Eastern Pondhawk is a common dragonfly of eastern North America. Males are blue, and females are green and black. The name pondhawk comes from the fact that this species is a ferocious hunter often found near ponds.

About the medium – Casein (pronounced kay’seen) is a water-based paint made from milk protein. It has been around for thousands of years but has waned in popularity since the introduction of acrylic paints in the 1950s. Casein can crack after it has dried, especially if it is applied thickly, so a stiffer support is recommended. For this painting, I used Saunders Waterford 300 lb cold press watercolor paper and applied only thin layers of casein.