Creating a Nature Journal Cover

Completing a nature journal and then looking back over all the finished pages gives me such a sense of contentment.

The journal is built page by page with thoughts and information from my outdoor time, each entry personalized and precious.


The trouble is that I use generic sketchbooks for my nature journal and the covers are not all that attractive. This is my new journal and it doesn't inspire much creativity.

How to Make a Personalized Nature Journal Cover with Watercolors
1. Take watercolor paper and cut it to cover the front of the journal.
2. Watercolor the paper, let it dry, and then adhere it to the front cover with double backed tape or glue.
Tip: I ended up using both tape and glue and then wrapping rubber bands around it until it dried.
3. Paint a title or other embellishments onto a separate sheet of watercolor paper and then let them dry.
4. Cut around the embellishments and adhere with tape or glue to the water colored cover.


Here is one last view of my very full nature journal. Look at all those memories filling it up!

I think the last step for me before I put this up on the shelf with all my other nature journals is to tie a ribbon around it just to keep it all together and to look pretty.

This is a perfect project for a warm summer's afternoon when you feel like playing with watercolors.

I would love to see your covers...send me a link in an email!

You may be interested in these links:
Nature Journals - Ideas and Tips
3 Tips for Nature Journals When You Think You Can't Sketch
Watercolor Block Nature Journal Idea

Watercolor Block Nature Journal Idea

I really like to play with watercolors in my nature journal...it is a wonderful way to brighten up a rather ordinary idea for a journal page.

I try to periodically record random thoughts and ideas in my nature journal....keeping a record of what activities we have been doing or things we have observed that don't necessarily merit a whole journal page. Lists are an easy nature journal technique and even the most beginning of journalers can do a list.

So combining both ideas into this Watercolor Block Nature Journal suggestion seemed the perfect blend of color and simplicity.



Start by using your favorite watercolors. When I want to be super fast, I pull out my Prang Semi-Moist Watercolors. I also recommend using a larger flat brush which makes it easy to make big splotches of color.


Freehand some color blocks using colors to match your particular season or subject. Make some blocks tall and some wide. You don't have to put as many blocks as I did if you want to make it even simpler or if you are doing this activity with a young child.

Let the page dry and then record your thoughts. I use Prismacolor Markers in my nature journal (I wrote a review of these markers HERE). I made sure to use one of the color blocks for the month and year. You could even sketch something in one of the blocks if you want to since this is your nature journal. I love to do make some doodle-style frames for my color blocks with swirls, dots, and dashes. Be creative and have some fun!

Note:
If you are reading this in a reader or an email, the Amazon links for the watercolors and Prismacolor Markers may not show below. You will need to click over to the blog to see which ones I use.

Spring Green Nature Journal Ideas

So many shades of green!

The spring world just begs to be sketched in our nature journals. The colors of the flowers as they blossom in the warming sun just cry out to us to observe them closer, to see their intricate details. As I gather a few of our early spring flowers to record in my nature journal, I am struck the with the varying shades of green that appear in the leaves of these springtime beauties.

Each stem and leaf is a different shade of green, or they are even a mixture of greens that need our careful scrutiny if we are going to get them just right in our journal. Some leaves are olive green, some are emerald green, and some are dark green. I invite you to look at your garden greens and see if you don't notice it too.


I count myself a very careful observer of nature. I spend lots of time in my garden enjoying the many varieties of plants, bushes, and trees, but I didn't even notice the reddish edges on this leaf until I brought it inside to sketch into my nature journal. This illustrates the value of slowing down and taking the time to keep a nature journal...you are blessed with better powers of observation.

This is true in adults and also in children. We can help train our children to have better observation skills in all areas of their life if we use nature journaling as a skill-building tool.

Out of sheer self-indulgence I decided to make a couple pages in my journal with all the different greens I have in my colored pencil collection. I made small little sample splotches of color for each of the greens in my watercolor pencil and regular colored pencil sets. I labeled each color patch with the name on the pencil or in some cases the number on the pencil. This way I can use it as a reference whenever I need to find just the right green for a sketch. The color palette of spring is very different than that of autumn or winter. 

