Nature Journaling: Data, Drawing, Discovery

Nancy Lowe works at the intersection of art, science, and natural history. For over two decades she has taught art-science workshops at colleges, universities, biological field stations, schools, museums, arts centers, and other institutions. She has also catalyzed and facilitated art-science exhibits, performances, and other projects. In September 2025 she will begin a Bullard Fellowship at Harvard Forest to make art about complexity & emergence, and to develop best practices for art-science residencies. In her creative practice she uses drawing & painting, fiber, and mixed media to explore themes of ecology and evolutionary biology. Her artwork has been exhibited in galleries and museums in the US and Europe. She has a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Nature journaling is a great way to increase your attention to nature’s details, create a record of ecological change, and cultivate a habit of mindfulness. In this class, you will practice some basic drawing techniques, get ideas for making entries in a nature journal, and learn innovative ways to collect data in the field. No art or science experience is required, and beginners are welcome!

The materials fee for this class is $20. This is separate from the ticket price and is to reimburse the instructor for any tools or materials used in this class. This will be paid once, directly to the instructor at the start of the first class meeting. This instructor accepts payments in cash or through Venmo or PayPal.

Students will gain:

• Basic drawing skills for depicting natural subjects in graphite pencil, ink pen, and color pencil
• Tips for special problems like enlarging tiny species and drawing landscapes
• Innovative prompts for collecting data on sounds, smells, and specimens from nature

After the workshop ends, participants may elect to meet a few more times out of class to share their nature journals and notes.

Materials students will take home:

* Sketchbook for nature journal

* Graphite drawing pencils

* Paper blender/ estompe

* Kneaded eraser

* Sharpener

* Micron pen, Black, 02

Materials the instructor will loan for use during class:

* Color pencils

* Other materials to make nature journal pages useful and interesting – rubber stamp for metadata, graph paper, glassine envelopes for specimens, etc.

Everything will be provided, but students are welcome to bring any:

* Art supplies – pencils, ink pens, Berol Prismacolor color pencils, etc.

* Natural materials – seeds, feathers, and shells, pressed plants, etc.

Students must be 18 years or older.

Learn more about our class and ticket cancelation policies Here.

Please email ZWR1Y2F0aW9uIHwgYXJ0aXNhbnNhc3lsdW0gISBjb20= with any questions.

Also check out other Arts events in Boston, Workshops in Boston, Fine Arts events in Boston.