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1. I started keeping a "words only" nature journal one year ago to document the environment of the ocean front inlet and salt marsh where I kayak. I wanted to know what birds and animals were there at what time of year, what they were doing, etc. etc. I was brand new to this environment and wanted to eventually know it well enough that I could look forward to migrating animals returning and know the time of year to expect certain changes. In this year I have tagged Monarchs for a scientific study, assisted with Loggerhead nests and volunteered as an Audubon shorebird steward but mainly I spend hours in my kayak in the ocean inlet observing. I often refer back to my journal to see if a particular bird was present at this time last year. 2. My drawing skills are limited but I want to overcome being self- conscious of them. I want to incorporate a lot of facts on my journal page as well as observations and begin to feel comfortable adding the drawings. The first journal in the video had lots of facts with excellent drawings which appeals to me.
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I have been inspired to start nature journaling because I am a landscape photographer and am looking for different ways to express the beauty that I see in nature. I like the vignettes of the different locations and animals. I am always trying to capture the "grand landscape", so focusing on detail is new to me. I like using the combination of watercolor and fine black markers to add detail.
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I recently participated in “Birdfest” and took several courses in birdwatching. It is really overwhelming to learn all of the small details you must know in order to identify different birds. The instructor recommended starting a nature journal and training yourself to notice these details by drawing what you see. I am not an artist, but I do hope to find a way to learn some of the techniques that artists use in drawing and painting.
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I spend as much time outdoors as I can and have always been a collector and observer of the small details that appear. Since I have dabbled in drawing and painting for a long time as a hobbyist, I have kept a few garden logs with small drawings as a record of planning but never a nature journal! This is a habit I would like to develop since now I fill my phone with random pictures of interesting things I see when in nature but they do not form the kind of record I would enjoy looking back on. I appreciated seeing the others' approached and especially like the habit of the last journalist who made a plan to record her observations each day and then each month. The monthly approach seems like a goal I could manage and enjoy too. I also liked the idea of using a journal to sort out confusing similarities in nature as one of the journalist describes. The ferns are a great example since I look at and have photographed many ferns here in Pennsylvania but would love to know them by their names.
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This is why I'm taking this course! I saw this unusual bird on the beach and came home and drew it from memory. I sent the pic to a friend who has her MA in Ornithology with these notes: bird's body was compact & football shaped, dirty rusty colored breast , legs were hidden by the sand bank, very alert and purposeful in gaze and movements. Solitary. She responded," I have no clue what bird it is." Looking forward to learning a lot! -
Thanks for sharing that image. It looks very similar to my attempts to document birds in the field. Can't wait to see where we go from here
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@Karen Thanks for your encouragement Karen!
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Could it have been a Red Knot? I like your drawing though - the little bird has attitude.
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@Alicia Guess what Alicia you are right! Red Knot- first one I have ever seen on the shore of Lavalllette, NJ. I went to Island Beach State Park in NJ and spoke to the naturalist in their Nature Center. They had a taxidermy carcass of a red knot, pictures and a mural with a red knot on the wall. Bingo!
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What a great story! Really, I laughed at first at the drawing, but really looking at it, that bird does have attitude. I think you did a remarkable job!
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@Maidie Thanks Maidie for appreciating the humor and story behind my sighting and drawing. In defense of my knowledgeable friend they gave me suggestions to help in the future bird sleuthing/ drawing. Their words: "I'm clueless as to the bird species.. Golden- or Black-bellied Plover? What did the beak look like? Legs? Color of breast and back? Any wing or tail patterns? On NJ shore, you can get lots of oddities.We get NW species and an occasional European ones." That red knot had lots of attitude! It made me go on a search to identify it. The good news is the population is hopefully increasing and I'm determined to see another Red Knot. Hoping to see one during spring migration when the birds land at the horseshoe egg laying season in Delaware Bay.
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I love the honesty in your drawing. I have recently been attending art auctions in my area and have seen some very simple paintings attract attention and not just from those in the "my second grader draws just like that" school of art criticism.. Thank you for sharing...
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@Karen Karen thank you so much for your much appreciated comment. I hope I can encourage others to post their work too.
