Quillipede

@quillipede

they/them, En/Fr, QC-raised, BC-based 🖱️ Game designer @ Forgotten Empires 🧡 NDP EDA for Vancouver Centre 📚️ Indie SFF author 📸 Nature photographer 🐈️🐠🌱🔬🧑‍🍳🧶🎨 My & my work:

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Quillipede@quillipede· 16d

Learning about the diversity of sparrows has been an unexpected pleasure of birding in Vancouver. At least 14 species live in our municipal parks, if not more! For the next two weeks I'll be seeking COPE's nomination for Park Board candidacy, so I can support ecological stewardship of our parks.

A photo of a Lincoln's sparrow, a small brown songbird with a pale grey head striped with brown, and brown spotty-stripes along its collar and wings. Overlaid is a text box that reads "I need your support! To help look after our feathered friends."

Quillipede@quillipede· 19d

I'm seeking COPE's nomination to run for Park Board, and I'm asking for support! I care about stewardship of nature and public spaces, and making the city work for the humans who live here, not for investment portfolios. If you're interested, here's my link: www.copevancouver.ca/donatetoguer...

A close-up photo of orange mushrooms growing from a stump, with other mushrooms faded in the background. Text overlaid over the image reads:

To look after our nature
I Need Your Support!
I'm fundraising for August 1

Quillipede@quillipede· 20d

Moss has been important for my photography, like this ice-sprinkled Dicranum on the forest floor in Vancouver's Stanley Park. I love how macro photography gets you seeing whole new tiny worlds, even in the most familiar of places. #Moss #iNaturalist #Vancouver #StanleyPark

An extremely close-up photo of a tuft of moss, with gently curved green leaves, growing out of a forest floor of brownish hemlock needle litter. There are little soft clumps of ice crystals scattered around and within the moss.

Quillipede@quillipede· 26d

I love dragonfly season. Spotted this blue-eyed darner (Rhionaeschna multicolor) a few weeks ago at a small lake. #Rhionaeschna #Dragonfly #Darner #Insect #Invertebrate #Nature #Wildlife #WildlifePhotography #iNaturalist #Vancouver #BritishColumbia #Canada

A photo of a dragonfly perched on a stick, with water in the background. The dragonfly's eyes are large and blue, and its body is coloured in a regular pattern of black, brown, and bright blue. Its four wings are almost entirely translucent.

Quillipede@quillipede· 27d

I do love swimming around in lakes. Western yellow pond-lily (Nuphar polysepala) is a nice sight around here. #Vancouver #WestVancouver #WhyteLakePark #Park #Nature #NaturePhotography #Nuphar #iNaturalist

A close-up photo of a large, round, bowl-shaped flower of yellow petals sitting in lake water, with a thick trumpet-like structure in its centre and a dense array of smaller structures within. There are many much smaller flies crawling around the flower. In the background on the lake water are lily pads.

Quillipede@quillipede· Jul 7

It's not every day you see baby isopods (Porcellio scaber). The babies are called mancae, and at first they're actually carried around by their mothers before striking off on their own. #vancouver #BritishColumbia #canada #macro #MacroPhotohraphy #iNaturalist #wildlife #isopod #intervertebrate

An extremely close-up photograph of some greyish isopods. Most of them are adults, with dark carapaces, but one of them is tiny and pale, and has left its front half molt on the wood beneath.

Quillipede@quillipede· Jun 27

I love the term #Bloomscrolling. Here's some orange hawkweed (Pilosella aurantiaca) I saw recently on a day trip. #pilosella #flowers #inaturalist #britishcolumbia #canada #macro #nature

A close-up photo of a cluster of three bright orange flowers with many narrow, flat-tipped petals. They resemble dandelion flowers in general shape, though the petals are shorter. The cluster of flowers is tucked underneath the leaves of a taller plant.

Quillipede@quillipede· Jun 23

Last week I photographed my first hoary marmot, which means I've photographed three of Canada's four marmot species. I'll need to make a trip to Vancouver Island sometime... #marmot #inaturalist #marmota #wildlife #nature #naturephotography #whistler #britishcolumbia #canada

A photo of a large, grey marmot with a puffy black-brown tail and pale grey fringes in its fur, as well as a rust-coloured muzzle. It is sitting on a rocky slope amidst some stubby plants.

Quillipede@quillipede· Jun 12

Inspired by the time I snorkeled in a local lake and had tons of newts swimming up to check me out! I love newts.

