Nature Journal: An Afternoon Walk

A recent walk on a lakeside trail reacquainted me with what's in bloom right now.  The parking lot at the state park office featured a garden bursting with native wildflowers -- from Queen of the Prairie to bergamot, blazing star and goatsbeard.  Along the trail, American Bellflower stood out in its beauty.

It's a tall, leggy plant, but if you look closely, its individual flowers are elegant...

...even fairy-like.  I found this individual blossom irresistable to draw!

The evening was lovely, and I took a two mile stroll with my nature journal, sat on a bench by the lake, and drank in the peace of the scene.

I find that sketching & writing descriptions of nature connects me in a deeper way than simply sitting.  It relaxes me like meditation. Back home, drawing from photos I took along my walk reminds me of the beauty of the experience and cements it in my memory.

I hope you get the time to relax in a favorite place with your nature journal or sketchbook. I'll be teaching a Nature Journaling class at the Raccoon Creek State Park on Saturday, August 1st from 10am to 1 pm.  You can register by visiting the park's website here:

https://eventsreg.dcnr.pa.gov/register/create/52622653639305

 

Happy Creating!

Osher Nature Journaling Workshop

We had a wonderful time at our Osher Nature Journaling Workshop!  The weather was lovely, the woods were full of life, and my participants were eager to get outside and explore.

We started the day indoors, talking about the process of nature journaling, trying out drawing activities.

Then we went outside to explore nature around the Raccoon Creek State Park Recreation Hall.

Participants sat in folding chairs, recorded observations...

... and sketched nature.

Some wrote poetry.

Others simply sketched with a pencil.

We returned to the Recreation Hall where we shared our discoveries...

...sketches ...

...and poetry.

Seeing and hearing everyone else's creative explorations uplifted and inspired me.

After lunch, we headed out on a nature walk through the woods to a Civilian Conservation Corp-built camp. 

We each took time to sketch and record what we noticed.

We returned for a final wrap up and sharing session at the Recreation Hall.

Many thanks to David for his work setting up, lighting and photographing for our class, and to my participants for being great adventurers and exploring the topic of nature journaling with me!

Here are my sketches from the day.

I hope you're enjoying the summer and finding time to sketch!

Happy Creating!

Nature Journal Update

One of the most important aspects of nature journaling for me is sitting quietly in nature and noticing what's going on around me.  Slowly, the details filter into my awareness.  Then I sketch them on the journal page.

This page is from a quiet Friday afternoon when I sat in an empty camp and watched the animals while I sketched the scene in front of me.

I sat on a picnic table under a porch roof and noticed the flycatcher hunting from its perch on a fallen branch. Then I noticed so many darned houseflies swarming the area and heard a groundhog digging under the building behind me.

The breeze stirred in the trees, a Wood Thrush sang from the woods, other birds like the Ovenbird joined in.  I sketched scenes from the hike I had just taken -- the fawn that had burst from the woods and crossed the trail in front of me; the green inchworm dangling over the trail from a gossamer thread.

While at the park, I spoke with Ranger Karter, who said that in an earlier job he had led a nature journaling program for kids.  He would ask them to write lists of 

1) what they heard, 

2) what they smelled, 

3) what they saw, and 

4) what they felt.  

That's a great way to immerse yourself in nature and slow down!

Nature journaling is a wonderful form of self care.  It helps us to slow down and disconnect from the frenzied world of everyday life.  It gives us time to reflect and be still in the moment.  Sketching in nature, no matter how simple your sketch is, connects you with whatever you're sketching -- a peaceful tree, a curious bird, a beautiful flower.  It brings these aspects deep into our minds and spirits -- luxurious gifts to ourselves.

Here are some of the things I saw on my hike.  I hope you make a sketch or two from them, or better yet, go outside and make sketches from what you see there!

Happy Creating!

Mornings with a House Wren

Every morning, this Northern House Wren sings the loveliest burbling song in my garden.  His ebullient music drifts in through the open windows and lifts my heart.  I took the photo below the other morning to use as a reference so I could add him to my spring nature journal.

I started with a light pencil sketch, then layed in the browns & grays of his plumage, touching in some ultramarine blue for darker shadows.  I mixed burnt sienna, burnt umber and ultramarine blue to create the grays. Warm azo yellow created the bold yellow of his beak, and I used yellow ochre, burnt sienna and ultramarine blue in the stick he's clinging to.