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1) I am a volunteer Master Naturalist (Texas Master Naturalists, Good Water Chapter) in Texas and I also do nature photography as a hobby. I mostly focus on birds, but I would like to learn more about plants and insects. I think it might be a bit easier to sit and focus on a plant or on an insect as it moves about a flower and observe its habits using a journaling technique rather than just snapping a picture. Journaling may help me learn behaviors that in photography get overlooked. 2) I really liked the first journal presented in the video. The page was full of information, observation, questions as well as pictures. I like that. Noting the date, time, weather, location is an important part that I might not have thought to do, so that was very helpful. 3) I have recently tried doing some journaling in the "Erin Condren" style using stickers and borders, etc. I might incorporate some of that into the nature journal...maybe!
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1. I was inspired to begin nature journaling because I am now semi-retired and stopped drawing and painting when I left high school 35 + years ago. I always loved birds and hiking since I was 5 years old. I bought some watercolor pens I never used until this summer and got inspired to paint this hummingbird (in my profile). I realized I really miss painting and drawing so I happen to be invited to register and here I am. 2. I like the watercolor journaling idea. I take daily walks and wish I could illustrate what I see but I don't take the time. I have three bird feeding stations in my backyard so I want to be able to capture the feeding birds and birds during my walk in my journal. I look forward to learning more about and taking the time to observe, draw and watercolor.
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Hello Irene, It is a lovely drawing, Hummingbirds are amazing animals and not so easy to draw. If you travel to Colombia you can see so many species of hummingbirds. Keep illustrating them and many other.
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I have sketched for field notes out of necessity as a botanist. (You can’t pluck a plant if you’re concerned it’s rare.) I’ve always admired the old style British nature journals that I have seen published and I aspire to that - trying to capture the essence of a place with sketches and details and notes. This course is a gift for my birthday and it’s such a great one! I’m trying to meet the guild of natural science illustrators Inktober challenge on Instagram (@hpeatster) so together with this course I’ll be making lots of progress. I hope. 🤓 I liked some of the use of boxes on the page. I think I could make use of that to help my pages look less chaotic and to highlight a whole plant sketch or the like, while letting the image fall out of the box as well. I also like the bird sketches from various angles. I’m working on birds but they move so it’s a transition from plants! All very inspiring. I’m also headed into snowy winter so not my normal field season notes and a new challenge of seeing winter details One thing I sometimes do in my book is to include a little physical snippet of the plant or tiny feather that I can sketch later or glue into my book.
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Heather, this is my birthday present as well, my 69th birthday. I'm looking forward to learning something about watercolors. I love them, but mine don't look anything like these examples!
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@Maidie Hi Heather and Maidie, Happy Birthday to you both! This course is also a gift for my birthday :-) After receiving the emails over several days I finally made the decision and let my husband know it would be the perfect gift. So delighted to be "here" and to jump in! Cheers, Laurie
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I’m scrolling through these entries, and I have to say dear classmates, I’m so encouraged and inspired. Thank you for sharing. This is going to be such a rewarding experience. Enjoy the class!
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1. When I go to the field for first time (for natural observations) I discovered my "easy falling in love" with nature details, much like: feathers, scales, leaves, eyes... Oh course I like "macro" things too. So I wanted to make a journal for store that beuties with a lot of questions behind it. Also, to teach my eyes some discipline. :) 2. I like the ones who have questions right behind the draw and even the anwers written right there!
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I teach Ecology and Evolution, and feel like I always stress the importance of observation, but don't always "walk the walk". I think that connecting with nature is important for all people, and my students especially, and I'm hoping this course will help me deepen my own connections with nature, which I can then model for my students. Similar to what others have mentioned, I've done a lot of nature photography, but I often don't take the time to process my photos and reflect on them. I'm hoping that becoming more confident with drawing will help me make nature journaling and observing a regular part of my life as opposed to something I attempt a couple of times a year and then give up when I don't like my first drawing.
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1. I've been nature journaling off and on since graduate school. I am a marine biologist, college biology professor, and general naturalist. I have the observation skills, but have never really been satisfied by my attempts to draw/sketch what I see. I'm much better with words. I hope that the lessons in this class give me some ideas for how to more accurately depict what I observe in nature, and give me courage to spend more time with my nature journal without having to worry about making things pretty. 2. I like the idea of using boxes to organize both text and drawings on a page. My pages tend to be boring, and I'm going to try using boxes to add interest and keep things nicely organized. I also find the idea of a monthly journal inspiring--I might start that in 2020! 3. I guess my most active nature journaling is my natural history blog. I post photos there and write about natural phenomena. In the past few years I've become very interested in nature photography and would like to find a way to incorporate that skill in my nature journal. Maybe the best thing is to keep the blog going, with photos and occasional drawings, for public consumption and keep my journal just for me.
