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hgpennington.bsky.social
@hgpennington
@hgpennington.bsky.social
740 followers 1K following 600 posts
Plant pathogen paintings & photos
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hgpennington.bsky.social
Lichen on the bark of a black locust tree (Robinia pseudoacacia)
A photograph of mixed yellow and white lichen on the bark of a black locust tree (Robinia pseudoacacia)
January 15, 2026 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
In 2022 I painted corn smut, caused by the fungus Ustilago maydis.

hgpenningtonart.co.u...
The painting shows a yellow corn cob, with a green opened husk. Dark grey mushroom-like galls have emerged from the cob.
January 14, 2026 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
In 2023 I illustrated two related diseases: early leaf spot of peanut, caused by the fungus Cercospora arachidicola and late lead spot of peanut, caused by the fungus Cercospora personata (synonym Phaeoisariopsis personata).

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The painting shows both the adaxial (upper) and abaxial (lower) faces of a peanut leaf placed side-by-side. . Peanut leaves are compound, with four leaflets arranged in two pairs along the stem. Early leaf spot lesions appear as dark brown on the upper surface, surrounded by a yellowish-green halo, and a lighter brown on the lower surface. In contrast, late leaf spot lesions appear as brown on the upper surface and black on the lower surface.
January 13, 2026 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
In 2023 I challenged myself to complete one drawing each day whilst on holiday in Japan.

Kiyomizu-dera Temple Niōmon (gate)

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Kiyomizu-dera Temple Niōmon (gate): a Buddhist temple gate building at Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Drawn in black biro on white watercolour paper
January 12, 2026 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
I drew a foxglove alongside the chemical structure of digitoxin - a cardiac glycoside derived from this plant. This was a Christmas gift for a friend 🙂

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Botanical illustration of a foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) with pink bell-shaped flowers, shown beside the chemical structure of digitoxin and the handwritten label “Digitalis purpurea”.
January 11, 2026 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
In 2025 I illustrated Mucor, showing its erect hyphal sporangiophores topped with swollen, globose sporangia.

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The piece won the “On-the-outside” category of the American Phytopathological Society’s 2025 Art in Plant Pathology contest
The drawing of Mucor sp. depicts erect hyphal sporangiophores, each with a swollen, globose sporangium at its tip.
January 8, 2026 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
In 2022 I painted Blumeria graminis f.sp. hordei colony on the surface of a barley leaf.

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The painting shows jewel-like erect conidiophores, rising from the surface of the leaf. Grey hyphae are shown expanding over the leaf.
January 7, 2026 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
In 2023 I painted Cotton angular leaf spot, caused by the bacterium Xanthomonas citri p.v. malvacearum

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The painting shows a section of a cotton branch with two leaves and one boll (round green fruit). There are brown angular lesions with a darker brown border on the leaves, stem and boll. Some of these lesions have spread along the leaf veins.
January 6, 2026 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
In 2023 I challenged myself to complete one drawing each day whilst on holiday in Japan.

Torii at Meiji-jingu

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Torii at Meiji-jingu Shrine: a torii gate, with two lamps on either side. Drawn in black biro on white watercolour paper
January 5, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Reposted by @hgpennington
rnbwtrout.bsky.social
First watercolor painting of the year 😭 I didn't expect it to come out so good...

Tutorial I followed in the comments 🕺

[ #watercolor #scenerypainting #landscapepainting ]
A watercolor painting of a winter scene. It is set in the woods, covered in snow, and there is a dark river cutting through the middle of the woods.
January 3, 2026 at 10:03 PM
hgpennington.bsky.social
I drew a waterway framed by vibrant green foliage, focusing on the reflections in the water. Made with Derwent Inktense pencils (Bright Blue 1000, Mallard Green 1230, Apple Green 1400, Tan 1720, Antique White 2300) on pale yellow Canson Mi-Teintes paper.

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a narrow waterway framed by vibrant green foliage, aiming to convey the beautiful reflections, drawn in watercolour pencils on the heavily textured side of mi-tientes paper
January 4, 2026 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
Happy New Year!

In 2025 my website had 2,586 visits 🌍 The top 5 were from the USA (580), India (572), UK (247), Germany (126) and Philippines (107).

