“You will have to experiment and try things out for yourself and you will not be sure of what you are doing. That's all right, you are feeling your way into the thing.” - Emily Carr
I’m feeling my way into nature journaling, coming to it from a side path of abstract landscape painting. I’m not a nature journaler in the traditional sense but my journals spill open with nature.
I grew up on the West Coast of Canada at the edge of the big city of Vancouver in a place called “Sea to Sky country”. I spent countless hours sailing the coast, skiing the mountains and camping with my family and friends. I stuffed shells in my pockets to add to my collection, and read Audubon guides while snuggled on the boat. I recounted stories of otters, bears and whales in my lined notebooks. I had a childhood that gave me an opportunity to ‘just be’ in nature; to watch the natural world, to be bored, and to spend time alone with myself.
Eventually, I went off to art school and trained in all the traditional studio practices, earning my Bachelor of Fine Arts and Art History. I spent years painting abstract landscapes in acrylics on canvas. I had sketchbooks but they were just for keeping notes and planning paintings and projects.
Then a bright little soul, (who wouldn’t sleep), entered my life and my art practice changed. In those early years of motherhood, my lack of energy, space and time forced my practice to evolve. I began art journaling and the process felt like it merged all the things I loved about drawing and painting, with my need to express and transform my energy into something beautiful and tangible; something I could hold in my hands and reflect upon.
I now have two bright little souls (ages 3.5 & 7), who keep me quite busy (and still sleepless)! Yet I make time to create nature-inspired art almost every day. Journaling is central to my creative practice. Our family spends many hours in the forests, mountains and beaches of the beautiful Comox Valley on Vancouver Island. I don’t find much time to actually journal while we are out adventuring. Instead, I mindfully take note of colours, sounds and imagery, thoughts and emotions, and that I record them in my memory for later use in my studio. I journal in an expressive and intuitive way that is more abstract than representational, capturing the spirit of place and my emotions.
My most recent journal is a teeny handmade one that I started in March 2020, just as Covid-19 came sweeping into all of our lives. In the first few days of this pandemic, as cancellations, closures and unknowns seemed to roll in like waves of a storm, I wanted to create but just couldn’t focus. I knew from my experience doing the 100 Day Project in 2019, that a project with a few guiding parameters would encourage me. For this journal I chose a small scale, limited colours and just a handful of materials. This journal brought a soothing sense of child-like creation back to me; I was drawing, painting, cutting and pasting. I worked mindfully, taking inspiration from my surrounds, and following my intuition.
I often write memos to myself in my journals, like mantras or prescriptions for well being. On this page I wrote, “trying to stay rooted in this body and this place”. The tall trees of this coastal rain forest withstand wild storms all winter. They remind me of the need to ground myself; I must trust my roots to weather this storm.
The loose marks on this daffodil page express the chaos of my ‘monkey mind’, that was jumping around in fear and anxiety as the pandemic spread. Pause. Breathe. I looked to the the tall trees that surrounded me, and the bright greens of new leaves and grass, and I saw and felt the steadiness of nature. I am always reassured if I intentionally focus on the present moment.
I was so grateful for beautiful spring weather during our first few weeks of our shelter in place experience. I spent many hours watching our little girls play in our front garden. I felt more joyous and appreciative this year than ever when the cheerful daffodils popped up. On this journal spread I wrote, “..and as the world felt both chaotic and calm, she watched the daffodils bloom as they always do.”
Like other things in my life during this time, I allowed this journal a bit more time and breathing space; I slowed down and considered my elements and next move in my composition. I really enjoyed thinking about how the pages and elements related to each other as the pages were irregular sizes, showing elements peeking out from pages behind them. The journal took on a more structurally interesting and personal feeling than the store-bought journals I often create in.
With nature as my muse, I can create a rich, layered and expressive ‘home’ on the pages of my journal; a safe place for my thoughts and feelings. I hope that my artwork inspires others to feel that they can be loose and expressive in their journals. What you see in nature is a starting point. What you bring of yourself to the page is what makes your journal unique and wonderful. Like Emily Carr said, you are, “….feeling your way into things.”
You can find more of Nicole’s work on her website www.nicolewarrington.com and on Instagram @coastalnicole.