International Nature Journaling Week 2023 ……… A Sensory Safari ….. Days 6 & 7: Movement & Heart

June 1 – 7, 2023

Day 6: Movement …. Altho not an official “sense,” movement plays a key part in how we relate to the world around us. And describing movement in a nature journal should become habit. Using pictures is one way …. Illustrating the way a rabbit hops may be easy, but actually showing motion in a drawing is definitely more challenging. I noticed hundreds of cicadas working their way up tree trunks and branches the other day. They “walked” slowly and purposefully, but when they stopped their wings began vibrating so fast they became a blur! Maybe a way to depict this blur in a sketch would be with fast and loose watercolor, without any wing detail? ……. Other ways to describe movement is with words, diagrams and arrows. There’s no wrong way to describe motion; imagination may uncover more creative options.

We had a fun session with Lucia, who used worms in a slow, meditative approach to capturing movement. And Kim led a discussion involving 8 ideas about how to include movement in our nature journals,

Then the importance of quickly capturing movement was covered in Bethan’s mini workshop. Practice, practice and more practice is key, and one way to effectively illustrate flying, running, leaping animals and insects is through gesture sketching.

Day 7: Heart. The last day of INJW 2023 wrapped up with an interesting and thoughtful session about connecting with nature and describing feelings in the nature journal. Using illustrations and words, a love of nature …… the awe, surprise, affection and curiosity of the world we live in …… can be expressed within the pages of a journal. Including an original or a favorite poem to emphasize a special connection with nature is a great way to express feelings. Making marks on a journal page with a feather or flower petal is also a nice way to show love and appreciation for the natural world.

A wonderful week of live and interactive talks and workshops made INJW 2023 truly special!

Thanks once again for taking a look! As always, I hope my pages spark in you a sense of curiosity and wonder, and that you would like to learn more. And even though the official week has come to a close, you can access all of the videos, interviews and prompts for the 2023 sessions (as well as past year’s sessions) indefinitely and without cost, by visiting the INJW home page at https://www.naturejournalingweek.com/.

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