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!

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!

Nature Journaling in the August Heat

A hot summer's afternoon was the perfect time to take a short walk and sit on a park bench to sketch.  The very act of sitting in a quiet, shady woods is relaxing and excellent self care. 

I'm practicing simplifying the landscape in my artwork and creating pleasing compositions. 

Sitting for a few minutes on a park bench and mindfully looking is helpful in truly seeing the scene around you.  You can pick out the parts of the landscape you want to focus on.  It helped me to unwind and to compose these two vignettes.

The first scene was right before me -- a broken sapling in a grove of maples.

The second vignette had more contrasts -- late afternoon sunlight streaming through the canopy and deep shadows.

I recommend this technique of sitting still, seemingly doing nothing -- no phone scrolling, no drawing even.  Just noticing nature around you.  Soon, you will begin to see parts of the scene that you want to sketch and paint.  After a little stillness, you might use a viewfinder, a small rectangular frame cut out of cereal box cardboard, to scope through the landscape.  It will help your eye catch on an appealing composition.

Happy Creating!

Art Journaling with Word Art

Part of what makes art journaling so freeing is the fact that there is no wrong way to do it.  You simply follow the little sparks of ideas you get when you pick up art supplies -- from paints to butterfly wings, to old books.

Above is an Altoids tin I glued vintage book page bits, tea bag paper and other ephemera to. It stores snippets of text for art journaling.

Words snipped out of old books, magazines or wherever you like can be added to your art journal pages.

Clipping them out can be a relaxing way to slip into your creative mode, and you can assemble them into poems that don't have to mean anything to anyone but you.

I was thinking of a dream cruise to Alaska, and found these bits in an old travel book.

You can often find old books in thrift shops, rummage sales, and in free piles at libraries, etc.

The books I use were mostly saved from going into a dumpster.

Why not give some old text a new life in your art?

Happy Creating!

A Friendly Goose

Last Friday dawned sunny & warm. David and I took our paddleboards out onto a nearby lake for a picnic and a cruise.   

After watching bright Tiger Swallowtails puddling on a sandbar, and witnessing an entire cliffside strewn with White Trilliums in bloom, we let the breeze push us down the lake towards the picnic area.

A friendly Canada Goose floated right up close to visit with me.

As we floated companionably side-by-side, I pulled out my nature journal & a few colored pencils and made quick sketches.

How incredibly fortunate I was to see a wild creature this close!  I felt frustrated at not being able to express every crisp feather and beak detail as the goose turned this way and that.

But what a gift to visit peacefully with this gorgeous goose!

Now, when I look at my drawings, I re those silent moments, when I had the privilege of looking into the eye of this wild bird.

Nature journals are a way to connect deeply with nature regardless of whether you draw a Canada Goose or an oak tree.  

I find the experience grounding, a form of meditation & reverence.  

Whether my sketch looks ham-fisted & rough, or bright & luminous, I always remember the experience that brought about the journal entry.  

And collecting memories makes a life rich.

I hope you get 15 minutes to sit with your journal outdoors and sketch what draws your attention this week. It's a lovely form of self-care.

Inktober in an Enchanted Woods

I spent a few hours sitting in an enchanting pine forest at Raccoon Creek State Park with my nature journal.  I used Derwent Inktense watercolor pencils and a Micron pen, touching some of the drawings up with a wet brush to create washes of color.  I love the intense colors of the Inktense pencils against the bold black of the Micron pen.

Here are the pages from my nature journal. 

I felt the cares of daily life wash away as I sank into the pine straw and connected with nature.

Here's a sketch of the cozy spot where I tucked away, sitting against a massive pine tree among the ferns.

I hope you get a nature break today!

The Fountain Project

I have wanted a fountain in my yard for the longest time.  Having admired the elegant WPA-era fountains in public parks and gardens, I've always imagined one in my yard but never quite put the resources toward my vision until this summer.

I began bringing my imagination to life by creating my own "FrankenFountain" out of buckets, pots and quart canning jars.

