My Poor Neglected Nature Journal...

Today as I was sitting in the conservatory enjoying watching the clouds scud across the sky, a familiar feeling was awakened in me. One I have not felt for some time. I had the urge to pull out my nature journal and crack open my paints. 

As I opened my journal and turned to my last entry, I have to say that I was a bit shocked at how long it had been since I last made an entry.

January 2014! I now regard this year as being my equivalent to the 'Dark Ages' lol.

As I settled down with all my art tools around me, I really had no idea what I was going to paint, I knew I just wanted to get back into it. My eye caught our little black & white cat sitting peacefully under some shrubs in the garden enjoying the March sunshine. I did a very quick watercolour, capturing her contented position before she moved off to stalk some poor innocent creature.

This is officially my first entry for 2015. I completed the page adding some text introducing the new nature journaling year.

Turning over the page I spent a bit of time writing about what I was observing, giving a brief narrative of the weather outside my window, and a few words about what is happening in the garden. My eye caught the twigs of Forsythia that I am forcing on the windowsill, so I decided to do a quick sketch of that using my Faber-Castell Pitt artist pen 'S' (I guess that stands for super-fine or something)

I added a little colour with pencil crayon. I have to say I prefer water-colours but I wanted to try something a bit different at the time, also to use water-colour on an ink drawing would not have worked out well!

Taking out my nature journal seems to have inspired my daughter to get hers out too. We spent some time going through our journals and talking about the differences in our styles. All in all an enjoyable hour or so :)

Later on in the week I hope to introduce you to my new journal which I ordered on Monday. I had never heard of it before and happened upon it quite by chance on someones blog. I instantly fell in love with it and knew in my heart of hearts I just had to have it. 

It is quite pricey - although it will last for ever (am I piquing your interest?) - so when DH got home on Monday evening I asked him how he felt about me purchasing it. He was a bit baffled as to why I was asking him but I just felt that I had to run it past him due to the cost. I don't think he quite understands my journaling obsession but he was (and always is) very supportive of it and gave me his 100% blessing.

I'm going to stop there with this little leading narrative now ;)

As soon as it arrives I will be back to share more with you.

Wishing you all a wonderful mid-week. Hope you all have a happy Wednesday.