A flat-shaded vector illustration of a newt swimming towards you. The newt is a warm brown on its back and sides, with pale knobbles across its skin, and a bright, rich orange all along its belly and the underside of its jaw and legs and tail. Its body is undulating as it swims forward. The background is a gradient of pale to dark greenish-blue, like lake water, with beams of light coming through.

Quillipede@quillipede· Jun 10

Just a little riff on a classic concept, made for some folks in my life for whom lamotrigine is a real boon. Apparently it's a great mood stabilizer.

A vector image of the words Live, Laugh, Lamotrigine in purple cursive script, arranged in three lines. A yellow, orange, purple, and teal rainbow is spilling rightwards from the word Live, and three shield-shaped pills with the stamp "LG 100" are coasting down along the rainbow.

Quillipede@quillipede· Jun 8

I also photograph nature. I have done work documenting wildlife in specific areas for interested parties, and as an #iNaturalist ambassador I can help train groups of various backgrounds on how to use the platform for their needs. #nature #photography #wildlife

A tuft of long, thin, scaly plant stems growing from rocky soul. The live scale-leaves are a light green, with rusty brown near the base of the living leaves, and older growth is desiccated and grey.

An extremely close photo of a very small flowering plant, with strongly tapered green leaves and a bright orange five-petaled flower that is purplish near the centre. The flower is facing towards the sky.

An extremely close macro photo of a tiny slug climbing straight up the spore capsules of moss. The slug has reached the top of the capsules and seems to be looking for a way to climb even higher. The slug is pale with some rough slightly darker mottling in patches and lines along its sides, and its eyestalks are dark. The moss capsules are pale and fuzzy, with orange tips and orange stalks. The rest of the area is out of focus.

An American red squirrel clinging to a snow-covered fence railing, crawling towards the camera, with its tail puffy and red in the air behind it.

Quillipede@quillipede· Jun 8

I also write stories. Right now I've got two entry points: Zeroth Law (2016) kicks off a science-fantasy YA-ish adventure series, and Slice of Mars (2023) is a standalone, low-stakes slice of life sci-fi novel. Both are on large book markets (not only Amazon!!) as well as on Itch. #booksky #scifi

A science-fiction book cover featuring a drone dropping pizza toppings onto a pizza-shaped crater on Mars. The title reads A Slice Of Mars, and the author is noted as Guerric Haché. The tagline is "The revolution promised pizza. Delivery's late."

A science-fantasy book cover featuring two women walking through a forest, with ruins overgrown by the trees and glowing, hexagonal, quasi-electric patterns coursing through the tree bark. One woman is wearing a dark, technical-looking jumpsuit, while the other is wearing a mixture of natural-fiber and leather clothing and a pale cloak. The title reads Zeroth Law, and the author is noted as Guerric Haché.

Quillipede@quillipede· Jun 8

Pinned post time! Hello! I do lots, including art & design, photography, and writing (next post). You'll find I like living things, science, and politics. Most of my visual work is available on my shop, here: www.etsy.com/shop/Lystros... #art #vectorart #design #inkscape #vancouver

A circular design containing the silhouettes of two crows, one black and walking, one red and cawing aggressively. The black silhouette is superimposed on the red silhouette, evoking the antifascist symbol of a black and red flag. Around the edge of the design are the words Antifascist Crow.

A stylized, flat-shaded illustration of a beaver standing on its dam, holding a chewed stick like a spear; the beaver is seen from behind, mostly shadowed, facing down a vast tsunami that is bearing down on the dam. Plants are being bent away from the waves by the incoming waves.

A simple stylized image of a larger orange cat and a smaller white cat. The smaller cat is superimposed on the larger cat, making it seem like a cutout shape. Both cats have relaxed, happy upwards crescent eyes, with colours matching the other cat.

A flat-shaded illustration of a gull taking flight while grabbing a French fry from a red cardboard carton of fries, with the word "Ungovernable" spelled in a wavy script underneath it.

Quillipede@quillipede· Jun 8

Another political warning sign to add to my collection of stickers, this time decision-making structures that are concentrated and undemocratic, where accountability is diffuse and focused on financial gain. #vectorart #inkscape #design #protest #digitalart #art

A yellow and black warning sign with the words "Shareholder Value," depicting a stylized planet Earth. Part of the planet is on fire, part of the planet is erupting into mushroom clouds, part of the planet is under a dark flag with a light centre and the copyright symbol in the middle, and part of the planet is dripping black fluid.

