Nature, Happiness, and Savoring: the Work of Laurie Santos
Happiness. It’s constantly touted to us as something we all want to have all the time – and often as something that if we don’t have it, something is wrong with us. Well, life is a balance of dualities right? And we can’t have one side without the other. Without sadness, anger, frustration, and so
Wonder Wednesday 85: Make an Action Inspiration Jar – with PDF!
Happy autumnal equinox week! This month’s exploration of the sublime aspects of nature and the recent hurricanes can lead us far from action and instead to wanting to run and hide under the covers from all things nature – and that is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a real thing called ecophobia and if
Beyond Hurricane Dorian: Sublime Connections
“We are experiencing sublime conditions of horror, you know?” ~Erica Moiah James, an assistant professor in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Miami, founding director and chief curator of the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas. (citation) In light of the past week, this quote, and last month’s blog series
Wonder Wednesday 84: Sublime Snacking – A fun recipe for when nature gets scary
What did you think about Schopenhauer’s Sublime? Did it get you considering the nature encounters you’ve had that may have been frightening at the time? Did those encounters exude beauty despite the danger? Do fear inducing nature encounters seem more beautiful when observed through secondary experience – like on a film – or is it the primary experience that
Schopenhauer’s Nature: Fear, Beauty, and the Sublime
Idyllic, picturesque, awe inspiring, sublime. The words running through my head as I gaze upon a pristine natural spring in the forest. Right up until I hear my sister-out-law say, “Y’all!!! I almost just stepped on a pygmy rattlesnake!!!!!” We snap out of, “yay! a weekend getaway at a beautiful spring cabin,” mode and into hyper responsible
Wonder Wednesday 83: Watercolor Funsheet!
Happy Wonder Wednesday 83! And happy last day of World Watercolor Month! This month I have a printable watercolor funsheet for you celebrating summer nature. Also, if you are new to watercolor, be sure to click and check out my Watercolor Basics Video series and Setting up For Watercolor Success Videos on You Tube! Find a
July is World Watercolor Month!
In 2016, July was dubbed “World Watercolor Month” by “Charlie O’Shields, the creator of Doodlewash®… His own love of the medium led to the creation of a blog and social artist movement dedicated to promoting and connecting the vast community of watercolor artists all over the world.” Well, even though I didn’t know July
Wonder Wednesday 82: Cosmos Creativity
Cosmos are one of my favorite summer flowers. They are so simple, yet so cheerful – and best of all – so easy to grow! And by easy I mean they really don’t care if I take care of them! Hooray for easy and prolific flowers! I got the idea for this activity from this
5 Nature Inspired Summer Reading Books!
Summer officially begins June 21. Get ready for the solstice by boosting your summer reading lists with 5 nature inspired books and “Further Fun” ideas to go with each! Research shows that connecting with nature in person, and through nature reading, writing, and art making helps build empathy. This is such an important ability
Wonder Wednesday 81: Summer Cyanometers
Summer is on its way, and blue skies abound! So why not make a nature journaling project inspired by them? In all my years of loving all things cyan, I recently discovered the cyanometer. What in the world is that you ask? Great question! It’s a historic device that measures the blue of the
Blending Organic and Geometric: The Art of Stanisław Wyspiański
Floral and geometrics combine super powers in the turn-of-the-century art work of Stanisław Wyspiański. The turn of the 20th century that is! Self Portrait, (1869-1907) Today, the designers and trend forecasters call this blending of organics and geometrics “floral clash,” but this technique is anything but new. A quick search will reveal countless
Wonder Wednesday 80: Nature Pyramid Poems!
Happy Earth Day Week! I hope everyone has gotten a couple chances to get outdoors and enjoy our big beautiful wonder filled natural world this week! And how about an opportunity to create the new Dandelion Delight nature art project? These often overlooked wildflowers are the early jewels of the spring season and worth
Getting Out in the Garden
It’s spring garden time! Even in those places where snow may still be on the ground, gardening is in the forefront of people’s minds. Daffodils are popping up, loquat trees are fruiting, and the March winds are blowing in the April showers. April is a month of many things: Earth Day (4/22), National Poetry
Wonder Wednesday 79: Go Fly a Kite!
Happy Wonder Wednesday! I hope everyone has been having a great time in this past week since the equinox. Whether you are entering spring or fall, it’s a time of transition to explore and enjoy. So what better way to celebrate the traditional March winds than with a kite! These little kites are easy
Plans & Projects: The Equinox is Almost Here!
The equinox is March 20! So whether you are welcoming spring or fall, depending on where you are in the world, I hope you find some time to enjoy the seasonal transition. Transition times can be very energizing and motivating! When I saw this quote, I knew I wanted to share it. I have
Wonder Wednesday 78: Make a Nature Inspiration Deck
Decks of all sorts are the rage these days, and a quick search on Instagram will pull up more pictures than you can comprehend, but the idea isn’t new. They’ve actually been around since the 15th century! From the 15th – 19th century, tarot was the key player, but since the 1800s oracle decks have
Pull, Pen, Paint! Will you join me?
Guess what? I’m teaching nature journaling in the upcoming online course – Pull Pen Paint: Strengthen Your Intuition with Journaling, Art, Tarot & Oracle Cards It starts March 1, & since this is year 3 of the course hosted by Kiala Givehand,, there’s already a ton of content in the class waiting for you if you
Ekphrastic? What the ek is that?
I learned a new word this week – ekphrastic. It means: “Ekphrasis, or ecphrasis, comes from the Greek for the description of a work of art produced as a rhetorical exercise, often used in the adjectival form ekphrastic. It is a vivid, often dramatic, verbal description of a visual work of art, either real or
The Creative Connections Inspiration Deck
Now Available! This photography focused deck is great for anyone looking to add a little nature inspiration to their journaling – or a little journaling to their nature experiences! Each card features a full color photograph taken by me on one side, and a prompt on the other. The set includes: 54 cards in a
Wonder Wednesday 77: Nature Symmetry Drawn 3 Ways
Symmetry is a great topic to creatively explore because of all the opportunities nature offers us! From animals to plants to snowflakes, symmetry and asymmetry abound in our natural world. So in this Wonder Wednesday 77 activity, we’re playing with 3 types of symmetry in our nature journals – reflection, rotational, and point symmetry.