Nature Journal 2020: November-December

 

January often gets to see some spillover projects from the previous year, and this year is no different. The Nature Journal 2020 project that I started last year, is finally complete. Here's a glimpse of the double spread for November-December.

November-December pages

Also, here's a quick look at the front and back covers of the Nature Journal 2020.

The front and back covers

That brings another year of nature journaling to a close. The next one will now happen in 2025! That seems so far away.... Meanwhile, hope you all enjoyed this edition. 

Click on the 'nature journal' label in the right scroll bar to see all the journal pages together (both this edition and the previous one). You can see a flip-through of Nature Journal 2020 on my Instagram.

#naturejournal2020

Nature Journal 2020: October

 

Since the Inktober challenge (see my last post) and other random things kept me occupied through last month, I had to put together the Nature Journal page for October in a rush at the end of the month.

October is the changeover season, when the summer staples are on their way out and winter seasonals are planted. In the midst of this, Shiuli or night-flowering jasmine stands out as the autumn staple.

I'm planning to do a double spread for the November-December pages of the Nature Journal. Let's see how that works out!

#naturejournal2020

Nature Journal 2020: August-September

Since I was in mosaic heaven last month, the August page of the Nature Journal got delayed. Then I decided it would be better to present the two months together as the layout worked nicer that way. So here's bringing you the August-September pages of Nature Journal 2020. 

Hope you enjoy the double spread of natural snippets. As I lose myself in my green wonderland to converse with my many non-human friends. :) 

#naturejournal2020

Nature Journal 2020: July

Sharing with you all the July page of the Nature Journal 2020. The lack of rains in our part of the world for the first half of the month led to extremely hot and humid days. Thankfully, the rains arrived towards the end of July. 

However, this pattern of intense heat followed by equally intense downpours points to a greater issue, namely the impact of climate change. I believe it is surely creeping in upon us, and the pandemic is just one fallout of the same. What are your thoughts on this, dear readers?

#naturejournal2020

Nature Journal 2020: Half Yearly Update

First, the good news - my Nature Journal for 2020 has finally started taking shape. Though this year the journal size is smaller but I'm glad I have lots of stuff to put in it, including specimens from my own garden.

Now, for the confession - I was so absorbed in enjoying my blossoming new garden at the beginning of the year, that I completely forgot to take samples or record observations for January and February. With over twenty varieties of flowers, those two months could have made for a separate flower journal. 

Meanwhile, this year's nature journal starts in March, alongside the Covid-induced lockdown. 

While the first 2 pages cover the months of March to May, there are month-wise individual pages from June onwards. Needless to say, many of this year's jottings include references to this unprecedented time in our lives, and to the impact of the pandemic.

Now hope to bring you a fresh post each month on the nature journal through the rest of the year.

#naturejournal2020

Abstract Portraits

Even though we are well into January, thought I must begin the new year with something special. So here is wishing my readers and followers a wonderful new year and a fulfilling new decade as we start off with 2020. And these wishes come from my family to yours....

Attempted these abstract portraits of the fam; tried to depict some typical individual characteristics in all of them. Hope I have been able to bring those out...

And now that it is 2020, there is yet another project I need to work on - the revival of the Nature Journal. You may remember the month-wise nature journal I created 5 years back in 2015. You can click on the 'nature journal' label to see all related posts. Back then, I had planned to redo the exercise in 2020, simply to capture some interactions with the natural world every month. Over a period of time, these pictorial notes give us a sense of seasonal associations, and point towards changes in patterns that we observe around us. Thereby giving a forecast for bigger changes...

Nature Journal: Back Cover

This final post under the 'Nature Journal 2015' series is to showcase the back cover of the journal. The back cover appropriately aims to capture forms of nature across different elements - air, land and water. It brings together three diverse microcosms.... read on to see how.

The thought process for the back cover started with the Tree of Life, since it represents different life forms living together harmoniously, and also since it was something I was hoping to try my hand at for a while. However, once I started making the tree, these other ecosystems evolved on their own... as though the artwork for the back cover had suddenly come alive with its own interpretations, that forced me to realize the limited vision of my tree of life. Why present only one ecosystem when I could present three together? And that is how each element got its due representation....

The birds and animals that made the tree their home, thriving on its bounties and the fresh air it produced.

The foliage and flora that got their sustenance from the earth. I could have added more to this section but lack of space made me keep things at a more representational level.

And finally the water-world with its flowers and other creatures. Here I love the turtle silhouette the most.

I am happy with the way the back cover finally turned out - combining multiple techniques of painting, small sketches, some impasto and lots of collaging. That it represents nature in all its forms only makes it perfect for my Nature Journal 2015.

Nature Journal: Inside Back Cover

Presenting the inside back cover of the nature journal - it is an amalgamation of flowers done using various techniques and stuck together randomly on the page to give the effect of a colourful and wild floral garden.

On the top left corner is this Nasturtium flower created using pen marks on a printed photo.

