I was at every class, keynote, and discussion panel on the schedule for the Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference and here are some of the best quotes that I was able to capture in my sketchnotes. More post conference coming soon including an art supplies summary!
“Nature journaling anything is better than nature journaling nothing.” Mattias Lanas in Creative Ways to Begin a Page.
“Let the viewer fill in some of the texture.” Robin Lee Carlson Painting Texture Fast and Slow.
“I don’t want a house full of rocks. I’d rather collect them on my nature journal pages.” Jean Mackay Collecting Nature in Your Sketchbook
“I don’t look at species, I look at individuals. I want to know their behavior.” Amy Tan in conversation with Rosemary Mosco.
“Having a snake on my arm makes me feel at peace.” Rosemary Mosco in conversation with Amy Tan.
“I like detail and control. So I’m trying to practice working faster and looser. That is where watercolor pencils come in.” Rosalie Haizlett “Watercolor Pencils: Capture Movement”
“Speed will kill the critic” Kate Rutter
“Speed is very helpful” Brooke Morales
“Less washes is faster” Sofia Gazarian
“Shadows are a conversation between source, subject and surface.” Kate Rutter in Celebrating Place using the Four S’s
“Artists and scientists do the same things. They observe deeply and they record.” Roseann Hanson in The art of nature’s math.
“It is not talent. It’s lots of work.” Fernando Gomez Baptista in his keynote.
“Worrying is worthless…” Thich Naht Hahn excerpt from “Joy in Life” poem on day three.
“You should be able to make drawings even with just a napkin. Materials should not limit you.” Sofia Gazarian in Fast Watercolor birds.
“Don’t clean your brush or your palette too much. That way the colors of the painting will be more unified.” Merel Djamila “Painting Nature Scenes with Gouache.
“If you make a mistake, so what?” Maggie Hurley in Transform sketches into drawings using pencil and charcoal.
“Skies are accessible and meaningful.” Brooke Morales in Painting Watercolor Skies
“I don’t believe in writer’s block.” Aimee Nezhukumatathil in Writing Nature Poetry
“I mix the colors and paint in the field. Once I am home the feeling is gone.” Sushma Hegde in Lush Beauty of Garden Blooms in Watercolor
“Fears are mostly a learned behavior. Nature journaling can be a tool to learn to respect even spiders or deerlouse.” Verena Hillgärtner in Colors of the 8-Legged
“Pet the puffin with your pencil.” John Muir Laws in Puffin Party– Let’s Draw Puffins.
“Perhaps I could be the champion for puffins.” Steve Kress Keynote
“It is going beyond siloed environmentalism. For this younger generation they won’t make a distiction between environmentalism to help puffins and protecting people’s rights to a healthy neighborhood and environment.” Derrick Jackson Keynote
“Individuality is not limited to the human animal.” Susan Schubel in the Seabird Decoy Studio Tour.
“Everything has ripples.” Shane Alden in the Conservation Conversation
“Hope? That is a loaded question.” Ayesha Ereclawn in the Conservation Conversation
“On the last day of the world I would plant a tree.” John Muir Laws in the Conservation Conversation
“Don’t try to take all the classes live.” John Muir Laws
“Absorb what is useful.” Bruce Lee quoted by Jack.
“Every sketch will teach you something.” Anastasiia Morozova
“An art practice is only sustainable if it is connected to what you are actually curious about.” Nishant Jain in Sketching Nature in Urban Landscapes.
“Mistakes are often the most impactful on your learning.” Claire Giordano in Monochromatic Mountains.
“Expose yourself to different brains.” Akshay Mahajan in Moths: a Love Story.
“How do you draw time?” John Muir Laws in conversation with Tony Foster
“It was just a little pimple of a volcano. I was writing in my diary in the tent and then suddenly the sky lit up. And then I painted all night as it erupted.” Tony Foster in conversation with John Muir Laws.
“Our brains can change and the choices we make will affect the direction our brains go in.” John Muir Laws final Keynote.
Did you see my full day summaries?
You Can still get the video pass to the conference!
Do you still need more help getting started with nature journaling?
Regardless of your experience, we got you right here. Below are links to some super resources for beginner nature journalers.
