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OLLI CS Focus Group: April, 2024

Deer

WE ARE ALL EARS!

Visitors at the end of our meeting at the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge – Salmon Creek Unit

Deer

Topic of the Day: Using Lettering to Add Interest to Nature Journals

One member’s work shows her new fonts on the left and then

she chose the architect’s font to identify her drawing.

Lettering and Journal

Sharing our latest work is one of the fun parts of our meetings. This wonderful bee is done using colored pencils with the text and drawing done in a fine felt tip pen. Of course, there is that data too!

Bees

One member recognized that this pattern could be explained

by the Fibonacci Sequence!

https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/math_nature/fibonacci-sequence/

Fibonacci pattern

A recommendation by a member – a way to learn to draw birds – by Emily Lex

https://shop.emilylex.com/products/birds-watercolor-workbook

bird journal

Good resource written in 1911. With this free pdf file you can print out just the pages you need:

https://archive.org/details/handbookofnature002506mbp

handbookThese types of books are are great!

https://hikeanddraw.nyc/

nature journal

LINKS:

1) Gisela brought this really interesting handout to the meeting – this can be our next activity. Scavenger Hunt: Patterns in Nature:

https://forestbathingcentral.com/patterns-in-nature/nature-patterns-scavenger-hunt/

2) Pens for Lettering:

a)  Lamy J0y and Fude 55: https://www.lizsteel.com/whats-your-favourite-fountain-pen/

b)  Lamy Safari Pen Review: https://nymag.com/strategist/article/lamy-safari-fountain-pen-review.html

c) Pilot Parallel Pens: https://arttoolkit.com/supplies/pilot-parallel-pen/?nib=30mm

d) Pentel Pocket Brush Pen:  https://arttoolkit.com/supplies/pentel-brush-pen/

e) Sharpie Brush Pen (This is a thinner brush that I find easier to control than (d):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvxpzjqhrDA

Love Your Sketchbook Lettering by Danny Gregory (short video):

https://marcthiele.com/links/sketchbook-skool-danny-gregory

Creative Lettering for Nature Journal with John Muir Laws (long video with the wonderful graphic artist from Trader Joe’s:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3RW-J_przE

 

I had a wonderful time – thank you everyone for your insights and sharing.

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Humboldt Coastal Nature Center

As the weather warms I’m able to do more field journaling. My last two outings have been to the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center just north of Manila (Humboldt County!). I am fine tuning my “gear” so that I can hike in with a minimum of weight and still have the essentials for creating good field notes. There is nothing like recording on location; it works different parts of my brain and I “see” more than if I relied on photos.

The first outing was my first look at the endangered Humboldt Bay Wallflower. I didn’t have much time to draw the flower but I did sit down and create a color palette that I could refer to later. I was able to make a lot of observations and noted these in my journal. The willows were done on location as well as the ink outlines of the landscape. I did research back in the studio and made many discoveries about this amazing plant. It produces lots of seedlings – no problem there – but only 1% of them survive. Why? I used a scale for survival risk and included it at the bottom of the page. Somehow the image “says more” than the word “endangered”. I also like the graph in the upper left of the page a visual of when the plants are in bloom.

I had time on the second outing to create most of the journal spread shown below. My goal was to compare two similar items. I added the metadata first and wrote a bit about the walk into the dunes. I found these two shells on the beach and I have to confess I thought the larger one was a mussel. They are both clams. I used iNaturalist to identify the clams but only after I have already recorded what I saw; sometimes knowing the name for something “turns off” my curiosity sensor!

I learned a lot on these two trips:

  • Watercolor and sand work just fine together
  • I love my water soluble pencil – used on the clams
  • I like fountain pens with thicker nibs
  • I like using different colors of ink
  • Waterbrushes were really easy to use in the field
  • Pacific Razor clams are not mussels. Both clams are bi-valve
  • I like my first “bubble” letters
  • A color palette is a great addition and is a helpful reference for finishing work in the studio
  • I am remembering to use my measuring tape!
  • I still have more questions to answer. That’s good.