Next, I painted the entire background area with clean water, being careful to work around the wren and his stick.  Then, I touched in mixtures of Hooker's green dark, sap green, ultramarine blue, and azo yellow.

I finished the sketch with my black fountain pen -- adding a few lines and the wren's eye, and used some Prismacolor colored pencils on the stick and a white gel pen to create the spots in the wren's plumage.

When I'm painting animals or other fleeting subjects, I like to work from a reference photo.  It allows me to luxuriate some time on the details.

Somehow, this little guy looks like he's yelling!  I think I got his posture a little off -- a reminder to me to keep stepping back early in the sketching process.

What is going on around you in nature?  I hope you get to take some time to record your observations in a nature journal!

Happy Creating!

Spring Nature Journal Update

So much is happening right now in nature!  Out on a walk in the state park, we stopped for a rest, and I found this lovely tree with lichen growing up the trunk.  

As I was drawing it, a male Eastern Bluebird perched nearby and sang.  Absolutely enchanting!

Now I get to keep this memory and return to it in my nature journal.

Digging in the garden as I planted potatoes, carrots, onions and beets, I turned up this large pupa (2-3" long).  Looking it up online, I discovered it was the pupa of a tomato hornworm or sphinx moth.  I tucked it back under the earth where I'd found it in the hopes that a lovely moth will emerge.

What is happening in nature around you?  I hope you take a moment to sit outside and make some sketches & observations in your nature journal.

Happy Creating!

Art for Breakfast!

I found this holey tree trunk on a recent hike and I loved the rich, earthy colors and the many holes and craggly bits.  I snapped a photo to create from later.

Back in the studio, I made an ink sketch on watercolor paper, then washed in loose watercolors.  

After the watercolor dried, I decided to add the final touches with colored pencils, but the piece sat on my art table for a week or more.

I finally brought it to the breakfast table and finished it with Prismacolor colored pencils while I sipped tea.  

Art can be very portable -- you can create as you eat a meal, talk with a friend, or listen to a podcast.  You only need for your hand to follow your eye.

Where would you like to take your art?

Nature Treasures and a Nature Journaling Class!

My studio is chock-full of twigs, feathers, acorns and other natural treasures picked up on walks.  Eventually, these bits get dusty & crumbly, so I return everything to the wild.  

When I collect drawings of these treasures, I get to keep them tucked away in my nature journal in their fresh, dust-free state.

I also get the experience of slowing down, immersing myself in nature, and drawing in my nature journal.

I made this sketch on a recent hike in Raccoon Creek State Park.  It's lovely to open my nature journal and bring back memories of that day and of making discoveries in the woods.

Would you like some inspiration and instruction on nature journaling?

I hope you'll join me for an in-person Nature Journaling class at the Raccoon Creek State Park Wildflower Reserve on Sunday, April 12th, 2026, from 1-4 PM. Cost is $15.

You can register here:

https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/event/nature-journaling-3974

Early Spring Nature Journaling

I recently loaded up a knapsack with some colored pencils and my nature journal and hiked to a local waterfall to sketch.  

There's nothing like sitting outside and drawing the beauty of nature.

  I enjoy drawing from reference photos, but prefer observing the details in nature in person as I sketch.  I can react to the parts of the scene that really inspire me.

After an hour sitting on a rock on a chilly afternoon, I decided to snap a photo and finish the last details in my studio.

When I got back to my studio, I noticed my sketch needed more contrast.

Sometimes it's hard to discern the areas that are darker or brighter when you're looking at a color photo.  

I converted my reference photo to black-and-white to make the values more obvious.

I added a bit more contrast between the water and the rocks around it.

I noticed I had made the waterfall too broad, so I narrowed it down a bit and added more bright values with a white Posca paint pen.

Here's the final page spread in my nature journal.

The beauty of drawing outdoors is that you get to be still and calm in nature, hearing the thundering of a waterfall or the music of songbirds as you create.  

Time stills as you observe the beauty of nature around you.  

When you're done, you have a sketch that will remind you of your experience every time you flip to that page.

I hope you find a quiet spot in nature where you can relax and sketch.

Happy Creating!