A winter storm has blown in from the west, and while it isn’t showing up as a particularly thick band on the radar, it has stalled and settled over central Pennsylvania. The result? Snow-covered roads and a healthy dumping of snow that’s already altered plans and postponed meetings for many of us today. And it doesn’t stop there—another winter system appears to be right on its heels, poised to deliver close to a foot of snow this coming weekend.
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| View from my studio room. |
The weather, of course, is beyond my control. What is within my control is how I use the time it gives me. With a slate of upcoming projects on the horizon, the best thing I can do is stay productive and focused. If I fully commit to the goals I’ve laid out, 2026 has the potential to be my strongest year yet as an artist, illustrator, and writer. So yes—snow days are welcome. There’s a lot of planning, sketching, and painting to be done if I’m going to squeeze every ounce of potential from the year ahead.
I’m especially excited to share that I’ll be partnering with Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, where I’ve been commissioned to create a large-scale painting that does exactly what I love most: tell an ecological story. Once completed, the piece will be exhibited in a Bellefonte gallery before returning home to Shaver’s Creek to be displayed there.
My goal with this work is to highlight some of my favorite elements of the forest—and, more importantly, the connections between them. How habitat supports birds, and how birds, in turn, shape the forest. After all, everything is connected. I also want the piece to carry the “Michael Kensingerisms” I’ve developed through years of honing my craft—something personal, thoughtful, and timeless. Ideally, it will be a work I can look back on years from now and love just as much as the day it was finished. Since accepting the commission last Friday, I’ve already begun brainstorming how to create something truly unique—something that reflects the things I care about, for a place I’ve adored since childhood.
Meanwhile, in the editorial world, writing and illustration continue to take up a significant portion of my time. This is something I’ve long hoped for, and I’m settling into it with gratitude and excitement. I’m also on the cusp of potentially adding another magazine to my client list—one that originally sparked my interest in naturalist writing and illustration in the first place. Nothing is set in stone just yet, and I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but the editor sounded genuinely enthusiastic about my work. With a bit of necessary business on their end, I’m hopeful for a positive outcome.
There are other goals and projects in motion, but at the risk of making this post too long, I’ll leave it here for now.
Chase your dreams without relenting.
Be yourself.
And do what makes your heart smile.