I HOPE YOU CAN VISIT: Friends of the Dunes https://www.friendsofthedunes.org/

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Followup: For the Long Haul Class

NatureApps

Harvest Color Sampler

Thanks for an enjoyable class! You may find the following helpful:

LINKS mentioned:

BOOKS mentioned:

  • Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard
  • The Forest Unseen, David George Haskell
  • Sand County Almanac, Aldo Leopold

FAVORITE NATURE APPS:

FREE SOURCES FOR NATURE JOURNAL WORKSHOPS:

INK AND PENS: I mentioned a number of these that are easy and fun to use and aren’t very expensive.

  • Felt tip pens:
    • I use a Sharpie (with a tip that looks like the Micron pens) or Micron
    • Pilot Razor Point makes a water soluble pen – great way to get interesting drawings with different shades of black.
  • Fountain pens (my pens of choice because of the variability of the line and I can change colors):
    • Platinum Carbon Ink Pen with cartridges. Nice fine line – great for sketches.
    • Sailor Fude pen with cartridges. Wildly variable line.
    • I also have Lamy pens, and TWSBI pens.
  • Fountain pen inks: I love water soluble and permanent:
    • Herbin (Just My Type – Eureka) have fun colors and you can get small samples. Come as cartridges for some pens or for refillable pens.
    • DeAtramentis: my go-to for permanent inks.
  • Pencils:
    • Pentel Click mechanical pencil for guidelines in sketches. I use 0.7 thickness with 2B lead.
    • Stabilo Aquarellable makes water soluble pencils – great fun either alone (with water) or with watercolor added.

Keep your supplies to a minimum until your journal process needs more variety or you are ready to experiment with other tools. Focus on your entries and the tools will follow! Have fun!

 

 

 

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Followup: Field Journal DIY class

Carry Samples

You did it! Made a nature journal in less than two hours with all that cutting, hole punching, and sewing. It was just a pleasure to work with you and thanks for helping and supporting each other. Since we had little time to write in the journal I wanted to follow up with some comments that I hope you find useful.

  • Live links from handout:
  • Sewing elastic can be replaced with leather shoestrings or ribbons on the bias – whatever you use should have some stretch to it.
  • Watercolor Paper: Most watercolor paper is heavy (90lb., 140lb., and 300lb). The 90 lb. is just fine for journals and thick enough to prevent bleed through of watercolor, fountain pens, or markers. Watercolor paper comes in grades – the one you have isn’t 100% cotton but is more accepting of pen and ink.
  • Papers from class: Experiment with each type of paper. If the paper is for “Dry Media” try watercolor anyway. It’s important to see what works and what doesn’t and why. Sometimes you are surprised.
  • Mixed Media Paper: This just might be the best type of you use lots of inks, pencils, watercolor, etc.
  • Size of journal: I used to use really small journals but they are limiting, especially when you have a lot of data, observations, and questions. In a 6″ x 9″ journal I can still draw small landscapes (these take a lot less time) – just as I did in my smaller journals. A 12″ x 9″ spread can hold an entire story about “place”.
  • What can you carry in the plastic sleeve?: I always carry samples of my current watercolor palette and colored pencils I use. I also love fountain pens and carry samples of their inks and writing style. The square/circle template is made from a file folder using a punch and I use it for making circles on my pages. What sorts of things might you carry to help with your journaling??

Carry Samples

  • Working in the Field vs. Studio: In the studio you have control over time, materials, and environment. I like creating pages in the studio but it is vastly different than working in the field. In the field you have little control over time and environment (the bird keeps moving, it is getting chilly, etc.) and your materials have to be more limited. However, it is more exciting and immediate.It also encourages more acceptance of your drawings because they are done quickly.
  • If your end boards look boring – add stickers or glue things on to them! My granddaughter sent me a bunch of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) stickers and I have used those along with stickers from state and national parks or monuments.
  • Remember! You can journal with just a piece of paper and a pencil!
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OLLI CS Focus Group: Michele’s Newsletter

Beach Ball: University of OregonUniversity of Oregon
Beach Ball: University of Oregon

