Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Audubon Sketch Journal Project #1


On the 2nd day of Autumn, my sketch journal project at Gilsland Farm, headquarters of The Audubon Society, begins. There'll be a workshop to teach & an exhibit of my notes & book later on. But for now, I go there, I slow down, I watch, I listen. An adventure, a journey of discovery begins.
There are surprises & discoveries in the yard of the Environmental Education Center alone. A gracious senior woman brings in a beautifully formed nest to donate & to identify, & with it an elegant story. Groundhogs, who will be sleeping under ground in another month, wander freely. They wear tags on their ears because a scientist at USM studies them. A monarch butterfly surprises me with camouflage on the underside of its wings as it feeds on some little weed on the ground...I make observations in ignorance, knowing that at the Center I can ask & learn about what I'm observing.
I walk one of the trails in late afternoon golden air & find a bench overlooking the the river. Colors so magnificent, even more so because as sunset approaches I know that they will fade...Day #1 at the Audubon.

9 comments:

  1. Great work as always.Your new sketchbook journal looks as if you will be enjoying yourself, your sketchings make me feel as if I'm there. I look forward to following this one.

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  2. Lovely!
    and I love the color patches down the side of your watercolor paper too
    A painting in themselves and no ink line :O

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  3. Your journal is very inviting. Paint on!

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  4. These journal pages are fabulous! The drawing, the color, the layout and text, all inspiring the viewer/reader to celebrate the new season. Thank you!

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  5. Miłego pobytu w Audubon, Rito. I am looking forward to your sketches from the place, which you make sound like a lovely get away.

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  6. Love lal the colors of Fall!

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  7. Wonderful pages - I love the way you've laid out the first one with the writing in between the sketches. And the colors down the side of the second one are a nice touch.

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  8. Rita, your page, where you mix writing, drawings of animals, people and plants, is beautiful. Do more, please!
    There is a bird sanctuary north (I believe) of Salt Lake City that, I was told, is a place to visit but, for now, thanks to my grandson, I am learning about animals through books. One in particular shows what wonderful parents animals are. I share Albert Schweitzer's love and respect for life.

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  9. Please think about publishing a book with the best of your journals and let me know when you do!

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Thank you for your comments! They mean a lot to me!