Still amazing numbers for a hobbyist’s art page 😊

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a screenshot of a map, showing sources of geographic engagement with my website which occurred in 2025
January 1, 2026 at 4:08 PM
hgpennington.bsky.social
I'm feeling rather called out by one of my Christmas presents...
A photograph of a lego shrimp, sitting in a lego desk chair and typing at a lego computer. The shrimp has terrible posture - bent far forwards towards the laptop
January 1, 2026 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
In 2024 I painted Hellebore leaf spot symptoms, caused by Microsphaeropsis hellebori, for the January illustration of the BSPP plant pathogens calendar.

www.bspp.org.uk/prod...

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The painting features a hellebore flower stem with three dark red flowers and a five-lobed leaf. Brown lesions are visible along the edges of the leaf lobes. The flowers have brown centres and dried brown sepals.
December 31, 2025 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
In 2023 I painted Cristulariella leaf spot on chestnut oak, caused by the fungus Cristulariella depraedans.

Original photo by @UTPlantDoc, who thanked “Tom Kesling in GA for the specimens…”

www.hgpenningtonart....
The painting shows a dark green maple chestnut oak leaf, with the major veins draw in black. The leaf is covered in circular lesions, with concentric rings in light and dark brown. The lesions spread over the major veins and leaf midrib, but the presence of the major veins causes the rings to distort.
December 30, 2025 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
In 2023 I challenged myself to complete one drawing each day whilst on holiday in Japan.

Cherry tree outline

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Cherry Tree Outline: the outline of a cherry tree, where the branches have been trained to all flow in one direction.
December 29, 2025 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
I drew the Sakurajima Ferry Terminal, using a photograph taken from the ferry.

I used a limited pallet of Derwent Inktense pencils (0230, 1730, 0900, with the accidental inclusion of 1210 when I forgot I was using 0900) on cream Mi-Teintes paper.

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December 28, 2025 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
In 2022 I painted poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) infected with poinsettia branch-inducing phytoplasma.

www.hgpenningtonart....
The painting shows a bushy poinsettia, with two red bract clusters (formed from modified leaves), green oval central flowers, and green leaves under the red bracts.
December 24, 2025 at 11:59 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
In 2023 painted European mistletoe on apple. The lack of berries indicates that either this is a male plant, or that it is the wrong season for berries.

www.hgpenningtonart....
The painting shows a cross-section of mistletoe infecting an apple branch. The mistletoe haustorium, twigs and leaves are shown in green. The branch has swollen where where the haustorium has grown.
December 23, 2025 at 11:59 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
In 2023 I challenged myself to complete one drawing each day whilst on holiday in Japan.

peach blossom

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a peach blossom in the sunshine, attached to a dark twig. The flower and twig are drawn in black biro on white watercolour paper
December 22, 2025 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
My Christmas plant disease illustration this year features Phytophthora ilicis, the oomycete responsible for holly leaf blight.
🎄🌿
hgpenningtonart.com/...
Illustration of a holly twig with several spiny green leaves showing brown blotches and pale, faded areas caused by Phytophthora ilicis infection. The stem is yellow-green and the background is plain white.
December 21, 2025 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
Cat!
A cat with a quizzical facial expression
December 18, 2025 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
In 2022 I painted Yam Mosaic Virus (YMV) symptoms on true yam (Dioscorea).

www.hgpenningtonart....
The painting shows a yam vine with eight mature leaves, and a side-shoot with two new leaves. The leaves show a yellow-green mosaic pattern, mostly between the veins or in the narrow green strips bordering the veins.
December 17, 2025 at 11:00 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
In 2023 I painted Cristulariella leaf spot, or bull’s eye spot, caused by the fungus Cristulariella depraedans.

www.hgpenningtonart....
The painting shows a palmate dark green maple leaf, with light green major veins and stem. The leaf is covered in brown-grey lesions with a dark grey edge.
December 16, 2025 at 11:59 AM
hgpennington.bsky.social
In 2024 I did a watercolour painting of a tomato flower stem, featuring six green immature fruits of varying sizes, two yellow flowers, and four flower buds.

www.hgpenningtonart....
December 15, 2025 at 11:59 AM