A Year of Sketching in the Wild - Handmade Sketchbook Edition

I spent a year of sketching the remaining wild spaces in my neighborhood & this is one of my sketchbooks from my project The Artist as Naturalist. These are the final sketchbooks- #3 & #4 which I made by hand.

The Artist as Naturalist represents my personal visual study of some of the remaining untamed landscapes along Long Island's southwestern coastal zones.

With a sketchbook in hand, I ventured along the sandy coastline adorned with seashells and delicate dunes. I sat amidst the marshlands, observing their intricate dance with the ebb and flow of migrating birds and changing tides. I charted the seasons of winter waking into spring and then settling into the long sun soaked days of summer. I seized this opportunity to familiarize myself with the names of the local bird species and plants. I challenged myself to first develop a deep understanding of the landscape and then endeavor to convey the emotional depth of the observational experience.

This journey birthed a profound love for this unique environment, in which I have now become deeply rooted, and a strong desire to contribute to its preservation. I plan to continue on with this journey and I hope that others will join me.

This project is made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrant Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and is administered by The Huntington Arts Council, Inc.
Thanks so much and long live the arts!!!! 🖤


WWW.KARENMICHEL.COM

I created a playlist on Spotify to listen to while sketching in the wild: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1k1...

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