Capturing nature on the page

August 2, 2021 creative endeavors the birds and the trees

Some months ago, a friend mentioned that she had taken an Audubon Society class on drawing birds, and that it was the best art class she had ever taken. Wow, I thought, I want to know about this! The instructor, I learned, was the aptly-named John Muir “Jack” Laws. He is an artist and a naturalist, a gifted teacher, and an advocate for the practice of nature journaling. When I read this opening paragraph in The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling, I knew I had found a kindred spirit:

Observation, curiosity, and creativity are skills that you can develop. Learn to observe deeply and open yourself to the wonder of inquiry and investigation. Embrace what you do not know as a point of departure to explore the mystery of the world.

This book — and all the learning resources Laws so generously makes available on his website — are beautiful and inspiring. I want to become a nature journal-er! But, being me, I’m having a hard time jumping in. I signed up for an online course on “Nature Journaling and Field Sketching,” but have I started it? I have not. I have my excuses ready: I’m too busy! My handwriting is terrible! (This, sadly, is true.) I don’t want to despoil my pristine sketchbook before I am capable of putting something worthy in there! Silly, I know, but there you are.

So I’m beginning slowly — make that very slowly. I have always wanted to learn to draw, and since we were staying put during this pandemic year, I seized my chance and signed up for a fall class at Berkeley Community College, and then for a second one in the spring. The classes were fun but challenging, and the instructor, Jennie Braman, endlessly patient and encouraging. I was a sometimes-diligent student, but the classes gave me what I wanted: a set of basic tools and techniques upon which to build. I drew birds for my final fall project (below left), though this was not exactly what had been assigned.

When we flew down to Arizona in November, I tried a couple of drawings and wrote field notes about the “new” birds I’d seen:

  • 11/12 — Thursday, Tucson. Today’s new bird was a black-tailed gnatcatcher, which we saw in Saguaro National Park (twice). He’s a little fellow and reminded us of our bushtits, but his black markings stand out, as do the white rings around his black eyes and his long perky tail. My drawing doesn’t quite capture him. Sigh.
  • 11/13 — Friday, Ajo. I got up early and went for a walk around town. To my delight I saw quite a few new birds: first was a Harris’s hawk, which I could just make out in the pre-dawn light. The bird was dark overall and when it flew I could see a white band at the base of its tail. Then it was joined by two of its kindred, and that was the deciding identifier, since these hawks are unusual among raptors for their social behavior, hunting and nesting in groups.
    Next I spied a Gila woodpecker, which was working on a mesquite tree. The light was still a bit dim, but when I played its call, the bird flew closer and responded, as did several others in the vicinity…

Here’s the thing, though: it’s hard to draw birds in the field. Most of the time, they won’t hold still long enough for a decent photograph, never mind a sketch. (No wonder Audubon drew only dead birds!) So until I gain more skill at capturing birds with quick sketches (yes, I know: I need to practice), I’m resorting to drawing from photographs (usually someone else’s). And one of these days, I’m going to start marking up my beautiful sketchbook. In the meantime, it’s good at least to have begun — even if only with baby steps.

Here’s to being a beginner:
to accepting and acknowledging your own ignorance,
growing through study and exploration and practice,
and courageously moving forward —
even when you don’t know what you’re doing!

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