Maureen

I have always enjoyed the outdoors primarily through active sports with my family - hiking, skiing, fishing, canoeing, camping, biking etc. During the pandemic, I started to concentrate on a deeper observation of my surroundings, especially spring flowers, first identifying them and then pressing them and creating bookmarks on thin slices of wood to share with family and friends around the world. I had a very surface experience with bird watching, but became more involved after taking a number of classes with the Bird Academy and setting up a mini-sapsucker woods type bird feeding station this winter.  Nature journaling and sketching seems like a natural progression in developing a more observant, knowledgeable, creative and mindful  relationship with nature. I am attracted to it's calmness and excited, but a bit nervous, about drawing for the first time! I'm interested in a style that would include writing and sketching on each page incorporating pressed flowers when relevant.