The middle of the page is covered with monoprinted poppies, using the technique described in my last post. The purple stalk at the left corner of the picture below was inspired by a blossoming stick of verbinas that I once had in my garden.

The bottom left is again a clump of red and black flowers made with sponge prints and sketch pens.



 The red, blue and green paper flower in the picture below was made by my daughter by using sketch pens and markers on wet paper. It faded over time so I added a layer of waterproof inks to brighten it up. The pen drawing at the corner is my interpretation of a sunflower.... or it could be a gazenia too!



Hope you like my wild floral garden on the inside back cover of the nature journal. It makes for a striking contrast to the low-on-colour December page.



Now only the back cover remains to be shared, and the journey of the nature journal shall come to an end.... at least for now. Look out for that final post next month.

Nature Journal: December Discources

The first official post of the year but it talks of the one big project I started, and successfully completed, all through last year! So proud of this.... As the year drew to a close and the days whizzed by faster than usual, the December page of the Nature Journal proved to be a challenge to complete. First the morning chill made me lazy and I stopped going for my regular walks. Result was very few specimens to show in the journal.

And when I did pick up one of my favourite leaves from the park, I couldn't identify it! I searched high and low for its name, befriended the 'maalis' and asked the gardeners. But it all drew a blank. Then I resorted to good old Google, searching through innumerable sites. Till browsing through endless botanical names and species finally yielded the name - Silver Oak. The tree is native to Australia (wonder how it came to India) and the name is derived from the silver coloured underside of the leaf.

That brings the year-long journey of my Nature Journal to a close. I admit I'll miss filling up more pages with interesting stories on our flora and fauna, and our experiences with them. But then as I just about finished the back cover, so you'll have one more post to enjoy the swan song of the Nature Journal. The next edition of the Nature Journal will get written only when I move locations or after 5 years, whichever is sooner. In the meanwhile, here is hoping some of you will start one of your own and share your journey here!

Nature Journal: November Nuances

November was a slow month, mostly because it was the fag end of the festive season (and I swear, between celebrating all the festivals, birthdays and anniversaries, I do get a tad tired by this time). But the collections for the journal were on track, and I finally compiled everything together on the last day of the month.

The owls at the local park kept us super occupied with their antics through the month. Playing peek-a-boo almost everyday, posing happily the days one didn't carry the camera and throwing royal tantrums on the days one did! Sometimes too sleepy to even care how close we crept to their cubby hole, all in all they were fun to watch. Now they are off for the winters.... not to any other place but snuggling deep into their tree-trunk home, in hibernation I guess.

We are keenly looking forward to having some organic peppers soon, planted by the kiddos! Other veggies growing in the garden include beans, tomatoes, chillies and spinach. Here is a  glimpse of the Oct-Nov double spread.

Feels strange to think there is only one more month to record in the Nature Journal, and then it'll be complete. I have already started working on the back cover pages and am really enjoying the process. In the meanwhile, if any of you did start a nature journal of your own, or are planning to, I'd love to hear from you! Do share your experiences in the comments section of this blog or write on my Facebook page.

Nature Journal: October Observations

Bringing you the much-delayed October page of the Nature Journal. The changing season, the clamour of festivals, and a general lassitude kept me from finishing the page on time. Not that there has been any dearth of experiences to document....

That is the thing about Nature, I guess - there is never a day when you don't have moments to cherish. Sharing some of my October observations with you all....

Now that this year is drawing to a close, with just 2 more months left to document about in the Nature Journal, it seems like such a wondrous journey. Me and the kids love flipping through the previous months' pages, reading on our (often shared) experiences, and touching and feeling the specimens stuck in there.

As another year is soon to start, I again exhort you all to make a Nature Journal of your own. Not only will it discipline you to observe your natural surroundings, it will bring you immense pleasure once you have completed a whole year of recording your observations. Go ahead, try it! You will surely thank me if you do. :)

Nature Journal: September Serenades

The September page of my Nature Journal has been a pleasure to make. A surfeit of experiences ensured that the page got completed within the first 2 weeks of the month.



But what I love most is that the September page is a feast for the eyes.... full of visual experiences! Right from the bird hanging from a branch at the top down to the numerous ant hills at the bottom, it was fun sketching and colouring in the details.

 

Hope you enjoy taking a look as much as I enjoyed putting the page together.
 



Nature Journal: August Observations

The August page of the Nature Journal got completed on the last day of the month. But unlike July,  this time there were enough specimens to fill the page.

Two of the August specimens came from my son. He collected the samples while playing basketball in school. The basketball court is adjoining the park, and hence an equally good site for getting hold of interesting stuff.

But what I loved was the fact that my pursuit of nature journaling has begun to have an impact on the kids, making them more aware and enthusiastic about their natural surroundings. Someday I can hope to have at least two nature warriors following my example! :)

And here is ending this post on a happy note - even before we hit mid-September, my journal page for the month is already finished! Yippeee!!!