Quillipede@quillipede· Jun 7

My cat needs this hat. We've got a pet shrimp tank and he loves to watch it, and we always tell him it's shimps.

A photo of an orange cat sitting on a full tote bag. He is staring lovingly with huge eyes into the camera. He's unreasonably cute.

Quillipede@quillipede· Jun 5

Sometimes it's nice to get mad with art. I used to think more information and communication would be an unmitigated good; now I see how the wrong designs and ownership structures of information systems can lead to terrible outcomes. #art #inkscape #bigtech #noai #protest #doomscrolling #burnout

A vector image of a diamond-shaped warning sign, yellow with a black border, mimicking a road sign. The sign's warning reads "Corporate Hellscape," and above the words are a stylized human figure holding a smartphone, out of which are emerging a smiley face with dollar signs for eyes, a mushroom cloud, a half-lidded eye watching the human, and a skull with X-eyes followed by a string of profanity characters that cut through the human figure's head.

Quillipede@quillipede· Jun 4

The strategy contains some nice words like this, but history shows the Carney government says whatever sounds nice, then does whatever it wants. Their actions show their priorities: boost private industry, ratchet up surveillance, and avoid any interventions to address social challenges.

Canada will protect elections and democratic institutions from AI‑enabled misinformation and foreign interference.

Quillipede@quillipede· Jun 4

A charming little liverwort, Calypogeia (probably C. azurea). #liverwort #bryophyte #macro #plant #plantphotography #nature #inaturalist #vancouver #britishcolumbia #canada

An extremely close-up photo of a tiny plant. The plant is a long, slender row of paired round, nearly circular leaves with a vaguely bluish tint. The photo is close enough that the texture of the leaves looks a bit like bubble wrap.

Quillipede@quillipede· Jun 2

Folks, the Recall Dallas Brodie campaign is collecting signatures from Vancouver-Quilchena residents now! If you lived in that riding during the 2024 BC election, please stop by and sign! #bcpoli #britishcolumbia #vancouver #vanpoli #cdnpoli #canada

A text poster for the Recall Dallas Brodie campaign that reads: "Sign the petition! Mid-Week: Tuesday, June 2: 4-6pm, Dunbar & 27th Ave West.
Thursday, June 4: 4-6pm, 41st Ave West and Vine St."

Quillipede@quillipede· Jun 2

I had fun making this, particularly trying a different way to shade things. #art #inkscape #vectorart #beaver #nature

Quillipede@quillipede· Jun 1

Inspired by my last piece, this time I've made a funky little display of the wildlife of the Okanagan, which I first visited for the first time last year. Find your favourite species! #vectorart #inkscape #art #nature #ecology #okanagan #britishcolumbia #canada #desert #wildlife #wildflowers

An abstract, flat-coloured image of a variety of desert species endemic to the Okanagan valley of British Columbia. The images are drawn in fat, blobby shapes of light, earthy and pastel colours, and are packed together with narrow gaps of black between them. Among the things represented are a rattlesnake, a toad, a scorpion, a butterfly, flowering balsamroot, flowering antelopebrush, flowering sagebrush, and a burrowing owl. Underneath the image, in a similarly blobby font, is the word Scrublands.

Quillipede@quillipede· Jun 1

A nice little stand of serpentine fern (Aspidotis densa) in April. #fern #plant #plantphotography #spring #westvancouver #britishcolumbia #canada #macro #nature #inaturalist

A close-up photo of a dense tuft of fern fronds. Most are in various stages of unfurling new growth, from fronds tensed into balls like fists all the way to long-stemmed, otherwise short fronds fully extended.

Quillipede@quillipede· May 29

Inspired by another one of my cats! Torties have a reputation for being grumpy and particular, and while that's not always true, it can be fun to play around with the idea. #tortoiseshell #tortie #cat #tortitude #vectorart #inkscape #art

An array of cartoon cats drawn in a vector art style. All the cats have the same tortoiseshell pattern, mostly black with patches of grey and orange. The cats all seem to have grumpy faces, even if they are engaged in play. The cats are swatting a flower pot off a table; playing with a feather toy; preparing to pounce; rolling around with an exposed belly and sharp claws; hiding behind a box and peeking out; curled up grumpily on a cat tree; and chowing down hungrily on a bowl of food. At the bottom of the design is the word "Tortitude" in a tortoiseshell-coloured font.

