I was going to title this “through the looking glass” as a reference to Alice in Wonderland, and then looked up and found out that a looking glass is a mirror. So it is “through the magnifying glass”.

Here is my new magnifying lamp. It has 2.25x magnification. There are lots of other technical specifications on the box. It is a Halo Go Rechargeable Magnifier made by The Daylight Company.

I bought it to look closer at some of the objects I sketch. My drawings sometimes have the impression of detail, and I wanted to be able to see some of that detail, even I can’t or don’t include it all. I am curious as to how things connect. It is definitely not for scientific observation.

We are very spoilt to be able to look at some images online and on our phones and zoom in on the detail. I definitely did not want a microscope – not that level of detail. I could take a photo of an object and enlarge it on the screen to see detail, but I love to draw from an object directly. I feel a sense of connection.

I am not sure what situations I want to use it. Insects are the obvious. I have a little collection of beetles and butterflies. I wonder about feathers and nests. What other natural world objects or other objects that I can fit under the lens?

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I love to draw old books, especially the worn and old covers.