THE ART OF SEEING & THE NATURE JOURNAL

CLOUDS, AND SKY….TREES AND WATER…COLOURS REFLECTED, PATTERNS OF LINES AND SPACE, SWIRLS AND ANGLES, SCALES AND FINS, FEATHERS AND CLAWS…SEEING FOR THE FIRST TIME…SEEING FOR REALS. SEEING WITH TIME-TO-LOOK. TAKING TIME TO SEE…AND THEN SKETCHING JUST A BIT BEFORE PAINTING.

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“ IT IS THIS: THERE CAN BE OCCASIONS WHEN WE SUDDENLY AND INVOLUNTARILY FIND OURSELVES LOVING THE NATURAL WORLD WITH A STARTLING INTENSITY , IN A BURST OF EMOTION WHICH WE MAY NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND, AND THE ONLY WORD THAT SEEMS TO ME TO BE APPROPRIATE FOR THIS FEELING IS JOY, AND WHEN I TALK OF THE JOY WE CAN FIND IN NATURE, THIS IS WHAT I MEAN…THAT THE NATURAL WORLD CAN BRING US PEACE; THAT THE NATURAL WORLD CAN GIVE US JOY; THESE ARE THE CONFIRMATIONS OF WHAT MANY PEOPLE MAY INSTINCTIVELY FEEL BUT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ARTICULATE; THAT NATURE IS NOT AN EXTRA, A LUXURY, BUT ON THE CONTRARY IS INDISPENSABLE, PART OF OUR ESSENCE. AND NOW THAT KNOWLEDGE NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO NATURE’S DEFENCE.”

THE MOTH SNOWSTORM: NATURE AND JOY

BY MICHAEL MCCARTHY