Happy birthday to trailblazing American computer scientist Frances Elizabeth Allen (1932 – 2020) who made foundational contributions to optimizing compilers, optimizing programs and parallel computing. She was the first woman to become an IBM Fellow, where she worked from 1957 to 2002 and as an emeritus fellow afterwards. She was the first woman to win the Turing Prize.

IBM Research was recruiting teachers 1/n

In The Netherlands, 2025 is the year of the Common Kestrel.
Still one of the most frequently seen birds of prey in the Netherlands, the kestrel is finding it increasingly difficult to survive in a depleting landscape. Thus, extra research and attention for this characteristic hunter.

I made a print of the kestrel and am donating part of the proceeds from its sale to @Sovon to support their important work:

https://www.royscholten.nl/news/2025/common-kestrel-sovon-promotion/
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#birds #birdArt #Kestrel #LEGOletterpress #printmaking

Queen Nefertiti (first printing)

I thought that I had bitten off more than I could chew halfway through this project, but I am pleased with the result. I had to think differently about how I approached the drypoint and I learnt a lot.

It's been quite a while since I did some #penAndInk work, and for whatever reason, this felt like a good week to stretch those particular legs. It also gave me the opportunity to do something much looser than my normal process, and just ink directly on linoleum with india ink, then do my best to preserve the character of the line work in the carving. I think it turned out well!

I'll probably do more of this kind of work down the road, it's quite enjoyable

Another pollinator and garden repeat pattern! This one made with my black-eyed susans, purple coneflower and monarch butterfly linocuts.

https://www.spoonflower.com/en/fabric/19900233-black-eyed-susan-coneflower-monarch-by-minouette?sku=fbty-pf-yd-f130-d19900233

Time to carve a new block! This is a transverse-banded flower fly in progress. Because of its yellow and black stripes, tendency to hover (it’s a hover fly after all) and love of flowers, it can be mistaken for a bee. But no, it’s a fly. The eyes are the real giveaway for this bee mimic, to my mind. While not a bee, it is an excellent pollinator and another friend to gardeners.

Another fun, simple repeat pattern made with the tomato lino block print I carved and printed for my print about food crops grown here in Ontario which benefit from insects.

Also in my spoonflower minouette shop!

Happy birthday to #geologist & oceanographic #cartographer Marie Tharp (1920-2006), whose pioneering, thorough & complete ocean floor maps with Bruce Heezen, made using realms of echo sounder data, revealed the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.⁠
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After studying #geology & math, Maurice ‘Doc’ Ewing at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia hired her to draft 1000s of echo sounder profiles. Women were still not allowed to participate in