Bringing the Colors of Nature Into Your Mixed Media Art Journal
When you pause and really look at the colors around you — the blush of new leaves, the blue shadows under a hydrangea bush, the rusty tint of aged bark — you start to see nature as the most generous artist there is. Each season gifts us new palettes, new textures, and new ideas just waiting to find their way into our art journals.
Go on a Color Walk
Grab your favorite sketchbook or travel journal and take yourself on what I like to call a “color walk.” Instead of focusing on what things are, notice the subtle variations in hue and texture.
Neighborhood Gardens: Pay attention to color families — the lime green of hostas next to the soft lavender of lilacs. Snap a few photos or make swatches right on location with watercolor pencils.
Local Parks or Trails: Nature here is more neutral and calming — think mossy greens, soft grays, and earthy browns. Layer these tones later with torn paper, found text, or gesso for quiet, grounded journal spreads.
Farmer’s Markets or Flower Stands: Seasonal produce and bouquets are wonderful color teachers! The contrast between ripe tomatoes and sunflowers can spark a whole mixed media series.
You don’t need to go far — even your backyard holds endless inspiration once you start paying attention.
Play With Nature-Based Techniques
Here are a few easy ways to invite the outdoors directly onto your pages:
Petal Prints: Press fallen petals between sheets of watercolor paper, then mist lightly with water before running them through a journal press or under a heavy book. The gentle stains that appear make romantic, imperfect prints.
Leaf Rubbings & Collage: Collect interesting leaves, make texture rubbings with graphite or pastel, then layer them into a mixed media collage with ephemera and watercolor accents.
Natural Color Studies: Try mixing your paint palette around nature’s hues — for instance, a palette inspired by hydrangeas might include dusky mauve, deep green, and a soft cool gray to balance the vibrancy.
Let Nature Guide Your Creative Flow
In my Creative Art Village membership, we do this kind of mindful observation often — turning a quiet walk outdoors into a colorful art meditation. Members love using nature’s colors as the starting point for a mixed media spread or experimenting with found materials like seed pods and leaves on journaling pages.
If you’d like to explore these techniques together, you’re welcome to join one of my upcoming Nature-Inspired Mixed Media Mini Retreats this spring, either online or in the Littleton studio. We’ll play with natural textures, gentle color studies, and intuitive layering — a perfect way to welcome the season.
A Little Creative Challenge
This week, step outside for ten minutes with the simple goal of spotting five colors you didn’t notice before. Write them down or snap quick photos. Back in your studio, use them to inspire a new journal page — one that feels like your own slice of the outdoors.
Because when you learn to see nature’s colors with open eyes, your art — and your imagination — start to bloom in new and beautiful ways. 🌿