From University of Oregon: https://seagrant.oregonstate.edu/visitor-center/found-beach/beach-balls

Notes from our meeting:

  1. We started by with the practice of the Five Senses: See, Hear, Touch, Smell, Taste. We all recorded any words that came to mind. Then we picked an natural object displayed in the room and took time to write: I Notice, It Reminds Me, I Wonder.
  2. We practiced some Blind Contour Drawing.
  3. Michele introduced ideas she got from workshop with Emelie Lygren, “Writing our Way to Wonder”. The focus was on writing a poem to the object observed by choosing from the following themes
      • Notice
      • Wonder
      • Gratitude
      • Instructions
  4. We listened to a poem written by Nancy Paddock: “Lie Down”  https://www.ayearofbeinghere.com/2014/04/nancy-paddock-lie-down.html
  5. We then read our poems to each other. We all realized that our poems/prose would be wonderful additions to our field journals. Below are some of our writings – not all subjects were identified which led to discussions about what the poem addressed.

To The Sun

Your warm touch,
And my need to squint,
Announce you.
The lift in mood
Is quick and welcome.
Would it lift if you
Were always here?
You were in Baja
And it did.

Dancing gold pollen
Wind gusts hazel catkins sway
Spring is here, achoo!

Science all around me
– of the natural kind
– of earth and living things
I am an object originating
– in someone’s mind
Made in a factory by mostly
-other unnatural things
I must have a chip
-which none of these other things have
Does that make me special?

Where on earth did you get started?
Did you tease the wind into picking up all of those red twigs?
Picky aren’t you?
Are you hiding a treasure in your center?
A little seed that pops out after being
tossed about on the beach as you get
too big for your britches?


A Love Letter to Water
Thank you from the bottom of my
heart for all that you have brought
to my life. You have introduced me
to many loves. You let me express my
innocence, my longing, my fear. I am
you and you are me. When we are apart,
I forget myself.

Water’s Deep Invitation
slipping in
held
loved, loving
home

Announcements:

Michele is offering two Field Journal classes for OLLI. A handout was distributed. The links to those classes are here:

Field Journals: DIY https://www.micheleolsen.com/olli-s23-diy/

Field Journals: For the Long Haul https://www.micheleolsen.com/olli-s23-long-haul/

 

Further Exploration:

  1. Blind Contour Drawing help with Austin Kleon: https://austinkleon.com/2020/02/20/blind-contour-drawings/  and be sure to check out the BC drawings of his backyard owls – you will be charmed : https://austinkleon.com/2023/02/02/winter-owl-updates/
  2. Janina mentioned that the Special Interest Group: Sea Level Rise and Humboldt Bay was something we all could consider: https://extended.humboldt.edu/olli/courses/special-interest-groups/special-interest-group-sea-level-rise-humboldt-bay
  3. Several science phone apps were mentioned.

Next Meeting:

April 19, Wednesday, 12 noon-2pm

Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Visitor Center.

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/humboldt-bay/visit-us/locations/salmon-creek-unit–humboldt-bay-national-wildlife-refuge-complex-headquarters-visitor-center-and-shorebird-loop-trail

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OLLI, Spring 2023: Field Journals: For the Long Haul

Inside of journal

Inside of journal

With Michele Olsen, Book Artist

Keeping a field journal improves memory and increases our awareness and appreciation of the world around us. We usually observe things at a specific point in time. But it’s also important to observe life cycles, and this requires observations over greater periods of time. Learn how to document events “for the long haul” in your own yards, neighborhood, or park.

Thurs., March 23 • 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Online

$30 • Class #: 23963

Register: https://extended.humboldt.edu/olli/course/field-journals-long-haul

 

 

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OLLI Spring 2023: Field Journals; DIY

Outside Cover

Outside Cover

 

With Michele Olsen, Book Artist

Make a no-nonsense, practical field journal that opens flat, has removable pages and a reusable cover. It’s easy to hold while standing or sitting, opens flat, and you can pick the paper that best suits your writing and drawing needs. Explore an array of materials and journaling tools that make it easy to journal in the field.

