Make a comparison between two similar objects, such as two kinds of seed pods or cones from different species of pines. The differences between the two objects will highlight the important characteristics of each. Comparisons are a great way to supercharge your observation! Read More
Blog
Lily Dissection
Before you draw a flower, it helps to understand the structure within it. Join John Muir Laws as he picks apart a lily and diagrams the parts. Follow along with your own lily and downloadable worksheet. Read More
Flower Symmetry and Foreshortening
Many species of flowers have a simple disk shape with 3,4,5,6 or many petals. Learn how to plot the spacing of the petals for each of these types had how to draw the flower from above or from an angle. When you draw the flower from an angle the petals become foreshortened in surprising ways. Read More
Drawing Ice and Snow on Toned Paper
In this workshop, John Muir Laws explores methods of drawing ice and snow phenomena with toned paper and looks at general strategies to help you use toned paper to record values in your nature journal sketches. Read More
NJC, Episode 16: Could it be-Using Inference to Explore Mysteries
You can follow up on a question in many ways. You might look up the answer online or in a book. You might make your own observations to answer the question. You can also use inference to explore questions where the answer can not be directly observed. When we infer, we make predictions, “if this Read More
Live sketching with a Great Horned Owl
Join the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and John Muir Laws to sketch a Great-horned Owl live and up close! We learn about owls and the sanctuary’s mission and practice sketching from live birds. John Muir Laws demonstrates strategies to help you draw owls as they move and turn their heads. Drawing from live birds is a Read More
Charlotte Mason and Nature Journaling
The Charlotte Mason homeschooling system is a profound and effective framework for teaching. It is widely adopted across the world. Many of Mason’s principles parallel current best practices in education. Keeping a nature journal is a part of Mason education. In this workshop, we were joined by Art Middlekauff, a leading thinker in Mason education Read More
How to Draw a Bird, 3/4 view
Say goodbye to static bird profile drawings. In this workshop, we explore details of drawing birds from a 3/4 view from the front and rear. Read More
NJC: Episode 15, Estimating Numbers in Nature
What do you do when there are too many to count? Join John Muir Laws and the Nature Journal Connection as we explore ways to accurately estimate numbers as we explore with our nature journal. Read More
Haiku for Nature Journaling
Join Elizabeth Gillogly and host John Muir Laws on the Nature Journal Educator’s Forum to explore how to use Haiku in your journal and classroom. Haiku is a simple form that fits easily into journaling activities and observational experiences. It is a great addition to other journaling modes stands alone as a core activity. Together Read More