My journey in art journaling. Some are just posts that fall into the category because of style or topic. The older posts are from when I used colored pencils and most recent posts are using my handmade watercolors made from Ozark pigments. Originally, this category was titled “Nature Journaling”, so you’ll possibly notice a bit of disconnect if it isn’t directly related to art. But most of my life is related in one way or another, even before I started calling myself an artist. And every bit of my art is strongly influenced by nature. So either way, whether the post is more to do with nature or more to do with art, I think it’ll fit just fine in here.
There are other plant walks in Arkansas, but this one is probably a little different. The trails we’ll follow are deer trails and logging roads. The drive to get here is gorgeous. And the biodiversity here at Wild Ozark is incredible. Our 160 acres is far off of the beaten path six miles from pavement. …
Most of my paints begin with a rock. Sometimes I remember to record the process it goes through from rock to paint, and sometimes the process isn’t quick. This is the story of a paint made from a reddish sandstone found here at Wild Ozark. It’s the provenance of Number 2021-01. I’m still working with …
You may remember my flutter of initial excitement about the possibility of adding a stable blue to my palette. Yesterday I finally tried it in a quick painting in my journal. It worked! It’s so exciting to have this color to use now. But until next year, the supply is very small and I’ll have …
We visited the Katara Cultural Village in Doha, Qatar, and ate at the Turkish restaurant.
Art journaling is a lot of fun and can symbolically or realistically document anything.
What gifts did the water bring this time? A whole gravel bed! Once I’m done gathering earth pigments, I can put some back on the driveway. Click the title to read more.
Today as I was driving the 4-wheeler down the driveway to go check the mail, I heard the sound of a thousand birds in the trees. Maybe I’m exaggerating, but maybe not. It was a big crowd of noisy American goldfinches flitting around the treetops by the gate. A few days ago I saw a …
This morning before I left the house to go to the post office, I briefly thought about whether I should grab the camera or not. I decided to not. It had been a few days since I’d last caught even a glimpse of the screech owl that lives by the gate. So I didn’t have …
Between getting the house clean today, since it’s raining and I couldn’t be outside weed-eating, I’ve been making a mess in the kitchen. People have to not take things at face value in this house. What looks like refreshing tea… just might not be. My kids know by now that not everything they see in …
Plant Pigments- in search of a stable green, the latest painting and the next show Read More »
Sunlight on distant hills always makes for a pretty picture. It’s just hard to capture, whether by camera or pencil. This time I tried with my Prismacolor pencils. About this journal entry Some autumn seasons bring vivid colors, while others are quick and or less spectacular. Always, though, the sunlight favors certain hillsides while leaving …
Day 14: Nature Journal Series – Sunlight on Distant Hills Read More »
Signs of Life About this journal entry The signs of life during the coldest parts of winter always intrigue me. I love seeing the green grass shoots found under a layer of snow or peeking out from the shelter of tumbled rocks. I’m not sure why I left the chickweed uncolored in my drawing. I …
About this journal entry I started drawing (again) when my husband bought me a set of Prismacolor pencils for my birthday in 2015. Before that it had been decades since I last picked up an art utensil of any sort. I’ve yet to pick up a paintbrush again and probably won’t. There just isn’t …
The harbinger of spring is one of the earliest blooming native wildflowers here at Wild Ozark. Others of us plant-watchers have been reporting seeing them, so I thought just maybe I’d find one too. But I wasn’t disappointed in the day’s collection of pretty images. Even if they’re not harbingers.
About this journal entry My son says my nature sketching looks like a turkey feather. It is not. It is a leaf half submerged in the water, haha. Can’t have the world at large making the same mistake. About the Wild Ozark Nature Journal Get the index to the other journal entries and read about …
Old Oak Tree About this journal entry I’m not sure this tree is a Post Oak, but she is old and her name is Gloria. Gloria graces our front yard and she has been there for probably 200 years. Drawing her was a challenge because I’ve never learned how to draw a tree so …
Grapevine & Insect Observation Nature Journal entry from Day 9. About this journal entry On Day 9 of my daily journaling stint, I didn’t feel like getting off of the porch and I wondered if I could find something nearby to draw and journal about. Well, I found a good topic, but it was hard …
Acorn on Weathered Stick Nature Journal entry from Day 8. About this journal entry On Day 8 of my daily journaling stint, I couldn’t help reflecting on the sounds of trees dying in the distance. Chainsaws and crashing punctuated the otherwise peaceful land. I really dislike the amount of logging that happens around …
Christmas Fern About this journal entry On Day 7 of my daily journaling stint, I decided to draw the Christmas fern. These ferns are often present in good ginseng habitat. So it’s known as a companion plant, or indicator plant, but I like it just because it stays green and pretty even through the …
Lobelia inflata in Late Summer About this journal entry Lobelia inflata is one of my most treasured wild-crafted herbs. It grows around us here like a “weed”, and most would never think it to be a useful plant. It’s not very decorative or interesting to the average person. The seeds are invaluable in my …
Little Orange Mushroom About this journal entry It’s amazing how quickly an hour flies by when you are trying unsuccessfully to figure out how to do something. On another note, I’m finding that it is getting harder to focus on the experience rather than the quality of my drawing. This mushroom didn’t meet my …
Ground Cherry About this Entry The inklings of trouble is starting to reveal itself already. “This one will be much easier,” I thought as I settled on a subject for today’s entry. It is all mostly green, with hardly any other colors to try and incorporate. Right. About the Wild Ozark Nature Journal Get …
Sycamore Leaf About the Wild Ozark Nature Journal I’m slowly scanning my nature journal entries and adding them to this blog. Some of you may have already seen these, because I started this a few years ago and then let it get lost among the other things I am trying to do. Now I’m …
Asters Hanging Down About the Wild Ozark Nature Journal I’m slowly scanning my nature journal entries and adding them to this blog. Some of you may have already seen these, because I started this a few years ago and then let it get lost among the other things I am trying to do. Now …
Day 1: Leaf and Rock About the Wild Ozark Nature Journal I’m slowly scanning my nature journal entries and adding them to this blog. Some of you may have already seen these, because I started this a few years ago and then let it get lost among the other things I am trying to …
Whenever I go away from the house alone, I take my camera. A simple run to the post office or to town becomes an Ozark Backroad Photo Journey. I generally try not to do this when I have passengers or am myself a passenger. It seems that stopping as often as I do when I’m …
Ozark Backroad Photo Journey – Come Along for the Ride Read More »
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