Tues., March 21 • 10-11:50 a.m.

Arcata, TBD

$30 • Class #: 23960

To register: https://extended.humboldt.edu/olli/course/field-journals-diy-journal

Additional information for your class: Instructor will provide materials for the 6” x 9” field journal. Students should bring a 12” ruler and tools for drawing, painting, or writing. (Optional: If you have an adjustable 3-hole paper punch, please bring it).
You can see a sample of the book at: https://www.micheleolsen.com/easy-functional-diy-journal/

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OLLI Summer Classes at Wolf Creek Educational Center

Measuring Sword Ferns

Back To Camp: Lifelong Learning in the Redwoods. You can register at this link.

Gisela Rohde and I will be teaching two classes on August 2, 2022 at the Wolf Creek Educational Center in Humboldt County, California. The surrounding forests are close to the Prairie Creek State Park and we will take full advantage of our location to learn a lot about field journaling and how to help scientists monitor our changing environment.

1) Morning Session: FIELD JOURNALS: WITNESSING OUR CHANGING ENVIRONMENT

Join us as we use our field journals to improve our observational skills, foster curiosity, and record our experiences in the majesty of the redwood forest. For centuries scientists and explorers have considered their journals to be a valuable tool for discovery of and connection with their environment. The process is so valuable that schools from kindergarten through college are designing curriculum based on journaling as a way to learn science and natural history. We will also be looking at the ways we can use our work to become Citizen Scientists.

Topics: Tips for working outside, the importance of recording data, using maps and charts, using our five senses to write, techniques for developing intentional curiosity, prompts for improving observations, easy sketching techniques, and resources for further work.

Materials to bring:
Journal (at least 6” x 6”), pen, pencil. Optional: colored pencils, watercolors & brushes.

Resource Materials: http://micheleolsen.com/OLLI_Summer2022

2) Afternoon Session: A DEEP DIVE INTO FERNS

Bring your journals and become a Citizen Scientist with your participation in the Fern Watch project sponsored by the Save the Redwood League. Because ferns respond quickly to variations in rainfall they are good indicators of shifts in our climate. Monitoring ferns help scientists study changes in our redwood forest; we will collect and analyze data, document discoveries, develop questions for further research, and use sketches as a tool to learn. We will also discuss other ways you can become a community-based Citizen Scientist.

Materials to bring: walking shoes, measuring tape (metric preferable), journals (at least 6” x 6”), pen, pencil. (Optional) field lens, colored pencils, watercolor & brush.

Resource Materials: https://www.micheleolsen.com/olli_cs/

 

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Tour of the American Southwest, 2022

Title Page

This was truly an unforgettable trip: 8 friends, 1 dog, 2 teardrop trailers, 1 pop-up tent, 1 camper van, 16 days, and 15 sites to visit. Almost none of this journal was completed on the trip due to the intensity of the schedule but I took good notes and completing this after the fact allowed me take the trip one more time. Completing the journal made me realize that the challenges we had faded to the background and the joys of traveling with good friends who can handle anything overshadowed any difficulties. I am happy to report that our dog returned, the torsion bar on a teardrop was repaired, I located my two sets of lost keys, and just got my new glasses – the old ones smashed by a knee while I climbed on my sleeping bag. No news on the 12 volt refrigerator’s status. I hope you enjoy taking this trip again.

Title Page

Title Page with Pop-up

 

Title Page with map open

Itinerary and Map

Drive to Bishop

Drive to Bishop, California

Eureka Dunes

Eureka Dunes in Death Valley National Park, California

Shosone and Valley of Fire

Shoshone, California, and Valley of Fire SP, Nevada

Kodachrome State Park, UT

Kodachrome State Park, Utah

Kodachrome SP, Bryce NP

Kodachrome State Park, Bryce National Park, Utah

Mexican Hat

Monument Valley, Mexican Hat, and Natural Bridges, Utah

Valley of the Gods, House on Fire

Valley of the Gods, House on Fire, Utah

Hovenweep

Hovenweep National Monument, Utah

Aztec National Monument

Aztec National Monument, New Mexico

 

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