Journaling With Nature

Hello and welcome! I am so happy to be back after taking February off the podcast. While I took a break from releasing episodes, I didn't stop recording them. So, I have many wonderful new interviews to share with you in the coming weeks. This episode is in response to a question from a podcast listener called Dan. Dan asked me if I had any tips to avoid overwhelm when starting out with nature journaling. There are so many resources, blog posts, videos and workshops on nature journaling these days and it is hard to know where to start. I have felt this same overwhelm myself! In answer to Dan's question, I have created a list of '10 Things to Help Avoid Nature Journal Overwhelm'. Here are some resources that I mention during the podcast:The Nature Journal Connection is a weekly video series by John Muir Laws. This series is the most concise and simple introduction to nature journaling that I've seen and I recommend it for kids as well as adults.  If you're feeling  nervous to sketch in your journal, take a look at the For The Reluctant Artist page on the International Nature Journaling Week website.  There are lots of ideas there for calming your inner-critic. If you want to join an online nature journal club, here are a couple that might match your time zone:Monterey Bay Nature Journal Club (Pacific Time)Melbourne Nature Journal Club (Australian Eastern Daylight Time) John Muir Laws has  information to support you if you want to start your own nature journal club. You can find this here.  If you're interested in weekly nature journal prompts you can find them on my blog or on Instagram and Facebook. Sign up for Journaling With Nature's Newsletter to receive news and updates as well as the Nature Journaling Inspiration List each month! To help make this podcast sustainable you can support Journaling With Nature Podcast on Patreon, Your contribution is deeply appreciated. Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Bill is an artist and nature journaler living in Tucson, Arizona. He blends traditional and digital art techniques to create a unique process and style that utilises the best of both forms of art. In this interview Bill speaks in detail about his art practice - the tools, techniques and also the technology that he uses to create his work. Listen to hear more about:How Bill came to nature journaling. How setting a one-hour limitation helps Bill focus on his journal pages and capture the essence of his subject without getting too lost in detail.Toned paper and why Bill loves to use it.The benefits of gouache vs acrylic vs acrylic-gouache.Using warm and cool highlights and shadows to increase realism and three-dimensionality of a piece.The benefits of a limited palette for creating colour harmony.How Bill switches between digital and traditional painting to make the best of each of these tools.Bill’s latest nature journal discoveries. Find out more about Bill on his website billsingleton.com and on Instagram and YouTube.You can learn directly from Bill on SkillShare by following this link.  To find Bill’s blog post for International Nature Journaling Week click here.  Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Kristin Link is a fine artist and science illustrator with a focus on the natural world. Currently living off-grid in Alaska, she has nature journaled in some very remote and beautiful places, including on glaciers, in deserts and even on a scientific research vessel. Kristin’s work reflects her desire to connect with place, wherever she is in the world. Listen to hear more about:Kristin’s early influences and experiences with art and science. The importance of ‘place’ in Kristin’s work.How living off-grid connects her with the land.Her experiences as artist-in-residence at various locations, including on a scientific research vessel.Cyanotype printing, what it is and how Kristin uses it in her work. The spirituality of interacting with nature that is beyond words or explanation. How Kristin celebrates ‘place’ through her school workshops, helping young people discover what is beautiful and unique about their own part of the world.Find out more about Kristin on her website kristinillustration.com and Instagram.Purchase Kristin’s artwork through her Etsy store.You can connect with the Boreal Nature Journal Club here.  The book that the Boreal Nature Journal Club have been working through together is by Roseann Hanson and it is called Nature Journaling for a Wild Life. Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Marley Peifer is a nature journal educator and mentor who is also the creator of The Nature Journal show, a weekly YouTube show specifically about nature journaling. In his videos Marley takes us along with him on his adventures, nature journaling outdoors, or in extreme places. He also shares information on his process, techniques, gear and favourite art tools, as well as interviews with other nature journalers. Marley has a lot of experience mentoring others on how to create a good mindset, how to start and keep going, stay motivated, bust barriers and journal more!   Listen to hear more about:Marley’s childhood experiences in nature.Fearless Friday and how Marley is working to combat the trap of creating ‘pretty pictures’.Growth mindset vs fixed mindset and how this relates to nature journaling.The importance of appropriate feedback around effort, for reinforcing a growth mindset. Marley’s adventures creating The Nature Journal Show.Nature journaling generalists vs specialists.Marley’s vocabulary of ‘Bread and butter’, ‘Juice’ and ‘Growth Edge’ and what these terms mean.Find out more about Marley and on his website marleypeifer.com, as well as on Facebook and Instagram.Marley has a new distance learning program called The Nature Journal Family, which is a month-long nature journaling adventure aimed to deepen your connection with nature and community. You can find out all the details here.Marley’s video on the Nature Journaling Mindset can be found here.If you enjoy Marley’s work, you can support him on Patreon.  Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Patricia Larenas is an artist and gardener with a passion for nature, and especially for trees. Her tree portraits capture the iconic trees around her in the San Francisco Bay Area. She also investigates alternative art materials through creating her own natural inks and hand-made journals. When choosing art materials, Patricia’s concern for nature is always in her mind. She prefers to use recycled paper wherever she can, uses high quality 100% cotton paper for finished pieces, and explores alternatives like xuan paper (rice paper) and bamboo.Patricia loves gardening, seed saving and how seeds can be the ‘carriers of culture’, connecting people to their cultural roots and to each other. Listen to hear more about:The importance of nature connection through books, during Patricia’s childhood.The deep connection Patricia has had with trees throughout her life.The process of tackling complex tree shapes in a drawing.How she makes her own inks from natural materials she has foraged or found herself.The process of book binding hand-made sketchbooks.Seed saving and ethnography of foods, and how seeds have moved around the world through patterns of migration and colonisation. To see Patricia’s artwork, follow this link to her Instagram page @plarenas_onpaper. You can find her gardening and seed saving blog at www.urbanartichoke.com.  Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Emeritus Professor Roger Kitching AM is a rainforest ecologist with a focus on biology, conservation and management of invertebrate biodiversity. Roger has conducted research studies in places all over the world including Panama, China, France, Réunion, Papua New Guinea and Australia. Having kept field journals for most of his adult life, Roger has unique insights into the importance of journals for capturing details of field expeditions, both for scientific purposes and for personal memories. Listen to hear more about:Roger’s early experiences as a young naturalist in north Yorkshire.Roger’s first expeditions during his university days and how he started keeping field journals.How he uses his field journals to gather details for longer pieces of writing intended for publication.The experience of leading students from Griffith University on field trips to the rainforest of Borneo for 13 years.How keeping a field journal connects Roger with field naturalists in history. During the interview we talked about the book Field Notes on Science and Nature (Edited by Michael Canfield). You can find it here.Professor Kitching has authored or co-authored five books including: The Butterflies of Australia (Albert Orr and Roger Kitching).Professor Kitching received the Gregor Johann Mendel Medal for the Advancement of Biological Sciences. Read about it here.You can find his professional profile on Linkedin. Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Sterre Verbokkem works under the name ‘Illustrator of Wild Things’. She lives off-grid on a mountain in Spain, with her husband and son, surrounded by nature and wildlife. She uses both digital and traditional art techniques to create magical illustrations of the things around her. Listen to hear more about:The important significance of crows in Sterre’s childhood.How Sterre started keeping a nature journal.The process of creating both digital and hand drawn nature art.How limiting materials or colours helps Sterre focus more closely on her subject and create a unified body of work.Sterre’s ‘trail camera’…what it is and how she uses it to get a glimpse into the life of the animals around her home.How living off-grid allows Sterre and her family to be connected to nature and natural cycles.The mindfulness apps created by Sterre and her husband Mark, designed to connect listeners with nature and the relaxation that it can bring.  You can find Sterre online through her website illustratorofwildthings.com and on Instagram @illustratorofwildthings.Learn more about Sterre’s mindfulness apps at https://wildventures.nl and https://yourwildjourney.com.  Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Lee Angold is a botanical and natural science illustrator with an interest in representing nature in a way that encourages others to see the detail and beauty in even simple, everyday subjects. A self-taught artist with an impressive depth of knowledge on colour and watercolour paints, Lee offers many insights into nature art and nature journaling during our conversation. Listen to hear more about:How Lee found her way back to natural science illustration via Engineering school.Experimenting with watercolour and  how Lee has come to ‘know’ her paints.Her different palettes and how she developed her colour choices.The one colour that Lee could not live without!The Daily Leaf project and how Lee painted every day for an entire year.Lee’s conference trip to Australia and the realisations she had on her return.  You can connect with Lee online through her website www.leeangold.com, Instagram @leeangold and Facebook. Lee also has an active Youtube channel where she uploads videos on her painting process, colour explorations, sketchbook tours and live painting sessions.  Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Tom is an ecologist, photographer and nature advocate with a particular passion for ornithology. Tom's work takes him to remote and beautiful locations around Australia. Listen to hear more about:Tom’s PhD research looking at bird communities along the floodplains of the Murray River.Extinction debt and how land clearing is affecting bird populations in Australia.How Tom manages hope and despair as an ecologist who sees the best and the worst aspects of nature and land management.The Threatened Species Bake-off and Tom’s culinary creations!How nature journaling has brought Tom back to art and creativity in 2020. Connect with Tom on Instagram @moth_nut (be sure to watch some of his nature walks) and on Twitter @moth_nut.Learn more about the Threatened Species Bake off here. Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com

Melinda Nakagawa is a scientist, nature connection mentor and nature journal teacher. Melinda has a background in marine biology and brings a scientist’s eye to her nature journal observations. Her work is all about gently guiding others to connect with the natural world by tapping into curiosity and wonder. In this way, Melinda is able to bridge nature, science, art and heart in her work. Listen to hear more about:Melinda’s early nature experiences on her family flower farm.Melina’s ‘spark bird’ and how she came to ornithology.How sharing our joy of nature with others can be a gift that just might change a person’s life.The international community of nature journalers that is growing  due to the changes that have happened globally in 2020.The benefits of an online format for nature journaling communities.How nature journaling in community can be fun and encouraging. How to give feedback that encourages and guides others, without focusing on pretty pictures. Leaning into the ‘heart’ while nature journaling and how we can begin to go at nature’s pace. Find Melinda’s work on her website sparkinnature.com. For more information about Melinda’s nature journaling classes visit this page. Join in the virtual meetings of the Monterey Bay Nature Journal Club.  Thanks for listening!www.journalingwithnature.com