Nature Journaling, Quotes

First Page of My Nature Journal

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I just finished my first sketchbook dedicated entirely to nature journaling and find myself looking back and seeing where I … More First Page of My Nature Journal →

Drawing, Life Lessons, Nature Journaling, Quotes

The Greatest Obstacle to Discovery

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I have a skull that I picked up in a field in Texas twenty years ago. It’s simultaneously big and delicate. It was found on a range where cattle graze, but I didn’t think it was broad and squat enough for a cow skull. Those who were with me agreed that it probably belonged to a horse. While I’ve drawn and painted it many times in the years since, I’ve never questioned that decision. I just assumed we were right.

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Books, Life Lessons, Quotes

The Greatest Bravery

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We’re constantly being told that bravery isn’t about being fearless. It’s about being afraid and doing the thing anyway. But this flawed definition can lead to trouble. It implies that to be brave, we must do the thing we fear, no matter what that thing is. It ignores the fact that the thing we fear may not be right for us to do.

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Dinosaurs, Knitting

Crazy Knits: Fair Isle Sweater for a T. rex

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As the weather cools off, I find myself picking up my knitting needles. I’ve always wanted to make a fair … More Crazy Knits: Fair Isle Sweater for a T. rex →

Birds, Nature, Nature Journaling

When Your Bird Isn’t Average: Challenges in Identification

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In early October, my sister brought me dead bird she found in our yard. Despite having the bird “in hand” (I didn’t actually hold it) and recording it in my nature journal, I came away uncertain of the species. While I was convinced it was some kind of thrush, probably a hermit thrush, there were a few things that left me uncertain. The main point of confusion was its size. It was much too small.

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