Great for creating a vision, but I wanted something more refined.  I searched online and found the one that suited me. When it arrived on Friday morning, I was ready with a location prepared with a level sand base for it to rest on. 

But I wasn't prepared for the feelings that came after my husband David and I finished assembling the kit, filled the basin with water and powered it up.  

I expected to be charmed and delighted by the beauty of this new garden feature, but I was mesmerized by the flowing water.  

The fountain married with the stones and sand conjured images of early civilizations that demonstrated their organization by providing a public square with a fountain.  I could envision early Romans in togas assembling alongside me as I stood enchanted by the musical water.

Simple running water represents the best in human civilization -- unity & cohesiveness that allow members to work together to improve everyday life for the people. What a surprising balm after daily news of division and rancor between humans.

I realized that the fountain wasn't just a beautiful addition to my garden, but a gift of self care.  And I felt it fitting to bring out my art journal and watercolors and paint it.

Wishing you a Labor Day weekend filled with self care, positive energy and light. 

Art Journaling Class at the Community College of Beaver County

 I just finished teaching Art Journaling at the Community College of Beaver County.  My students and I explored a variety of techniques and materials, from collage to acrylic painting to colored pencils, watercolor pencils and homemade stamps.  

We began each morning with inspiration from other artist, then moved on to a writing prompt, and spent the remainder of class creating in our journals.

Many thanks to CCBC for hosting this class, and to my students for the energy and authenticity they brought to each session.

I hope you all continue to create and make discoveries in your journals!

If you're interested in joining me at CCBC for future art classes, you can find a class listing here: https://www.ccbc.edu/arts

Self-Care: Create a Personal Mandala

A new favorite art book of mine, The Zen of Creative Painting, has inspired me to be more experimental in my artwork.  According to author Jeanne Carbonetti, "All art mirrors its creator."

Jeanne steps you through three exercises --creating a mandala, a still life or landscape, and a figurative artwork -- and helps you to understand how your art expresses what's within you.  I find the process meditative, expressive and encouraging.  

By looking over my artwork with that mindset, I feel celebrated, and can see core parts of myself that I overlook yet should feel proud of.  Why not embrace what makes you unique?

Jeanne describes a mandala as an abstract artwork that can take any form.  I created my own mandala, drawing what came intuitively with a Micron pen and colored pencils.  

What does my mandala unveil to me? A large heart full of symbols of life (spirals), light (star), and love (hearts) represents my love of life and people & my desire to live with loving kindness towards others.  

The vibrant colors represent my strong will & expressiveness (blue), passion (pink & red) & creativity (orange). The predominance of yellow represents "shine time" to me -- the energy I receive from being with other people.  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to be among people much due to voluntary quarantining, but seeing what a core part of me that is feels like a celebration of myself.

The light and dark moons represent my yin-yang love of spending time actively with people as a teacher followed by time in the quiet solitude of nature or my studio.  The whole composition is full of living creatures, the earth (multi-colored triangle), & water droplets (blue dots) representing my love of nature and earthiness.

I recommend Jeanne's book and the process of exploring & celebrating your unique self through her creative discovery activities!  Make your own mandala and discover your own inner beauty.

Nature Hike & Sketch

 

On an afternoon hike today, I was about to cross a little stream, and looked up and saw this tangle of tree roots and moss-covered rocks.  I pulled out an ink brush pen and a fistful of colored pencils to make a quick sketch in my nature journal.  I started with the India ink brush pen, and sketched the scene, then tinted it with a few colored pencils. The day was cold, so I had to work quickly, and then get back to hiking to warm myself up.  But, I captured a few photos before leaving so I can continue painting in the warmth indoors.

Art for Self-Care: Celebrate Your Art

 

Yesterday morning, as the sun splashed color on the distant clouds, I painted a quick landscape in my daily planner.  Peachy and golden hues highlighted a lavender cloud bank and caught my eye.  The simple act of painting, observing, & finding those colors on my palette, lifted my spirits.  

