Alison
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Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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Learning to see more intently is my inspiration to begin nature journaling. Birding was my gateway drug to a broader appreciation of nature and the interconnectedness of everything. It has taken me a long time to get past my fear of the white page because "I'm not an artist." Keeping in mind that the purpose for me is not to make pretty pictures but to learn to see better, record details, and then research and learn more about the flora and fauna trims the ego and frees the brush. I'm startled by unexpected associations. The hue of a Red-Breasted Nuthatch spurred dreams of my red-haired brother.
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I have trouble coming up with the blaze orange. Nothing seems bright enough.
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I decided to take up nature journaling as a tool to improve my observation skills and develop a form of visual note-taking, to improve my memory of what I observed. I'm a birdwatcher and birding has become my gateway drug to a broader interest in and observation of nature. I haven't had an art class since kindergarten, so I appreciated the very modest sketches some of the nature journalists shared and what can be learned from them. And I was awed by the great artistic skills of others. Nature has always been my solace, so I expect that there may be emotional responses or thoughts that arise while observing and sketching and I will record those too in my journal.
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For some reason my note didn't accompany my lousy picture. The exercise helped me get past the tyranny of the blank page. Sketching teaches me how to see and commit details to memory. I have zero experience (well, not since kindergarten). Sometimes I kept my eye on the Yellow Warbler while moving my pencil, as if the hand was powered by the eye. Other times I shifted my gaze up to the photo and down to the journal. Is there a right or wrong way?
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I enjoyed trying to draw the yellow warbler from the photo and did not feel too embarrassed That my drawing was such a poor image. Everything was a challenge, especially proportions. I didn’t know if I should draw while looking at the image or if I should look at the page while I drew and keep looking back at the photo, alternating. I would not have noticed the details of the foliage or the shading on the wings. Details like these hone my sense of sight and memory for journaling.
Viewing 7 posts - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)