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I'd like to learn about your blog. I also am a retired 'miscellaneous' biologist/ecologist. Linda
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I am inspired by each journal shown. Excited to get started in my new journal. I have been watercolor painting for several years so plan to focus on that medium for this journal. I plan to make my own journal using good watercolor paper which makes it easier for me to control my painting. my goal is to graphicly record a year on my farm in Oregon. question: the supplies list includes two journals. Please explain when and why you use each. Thank you.
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Laura, where is your farm in Oregon? I had one in Hillsboro, that now my daughter owns, and I live on the Deschutes River way up by Wickiup Dam. Maidie
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Hi everyone, 1. I was thrilled when I found out about this course - I've always loved art and drawing, animals and nature. I grew up in the US, but now I'm living in Brussels, Belgium, so I also liked the connection with the beautiful birds and wildlife I remember growing up with. I'm especially looking forward to seeing everyone else's drawings - please share them on the discussions! I'm attaching a drawing of a fox I saw just a few days ago - the first time I ever had such a good view of a wild fox! 2,3. The nature journals in the video were all appealing and interesting because of the personal take they represented from each observer. I particularly liked the light watercolor washes in some of the drawings. I was thinking of focusing in my journal more on the art side of the experience of drawing nature - trying different styles and techniques for each subject, thinking about how others have portrayed the same subjects, etc.
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Beautiful!
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These are expressive foxes! They seem very alive and alert.
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I really like your fox drawing.
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What a treasure! To see the fox and to be able to draw it wonderfully.
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I love this! Great work, very expressive!
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I've dabbled in drawing from time to time. For a while I was doing Zentangle. Hubby asked me to make a logo for his garage, as he is a big car buff. I drew a flying wrench, and we had it embroidered on vests for family Christmas gifts! Once I drew a picture of a horse for a drawing class I was taking at a local community college. I remember feeling fascinated at the complexity of a horse. I told the instructor, "I never really looked at a horse before!" That feeling was echoed in the videos I saw today. I'm just going to pick up the last sketch pad I had been using and get started. I may want to use pencils for color, when I get there. I'm not interested in oil or acrylic painting, as I can't add that much more "stuff" to my house! Pencils, pen and perhaps watercolor seems to be right for me. I'll make sure I put the date, of course, and the place if not at home.
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A life-long love of nature and appreciation of realistic art has often nudged me toward drawing from the natural world outdoors. However, I have relied on copying from my photography much more than sitting outdoors to copy from living nature. It feels like the right time, now that I am over 70 and have more leisure freedom, to begin this effort in earnest.
I love the idea of including a little box of information about time, place and conditions, and the style of making boxes that are not confining of the artwork, but rather an embellishment. The idea of capturing only as much as I see of a bird in motion and doing that many times seems like a worthwhile process. Also, knowing next to nothing about water color painting, I want to try adding color and blending colors as they appear in the outdoor environment. The little swatches of 'all the colors seen' seems like a good idea, too, as does the bird feeder study. Leaving a little space for scientific identification and including notes about each observation are more things I want to try.
There is a lot new here, I think, available in this course, so I simply want to gather insight and practice the skills presented here.
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That's a beautiful drawing! I love hawks, especially Big Red and all the families at Cornell.
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@Barbara T. Thank you, Barbara!
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@Barbara T. I loved spending time with Ezra and Big Red and watching the "nest-orations"! Stunning drawing! Thanks for sharing!
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Oh that's excellent! Well done!
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@Coral Thank you, Coral!
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Wow! Stunning! Great job!
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Beautiful drawing. I'm taking a drawing class right now too and I was informed by the teacher if I want to get better at painting realistic pictures I have to learn how to draw more realistic first. The color tones come more naturally when I become better at black and white tones. You seem to already have drawing down in many ways so you are there and ready for the painting phase. Great work.
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My relationship with my husband began at the University of Wisconsin -Stevens Point. Through his forestry major at the college of natural resources, he helped connect me with nature. From laying on the forest floor to watching the return of the Woodcock we had just seen take off to observing the pre-dawn mating of the prairie chicken at the Buena Vista Marsh, he immersed me in God’s creation. Taking this course brings me back to our roots and I remember him while creating something new. I’m excited to improve my drawing skills, focusing less on technology and my phone, and observing and listening to the quiet.
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How lovely your experience! Drawing closer to Creation by making creations is a wonderful way to connect to the Divine, and the quiet is where we really hear it.