This morning, before the sun rose, I had my morning tea with that watercolor sketch.

I have a habit of propping little sketches and paintings I've done where I can see them throughout the day.  I recommend this practice. You instantly connect with that moment of artistic meditation, when you were focused on something you found beautiful.  

We could all use more beauty in our lives.  

Celebrate yourself and your artwork by finding a space to display your latest artwork -- even sketches & doodles.  The more you take joy in your art, the more art you create, and pretty soon, you find yourself following your bliss to new discoveries.

Slow Walking in the State Park

I took a late afternoon slow walk with my nature journal in the state park yesterday, and wandered down a valley trail along a rolling creek.  Stopping at an inviting creek side spot, I sat and listened to the water burble, sketched the scene, and fell into that sense of meditation that comes from connecting with nature in the present moment.

When sun sank, and I was out of time to draw, I snapped a photo of a particularly inviting tree trunk.  This morning, I was able to instantly reconnect to the feelings of immersion in the enchanted woodlands as I sketched and painted that moss-covered, knobby tree trunk.  A lovely way to start the morning.

From the hike:

New Classes for the New Year -- Welcome 2021!

I think we're all ready to turn the calendar page to January and say goodbye to 2020!  Why not add some creativity to your new year?  Join me for these online and in person classes offered through the Community College of Beaver County, in Monaca, PA.

You can read more about them online here: https://www.ccbc.edu/arts

Live Online Class:

New! Introduction to Drawing via Zoom

Start off the new year by learning a new skill and develop your ability to draw in this guided class. Instructor Betsy Bangley will lead you through a series of activities designed to help you learn how to capture the world around you with a pencil on paper.

Play with art materials to find out how to make a variety of shades and line types, move on to sketching everyday objects, and build up to exploring perspective and textures. Discover a new way to express yourself and embark on an art adventure! 

Upon registration you will receive a Zoom link and list of materials.  Your email address must be included upon registration. 

Date: Mondays, April 19th – May 10th, 2021

Cost: $64 + $10 Lab 

Sessions: 4/Hours: 12

Time: 6-9PM 

Room: Zoom Online

Code: ARTS01603

In-Person Classes at the Monaca CCBC Campus:

New! Pastel Landscapes
Capture the fresh drawings of spring through pastel painting with instructor Betsy Bangley. You will be surprised how quickly you can lay down the colors of spring on a small landscape painting. Learn how to mix, blend colors and practice laying out small landscapes. You will build up to creating vibrant landscapes outdoors, weather permitting.

There will be no class on April 3rd.

Date: Saturdays, March 27th - April 17th, 2021

Time: 10am-1pm
Cost: $59+ $15 Lab
Sessions: 3 Hours: 9
Room: VFC, 3007
Code: ARTS03401

NEW! Making Hand Stitched Books
Craft your own personalized journal or a book to give to someone special. Join instructor Betsy Bangley for a morning of unleashing your creativity.

Date: Monday, April 12th, 2021

Time: 10am-1pm
Cost: $33 + $13 Lab
Sessions: 1 Hours: 3
Room: VFC, 3007
Code: ARTS03301

Creating Calm Through Art Explorations
All human beings are artists. Discover your natural creativity to help create calm in your lives. No previous art experience is necessary! Play with watercolor paints, create vision boards, and give yourself permission to try new art explorations to see where it leads you. All materials provided.

Date: Saturdays, May 1st - 15th, 2021 

Time: 10am-1pm
Cost: $59 + $36 Lab
Sessions: 3 Hours: 9
Room: VFC, 3007
Code: ARTS03202

How to Register:

To Register, call CCBC at 724-480-3575.

OR

Copy and print the above registration form and mail it to:

CCBC Admissions & Registration

1 Campus Drive

Monaca, PA 15061

OR

 Register online here: https://my.ccbc.edu/ICS/Continuing_Education/

Happy, Healthy, Artful New Year!  

I hope to see you in one of these classes in 2021!