Pen & Ink Nature Sketches

I've been playing with Micron pens and an ink brush in my nature journal, following the contours of the lush late summer vegetation. Beauty in abundance waits to be captured outside. 

Whenever you draw, you connect with the energy of your subject.  Right now, we could all use more of the peace that nature offers.

Sunflowers!

 The sunflowers around my home are blooming gloriously in spite of the drought.  Bumblebees, butterflies,  and Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds visit the blooms from dawn to dusk.  Goldfinches, Titmice and Chickadees are already dining on the seeds from older blooms. 

While the flowers feed a plethora of wildlife, they make my heart rise whenever I see them and feed my soul as I try to capture them on the page.  

Finished 3 Fabulous Feathers!

I couldn't be more delighted with my new Schmincke watercolors.  Here's the finished study of a Crow feather, an Owl (?) feather and a Downy Woodpecker feather.  Of course, the real feathers that I found out on hikes and around my farm weren't purple and blue, but I decided to take a colorist's approach to the black, earth-toned and black-and-white, feathers, respectively.

Nature Journal Update: A Stormy Afternoon

A stormy afternoon made me reach for my watercolors and gouache. I love how white gouache sits on top of the watercolor painting, allowing me to lift out highlights in the turbulent sky.

Nature Journal Update: Summer Thunderclouds

A summery afternoon built cumulonimbus clouds that didn't travel very far very fast, but rumbled and dropped curtains of indigo.  Tired at the end of a busy day, I sat on the front porch and sketched, blissfully.

Learning to Play with my Nature Journal

I've been watching John Muir Laws' YouTube channel lately and feeling inspired by his videos.  I have to admit, I resisted some of his advice, like Don't try to make pretty pictures.  Use your journal to explore, make discoveries and ask questions.  I thought, "But I want to make pretty pictures!"

This morning, I tried a value study of the view out of my window.  My goal was merely to try a new technique -- using a black Aquarelle pencil to draw a simplified landscape.   I can now see John's wisdom.  When you focus on "This must be beautiful!" you hamper your own creativity, trying to force an outcome.  When you approach the journal with the attitude of curiosity and exploration, you free yourself up to make discoveries and to reach a flow state. No expectations = maximum freedom and creativity.  Try it!

I sketched this with a Stabilo Aquarelle pencil, then used a waterbrush.

Forsythia Blooms & Inspiration

Though the human world seems to have ground to a halt right now, nature bursts with new life out here in the country around my home. Everyday some new flower spills fresh color into the landscape, and I want to capture it all in my nature journals.

I have been watching videos from John Muir Laws' website on keeping a nature journal, organizing journal pages, and using watercolor pencils to best effect. Inspiring!  Check them out for free here: https://johnmuirlaws.com/blog/

I have taken to carrying a journal with me on hikes with David, or even down the driveway to put a letter in the box. Here is a collection of recent findings in no particular order.

Nature Journal: March Green!

You can cancel the St. Patty's Day parades, but you can't cancel nature's greening.  Right around St. Patrick's Day every year near my home, the grass awakens from its winter dullness and flushes with vibrant green.  What a feast for the eyes! This morning, I decided to try to capture the colors I could see out my south windows.