Written by Clare Walker Leslie & Charles E. Roth
Published at Storey Publishing
About the book
Experience the splendor of nature with fresh eyes! Featuring an inspiring portfolio from Clare Walker Leslie’s nature journals, this guide offers easy-to-learn techniques for capturing the world around you in pictures and words. Encouraging you to make journaling a part of your daily routine, Keeping a Nature Journal is full of engaging exercises and stimulating prompts that will help you hone your powers of observation and appreciate new aspects of nature’s endlessly varied beauty.
My Thoughts
I have been doing bible art journaling for a few years now and as time goes by I am always eager to learn new techniques on drawing. I have been seeing this particular book numerous time through the years but never ended up getting it. I got the opportunity to review it and I have learned quite a bit while reading and trying the techniques presented in the book. This is the 2nd edition of the book and in includes 32 pages of color portfolio from Clare’s latest journals. Most of the rest of the book is black and white drawings.
This book will open up a whole new way to look what is going on around you. Personally, I find it peaceful and relaxing to sit down with a sketch book and draw. The book is divided into four parts. Part One will guide you on how to get started. And please do not give me the excuse that you are not skilled whatsoever in drawing. I, myself, is the perfect example in how someone can develop the skills and draw better. I remember when I was in high school and I disliked my art classes. It was always difficult for me that year to get better…. But unbeknown to be the genes in my body would blossoms when I would be in my…. wait for it….. FORTIES! Yes you have read this right. I have learned to enjoy drawing and painting in my forties and as I am at the edge of turning fifty next year, I am looking forward to see how this journey will develop itself in the years to come.
Part Two will provide plenty of tips and tricks to draw through the seasons – whether you decide to do an ongoing journal or specific season journals. Part Three presents the new selection of pages from Clare’s journals this time in color. Finally Part Four is giving you a lesson on how to enjoy and develop the skill of nature journaling. You cannot miss the examples and techniques presented. One thing I will tell you is that practice makes you better as time goes by. So do not hesitate a minute and grab this book, a sketch book and pencils to practice drawing.
I was inspired by one of the examples found in the book. The tree presented looked as though it was a spring or summer image. However, I decided to change it a bit and create a more late fall/winter image. I am quite pleased with the result.
Another thing that I think is great for this book is that at the end of the book you can have a suggested scale for teachers to assess nature journaling skills. As a homeschooler I think it is fabulous to have guidance of this sort because it can be difficult to grade assignments.
This book is definitively a great resource to have if you desire to develop a new skills, if you desire to be better at drawing, if you homeschool, or if you do bible art journaling (because like it or not nature is perfect to illustrate verses!).
The book Keeping a Nature Journal is available to purchase at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.
Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned book for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.
No comments:
Post a Comment