Nature Journal Club

The curving petals of a lotus flower present an interesting challenge to the artist. Each petal has a slightly different curve, some smooth, some with a keel or ridge. You see each petal from a different angle, here a view into the interior, there the outside of the petal. The color pattern is a mixture Read More

Join John Muir Laws and journalers from around the world as we share our observations and field notes from the equinox! This is a free Zoom Event.   Click Here to Join the Zoom Workshop!   All ages and experience levels are welcome. No registration is necessary, This live workshop can hold 500 people and Read More

Our nature journals are an important tool to help us understand the wildfires growing ever larger and more intense across the world these past few years. Learn how to develop a deeper understanding of fire’s place in the natural world in this discussion with John Muir Laws and Robin Carlson. We will explore techniques for Read More

This is going to be an interesting class. We will explore how to draw undulating tube shaped critters. Think of snakes, fish, milipedes and more. There are some intersting and suprising changes in the body shape as the form bends. It is simple when seen from directly above but can melt your brain when you Read More

The pumpkin is a simple little shape and many of us have drawn them each year as a Halloween icon. But beneath the smile shape are valuable lessons to help you draw and paint any rounded form. Let's explore pumpkins and gourds and how to draw them. Learn to draw the contours and form, shadows, Read More

Happy Haloween! Join me for a deep dive into bat anatomy and how to draw the textures of wings and fur. We will compare the structure of bat bodies with our own to help make sense of what we see and to help us remember it. We will give some special love to fruit bats Read More

Black is the new black... A rich value range is key for successful painting and drawing. In this workshop, we will explore ways of mixing black with watercolor and colored pencils.  How can you mix colors to get lively darks in your drawings and paintings and when might you want to reach for (gasp) black. Read More

Join John Muir Laws and representatives from the Wolf Conservation Center as we explore wolves and how to draw them. In this workshop, we will discuss wolf conservation and their role in ecosystem function and examine key points of their anatomy, fur patterns, and biology that will help you draw them accurately. Watch this page Read More

Learn how to use and control special effects such as salt, alcohol, wax, frisket, splatter, and more to add texture and pizazz to your paintings. We will explore a variety of fun methods and materials. This is hands-on so get your gear together before the class. Special tools for this workshop Watercolor kit, brushes, and Read More

Learn the art of sketching our desert reptiles while studying their physiology and natural history.  John Muir "Jack" Laws is one of the world's most widely known teachers of nature journaling. His approach emphasizes the growth mindset—that anyone can learn to draw and sketch in their field notebooks and journals—while he imparts not only sketching Read More