I have shared bits of these pages here and there, but never the full layouts, which I think are useful because they show how little I actually draw or paint (only a couple times a month) versus how often I write notes (pretty much a bit a week). I average about half a page a week, though it doesn't work out exactly that way--sometimes I work for longer and sometimes I just add an observation or two. (Or sometimes when I'm in the first trimester or overdue, I don't journal at all! ;))
The point I want to make is that that there are lots of different ways to journal, lots of different kinds of observations we moms can be making. I also hope you can see here that a practice done slowly yet consistently can bear fruit. I don't have time to sketch every day, but even the bit I do manage weekly nets a lively, useful record of our adventures and discoveries. And I'm getting to know with intimacy the world around me, which is far more important than the product but directly flows from creating that product, if that makes sense.
Simply put: drawing requires a special level of attention to detail, and that's the main reason Charlotte Mason suggests it. But when you have your hands full and the thought of getting out the paints gives you a headache, a few jotted notes are much better than not recording at all!
This is just FANTASTIC, Celeste! I love it! Yours is SO neat. Mine is kind of a mess...surprise, surprise. ;) LOL! I love that you write things too...thank you for a peek and pat yourself on the back from me ;) at just creating a habit of doing this pretty regularly and with excellence!!!! So inspiring to me! I always soooo enjoy it WHEN ;) I take the time to slowly enter something. :)
ReplyDeleteOh and I ESPECIALLY love your Meadowlark! :D
ReplyDelete"the habit of doing this pretty regularly and with excellence" << I love how you put that! And that's what's so much more important than the final result. :) It is all about taking the time, which is hard for us moms sometimes but *always* bears wonderful fruit for ourselves and our kids. I'm hoping to be even more regular this year, and I hope I can stick to it! :)
DeleteSo beautiful! It's like a mixture of The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady and Teale's Circle of Seasons. You were so consistent and that makes it even more wonderful. Thank you for sharing, what an encouragement for all of us Mamas.
ReplyDeleteWow, that is super high praise, Virginia Lee! :) Yes, the consistency is really what I'm most proud of this year, and I'm hoping to do better this year since I won't be dealing with first-trimester woes or the new-newborn days. ;)
DeleteWOW thank you so much for sharing! what an encouragement! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!
DeleteI love this! Thank you for sharing, it's very inspiring to see other busy mommas taking time for their nature journal. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sarah. :) It's kind of like exercising--sometimes it's hard to find the time, but I never regret it when I do. ;)
DeleteThanks for sharing! I like how you have "cut and pasted" your watercolor illustrations into your journal. Great way to condense your work a bit. Your sketches are beautiful :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Kristyn. Yes, I like working on watercolor sheets and taping them in so that I can just have a regular sketchbook rather than a thicker, more expensive watercolor book. Since I do so much writing compared to painting, it makes more sense space-wise anyway. My kids do the same and it works well for us! :)
DeleteOkay...so this is beautiful. But at the same time it's very *real*. My journal has been sorely neglected lately. Sometimes I find it hard to draw something when also trying to supervise the kids with their journals, but then I don't get back to adding illustrations later. So, it's encouraging to me that it's okay to just jot down observations or small sketches. In fact, I might pull it out for a few minutes right now and add some notes about the ice and snow we've had here these last couple days. :D
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jen! I gave myself permission long ago to just do whatever I could and not always feel like I had to drybrush a specimen each week, and I found myself able to be much more consistent without that requirement. A few minutes of notes are just great, I think! :)
DeleteCeleste, your journal is as lovely as it is inspirational! I think that is why I am always drawn to your blog...its beauty is everywhere and you make it all look so simple to do. I have yet to begin a nature journal for myself and my boys. Can you give me some simple tips on how to begin? I have the journals, HONS and all of the supplies...what I mean is how do it and make it consistent? It seems like one of the lovelies that always gets squeezed out of our journey and I hate that. Your artwork is beautiful too. Have you taken lessons? It is so pretty :) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Ann-Marie! Thank you so much--that is a lovely compliment. :) No, I haven't taken lessons--but I have learned a whole lot through trial and error! LOL
DeleteMy simplest suggestion for you in getting started, given that you're dealing with boys and they're a bit older, is to head out on a walk someplace where you'll see something "interesting" (so not your average park), do some "wandering and wondering" (that's what I call just walking around, noticing things, asking each other questions, etc), gather a couple items, and then spend 15 minutes at the picnic benches doing some drawing and notes. All of you, even mom! :) All I would tell them is that they need to make some sort of entry. Make it fun, show a lot of excitement over it, chat a lot, work right alongside them to model careful work and an interested attitude. You might pull out some field guides to identify things, or you could do that at home. I would focus on your own discoveries as a group at first rather than particular lessons in HONS, but that's just me. Sometimes when we try to do a particular object lesson before we know much about our area, we end up "failing"--looking for the wrong thing at the wrong time in the wrong place, if you know what I mean. I really think that getting to know your own area a bit better first is of great value.
