June 1st – 7th marks the annual International Nature Journaling Week (INJW) hosted by the amazing podcast @journalingwithnature! This year’s theme is “Back to Basics” — slowing down, noticing your nearby nature, and getting your thoughts, words, sketches and numbers onto the pages of your sketchbook. Each day has a theme that focuses on an important value of nature journaling. The schedule, themes along with inspiring videos and nature resources can all be found at https://www.naturejournalingweek.com/
INJW Day 3 Creativity! It’s slug and snail season in the PNW … all year round!
🐌 Coming in from our evening walk, I noticed a snail making its way slowly across the front sidewalk, so I grabbed my sketchbook and started sketching. Looking left, there was another snail — with a beautiful yellowish shell, and in front, a slug!
✍ I learned a few facts about each of them and recorded it which helps me to remember the details like how long they live and how to tell the age of a snail by checking the rings on the shell!
🎨 I started sketching with my usual Micron 05, but then, through the encouragement of today’s theme of Creativity — I brainstormed other tools that I could use to draw with and color the page. I used my whittled stick and ink to letter the title and some of the text. Then, from the kitchen, I poured a little hot water into 2 dishes — one with instant coffee granules and one with powdered turmeric. These were so much fun to paint with and were the perfect colors I needed for the slug & snails!
There is a lot to discover right in our own back yards! Hope you find some nature treasures in your nearby nature!
Warmly,
Karen
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i am chasing butterflies 
I LOVE that you painted with coffee and turmeric! Susanne Thompson (Wren)
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Thank you! That was a fun experiment that turned out well! I’m planning to do more botanical inks & watercolor over the summer.
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You make everything so interesting. You’re awesome.
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Thank you, Jennifer! I appreciate your kind comments so much!
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Definitely an inspiring page of squishy, squirmy nature! And what interesting facts you discovered about both snails and slugs. I didn’t know the slime trail was a defense mechanism! Your effects with both the coffee and turmeric are great too Karen. I wonder what beet root powder will do? Thanks for sharing. I can tell yiu had a lot of fun with this page!
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Thanks, Barb! I bought some beets which will be my next botanical ink experiment! I got the gum arabic as well for the binder, which should work a little better than the honey I used in the coffee & turmeric. Lots to learn!
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