Mike Hendley 🎨 ✍️ 🇨🇦

@mikehendley.com

4098 Followers 553 Following

Artist, naturalist, podcaster, art teacher. Graphite, watercolor, oil, acrylic, and digital. By day, I work in IT & health research. https://MikeHendley.com/links

Watercolor painting of a Eurasian red squirrel with tall tufted ears, sitting on a mossy, gnarled branch and holding a nut in its paws. Warm rust and orange fur with a full bushy tail, painted in fine detail on cream paper. The branch shows greens, browns, and cool blue-gray shadows.
Graphite drawing of a giraffe's face and upper neck rendered in close frontal view on cream-toned sketchbook paper. Detailed fur texture, expressive dark eyes, and soft highlights created with lifting. Sketchbook held open on a wooden table with mechanical pencils below.
Watercolor painting of a harvest mouse perched on a rose hip branch, clinging to the stems with tiny pink feet. Painted in warm golden browns and vivid reds against a pale cream background. Soft, detailed brushwork in a sketchbook format.
Graphite drawing of a snapping turtle viewed from the side in a small sketchbook, rendered with fine mechanical pencils. The turtle faces right with detailed scutes, textured skin, and a mossy shell. Grasses sketched loosely in the background. Cool grey tones on cream paper.
Watercolor painting of a killdeer chick standing in sparse grass and dirt, rendered in soft tans, browns, and cream with black facial markings. The small bird faces left in profile, painted with loose brushstrokes on white sketchbook paper.
Detailed graphite drawing of an American toad resting among grass, twigs, and leaf litter. The toad faces right in profile, its warty skin and large dark eye rendered in fine detail. Soft pencil shading creates a blurred natural background. Drawn in a sketchbook, shown outdoors in sunlight.
Watercolor painting of an Atlantic puffin standing in profile on a rocky perch. Black back and head, white chest, with a striped orange and red beak and bright orange webbed feet. Painted loosely on cream sketchbook paper with soft earth tones in the foreground.
Graphite drawing of a harvest mouse perched on a textured, lichen-covered branch, rendered in detailed black and gray pencil work. The mouse sits upright with its tail dangling, facing right, with small sprigs of foliage along the branch on a cream sketchbook page.
An unfinished sketch of a mouse on a flower in a sketchbook with a pencil in view
Graphite drawing of a southern leopard frog in a sketchbook, shown in three-quarter view facing left. Detailed pencil work captures bumpy textured skin on the back, smooth pale belly, and large round eyes. A Pentel GraphGear 1000 mechanical pencil rests above the drawing.
Watercolor painting of a tawny owl perched on a wooden fence post, with a small field mouse sitting on a second post connected by barbed wire. Painted in soft browns, ochres, and muted greens on cream-toned paper. The owl faces forward with large dark eyes.
Graphite drawing of an African penguin standing on a rocky surface in profile, facing left. Rendered in a small sketchbook with detailed black and white shading, textured feathers, and a lightly sketched ground. Pentel mechanical pencils visible beside the sketchbook.
Watercolor painting of a gyrfalcon perched on a weathered tree stump, rendered in soft grays, warm browns, and creamy whites with subtle yellow feet and beak. The bird faces left with detailed speckled plumage against a plain sketchbook background.
A detailed graphite drawing in a sketchbook of a Scottish Highland cattle in three-quarter profile. The rendering captures the animal’s iconic shaggy coat with layered, directional pencil strokes, and a soft vignette background fades to grey around the subject. A Pentel GraphGear 1000 mechanical pencil rests against the open sketchbook.
Graphite sketchbook drawing of a bighorn sheep ram standing in a snow-covered landscape. The ram faces left with large curved horns and detailed fur texture. Sparse winter shrubs and bare branches fill the background. Rendered in graphite on cream paper.
