Nature Journaling

'The Natural Year'
a sketchbook exchange

For a whole year, I and 11 members of the Botanical Art Society of New Zealand ran a nature journaling exchange, where we sent our journals off for each other to journal in.

These are the pages I completed for the others.

Lesley Alexander page from nature journal with ink and watercolour drawings of kowhai and Acmena seedpods found in the garden

Lesley Alexander nature journal page of ink and watercolour gull feather and shells, fine liner pens, erasers and pencils used to create the drawings

Lesley Alexander nature journal page of ink and watercolour drawings of shells and feathers alongside a vignette of the beach, sea and life saver flags. Watercolour palette, paints, brushes, pens and pencils at top of image

Lesley Alexander nature journaling page depicting walnut casing and Star Jasmine leaves. Hand written words surround the images

Lesley Alexander nature journal page with watercolour and ink paintings of tamarillo and persimmons with actual persimmon and drawing equipment off to the side

Lesley Alexander nature journal page with ink line drawing of faded Daffodil flower and cross section of a flower showing stamens and ovary. Hand written descriptions of images and lines from A A Milne poem

Lesley Alexander nature journal page with ink and watercolour wash of 3 daffodil blooms and leaves with hand written notes around the page

Lesley Alexander nature journal page of watercolour paintings of pansies and violas showing dissections of flowers and surrounded by hand written notes. A pot of pansies off to the side

Lesley Alexander nature journaling page with ink and watercolour drawings of pine needles and purple Aristea ecklonii flowers - with palette, colour mixing saucer, magnifying glass and pine needle specimens to the side

Lesley Alexander nature journal double page spread showing brown wooden starling box on lichen covered wooden fence with vignette of garden in the distance. Three ox-eye daisy heads on stems with hand written notes around images

Lesley Alexander nature journal double page spread with top half showing landscape watercolour of view from cliff top over breaking waves and beaches. Bottom of page shows items found on the beach and cliff top drawn with ink and watercolour wash, scale bar along side of page and written notes around the images

Lesley Alexander nature journal page with ink and watercolour images of mangrove seeds, flowers and leaves with scale bar up the side of the page and hand written notes around the objects

Lesley Alexander nature journal page showing beach finds of red brown dead crab and black seaweed, with hand written notes around them.

Lesley Alexander nature journal page of nest drawn with black ink and watercolour wash over the top. Paint colour swatches at bottom right of page, with hand written notes around the page, the pen and paint brush used lay over the page

Lesley Alexander nature journal double pages with small purple and yellow landscape overlooking beach with flax bushes in the foreground and written notes below. On the right there are sketches of yellow headed gannets in various positions nesting on rocks

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