Note to self: I think I have a lot of shades of green pencils...no need for any more.

Now I am ready to make some nature journal entries!

You may be interested in seeing my fall color palette. I did a similar nature journal entry last fall with my fall colors nature journal.



You may wish to include this nature journal idea as part of your Spring Wildflowers study.

Garden Update and Nature Journal Tutorial-Window Frame

When we started our front yard remodel in 2010 I had no idea how much joy this space was going to bring to our lives. Each week it is a new palette of colors. The plants are really filling in this spring and new critters are moving in as well. Here are some glimpses into our garden and then a nature journal entry tutorial for you to give a try.

Butterfly bushes, Yarrow, and Lavender - April 2012

Lavender is the main blooming plant on display right now. The bees love it and so do we!


Along with the lavender is the forsythia, which contrasts so well with the lavender.


The poppies are just beginning to show signs of flower buds and they are just waiting to tip their "hats" and show their blazing orange colors.



This is something new this week....a critter is making a home under my big rock! They have pulled the landscape material back and exposed a little space to hide in right there alongside my front path. I wonder who it is?



I still really enjoy watching our butterfly "fly" around in the breeze. It adds a little bit of whimsy to our front yard.

Nature Journal Tutorial- Window Frame

This project may at first appear to be a little complicated but I encourage you to give it a try. The finished project is so fun to look at and remember your nature time.

Supplies:
Nature Journal
Pen
Watercolor pencils and brush


Begin by sketching a frame that includes both pages in your nature journal.


Sketch your subject. I chose this butterfly bush sample to sketch. Just for fun I made it extend outside the frame.


Now you can add water to your sketch, a title, and a little detail sketch if you wish. Add some fun lettering along the one side...add a date (which I did after taking this photo) and you are finished.

I would love to see your version of this nature journal idea. Send them to harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com. You can find more of my Nature Journal Ideas on Squidoo. I also wrote this entry that might help you get started: 3 Tips for Nature Journals When You Think You Can't Sketch.




Jami's Tuesday Garden Party meme is open from Tuesday to Thursday so there is still time for you to jump in and participate!

Oregon Coast Hiking - Picture Perfect

I just need to face the facts and accept that my boys are now the family leaders when it comes to hiking. They shoot ahead and find all sorts of things to be interested in as they hike along together. My hubby and I take a slower pace but then again, I am always stopping to capture some of the images that inspire me.



This is a photo Mr. B took while we were hiking down to the beach. The rabbits like to hide alongside the trail and since the boys were ahead of us, they spotted the cute little beach bunnies first.



The trail winds down the cliff and the wild azaleas are amazing in June. The pink against the blue backdrop of the ocean and sky is dazzling. This is at Harris Beach State Park....our favorite.



Here is one of the many types of berries that are to be found on the coast trails. Twinberry Honeysuckle is such a great shape and color. I am going to be drawing it in my nature journal this week as I catch up on my journaling.



We hiked another section of the Oregon Coast Trail which leads down to the Indian Sands. This area of dunes leads down to a rocky steep coastline and the views both north and south are amazing.



Here is a better look at the dunes covered with wildflowers in June. Indian paintbrush, clover, beach strawberries, Douglas irises, lupine, dandelions, yarrow, and many more are found growing low to the sand....it is always windy here so be ready to be blasted with sand if you hike down to the edge.



Here is a close-up of one of my favorite plants...salal.



It made it into my nature journal on this trip. After dinner, I would sit at the picnic table and review with my field guide all the things that we saw that day. I then would pull out my nature journal, watercolor pencils, and my Sharpie Ultra Fine Tip pen and I am all ready to record a special subject from our day. It only takes a few minutes and it is a wonderful way to add another layer to your hiking experiences.