Graphite and colored pencil sketch of a Northern Hawk Owl perched on a branch, centered on white paper. The bird faces forward with striking yellow eyes, dark facial markings, and warm brown and gray barred plumage. Signed “Mike Hendley.”
A start of a sketch of a big horn sheep showing its head looking left. Surrounded by two mechanical pencils.
Small watercolor painting of a barn owl perched on a wooden post, rendered in warm golds and soft whites with olive green background. The owl faces slightly left with detailed feather markings. Painted in a realistic style on a trading card sized piece.
Tiny graphite sketch of an eastern spadefoot amphibian in a small cream sketchbook. The animal sits in profile with textured skin, a round reflective eye, and softly shaded legs. Mechanical pencils rest beside the page, emphasizing the delicate, detailed line work.
Small watercolor painting of a cedar waxwing perched on a thin branch with red berries. The bird has a soft tan body, black eye mask, gray wings, and yellow tail tip. The miniature artwork is mounted in a sleeve and displayed in a rigid card holder in someone's hand.
Hand holding a gray pen between two small square cards with ballpoint sketches of birds. Left card shows a fluffy tufted titmouse on a branch. Right card shows a black capped chickadee perched on twigs. A sign behind asks "Where do you find beauty in nature?" on an inspiration wall.
Tiny graphite sketch of a gray mouse lemur peeking from behind textured tree bark in a small pocket sketchbook. The lemur's wide round eyes face forward while soft fur shading contrasts with the dark vertical bark.
A start of a sketch of a lemur looking out through a hole in a tree. In a sketchbook with pencils in the background.
Graphite drawing of a pair of chestnut breasted mannikins perched on thin twigs in a small open sketchbook. The two birds sit one above the other, softly shaded with dark faces and patterned chests. A hand holds the page, with pencils and a coffee cup behind.
Small watercolor of a European barn owl peeking through a weathered brick wall. Warm ochres and soft creams define the textured bricks, while the owl's pale heart shaped face is gently in focus, creating depth against a subtly blurred background.
Small graphite sketch of a Cooper's hawk perched on a tree branch, drawn in a tiny cream sketchbook. The hawk faces left with detailed feather texture and a sharp, watchful eye, rendered in 4B pencil. A hand holds the book with a silver mechanical pencil below.
Detailed watercolor painting of a western grebe floating on calm water with its reflection mirrored below. A tiny owl sketch rests between its feathers. Painted in golden tones in an Etchr A5 hot press sketchbook, held in hand beside QoR watercolors and Pentel Aquash brush pens.
Detailed watercolor painting of a western grebe floating on calm water with its reflection mirrored below. A tiny owl sketch rests between its feathers. Painted in golden tones in an Etchr A5 hot press sketchbook, held in hand beside QoR watercolors and Pentel Aquash brush pens.
Detailed graphite sketch of a pangolin in grass, drawn in a pocket sketchbook with a Pentel Graphgear 1000 .5mm mechanical pencil. No erasing or blending.
A realistic graphite drawing of a Barbary striped grass mouse with distinct dark stripes, perched on a piece of heavily textured bark. The mouse is alert, and the shading is soft and blended. The drawing is in an open sketchbook with pencils nearby.
Graphite drawing of a winter American goldfinch perched on a bare branch, sketched in a notebook using fine mechanical pencils.
A realistic watercolor painting of a northern hawk owl perched on a branch, with its reflection below. Painted on A6 Etchr hot press paper.
Realistic pencil drawing of an elephant flinging mud from its trunk, with detailed shading and textures on its skin and environment.
Realistic pencil sketch of a bat-eared fox, drawn in a small sketchbook using graphite. The fox's large ears are detailed with soft shading and fur texture.
A detailed sketch of a barn owl perched on a stump is drawn in a notebook, held open by a hand with a pen resting on the page.
Watercolor painting of a sloth clinging to a birch tree, with detailed green-tinted fur and mossy bark textures.
