In October, I taught a 2-week workshop on Nature Journaling for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Carnegie Mellon University. I happened to finish up a nature journal the day before class, so I began this journal, my 26th, in class among my students.
We had fantastic, warm, sunny weather both days of our Nature Journaling class, and I broke out my little travel watercolor kit to splash some autumn colors on the first page.
The CMU campus is home to a wide variety of trees and plantings. I found a large locust-like tree bearing thick seed pods, and sketched its features. Perhaps it's a Kentucky Coffeebean tree?
Brown-eyed Susans bloomed near the Osher offices and classroom. Perfect for a blind contour sketch!
At the beginning of each journal, I make a title page, with an expression of what I hope to fill the pages with, and a description of when and where the journal was started. This is the title page from the finished journal, #25.
I always start a new journal with drawings, paintings, and observations, leaving the first few pages blank for a cover page and an eventual title page. I like to jump right into making observations, and come back later in a quiet moment to create the title page. That way, I feel less pressure to make the title page "perfect." Of course, there's no such thing as perfect, especially in art journals.
I find nature journaling so relaxing and grounding. I had a wonderful time sketching & painting with my students, and sharing my love of nature journaling with them.
I hope you find time to make some sketches and observations in a journal, or even to sit in nature and absorb its balm.
Happy Nature Journaling!
Copyright 2023 Betsy Bangley.
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