Category: Wendy’s Wisdom
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The Great Book of Nature is Always Open
If you’re ever in need of inspiration, nature is full of fascinating subjects everywhere you look! Each step outside is a wonderful chance to practice listening with our eyes, reading with our hands, and learning with our hearts to enhance our understanding of the universe’s language. Connect with a plant. Observe carefully. What do … Continued
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Don't be afraid to be "wrong"
We’re allowed to make mistakes When we are first learning how to be human, we’re allowed to make mistakes. (No one expects a 2 year old’s finger painting to be magnificent enough to deserve an exhibition!) We know that beginners won’t be perfect from the start, so we hold low expectations for their … Continued
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Quiet Your Inner Critic
Sometimes the hardest part of the creative process is getting started. We have so many other things to do, and our fears subconsciously influence our quick decision-making. If you focus on JOY and don’t worry about results, you will always be in a good place. Immersing yourself in a study of nature’s beauty … Continued
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The Practice of Botanical Drawing: Ideas for Expanding Lessons
Botanical Drawing Lessons are a guide to build on. Expand each lesson with new and different subjects! Watch this Video. Get advice from Wendy. We know that masters aren’t made overnight, and that consistent practice is the key to success. Think of my books as a template. I show you one lesson with one subject, … Continued
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Practice Makes Progress
If you learned to ride a bike, you most likely didn’t learn it all at once. You probably learned by riding your bike over and over and over. In the beginning, you may have struggled to maintain balance and survived a few falls along the way, but after getting back on your bike again and … Continued
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Brighten the world with your creations
The next time you are finishing up a drawing, put your pencils and paintbrushes down. Admire your page, and take a few deep breaths. Inhale joy, exhale frustration. Inhale peace, exhale stress. Inhale positivity, exhale negativity. Your mind may wonder if you are accurately representing your subject, or notice areas you want to improve. … Continued
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Practice Becoming a Beginner (Again)
The wonder and amazement we feel as children stems from discovering the world for the first time. Children are remarkably inquisitive, asking what, why, and how everything works, in an attempt to gain knowledge and understanding of their world. This openness and wonder is often referred to as the “beginner’s mind.” The next time you … Continued
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Listen... with your eyes
As artists, we are all familiar with the feeling of overwhelm that arises upon first look at a subject beside the vastness of a blank page. How will we capture the innate beauty that we see before us? Before you start drawing, take a moment to observe, absorb, and process the sensory information you’re receiving … Continued
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Receiving nature's gifts and giving back
The living world provides us with so much – oxygen, beauty, nutrition, inspiration… what can we, as botanical artists, give in return? Our gift is our time, our focused attention, our love. There is a reason that advertisers vie for our attention: they know that our time is our most valuable asset. Making the conscious … Continued
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Notice subtle changes in nature as the seasons progress
Consider breaking free from the news cycle and tuning in to the subtleties of nature. Walk outside your door, and notice small changes in the environment around you. Is the grass a little greener? Duller? Did a familiar plant just start to flower? Are there new seeds or pods along the ground? When you are … Continued