Nature Journal: Cover Page

The Nature Journal finally has a front cover. One of the first things I made post-exhibition. Was a wonderful break from the bottles, and helped me relax my over-tired body and over-charged brain.

I tweaked the inchie collage technique and came up with this design that features almost all that constitutes nature, and that I come across regularly in my interactions with the natural world. I am pretty pleased with the end result. What do you think, dear readers?

Nature Journal: The July Page

Umm, well, I don't know how to start this post.... Writing about the July page of the Nature Journal is somewhat embarrassing because the page never got written on time! The July page got written in August.... well, most of it.

All through July I was so preoccupied with the upcoming exhibition that the Nature Journal got a royal ignore. Scrambling to create enough inventory for a 3-day showing, I had no scope whatsoever to think about what I wanted to put in the journal. That explains the lack of a natural specimen on the page!

Couple of random observations got recorded, but the remaining month an almost-blank page stared back at me. Till I jotted down major topics on my phone, and proceeded to write about them after the exhibition was over. Thankfully, by then, my favourite creations around this time of the year - the toadstools - bailed me out. So you have a mushroom bloom garden finishing off the July page. Hope that gives you some ideas to go mushroom hunting whenever it rains.

Nature Journal: The June Page

Presenting to you all the June page from the Nature Journal. This was one page that was ready much before the month ended.... perhaps because I chose to use a picture this time and that covered up quite a bit of space on the page.

Surprisingly, June brought with it quite a few showers that dispelled the searing dry heat of May. And gave us gorgeous evening skies to celebrate! Believe it or not, one evening also brought a full grown peacock, sans its long tail but strutting around our terraces just as proudly. Such a feast it was to watch the magnificent creature from up close.

June was also dedicated to seeds and seedpods. As the storms ensured that a lot of seed dispersal happened successfully. So it was only appropriate to stick on a pretty pink seedpod collected by my daughter from the neighbourhood park. I have no clue what tree that belongs to; anyone out there knows?

Nature Journal: The April-May Spread

Here is a peep into the April-May spread of my Nature Journal.

 



 As I mentioned in one of my posts last month, the April page features a lot of doodle flowers and sketches done randomly. But the best part of our April experience was getting up close with the blue pansy butterfly.



As for May... since we had been reeling under a severe heatwave, it led to repeated illness and I had to miss my morning walks many days. Moreover, the mornings at the park - my best time to commune with nature - were crowded and chaotic due to ongoing summer vacations. But nature doesn't stop its annual cycle; the Amaltas and the Gulmohar bloomed with as much abandon this year too, though their blooms dried up much faster this time.

My idea of countering the may heat and drying blooms? - I created some paper flowers on the May page.... and they won't dry up ever! Try some yourself; they are great fun!

Nature Journal: M for... Mulberries in March

M is for March, and for mulberries! Though we are well into May (another M there), I thought of sharing the March page from the Nature Journal.

And a significant part of our March experience was devoted to mulberries....  Picking the fruit right off the numerous trees in the park as they hung, red and ripe. Shaking the trees and catching the fruit before they hit the ground. Collecting them gingerly in our palms so as not to squish them. And finally, washing them at home and biting into their luscious sweetness.

March also meant the advent of my favourite season, Spring. A time when our little terrace garden breaks into multi-hued splendour. Unexpected rains meant an extended blooming time for our beauties. And of course, this month I discovered the gorgeous Kachnar flowers; totally fell for the bright mauve-pink blossoms covering the tree and the ground underneath. Same for the Semul or Silk Cotton flowers; they literally make the term 'red carpet' come alive.

Nature Journal: February

Can you believe that half of February was already past, and my nature journal page had still not started taking shape. Nah! in fact I started work on it on the last day of the month.... and I have no one to blame but myself. Not that there had been any dearth of experiences.

On a particularly warm morning, when a pleasant breeze caressed my cheeks as I enjoyed the sun during my walk in the park, I rediscovered a pair of spotted owls. Little balls of white fur, they were back after their hibernation, and enjoying the spring morning as much as I was.

Then another day in the park, the hubby found a pretty yellow-green parakeet feather. We brought it home, of course. And now it rests with other bird feathers in a painted glass holder. Then the day the kids picked up yellow, green and red leaves, all beautifully dappled, and all fallen from the same tree. The small miracles that make nature journaling such a pleasure.... and immensely satisfying!

Now some of these experiences are captured in my February page, frozen for posterity. Did I tell you I am loving it?!!

Nature Journal: Inside Cover

Here is a quick peek into another page from my Nature Journal (read more about it in my last post).

The inside cover of my nature journal is made of slightly thicker, glossy paper. Since it could take more than the usual quantities of paint, so I chose to let myself loose and go wild with it.

First I filled up the sheet in random colour blocks. Then I drew on it with a white paint pen. I filled in the outlines with a black sketch pen, finally blocking out the background with black paint. The result is for all to see…

Going with the charms of spring, couldn't resist the flowers, birds, butterflies and bees! :) Hope you enjoyed these glimpses of the inside cover.