As I look through my journal pages, I notice more and more how the creative elements are tied into nature and the changing seasons.
The first thing I do every morning is get outside and walk my dog, so I guess it's no surprise that nature keeps finding it's way into my journals.
I find it a continual source of inspiration for colour palettes, patterns, textures and so much more.
I recently completed these pages in my art journal after watching a Wanderlust lesson taught by Francisca Nunes. I used the colours that I could see outside my window as inspiration for the splotches of background colour.
I then used some embroidery threads to sew a leaf and flower onto separate pieces of paper, that I glued into my journal. We are in the final stages of summer and I'm really enjoying capturing the beautiful colours before we move into the more earthy tones of Autumn.
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to drive out to Frittiscombe Flower Farm. I met with Sophie who set this up on her family's farm and she talked me through her methods and inspiration behind starting it up.
You can see the sea in the background, it's surrounded by rolling hills and it felt like a truly magical place, with the most gorgeous flowers.
I did quite a lot of filming and photography whilst I was there, which will all be used in an up-coming course. More on that in a few weeks' time.
I was instantly mesmorised by all the beautiful flowers, scents, butterflies and bees, which I know will all need to find their way into my journal pages some time very soon. It was such a special afternoon and the sun even made an appearance.
One thing I have previously struggled with is painting trees. I recently joined Katie Moody's Patreon channel as I love her art and illustration style. When I looked through her content I found a tutorial for trees which was just perfect. I really enjoyed trying these out in my sketchbook and will definitely feel more confident adding trees to my journal pages now.
My daily journal pages last week were full of birds, butterflies and flowers. I found two local venues that were offering flower picking, one which was wildflowers and one for sunflowers. It was such a fun activity to do and I love having those photos as a reminder on my journal pages. I definitely feel like I'm making the most of every last minute of Summer.
In the post this week I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of Harriet de Winton's new book, "A Year of Watercolour". Harriet's publishers contacted me to ask if I would like a copy and obviously it felt just perfect. I already have another of Harriet's watercolour books so I know that I love her style. I'm really looking forward to working through the different projects in here as the seasons change.
I do my daily planning in a Hobonichi journal, which definitely helps to keep me on track with everything that needs doing. It's also another great place to include nature-inspired images and artwork. My task lists feel less intimidating when they are decorated, they have a relaxed kind-of feel to them.
These sticker images were cut from London Gifties PET tapes. (You can use the code HELEN for a free roll of washi popped in with all orders over £35 exc. shipping.)
My junk journal is another lovely place to use nature images and add in artwork. These printables came from Pink Monarch Prints and give such a wonderful feel to these journal pages. They are really quick and an easy way of bringing nature into your journals when you don't have too much time on your hands.
Unfortunately I didn't have time to film a new video for YouTube this week, but I did release quite a long video over on Patreon, where I demonstrated lots of different ways that you can use stencils in your journals. They are such a versatile art supply and definitely one of my favourites. If you haven't joined my Patreon community yet, you can take a free trial here.
I do hope you enjoyed seeing how nature inspires my journal pages. I've no doubt that the colours I use on my pages will change significantly over the coming months and I look forward to seeing what emerges, Helen x
*Some of the links in this blog post may contain affiliate links. This means that I earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.