Drawing newsletter screenshot on an iPhone: Substack post titled “34: Drawing Connections” by Mike Hendley (Jan 1, 2026), subtitle “2026 Theme, Podcast Season 2, Courses, US Shipping,” with a cover photo of an open sketchbook showing a graphite owl drawing.
Top row: graphite opossum in a sketchbook, watercolor chickadee beside a blue ornament, graphite blue jay. Middle row: watercolor caiman head study, photo of the artist presenting beside a projected slide, watercolor green beetle. Bottom row: watercolor turtle with a leaf, graphite kingfisher on a branch, watercolor tortoise.
Realistic graphite sketch of an opossum in a sketchbook, featuring detailed fur texture and vines drawn in negative space, with two mechanical pencils below.
A detailed sketch of an opossum is being drawn in a sketchbook, surrounded by various pens on a wooden table.
Graphite drawing of a great horned owl perched on a twisted tree stump in snow, rendered in fine pencil detail with layered shading and blended textures, shown in an open sketchbook held by hand.
Open sketchbook on a wooden table with a partially finished graphite drawing of a great horned owl; two mechanical pencils and blending stumps lie beside the page.
Realistic pencil drawing of a griffon vulture in a sketchbook, surrounded by mechanical pencils and soft shading around the bird's neck and head.
A watercolor painting of a curious wolf pup inspecting a shiny red ornament that reflects its own face. The scene is set against soft snow with a pine sprig nearby. The painting is shown on a handmade greeting card.&10;
Pencil sketch of two polyommatus butterflies perched on wheat-like grasses, drawn with fine detail and soft shading in a sketchbook.
Watercolor painting of a chickadee standing in snow next to a blue ornament, with soft shading and fine details, held above a watercolor palette.
Two illustrated trading cards featuring a Blue Jay and a Common Loon are placed on a wooden surface.
Realistic graphite drawing of a blue jay on sketchbook paper, perched on forest ground, with fine shading and detail, drawn using mechanical pencils and blending tools.
Watercolor sketch of a common loon in water, featuring iridescent green and purple hues on the head, with a water droplet falling from its beak. The sketch is propped above a colorful palette and water brushes.
Graphite drawing of a great blue heron perched on a branch with wings dramatically outstretched and drooping downward in a drying pose.
Graphite drawing of a woman's face partially submerged in water, only her eyes, forehead, and textured curly hair visible above the surface.
A graphite drawing in progress in a sketchbook shows a pair of realistic human eyes and the bridge of a nose emerging from the page. A mechanical pencil with a metal grip, a kneaded eraser, and a blending stump rest nearby on a wooden table, suggesting an artist’s workspace in use.
A watercolor painting of a chipmunk sitting upright on a rock, holding its tail in both paws with a soft green background. A few crumbs are scattered on the ground in front.
Watercolor painting of a tufted titmouse perched on a branch, painted in a sketchbook with visible palette and water brushes beside it.
A watercolor sketch of a tufted titmouse in a sketchbook. The bird has a small crest, gray back, and warm beige breast. A blue waterbrush rests on the page, and a watercolor palette sits to the right.
Realistic pencil drawing of an osprey perched on a wooden post beside its nest, rendered with high detail in a sketchbook using graphite pencils and fine lines.
Promo graphic for “Studio Sessions with Mike Hendley, Drawing 1: Seeing and Sketching.” Collage of graphite sketches on sketchbook pages, including a turtle, red panda, blue jay, two small primates, manatees, and perched eagles, with a circular headshot of Mike. Text states a five-week beginner course focused on nature observation and fundamental skills, with supplies included.
Watercolor of two sandpipers on driftwood near water, in a sketchbook surrounded by paint palette, water brushes, and cloth.
A detailed pencil sketch of a frog is featured in an open sketchbook, surrounded by art supplies.
A watercolor painting of a river otter perched on a rock near water, with fine detail in its fur and a soft, misty background. Art supplies and a palette are visible around the sketchbook.