Encounters with nature: Capturing memories of your natural world

Thought I'd share here a piece I wrote for the International Nature Journaling Week blog back in April 2020.

Encounters with nature: Capturing memories of your natural world

Why keep a nature journal? This is a question I am asked surprisingly often. One somewhat light-hearted answer I give is that someday I’ll be stuck inside, ill or frail, and I want to be able to look back through my nature journalling memories. I’m only half joking, and it seems the stuck inside part has indeed already come to pass. As I write, in the UK, as in other countries, we are being told to stay home because of the covid-19 pandemic.

I’ve always loved nature, and I’ve always enjoyed drawing – nature journalling puts these two things together perfectly, and adds all the benefits of being mindful, slowing down and cultivating an approach of curiosity, and developing an appreciation of, and empathy for, the natural world. Building a relationship with the nature of the everyday, the things that happen right in front of us, if only we take the time to look – that’s what it’s about for me.

I use a few different approaches in my journal. Some pages I draw on site, others I draw after the event, and yet others are a combination, where I start on site and finish up at home. I draw from life and from reference photos. Some entries have added measurements, counts, and data, making them a field journal-type entry; other spreads are more reflective, and might even include quotes or bits of poetry. All are a combination of pictures and words. That’s the joy of keeping a nature journal – there’s no right or wrong way of doing it!

But my favourite pages, the ones that give me the most pleasure when I flip back through old journals, are the ones that record an event, something special or unexpected, even if it’s actually also mundane, everyday, and easily overlooked.

Up there at the top of my list of favourite nature journal entries is a spread I did after an encounter with a LOT of swifts. I was out running, so didn’t have my journal (or even a phone camera) to record the event; I stopped and stared up into a sky filled with screaming swifts, taking in the experience of it all: the sights, the sounds, the sun on my face. I put the spread together later that same day, and it will always bring that sunny, bird-filled blue-sky moment back to life for me.

 Another favourite page came about when I glanced out of the window one wintry morning, and saw a female blackbird very energetically tossing leaves about on the driveway, looking for tasty morsels to eat. She was so busy that I watched for a couple of minutes (this is what you tend to do when you keep a nature journal!). Then suddenly she pounced and pulled a huge hibernating queen wasp out of the leaf litter – I was amazed! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bird catching and eating a wasp before. But through the habit of keeping a journal I have also acquired the habit of paying a bit more attention to the everyday natural world around me, and I am rewarded with these small events that make me smile.

And one last favourite from me – and this page is definitely more words than images – an encounter with a badger, again when I was out running. Definitely worth recording!

 It feels like the world has been turned upside down, and I think it’s true to say that things will never be quite the same again. But the natural world – your natural world, in your garden, outside your window, in the skies above your house – carries on, and always will. So, take the time to notice the rhythms, the passing of the days, the new arrivals (I can’t wait for the swallows!), and the tiny, overlooked dramas in your flowerbed, veg patch, around your house or on your back doorstep. Reflect on what you find, and perhaps find some peace and distraction there.

And one day, you will look back on these unsettling times in your journal and be reminded of the power of nature, and you’ll treasure your record of it.

 

Natural History Illustration in Pen and Ink

 I thought I'd give a bit of a shout-out to a recently published book that readers of this blog might find interesting - Natural History Illustration in Pen and Ink by Sarah Morrish (www.illustratingnaturesdetails.com), published by The Crowood Press. Sarah is an artist, illustrator and tutor, and has a working background in ecology and conservation.

 After an introduction there is information about subject matter, including using museum collections and collecting, storing and preserving your own reference materials, and about working in the field. Materials and equipment is another section, and covers pens, inks, and paper, plus other useful bits and pieces along with advice on setting up a comfortable working area and even a recipe for making your own oak gall ink.

Next comes a chapter about sketchbooks and study pages, including things to consider when choosing a sketchbook and tips for recording information. Mark-making techniques and creating form are then discussed, along with a look at some of the problems you might encounter, and solutions, and composition has its own chapter.

Following on, there are several subject-specific chapters, focussing on botanical subjects, strandline and marine discoveries, fossils, insects and other invertebrates, birds, feathers and nests, and mammals. There are loads of examples, including step-by-step exercises and case studies so that you can see an illustration evolving. The final two chapters cover combining pen and ink with other media, and protection and presentation of the artwork.

The book has the strapline 'Combine science with art, and journey through nature', which I think is a great call to action, and Natural History Illustration in Pen and Ink inspires you to do just this. The content is very well supported by text and images, and there are contributions from a number of other artists (including me!). There is practical advice, and lots of excellent examples and demonstrations of processes and materials. It's a book I'll go back to again and again. It's a great resource, and if I didn't already have a copy, this book would definitely be on my wish list for Christmas!

https://www.facebook.com/NaturalHistoryIllustrationPenandInk

https://www.nhbs.com/natural-history-illustration-in-pen-and-ink-book

https://www.crowood.com/products/natural-history-illustration-in-pen-and-ink-by-sarah-morrish

https://www.waterstones.com/book/natural-history-illustration-in-pen-and-ink/sarah-morrish/9781785009228

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-History-Illustration-Pen-Ink/dp/1785009222