Paddleboard Sketching & Nature Journaling Tips

The warmer weather has brought opportunities to pump up my inflatable paddleboard and paddle around the local state park lake.  I tuck my nature journal and a few art supplies into a bag, and float about, stopping to sketch when something catches my eye.

On this particular Sunday morning, a mature Bald Eagle flew over the lake just as we were departing the launch dock.  We followed it to its perch high above us in a lakeside oak tree.

What a magnificent bird!

Paddling up the tributary creek, the trilling song of American Toads filled the air.  

Stealing our way along the quiet backwaters, we noticed the entire bank was loaded with toads -- the males singing, and the females drawing near to listen & choose a mate.  

They didn't seem bothered by the presence of us floating serenely by.  I find I see a lot more wildlife when I travel quietly by water than I would while hiking.  The animals aren't afraid of me, and I can get closer.  

Here's the kit I take with me:

Current kit: Inktense Colored Pencils, Caran D'Ache Neocolor II crayons, Prismacolor colored pencils, sharpener, gum eraser, Pentel India ink brush pen, Faber Castell Pitt pens, Micron pens, Sakura water brush pen, & a mechanical (graphite) pencil.

I'm certain I could simplify this down quite a bit, but these are materials I love.

The only materials you really need to keep a nature journal are a journal and a pencil or pen.  

 Drawing a scene in black & white simplifies your drawing approach and your materials.  

You can always add a splash of watercolor or colored pencil when you return home.

My top three tips for beginning nature journaling are:

1) Begin simply.  

Take a few supplies to a nearby favorite natural place and make a few sketches.

2) Allow yourself time to experiment without expectations or pressure. 

Requiring yourself to make something "good" or "pretty" places a burden on you and kills joy.

3) Play in your journal often!

The more you play with your art supplies in your nature journal, the more you experience, learn, feel inspired, and improve your skills

And the richer your life becomes.

I hope you take the leap into nature journaling this spring.  

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.

A Celebration of Spring & Reused Materials

I found boxes of free music sheeting with a "Free" sign, and gratefully took a stack. I love using cast-off materials for art-making, and find that new-to-me supplies spark my creativity.

The paper's yellowing edges make it appealing & historic looking. The music notes add texture & movement beneath the drawing, and the staff lines create a structure to work upon.

I sat outside on a recent  spring day and made quick sketches of birds at my feeder with an India ink brush pen.  I added Neocolor II watercolor crayons to create a pop of color against the bold, dark ink lines.

Our beloved Grandmother Sugar Maple tree has begun blooming, and her spreading branches fit right onto the page.

Using just Neocolor II watercolor crayons, Prismacolor colored pencils and one Derwent Inktense pencil, I captured a blooming apple tree on our farm.  I touched in a wet brush to the background area to make a unified wash of the Neocolor II Aquarelle crayon marks.

The notes under the Neocolor II crayons express the music of spring.  Right now, American Toads are trilling, songbirds are singing, and the world is rich in color and music.  

Giving new life to some cast-off papers feels like a fitting tribute to spring!

Figure Drawing with Model David

My Osher figure drawing class explored the realm of blind contour drawing with model David. 

We began each pose looking only at David as we drew, not at our papers.  We followed the contours of his expressive gestures with a colorful pastel on newsprint.

After 1 minute, we changed pastel colors, and continued to follow contours inside and outside of David's form, stealing quick glances for the last 2 minutes.

Within each blind contour drawing, we found real, alive lines, no matter how wonky the drawing looked overall.

We moved on to practicing drawing the feet, working from general to specific in a 15 minute study.

With Michelangelo's Statue of David in the news, it seemed fitting for David to inspire us with this 10-minute pose.

We finished with a reclining pose for the final hour.  Below is my quick sketch.

Many thanks to model David for a his creative, thought-provoking poses!

Figure Drawing with Model Denise

My Osher students & I were fortunate to have former natural bodybuilder and creative model, Denise pose for our class recently.  

She held physically strenuous and artful poses, like the one below, balanced in the center with arms and legs raised up in a V-shape.

After warming up with gestures, we moved on to practicing drawing Denise's face, using the subtractive method with vine charcoal.

Many thanks to the incomparable Denise for a wonderful class!

 

Nature Journal Update: Spring Birds!

I have a bird feeding station just outside of my art studio window.

I set out a bag of stale cashews for the birds,

and a troupe of Blue Jays swooped in to gobble up the bounty.

After the nuts & the Blue Jays had disappeared, a Rufous-Sided Towhee appeared just outside my studio window, and began scratching the earth to find fallen seeds.

The bird that has been called "The master of the two-footed scratch" charms me with its bright whistle, its bold colors and curious nature. 

What a gift to get to sketch it right from my studio!

I began with a Pitt Artist Pen, and then added Neocolor II watercolor crayons for intense color.  I used a wet brush on some the sketches of the Junco & the Blue Jays to mix the colors and brighten the colors.

A lovely way to start my Sunday morning!

A Video Sketching Visit to England

I've recently discovered the YouTube channel of British artist, Melanie Chadwick, who shares her drawing on location sessions.  I was taken by the seaside scene in her recent "Winter Sketching Tips."  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LCCS1wsyVE&t=30s

I decided to still the video about 30 seconds in and use the image as a reference photo, so I could create from the same scene as Melanie.

I followed Melanie's technique, beginning with a watercolor sketch of the scene with my Winsor & Newton Watercolors.

Melanie then added color and texture with Caran D'Ache Neocolor II Aquarelle Crayons and Derwent Inktense Colored Pencils.  

Both of these media allow you to lay in dense color and then touch in a wet brush to create a watercolor effect.

I followed Melanie's method for the most part, using my Caran D'Ache Neocolor II watercolor crayons to layer in more intense color.  I added in some India ink details with a Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pen.

I used a Payne's Gray Inktense colored pencil to lay in the dark seaside stones in the hillside and other dark values.

This is the final version of my painting.  I enjoyed being an armchair traveler and trying Melanie Chadwick's technique for drawing on location.

What part of the world would you like to visit?  

Try starting with a video sketch vacation!