A nudge from nature

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Today’s nudge, is an invitation, to start you down the path of creating with nature. We’re not going to dive straight in with a canvas and paintbrush, that isn’t what create with nature / green sketching is about, and would be way too scary. So, for whatever reason you’re here, an artist wanting to use nature as a muse, a nature lover wanting to be creative, or neither but curious, or just want to engage with nature, we’re going to start with the foundation, the noticing. Today is about building a foundation to guide you into finding your connection with nature and the world around you.

I’d like you to ponder on these questions, it’s a bit like those quizzes in magazines or find your own adventure story (am I showing my age!?) I want to help you find your own personal viewfinder, your hook into nature. What inspires me, isn’t necessarily what interests you.

*When you think of nature, what first springs to mind, an expansive mountain view, a wood, a stormy sea, or a gently flowing river? What natural landscapes interest you? Don’t worry if you can’t choose one, I flit between wanting water and mountains, but if I’m honest, the wide open views of East Anglia or Somerset don’t interest me as much (sorry!).

*If you already take photos in the countryside or of nature, are they mostly of the landscape, or smaller details? Are you wide angle or macro?

*What draws your eye? Plants or animals? When I got my first DSLR camera, the joke was that I only took pictures of flowers. While I still do, I’ve mostly spent the last couple of summers crouched awkwardly trying to photograph insects on the flowers!

*Maybe think about how you decorate your home and what you have on your walls. Do you like bright colours, or more muted tones? What about patterns or texture? It might be the same in nature, noticing patterns and shapes or seeking out pops of colour.

Colour? or Shape?

There is no right or wrong, it might vary from one day to the next. I defy even the most avid macro photographer to go to the Scottish Highlands and not take a photo of the landscape!

Considering these questions helps us understand what our eye is drawn to. In the same way we have music or film preferences, once we’ve opened our eyes to different habitats, species, and landscapes, we will have our preferences. It doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy other things or change our minds (I listened to predominately rock music in my teens, but my nervous system can’t handle it now!) just that at that point, we know what we like. I want to help people find what they like in nature, I think I’ve mentioned before it was butterflies that were my hook into wanting to find out more about nature, then to the flowers they liked, which then lead me to being creative.

Once we’ve become more aware of what we like, we can be more deliberate in our noticing of nature, even if walking in urban areas. You might start noticing pavement plants, or the vistas that appear framed at the end of roads. we can plan to go places that fulfill those interests, rather than places that don’t. This helps build a connection to nature and gives us a way into creativity. If you prefer gazing at a rolling landscape, you’ll want to draw them more than tiny wonders.

I’ll say it again, there is no right or wrong, my camera roll is full of photos of landscapes, but there are many more of small details, or small details with the landscape behind - see above! Understanding that I am a noticer of details, that my eye is drawn to shape and texture, more than colour, has helped me develop my art. I focus on smaller details and objects rather than landscapes.

Slate shale patterns on the beach in Torridon

I still sketch landscapes, I want to draw everything (!) but what makes ends up in final pieces is the detail. An example is my current project which is more about the details of winter tree shapes and details, rather than the landscape they occupy. But I’ll talk more about my creative process another time.

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So, homework! With your new noticing understanding, go for a walk, even if just five minutes, and see what your eye is drawn to.

Next week we’ll nudge forward to thinking about how this leads to creating.