Species Journals

NEW PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

Over the past couple of months, I have taken on a new project, which I am VERY excited about, hence all the capital letters in this post.

In the last few years, I’ve really found myself in my work. My love of the natural world and all things outdoorsy (except things that bite me or sting me, because rude) and my passion for art and creativity have meshed together splendidly, in the form of Species Journals. If you don’t know what a Species Journal is, fear not, neither did I. Until, that is, my friends at White Pine Wilderness Academy (a primitive skills education program I’ve been a part of for about a decade now, which I love with all my heart) introduced me to it! Basically, Species Journals are a drawing of an organism paired with information about it, collected on paper. Each paper on a species is called a “journal” because english is dumb. Confusingly enough, a collection of these papers is also called a journal.

I know that explanation probably had you a little lost. Trust me, I was a little lost writing it. It’s way easier to show you what I mean!

Ok, so this is a species journal I did last year of a crayfish. I drew two types of local crayfish, the Northern Clearwater and the White River crayfish, and then listed key information about it like diet, habitat, scientific classification, characteristics, anatomy, and a range map. This is an extremely involved species journal. Most are just a quick sketch and maybe two or three things about the creature. But if you know me, you know that “overboard” is not a word in my vocabulary!

I love doing species journals. I’m a very visual learner, and this is a perfect way for me to combine my two main interests. The only problem was, it’s difficult to showcase this work and these drawings that I’m so proud of when it’s stuck in a format that looks like a homework assignment. The graph papers are perfect for White Pine’s purposes, but I found it a little limiting. And so, I have begun to move away from this. Now, my species journals are looking more like this:

Or this!

I have done away with the more stilted format of the graph paper, and have translated my life drawing skills into a more moldable form, which brings me -at last- to my latest project!

I’m working on my first real book! I’ve made booklets, brochures, even little single-copy hardcovers from staples for Christmas presents or some such, but this time I’m doin’ it for real! (cue hardcore guitar riff)

I’m working on a book of my Species Journals! I was really inspired by authors and artists like Mark Hearld and Julia Rothman, (who are both absolutely AMAZING and make me sad about my own art skills) in THEIR books like Nicola Davies’ and Mark Hearld’s “Outside your Window” which is gorgeous, (but I could not for the life of me find a better link to it) and Julia Rothman’s “Nature Anatomy” series, which might be the best thing to ever grace this earth.

With these amazing illustrators in mind as a life goal, I’m embarking on my own artistic homage to nature. I’m hoping to end up with a beautiful book full of my illustrations and insights and observations on the creatures I’ve drawn. Like an exploded species journal! I’m so, SO excited about it. I think it’s going to be amazing.

Thank you for reading! Stay tuned!