Join John Muir Laws each morning of the conference for a greeting, a poem, and that days' Nature Journal Challenge!

We've all been there. You sit down to nature journal and you're not sure where to start. The blank page stares up at you, suddenly overwhelming. Maybe the subject feels too complex, maybe there are too many subjects to choose from, maybe you're feeling distracted and unfocused, or maybe you just lack motivation!

This class is all about overcoming all of the above, what I call "blank page paralysis," and getting something down on paper. This class will be especially useful for beginners, but even experienced nature journalers will benefit from utilizing these creative strategies. I will share some of the techniques I use in my own journals, including warmups and doodles, quick-capture technique, continuous line drawings, using negative space, writing, counting, limiting media, layering line drawings, etc. with examples and demonstrations. Questions are encouraged!

A California newt crosses a dry trail on the way from its summer burrow to the stream where it will find a mate. Look closely, and its wrinkled, leathery skin tells the story of that exodus. The banana slug’s skin also tells a story, with its finely grained patterns under a protective covering of slime, and the detritus collected at the end of its tail telling the story of its trip across the forest floor.

Join Robin in an exploration of these skin textures, vital to the survival of their owners. We’ll use watercolor to experiment with two ways to approach texture: the first, applying layers slowly and carefully when there is plenty of time for close study. And the second, a fast and expressive method for noting textures when time is scarce in the field. We’ll let the lively interplay of water and pigment help us record the life histories written on the bodies of newt and slug.

Grab some lunch and head over to the “Pencil Miles & Chill” Zoom room where folks can hang out, chat, share pages, and swap stories. Casual and fun. Set your Zoom view to Gallery to see who’s there! The moderators can also help you find breakout rooms for smaller gatherings, some of which will be hosted by instructors.

Do you ever get too serious or precious with your nature journaling? Do you ever wish you could make art like a kid again—to bring back that looseness and creativity into your nature journaling? In this multimedia class we will play with pressed flowers, cut paper, ephemera, and even photos to spice up our nature journaling. Not only can you make your pages more fun this way but you can also capture important information and use these techniques to help you out of creative ruts.

Collecting “objects” from nature—from shells to bird eggs to pressed algae—was a popular pastime in the late-1800s. The impulse to bring nature home with us is still strong, but “collecting” your nature finds on paper can be even more satisfying, ethical, educational, and economical. This session will explore ways to "collect" multiple related things in nature on a single journal page. With mushrooms as our subject, we’ll take a virtual hike and fill a page as we go so that you can practice making your own collection. Instructor Jean Mackay will work in ink and watercolor, but you may choose to use pencil, colored pencils, or your preferred medium.

Artist, cartoonist, and author Rosemary Mosco will talk about one of her favorite birds--pigeons--as well as some of our most familiar birds such as house sparrows, cardinals, Canada geese, and more. She will share the joys of familiar birds and why you should include them in your nature observations. Rosemary will be presenting live from The Foster Museum in Palo Alto, California, so this will be both broadcast via Zoom and speaking to a live audience at the museum.

“My start in nature journaling and drawing came through workshops with John Muir Laws, director of the Wild Wonder Foundation. I not only learned to draw, I discovered I could live more deeply in the moment, with curiosity, awe, and gratitude. It was restorative in a time of turmoil. I hope you can join me and share the joy.” —Amy Tan, avid nature journaler, bird artist, and bestselling author of The Backyard Bird Chronicles

“Humor gives science wings. It helps facts travel to new places. I’ve loved science and art for as long as I can remember; I would often observe the herons, chickadees, and goldfinches in my neighborhood and then come home to draw them. But humor was the missing piece. Armed with the realization that I could be witty, sarcastic, and scientific, I resolved to combine my twin loves using jokes as the glue.” –Rosemary Mosco, artist, science writer, author, and creator of Bird and Moon comics

Join Amy Tan—bestselling author, and avid birder and nature journaler—and Rosemary Mosco—artist, science writer, author, and creator of Bird and Moon comics—for a special event about birds, nature journaling, bird humor, and bird love, hosted by award-winning author and educator John Muir Laws.

The evening will begin with a talk by Rosemary Mosco about her love of familiar birds—especially pigeons!—as well as others including house sparrows, cardinals, Canada geese, and more.