Thanks to Mathew Clayton for pointing us in the direction of Jo Brown’s beautiful Nature Journal project.
‘I very much enjoy learning about the diversity and intricate beauty of the wildlife that’s all around me’ Jo told us via email. ‘Wildlife I couldn’t live without. So I began the journal, something to remind me of everything I’ve found & exactly where it is. I try to draw things within a few days of encountering them, so the book flows smoothly with the seasons & the emergence of everything. If the flowers are finishing and I haven’t drawn them yet, it’s too late. I missed the Bluebells & Ramsons as I ran out of time. There’s so much appearing this time of year! A plethora of wildlife to choose from.
I have an enormous amount of respect and passion for the natural world and incorporate it into all of my artwork. I research and identify everything I observe as I go on my daily walks because it fascinates me and fills me with wonder. The best thing being that it makes me smile. It makes me happy…and it’s all completely free, just outside the door.
Sometimes I’m not in the mood to draw and I’ve lost my mojo, or I have other commissions on or chores to complete, so I try not to put pressure on myself to keep to any type of schedule and simply draw a page when I am feeling in the mood or when I’ve managed to get a really good shot of something. Every illustration in the Nature Journal is from a photograph I have taken. That’s very important to me. So I have to physically see it and take a photo for it to be included in the journal.
There’s 340 pages & I have no idea when I’ll complete it, but I’m thoroughly enjoying the ride.’