Back in the summer, i was so enchanted watching brown boobies hunting the flying fish being flushed from the water at the front of the ferry to and from Yakushima.

A Collotheca rotifer I found in a pond by the river. This tiny sessile animal sits in a gelatinous tube with its long hairs extended to draw single-celled organisms down into its mouth. Here, the prey gathers until the rotifer contracts and 'swallows' them. It also appeared to regurgitate food particles into its mouth area, possibly to attract more prey but unsure.

The hairs are truly beautiful when it moves, opening like a rippling flower.

Finishing up a new little book with a friend gathering all our explorations of the microscopic world along our local river here in Tokyo. Here are some tiny crustaceans, but will share more soon!

Commissions open! 🍂🍁

I finally have availability for some commissions again. If you have a sweet pet you'd love an illustration of, please order through my online store here. Artwork will be delivered in time for Christmas/holiday season. ☺️

I'm also open for other kinds of illustration work, including larger projects and commissions of things such as nature, wildlife, creatures etc. in different media. If you're interested please email me at niqvassie.art(at)gmail.com!

Thank you as always for all the support on my posts, hope you all enjoy a restful end of the year <3

Little silkworms spinning. I have been looking after some for a friend who is raising peace-silk for a project, will meet them again as moths in a week or so!

Barn swallow feeding on mayflies, and being fed on by louse flies.

Recipe-notebook design for my friend.

some studies of creatures i met in the ocean last weekend.

Hello! My online shop is open for a week until April 28th while I'm visiting the UK. Books, postcards, riso and pet commissions are up and options for original drawings like these in the books. 🌸🌼🌱

Thank you as always for your support, it means a lot! <3

some microscope life drawings - monogonontan rotifers, vorticella ciliates and diatoms.

severed bamboo shoots won't grow.

drawing of a home i stayed in, shizuoka. I raced the sunset to finish it before getting too cold.

Persimmon for my grandfather.

drawings from life, 森町, december 2024.

Laila after lunch.

A caterpillar i rescued off the floor of a station twice in 20 minutes. Glad they didn't get trampled 🌱

Persimmons on the kitchen table soon prepared for drying in the winter mountain air last November.

Caran d'Ache Neocolor2 pastels on bristol.