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1. I am interested in learning about the various birds that I see in my yard and when I go for a hike. Each week I pick a different type of bird and try to learn interesting facts about it. I then do a quick drawing of it using pencil and markers. This nature journaling course seems like a wonderful way to inspire me to continue learning about birds and animals and nature itself. 2. I want to make sure that I include the date, the location and the weather on each entry that I make. I would like to be able to draw what I see and include various observations. I would like to be able to include details of plants and birds, etc. when possible. I like the "box" idea of helping to establish where and how large to draw, but having it a flexible box sounds like a fun way to draw.
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Neat! You sound very organized, and determined to learn more about birds. That's great!
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I am excited by the this course. I simply want to learn the skills needed to draw and also use watercolor paints.I did a "big sit" with 2 friends both of who drew and wrote as we all sat in silence..they could draw....I felt very limited in my drawing skills!! I am very comfortable with writing. So far I have appreciated the use of geometric shapes to get an outline for a bird. I like the box idea. Holly Faulkner's journal was amazing..did she do many quick little sketches before the beautifully painted pages? What is the purpose of a large and a small moleskin journal?
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1. I have an interest in improving my sketching skills as well as improving skills to help identify birds. My journaling and sketching focus will be on bird identifying features and characteristics as well as their behavior. 2. I love hearing about the details and individuals focusing in on their memories.
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I'm very excited to be starting to journal again. I have done some writing in the past, but adding drawings and paintings will be much more interesting and fun! I learned to draw using "Drawing on the Right-Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards, but I stopped doing it on a regular basis. One of the appeals of this course is to start me up and keep me going with new ideas. I am doing this with a friend which is an added inspiration. I retired this year and this is a gift to myself.
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I had forgotten about Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. I have lost sight of my copy and the desire to draw..until now.
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I’ve tried many times to log my observations and to slow down. Keeping a journal is a good way to do that, to really see in every way and savour. All of the examples have something to offer and have made me think of options. I’m at the stage of exploring, clarity and simplicity are most important to me.
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I was so excited to hear about this course. I love watching nature around me. Two weeks ago I had the gift of watching 5 Monarch butterflies hatch from their chrysalises! I photographed & wrote but it would have been awesome to capture the event in art form. I have recently started making art quilts which led me into fabric "painting" with ink & thread & peaked my interest in watercolor. So put all that together & what could be better than a course in nature journaling!
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How exciting! There is a certain joy in photography, but I agree that another art form beside simply drawing, might be awesome . Good luck with the fabric art!
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@Patricia I think drawing will almost feel like you're participating with whatever you're watching.
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Thank you for sharing this beautiful photo! 😊
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Greetings fellow "classmates". Thanks Liz for making the class available. As a lifelong amateur naturalist, I have have always relied on written descriptions of what I've observed either in the field or in my study.With the advent of hi-resolution phone cameras, I've been able to get some great photos, but there is a lack of personalization of the feelings I have when I observe something that words and photographs don't capture. Like others in the class have shared, I too have NEVER been very good at drawing, which has always been the barrier to me trying to consistently draw what I see. I was inspired by your introduction for the class and this first segment was helpful in that it showed a variety of artisitc skills and styles of journaling that seemed very approachable.
This is why I'm taking this course! I saw this unusual bird on the beach and came home and drew it from memory. I sent the pic to a friend who has her MA in Ornithology with these notes: bird's body was compact & football shaped, dirty rusty colored breast , legs were hidden by the sand bank, very alert and purposeful in gaze and movements. Solitary. She responded," I have no clue what bird it is." Looking forward to learning a lot! 
hank you for sharing... 
A life-long love of nature and appreciation of realistic art has often nudged me toward drawing from the natural world outdoors. However, I have relied on copying from my photography much more than sitting outdoors to copy from living nature. It feels like the right time, now that I am over 70 and have more leisure freedom, to begin this effort in earnest.
I love the idea of including a little box of information about time, place and conditions, and the style of making boxes that are not confining of the artwork, but rather an embellishment. The idea of capturing only as much as I see of a bird in motion and doing that many times seems like a worthwhile process. Also, knowing next to nothing about water color painting, I want to try adding color and blending colors as they appear in the outdoor environment. The little swatches of 'all the colors seen' seems like a good idea, too, as does the bird feeder study. Leaving a little space for scientific identification and including notes about each observation are more things I want to try.
There is a lot new here, I think, available in this course, so I simply want to gather insight and practice the skills presented here.
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