So there you have a glimpse into our coastal hikes which I think we ended up putting in about twenty miles over the course of four days. I can think of no better way to get to know an area.

Barb-Harmony Art Mom

You can read about our tidepool adventures in this entry: Oregon Coast-Tidepools of Wonder.

Hedge Bindweed - Handbook of Nature Study

We have hedge bindweed growing under our birdfeeder. I am guessing the seed came for our seed mix and now it is establishing itself under the feeder. It is such a pretty pink flower that I am tempted to let it grow but I am a little concerned that it will spread into other parts of the yard.

We looked it up in the Handbook of Nature Study (Lesson 129)and here are some points we gleaned:

• When the bindweed doesn't find something to support it up in the air, it will grow in a mat on the ground. Anna Botsford Comstock says that it makes an "exquisite pattern".
• She says that it winds itself in a clockwise manner as it twines around its support. We had to go look.
• The leaves are arrow-shaped, glossy and perfect.
• The flower bud is twisted....another great thing to observe!
• She wrote that the pollen is white and looks like pearls under a microscope. We took a look at this too.

She suggests two things, one we did right away and one we will be doing as an on-going project.



Watercolor for the nature journal


Compare the hedge bindweed to the morning glory. We have a pot of morning glories started on the front deck so as the vine appears and we see how it attaches to the railing we can make some comparisons.

This was another quick and easy nature study using the Handbook of Nature Study.


I also found the notebook page from NotebookingPages.com's Weeds and Wildflowers set to be handy to quickly jot down the points we observed in our study.

Watercolor Quick Sketch in the Garden and a Giveaway!

I have been sharing my hopes for a colorful "artist's garden" to sit and sketch in over the summer. I am impatient for all my flowers to start growing but I was inspired this morning by my colorful blooming flowers on the back deck, waking to the sun and warmer temperatures totally lifts my mood and urges me to step outside.

The hummingbirds were darting in and out of the feeders hanging from the eaves on the back of the house and the bees were buzzing among the flowers. It was peaceful. I brought my new favorite art supplies and my nature journal to do a quick sketch and watercolor. Honestly this page took me about twenty minutes start-to-finish, including deciding what to draw and finding a comfortable spot to sit.



I made a quick sketch with my Prismacolor marker and didn't worry too much about exact proportions or numbers of petals. I think that is the difference between art and taking a photo....if you want an exact representation you really should just take a photo. I was going more for capturing my mood and the vibrant color.


I used my little field box of watercolors. I shared this set of watercolors with some friends at a nature study presentation a few weeks ago and they were amazed at how small and light this little box is in real life. I am going to start carrying this in my daypack when I hike so I can add some quick color to my nature journal when I am out and about. It even includes a small brush and a vial to carry some water if you need it. (I rarely carry water for watercolors when I hike since I usually have a water bottle or there is a stream or creek to scoop up some water for my art.)


The paint colors are so vibrant! I filled in the sketch with some watercolors with a sort of  "sketchy" style where I don't worry too much about filling in the edges perfectly and if I color outside the lines that is okay too.


I came back with my Prismacolor marker and just outlined the petals again to sort of clean up the edges. I added a date and a caption to complete my page.



This is my first garden sketch in what I hope will lead to a whole book full of colorful sketches.

Here are the links to the supplies. The watercolors are a little pricey but these paints seem like they are going to go a long way....lots of color for a little amount of paint. The Prismacolor marker set is one that I reviewed awhile back. There is such a great variety in this little set and I have been using mine weekly and have yet to use any of them up. You can read my review HERE.

Now for the Giveaway Details!

Leave a comment and I will put your name in for your choice of either the Koi Watercolors Pocket Field Sketch Box or a set of the Prismacolor Premiere Markers shown below. Tell me which one you would most like to have in your comment and make sure I can reach you if your name is drawn. I will hold the comments open on this post until next Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at midnight and then I will announce the winner next Friday! Please note the giveaway has ended.





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