Author. Artist.
Every few months, I attempt to tidy up my office/studio. Though this task in itself is one I approach with trepidation, once in a while I uncover a wonderful surprise. Last week I was cleaning out the second drawer down in my desk. Now, […]
Catoctin Mountain Park Nature Journal In September 2015 I was privileged to be selected as a National Park Service Artist in Residence at Catoctin Mountain Park in Maryland. During my stay I painted, sketched, wrote and created two journals trying some new techniques in mixed […]
What do winter and this journal have in common? They both have potential.
As I look out my studio window on this gray winter day, I see bare trees and empty flowerbeds. But I know that there, just under the bark and just beneath the soil, lays the potential for a beautiful spring, waiting for the sun’s warmth to unleash it. The stories we have within us are waiting for the right moment to come to the surface and bloom.
This is where the journal comes in.
A journal has the potential to become a snapshot of us. Keeping a journal gives us the opportunity to put bits of our every day story on paper. It can be current or reminiscent. Once out of our heads, the words take on new life. Often we can gain a different, sometimes better, perspective when we see these thoughts on paper. A journal can be liberating, cathartic, comforting or all of these. It is a window into who we are and how we see things.
If you are new to journaling, don’t be afraid of the blank pages! Just get started. If you need a prompt to get you started, refer to your calendar and see what was going on last week or what you have planned for this week. Who did you have lunch with yesterday? How do you know them? Don’t feel as if you have to write an entire page every day. Jot down a few words about the weather or birds you see on a walk. Did you a quote that you liked? Jot it down. Sometimes words may not be enough. Add sketches or some other artwork. Tuck in a bookmark. Make your journal your own and a place you like to go.
A journal captures moments, memories, and experiences. Whoever you are, your story is important and when you tell it, ordinary words become extraordinary.
Now that you are journaling, add some fun elements! More on this in an upcoming post.
I hope you haven’t thrown away those Christmas cards from this year yet. I meant to post this sooner, but got busy with you know… the holidays. Here is a quick and easy idea for a Christmas journal with just enough space to make a […]
Sunday, September 20 Wow, that two weeks went by quickly. Today I leave Cabin 16 and Catoctin Mountain Park. This morning as I reflect on the last two weeks here, I remember the people, creatures, and landscape that made the experience so meaningful. […]
Saturday, September 19, 2015
I hear so many different birds this morning – Maybe they flew in for the weekend.
This is my favorite time to sit outside at the picnic table. The light is soft and the Catoctin Mountains slowly awaken.
Sunlight glints off finely woven webs
Strung between branches, they glow like tiny laser beams.
Acorns hit the ground as squirrels start to work
Woodpeckers knock about looking for breakfast.
This morning a breeze brushes across this mountain. It sounds like the very beginning of a gentle rain, but this rain brings a quiet shower of gold as the tulip tree leaves fall.
Today is my last full day here and I want to appreciate each moment. It has been a luxury to be surrounded by my art supplies AND the beauty of the forest and be able to make the most of each without a busy schedule to interrupt me. For this incredible opportunity, I am very grateful.
My time here has been a perfect mix of my favorite things – nature, drawing, writing, and introducing others to the joys of nature journaling.
Later –
Much later, actually, about 1am. I have finished binding my altered book nature journal – the final step in this fun project. I did a cross-stitch binding that I saw on YouTube to sew the signatures (groups of pages) into the cover.
I used many different papers, collected here and there, and added my favorite ephemera to give it some personality. Here are some of the pages:
My last post from Cabin 16 will be tomorrow.
Friday, September 18, 2015 Good morning Catoctin! Joining me at sunrise today are the usual suspects – bluejays, cardinals, woodpeckers and a few songbirds I have not heard here before. I love waking up with these wonderful creatures in this lovely neighborhood. Today I am […]
Thursday, September 17, 2015 Good Morning, Catoctin! Being an artist and writer, I love noticing details. Even after sitting at my picnic table studio each day for almost two weeks, I continue to see new things. This is an important lesson – give everyday life […]
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
This morning drove down to the library to finish and post blogs. I am trying hard to update the blog every few days, though sometimes I don’t want to leave camp. I do enjoy writing about this wonderful experience and want to make sure I capture it with words and pictures.
I identified a few more tree species today and then gathered supplies for this afternoon’s project. When I put together the plan for my stay at Catoctin, it included goals, three of which involved trying new art processes. I set aside time this afternoon for the first.
Working in my outdoor studio (picnic table):
In this project I used bleach solution and dark brown paper. The book I saw this method in called for black paper, but I wanted to try brown for an autumnal effect. All set up on the picnic table with a spray bottle of bleach solution, the brown paper, newspaper, a tub of vinegar and water solution (to neutralize the bleaching action, and a tub of water for rinsing. I collected leaves from the ground around my workspace and used those in various arrangements. I alternated spraying the leaves before placing them on the paper and laying the leaves down, then spraying. Earlier, I had explained this method to one of the rangers and now was so excited with the results that I walked down to the office to show him some prints. *See photos. A few of these will be in the Catoctin Mountain Park/Forest Alliance journal.
Here is a clue as to what they look like:
Autumn fireworks
Golden rockets, amber sparks
Silent explosions.
Later:
Unable to sleep tonight (thinking of fun projects) – it is now 2am – good time to catch up on writing.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015 – Part Two I had a wonderful time visiting the Junior Scouts in Williamsport, Maryland last night. We talked about nature and recording our thoughts in words and pictures. Seventeen girls took a closer look at nature just outside their church […]
