Everywhere we walk, the world is animated by spirit. If we sit in nature, paying attention to the landscape, we notice special characteristics of trees, hills, water and sky. Erosion and weather shape the land, creating shapes and contours that appeal to those who appreciate the patterns found in nature.
I take a pencil and drawing tablet with me, though at first I leave it in my bag. My first experience in a landscape is with hands free. My bag contains a light wrap in case the weather turns, and a hat. I carry a water bottle, a drawing pad, pencils, and a tiny watercolour palette. I have everything that I need.
I walk for a while, along the track, until I come to a vista that speaks to me. I may stop in a clearing or continue along the path. Sooner or later, I step off the path and ramble a little way into the wilder places. As I grew up in Australia, I also carry a stick; sticks are useful for turning over stones, for balancing in rocky areas, and to wield at an angle to avoid overhead webs, small branches and the like. Terry Pratchett wrote an article about Australians always carrying a stick; it’s good advice.
When I reach a place that looks interesting, I find a place to sit – a rock or hummock, the side of a wall, or on a grassy verge. I sit there for a while, gently looking at the scenery, breathing the scent of the place, experiencing it with my senses. I ask what speaks to me. I listen with all my senses, free of assumptions. And I breathe with the place. Breathing in and out, first I listen, and second I try to make a connection. Simple things to do.
When I’ve sat there for a while, I start to notice things. Any animals have stopped reacting to me, and the butterflies and birds resume their activities. I’ve had long enough to notice how the place makes me feel; this is not the same as my initial, usually visual, interest in the patterns I can see. Feeling arises from connection, from allowing an experience to arise from more than sight. It is at this point that I may start to think about making a pencil sketch. If I have a camera with me, I might take a reference image or two – without moving, it’s important to say, as it’s this specific spot I’ve come to know a little. The invisible presence of the place has been made known to me.
When I sit in nature like this, often the birds get curious and they come quite close. Sometimes it feels like they are dancing in the sky to show me their ways. Quirky, I know, but that’s how it feels.
While the trees don’t move their roots, it feels like their branches dance in the breeze. One, then another, shows itself to me, almost like they are saying “hi, you there.” I look at the sky, at the colours of the light, at the shimmer of air.
The world feels alive, animated by spirit, and I bring my humble self to connect with country.
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