dragons notecards are for sale in my Etsy shop. The set includes eight cards. Each card features an illustration of a different species of dragonfly or damselfly.

Backyard Pond Visitors / September 22, 2019 by Brad Sneed

Our backyard pond attracts all kinds of critters. This summer, it’s been fun watching the dragonflies and damselflies flit, dart, and careen near the water. You have to get close to really appreciate the remarkable variety of form and color that distinguishes species. These amazing insects have inspired a series of illustrations that I will post later. For now, check out these close-up pics my wife and I managed to capture.

THE BOY WHO WAS RAISED BY LIBRARIANS In Paperback / July 16, 2019 by Brad Sneed

It was 2006 when I received my first advance copy of the soon-to-be-published, The Boy Who Raised by Librarians. It was super fun coming up with images to accompany Carla Morris’s story about a curious boy and his enthusiastic, encouraging, question answering Librarian friends. Fast-forward to 2019. Yesterday I once again experienced the joy of seeing this book for the “first time” but now as a soon-to-be-published paperback! I’m tickled the original hardcover book is still out in the world, and delighted, come August, it will be joined by its paperback cousin!

Great Blue Heron / June 27, 2019 by Brad Sneed

I’ve long admired these majestic birds, though always from afar, until one day I froze while passing by a window facing the backyard. Standing in our pond (this is a decorative hot tub-sized pond) was a Great Blue Heron! He was there to poach a goldfish or two, I suppose, but must’ve sensed or seen me, for he launched and was gone. The encounter, though brief, made an impression!

Prints of this bird are for sale in my Etsy Shop.

Barn Swallow Pattern / June 26, 2019 by Brad Sneed

It’s been an exceptionally wet summer here in the middle of America. Lots of rain means lots of puddles which means lots of mosquitos which means there is food aplenty for critters that enjoy a mosquito meal. One of those mosquito-eating critters is the lovely Barn Swallow. Sadly, these birds don’t live in my neighborhood, but they were plentiful at my rural childhood home. They nested in the rafters and under the eves of the barn and outbuildings. There was a family that returned year after year to nest above a window on our house. By summer’s end, my family shared the homestead with at least 30 swallows! Those warm August evening skies were filled with careening fork-tailed birds gorging on mosquitos and other flying insects. That memory inspired this illustration.

Summer Solstice, 2019 / June 21, 2019 by Brad Sneed

It’s officially the first day of summer!