Sharon

Being outdoors is Life to me. I grew up moving through the landscape on skis, hiking up local New England mountains and finding peace paddling quiet rivers and lakes. It wasn't until college, however, that I took my first ecology class and began to learn how to look more closely at details and patterns in plant growth. Ephemeral flowers became seasonal friends to visit. The shape and texture of tree bark, spring buds and leaves literally stopped me in my tracks. Flipping through my now-tattered Newcomb's guide and bird books I see notes I took decades ago. I have dabbled in nature journaling and sit spots. It is meditation. It calms me. Brings me focus. It is my Intention to pay more Attention to the present moment.  I have never made nature journaling a regular practice, but very much want to see more in the natural world and help my young daughter do the same. I never had much art as a child and always felt quite hampered by my lack of skills. I don't understand perspective or how to use watercolors effectively and I am quick to judge my efforts. I am grateful for what I already sense I will start to gain from this course!  I really enjoyed all of the styles of journaling presented thus far because the people making them had JOY in what they were doing. I am most attracted to including in my own journal notation of date, time & place and a mix of drawing and writing about the details of what I see. Watercolors make me gush.