How my Artwork Begins
From Hedgerow to Hand-Drawn Nature Art

Join me as I share how my hand-drawn nature artworks begin - not at a desk, but out in the fields and hedgerows around my home in East Yorkshire, in those quiet moments where noticing becomes a kind of listening.

My hand-drawn nature artworks are the end result of a process that begins simply, with a gentle walk in the fields around my home, or a few quiet moments spent gazing out of my window at our small garden - moments that help me feel present, grounded, and deeply connected to the natural world.

A winter walk in the fields, Yorkshire, where my art begins...

Finding Inspiration in Everyday Nature

My daily walks out in the fields, or peaceful moments in my garden are the chance for me to disconnect from the fast-paced world of technology, and instead connect with something more real and ancient – a feeling of presence and wholeness surrounded by nature…

Over time, this way of moving slowly through the seasons has become less about making art, and more about learning how to pay attention - and letting the artwork grow naturally from that.

Slow Walks, Seasonal Rhythms & Noticing

Walking slowly through winter fields, finding inspiration for my nature art

I try to encompass a sense of mindfulness on my walks out in nature – that’s simply being present in the world (not lost in my own thoughts) and noticing – noticing what’s around me, what I can see, hear, feel and even smell…

Big feelings like the huge sky soaring above me, endless and infinite – and tiny ones like an exquisite little ladybird on a leaf. As your senses tune into the natural world around you, you notice more – you immediately stop when you hear an unusual bird call, even in your subconscious there’s an awareness of what’s around you, and a gentle but deep appreciation of the small beauties of nature we’re surrounded by every day.

As the seasons change, nature changes too – birds leave or arrive with Spring and Autumn – they sing boldly as they mark their territories in Spring, and fall silent as they moult in Summer. The fields and hedgerows go from mud-laden, to crisp with frost, with the welcome first green shoots of Spring emerging and the brilliant flowers of Summer bursting forth as if in celebration…

It all changes - and this ever-changing landscape is a new opportunity for noticing, each and every day…

A winter sunrise on my daily walk in nature

Over the years and seasons, I’ve started to recognise the spots where we see certain species of birds or animals, and to look out for them – and I have my favourites, which are most often the creatures that get to star in my artworks first…

Or perhaps it’s an unusual bird or animal that feels too exciting not to explore further. Seasonal nature rhythms always provide us with something of interest…

From Nature Walk to Nature Journal

Small winter details noticed during mindful walks in nature

I feel into what feels most precious to me, to decide what to include in my sketches and nature journals – memories that I want to hold close and commit to paper to be able to cherish them anew in years to come.

Every nature journal page begins with a memory – drawn sometimes from memory, sometimes from life or a photo I took on my walk, and sometimes from a photo reference to illustrate my rememberings.

As I draw, I remember the experience – what I saw, heard, felt, where I was – and I also start to dive deeper into the natural history of the moment, researching the habits and behaviours of a bird, exploring the folklore of a flower, tree, or plant…

Folklore, Memory & Meaning in My Art

Nature journal sketches capturing personal memories from the hedgerow

My nature journal is the place where I store my personal nature memories and experiences – the heart of my nature journaling process. It’s a place where I get to sit with my feelings about the moment and connect with the experience – a place where I have permission to be imperfect, to feel the moment, to decompress, to record, to have fun – to feel closer to nature.

The folklore stories I explore add another layer of meaning to my nature-inspired artwork and the moments I experience in nature - allowing me to feel how the human experience has long been embedded in the natural world, and to bring some of that connection into my day.

Not every experience I record in my nature journal makes it into a final artwork, and not every final artwork comes from my nature journal – some connections with animals and birds are lifelong and deep, a quiet attraction that seems to need no validation or recording.

Sketching, Drawing & Working by Hand

Sketching in my sketchbook in preparation for drawing the final artwork

Initial sketches of my subject matter help me to understand the shapes of the animal, bird or plant – and more than that, allow me to get a true feeling for its personality and character, so that my art can do it justice.

I then work from one or more of these sketches to create my final hand-drawn artwork, carefully laying out my composition with a border of decorative flowers and layering up layers of pen, coloured pencil, and pen again, to deepen the colours and add detail and texture to each piece.

Each artwork takes me several days working full-time to complete. I work by hand on Bristol Board with Promarker pens for the initial layers of colour, then Polychromos coloured pencils, and various fineliner pens for the detail. I love the tactile feel of the pens and pencils moving across the card, the quiet regular sound of the drawing and the sense of the drawing implements gliding across the smooth surface.

Hand-drawn nature artwork created with pens and coloured pencils

When an Artwork Feels Finished

There’s a moment when the artwork feels finished, settled, like its story has been told and my job has been done. I’ll spend a day or two, or sometimes longer, with each artwork sat out on my mantelpiece, letting it breathe, waiting to see if it’s completed or if any part feels unfinished, and then I can return to it, if necessary, to feel into what needs to be changed.

Only when it feels ready to go out into the world do I share a piece. Some pieces stay with my in my sketchbooks, others become prints, ready to travel further…

Finished nature artwork resting before being shared as a print

Art, Nature & Remembering What Matters

You do not need to be an experienced artist to notice your own precious moments and feel that vital connection to nature. It’s as simple as walking slowly, being present, and noticing what’s in the world around us every day – and to keep our memories close to us by drawing a sketch or recording our thoughts and feelings, so that we can revisit our experiences and, importantly, our feelings, when we feel a need...

Quiet landscape inviting reflection and connection with nature

If you’d like to peek into my nature journals, you can do that here…

And if you feel inspired to start your own nature journal, I have lots of information to help you in this section…

If you’d like to explore my hand-drawn nature art, you can take a look here…

Shall we stay in touch..?

Each month, I share stories from my own nature journal, new art from my studio, and simple seasonal inspiration to help you feel more connected with the turning year - if you'd like to stay updated, please sign up with your email address below...

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