Quillipede@quillipede· May 28

There were two more to round out the set! If these speak to you, you can grab some of the stickers here: www.etsy.com/shop/Lystros...

A circular design containing the silhouettes of two raccoons, one black and foraging, one red and standing aggressively. The black silhouette is superimposed on the red silhouette, evoking the antifascist symbol of a black and red flag. Around the edge of the design are the words Antifascist Raccoon.

A circular design containing the silhouettes of two coyotes, one black and sitting on all hours, one red and standing with concern. The black silhouette is superimposed on the red silhouette, evoking the antifascist symbol of a black and red flag. Around the edge of the design are the words Antifascist Squirrel.

Quillipede@quillipede· May 28

Another series I made a while ago was a bunch of antifascist urban animal stickers. Always nice to have the animals on your side! #vectorart #inkscape #antifascist #skunk #cat #coyote #crow #graphicdesign #art

A circular design containing the silhouettes of two cats, one black and standing normally, one red with its back arched and hissing. The black silhouette is superimposed on the red silhouette, evoking the antifascist symbol of a black and red flag. Around the edge of the design are the words Antifascist Cat.

A circular design containing the silhouettes of two coyotes, one black and walking, one red and howling. The black silhouette is superimposed on the red silhouette, evoking the antifascist symbol of a black and red flag. Around the edge of the design are the words Antifascist Coyote.

A circular design containing the silhouettes of two skunks, one black and standing, one red and raising its tail as though to spray. The black silhouette is superimposed on the red silhouette, evoking the antifascist symbol of a black and red flag. Around the edge of the design are the words Antifascist Skunk.

Quillipede@quillipede· May 27

A little doodle of strawberry-thieving lutins, little people of Acadian folklore, from a story my dad tells me of how they once stole his strawberries during his childhood on the outskirts of Fredericton. #vectorart #inkscape #art #gnome #lutin #folklore #strawberries #canada #acadie #newbrunswick

A cartoon image of two tiny people carrying off a basket of strawberries much larger than them. The people are small enough that they must carry the basket together, and they are running with it; the one in the front looks thrilled, the one in the back is struggling with the weight. They are wearing long, pointy blue caps, greenish shirts with arrowhead belts, and brown pants and shoes; and they have long white beards. One strawberry is flung out of the basket above them, along with a few leaves.

Quillipede@quillipede· May 26

Squirrels are determined and curious, which is a dangerous combination. I love watching them solve problems! So they were a natural choice for another entry in this mischievous animal series. #squirrel #greysquirrel #vectorart #inkscape #graphicdesign #vancouverart #canadianart #urbanwildlife

A flat-shaded image of a grey squirrel that has jumped through the air and caught a single paw on a red bird feeder, spilling bird seed through the air around it. Above the squirrel and feeder is the word "Undaunted."

Quillipede@quillipede· May 25

Another quick design I made recently, next to the originals! They're not related, but little Toast loved our big Cinnamon so much we had to foster fail him. Toast is over a year old now, and still much smaller; I think he'll forever be a little bro. #cats #vectorart #inkscape #graphicdesign #art

A photo of two orange cats sitting on a large travel suitcase, taken from near the ground in front of them. One cat is smaller, and a darker orange; the larger cat is a more peachy pale orange, and has his paw extended towards the camera past the frame, as though he were taking a selfie of the two of them. The cats are cuddled closely together.

Quillipede@quillipede· May 24

Big turnout to the first protest against #AI data centres in #Vancouver. I'd guess >300 people, maybe >400, marching along Granville, Broadway, and 12th to city hall. All from a few IG posts by a new account, and posters on a few main streets. Lots of untapped frustration on this, I think. #cdnpoli

A crowd of people walking down Broadway Street in Vancouver, holding a variety of signs in protest against AI and AI data centres.

A crowd of people walking down Broadway Street in Vancouver, holding a variety of signs in protest against AI and AI data centres. In the foreground two signs are legible: "AI Data Centre = Mass Surveillance Centre," and "Robotgirls Against Data Centres."

A crowd of people assembled around City Hall in Vancouver, holding a variety of signs in protest against AI and AI data centres.

Quillipede@quillipede· May 22

Orchesella villosa is perhaps my favourite springtail to find. I think it's the largest found in North America, and it's just so fuzzy. #springtail #macro #wildlife #arthropod #invertebrate #inaturalist #coquitlam #britishcolumbia #canada #orchesella