You could also set a challenge for some of your outings: How many wildflowers can we find? Let's take a picture of each one and then when we get home, see how many we can identify and list them in our journals. (You might want to wait until spring for that one. ;)) You could do the same for fungi, leaves... Then compare week to week. The lovely thing is noticing those seasonal changes, so I would probably go back to the same spot at least once a month and then mix it up on the other weeks if you prefer, trying out different hikes and such.
One fun study we like to do is force branches inside to watch the leaves unfurl:
http://joyouslessons.blogspot.com/2014/02/nature-study-outing-early-leafing.html
A more scientifically-minded boy might like to keep notebook entries of those, drawing the stages every 12 hours or 24 hours (they open up that fast, at least around here!).
Just some rambles, but maybe something to get you started? I hope that helps a bit! :)
Those are great suggestions, Celeste! Unforutnately this is something that I have always wanted to do and dropped the ball on it. Good suggestions for boys (good memory)who are getting older. Still have an 8 yo filled with wonder and an almost 12 yo who is pretty filled with wonder most days too. We've been watching the baby eaglets this whole and I was thinking of beginning with them, although we are not really *seeing* them in person. We are all enthralled by them :D and it would be a great place to begin the journey. Love the ideas for spring too. A bit cold here in the east for flowers right now, but, sometime in the next few months things should be blooming! Thanks again!
DeleteLove that your 8yo and 12yo are still wonder-filled--I think that's really the key to making nature study an easy habit to begin. We adults aren't quite so wonder-filled anymore and I think that's what makes it harder for *us* to start. :) If you are enjoying the eaglets, by all means start with them! Nature study can happen in lots of different ways, and interest is the most important part! Like CM says: it's not how much they know but how much they care. :)
DeleteVery inspiring, Celeste. I like how you explained writing vs drawing in your nature journaling.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Carol!
DeleteYour nature notebook looks fabulous Celeste! You are a real inspiration for those of us(namely me) who lack in this area.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing,
Melissa
Thanks so much, Melissa!
DeleteI'm SO glad you shared this! It's beautiful! And inspiring! Are you familiar with John Muir (I'm sure you are. ;) I have a friend who's been watching and reading his stuff and her dry brush paintings are amazing-as are yours! I just think it's such a wonderful thing to leave behind for your family. Also, the benefits from doing a nature journal for our selves is a blessing!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Catie. :) Yes, I love John Muir's approach and am eagerly anticipating getting my hands on his latest book, which looks just wonderful. He is the keynote speaker at CMI this year, and I am super jealous! :) And yes, the time I spend working on my nature journal alongside my kids has really been a blessing. Not only have I learned a lot by keeping it, but also there's something very calming about slowing down and painting. (When I can keep the baby and toddlers out of it! LOL)
DeleteI really love this! Thank you so much for taking the time to photograph it all and post it. I wish more bloggers who nature journal would do the same thing! It's really neat to see how different your nature is from ours, living in such different parts of the country.
ReplyDeleteI wish more people would share too! I just love looking at other moms' work. :)
DeleteThis is gorgeous, Celeste! Thank you for sharing and being such an inspiration. We've neglected ours but am hoping to get back to it soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Hwee! I remember your lovely Calendar of Firsts entries at the beginning of last year--they were so inspiring. :)
DeleteYour journal is so lovely! About how much time do you normally spend for each entry? I sometimes get frustrated with myself because I can take forever if I let myself!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. :) It really varies, but I'd say maybe a half hour on average, including looking up names to label what I'm drawing? When I just write, it's much shorter, and when I paint, it's longer, so it just depends on the week. My plan every Friday when we get home from our nature outing is to get my little ones down for naps and then sit down with my oldest four and work at least a bit in my journal. If the baby cooperates, I might get everything down that I wanted to record right then. But usually I start my entry, then put it away when baby gets up, and then finish it up on the weekend, when I have more hands-free time. :)
DeleteThese pages are absolutely beautiful...between your penmanship, beautiful sketches, and paintings...such a delight to look through. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much, Liz! :)
DeleteYour journal is absolutely lovely, Celeste!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Delete