Hi, I’m Dallas. I’m a homeschooling mom and art teacher. I love learning along with my flock of three under the age of 8. We go on nature rambles about 2-3 times a week together and it’s something I hope we never stop doing. Omaha, Nebraska in the Midwest of the United States is my home. It boasts a long winter, Sandhill cranes, prairie plant life, and big open skies. I started nature journaling thanks to Charlotte Mason, my favorite educational philosopher. I actually had a really hard time starting because I had no experience doing any plein air sketching through art school. But now that I’ve had two years of practice, you could never convince me to stop!
Why do I keep a nature journal?
The natural world reveals something bigger than us. We are finite. God is infinite and his creation shows us thousands of wonders if we are watching.
When I take my journal out, I see evidence of time passing. I see evidence that this, too, shall pass. We are living in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic as I write this. We can pause to watch the seasons predictably change, as each day seems to be so perpetually the same as the one before as our normal rhythm of life has been knocked off its axis.
As a mom of three children, I’m usually swamped with studying, school planning, and managing my online business. Needless to say, I often need to be made to slow down. I get lost in the mundane and the hustle somehow at the same time. I stress about the future and how I’m teaching these precious little ones. Sitting to observe and sketch helps me slow down and use the non-verbal part of my brain for a nice break. It helps my children see that mom stops to gaze at the heavens that declare His glory and watch the small sparrow that our Creator cares for. This reminds me that every day we are cared for by Him, too.
I need new ideas. Often, I find a new pattern in nature I’ve never noticed before. Or, one of my children makes an observation I wasn’t aware of. I try to write these instances down to capture them in records for later. Nature journaling can be a family heirloom item to pass on to the next generations in a world where going paperless is seen as a moral imperative. Each outing has its own story and I never regret writing about our excursions.
Using my mind, hands, and tools for this activity helps me remember things! I want a sharp mind and a ready intellect for whatever challenge I’m met with next. Keeping this journal helps me exercise these gifts and it keeps me mentally fresh!
How do I do it?
I keep a minimal amount of supplies. I try to do everything very simply so that there’s a higher likelihood of me getting out and painting. Watch this video about what I keep in my pack.
I draw both by observation and later from memory. Each skill is important! Drawing from memory later helps me figure out what I didn’t see or forgot to look for. Observing and sketching in real-time is very relaxing and has its own hurdles (like moving creatures, precipitation or wind, and changing light.) I like a good challenge.
We’re usually studying something specific about nature in our lessons and due to each season, or otherwise I sketch by what is beautiful to me on that walk. I always note anything out of the ordinary. I even record what I smell, how the temperature and wind feels, what the weather is doing, descriptions of noises and calls I hear, the kids’ attitudes before and after, my thoughts and emotions, too. It really is a lot like a diary and each one I fill up is more dear to me than the last.
Want to join me?
Bethan Burton (Journaling With Nature) has curated such wonderful resources here at Nature Journaling Week. She even has help for the novice and teachers! So, please look around and be inspired by how you can start the practice, too.
As an art and nature-lover myself, I also offer you my expertise in drawing from life over on my website, Bestowing The Brush, where I support homeschool families who want to learn this skill. I studied drawing, printmaking and sculpture at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in the Fine Arts program. I’ve also recently studied from the 19th century watercoloring tradition (à la John Ruskin, W.G. Collingwood, and others). Teaching online art studies now for two years has been so refreshing for me. I love empowering parents and students around the globe learning these skills!
Keeping a nature notebook can be so much more life-giving if the student has been given eyes to see and hands ready for the task. If you want to check out some of the supplies I use, here’s a list. You can visit the Etsy store where I purchased my notebook here. If you’re ready to learn how to draw and need a video course to get started, check out my new one called Brush, Chalk, & Charcoal: Foundations in Drawing. I also have videos on my YouTube channel for beginners of every age. Wouldn’t you like to embark on something so exhilarating as capturing your world on paper? I can’t wait to see you soon!