Focus on the Forest

February 2025

Time is elusive. Sometimes we find an “extra” hour, lose an hour, or lose track of time in certain passages of our lives. Thankfully, in these moments, I was absorbed in time and focused while prepping for the upcoming workshop.

Most sketches shown here were timed drawings. In those five, ten, or fifteen minutes, I happily surrendered to concentrating on what was in front of me to observe and capture on paper. Of course, during these moments the wind would kick up or the materials being used would break/spit/flounder in some way. I tried to not let anything distract me.

None of these sketches are representative of my paintings and actually I feel a little shy sharing these images. But, the sketchbook is a place to experiment! And who knows what they may inspire. I tell participants the pages you fill during these hikes may look nothing like your usual work. We are here to gain new perspectives, try different media, and learn new ways of looking. There are instructions with the prompts, or exercises, for all of these images shown. Some prompts are obvious and would need explanations.

For the charcoal drawings, I gathered charcoal on the trail, at that particular drawing spot. Then used the charred pieces of trees as the media to draw the trees on the hill. It was delightful to experiment with found natural materials. When the charcoal pieces press against the paper it is coarse. I felt the dragging and scratching on the paper. The charcoal pieces are uneven so it takes a couple minutes to figure out the right pressure and what the various edges can do. I loved working with the charcoal and could have sat there for hours sketching. It felt meditative. Some may say I got in the flow, and that is absolutely correct.

Being in the moment, on a timer or not, the focus and presence is priceless and timeless.