I have always loved nature. My name is Julia Landford and I was born and brought up in the beautiful country of Papua New Guinea – where I lived for around 20 years of my life, including with my husband Alan and three children. Some of my earliest memories as a child in PNG were looking at the incredible patterns on caladium leaves, watching brilliant tropical butterflies, raising colourful caterpillars and exploring trees, creeks, grasslands and gardens. The rest of my life has been in Australia – interspersed with fascinating experiences across many parts of the world. This has included several years with my international development career and diplomatic role in Bangkok, through to working in New York with the United Nations.
I was also the Founding President of Wildlife and Botanical Artists (WABA) which provided a national network of artists interested in this genre for 20 years up to 2017. This was an opportunity to bring together artists, scientists and environmentalists, host many unique art exhibitions and workshops for artists, and led to the first national Symposium ‘Discover Wildlife – Art and Science’.
In 2017 I decided to focus on the importance of nature in our lives by establishing a natural history art school called ‘NatureArt Lab’ based in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. NatureArt Lab has enabled me to share my joy of art and nature with hundreds of people, many of whom have not had the opportunity to stop and look a little more closely at the beauty of our natural world. Our programs cater for adults and children, and include nature art classes and tours to some of the most biodiverse places on the planet.
One of the main reasons I see this as important is that the more people can connect with nature, the more likely they are to become ambassadors for nature - and the more likely they are to protect and ensure its survival in a rapidly changing world with major biodiversity challenges. I received the ‘Environmental Educator of the Year’ Award last year from the Australian Association of Environmental Education (ACT) in recognition of my work with art and nature.
I’ve always loved drawing and observation, and over the years I have ventured into learning about almost every artistic medium to recreate my fascination with the natural world. My passion for nature and art has resulted in artworks of insects and frogs to birds and mammals, as well as works of a range of botanical beauties.
Nature journaling is one of my favourite things. I love being able to spend time walking in nature, and I love being able to occasionally stop and take a closer look at the intricacies of fungi, the colour of leaves and grasses, the incredible lighting of late afternoon or early morning sunlight. I have a small field kit with a selection of pens, pencils and a tiny little watercolour set – as well as my nature journal. These simple tools enable me to document anything from the little coral fungi which has emerged from the forest floor, to the beauty of the coastal Westringia plants growing on the cliffsides of the Pacific Ocean. I have documented the small beetles found foraging in our garden, and the pasture moths emerging in their hundreds in nearby fields.
Teaching nature journaling is also one of my most satisfying roles at our natural history art school. I have seen the transformative changes when people pick up a pencil or pen to draw what they see in nature, suddenly realizing it really is not that difficult. The joy of being able to explore the colours, patterns and shapes of nature whilst creating space for curiosity is so rewarding.
You can find out more about Julia’s work at NatureArt Lab on her website natureartlab.com.au and on Instagram @natureart_lab.