Nurturing our Nature

by Lisa for Janie

Lucky me, two journals to complete this month, as I'm going overseas in a couple of weeks!

Janie's journal is a lovely little Dylusions-style journal in A5 size, and the paper is yummy.

I really love native trees and flowers, so ummed and ahhed about what to do for this journal.

I was scrolling through Pinterest when I discovered these absolutely beautiful bouquets full of native flowers, that just begged me to draw them!  The one that my page is based on is by Grace from Swallows Nest Farm in Tassie.  I'm really not sure if she's still trading; their FB page says the farm was up for sale earlier this year, but gorgeous flowers are still being posted on their Instagram page.

I'm hoping Grace is still making beautiful flowers for peeps somewhere else!

I do prefer to see flowers in situ, but would certainly make an exception for something like this! 💜🌸

This was quite a simple page to do; I drew my bouquet in pencil, then added watercolours, and outlined it all loosely with a fineliner.

And voila!

My scribble reads: I'm not big on cut flowers; I prefer to see them in the garden, but the sight of a posy of native flowers is a joy to me!

And yes, I know proteas aren't Australian natives.  But they're related to banksias and waratahs, so that's good enough for me! 😊

Enjoy Janie!

Cheers, Lisa 

Janie's Nature Art Journal by Pam.

The month of June saw the arrival of Janie's Nature Art Journal which is already looking very special. My entry was a little experimental as I decided to give watercolour a try. I painted the background with pretty pearlised watercolour but it didn't flow as it should.....(no idea).  So then I got some stencils out and my distress inks added the flowers and tres. Then some black paint for the dragonflies.  A lovely little butterfly arrived in some happy mail so it had to join in too.
The quote is from a song from the 50s by Al Hibler.

Hope you like it Janie.

The Fig Tree

If you are ever looking for me 

and there is a magnificent buttress rooted fig tree nearby, 

check there first. 

There can be nothing that says nature to me

 more than a fig tree,

 it embodies the essential divine feminine energy of earth for me. 

My page is quite simple 

and meaningful to me,

it is textural and was fun to play in.

Totally unplanned. 

These are my supplies plus a green and a brown marker.

Amanda's layout in Janie's Nature Journal

I have to admit to being overawed when Janie's Nature Journal arrived...just stunning. My pages evolved totally different from what I had planned.  
I used two images, one from Daphne's Diary and another from Womankind, to which I added a gerbera. I wanted to infer my relationship to Nature and my choices of images and words reflect this. Nature - heals, is blessed and brings joy.
I initially created a background using a collaged napkin of Roses and some brown baking paper. I dulled it with some white gesso then used TH's Distress Oxide, Cracked Pistachio to give some colour. I used two Kazazz stamps with Timber Brown Staz-On. Finished with a little doodling. 


             

Janie's "Nature" makes its debut.

The initiation of my journal for the Round 7 travelling journal. I changed my mind from Australiana to Nature to make it, even more, broader for your imaginations to flow. This year I have chosen a smaller journal to work in. It is 8" high by 5 inches wide when shut. You will all be working on a double spread of 8"x10" in landscape. If anyone wants to add an extra flap, there is plenty of spare pages. Thank you for looking: Janie O'Brien

This is the outer cover which is a linocut of pandanus palm from where I live in far north Queensland.
 These are common along our shores.
 I photocopied it onto deli paper. It turned out well.

The actual journal itself inside the named cover with some collaged elements

My first collage comprises fussy cut fungi against a background of torn papers and tissue.

My second collage depicting various heliconia flowers seen in most far north Queensland gardens, together with a lovely purple & pink hibiscus.