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First and foremost her loose-pen style mixed with water colors strongly reminds me of letters my paternal grandmother used to write and send to my sister and I. As a child I thought they were "cute little drawings" she'd include in the letters, illustrating a moment she's writing about, or the weather at the time of writing, etc. But now, as an adult, I see what true artistic talent she had. She had a jovial way about her art, you couldn't help but smile when looking at it.
Anyway, Clare Leslie's book takes me right back to those feelings. Looking through her journal entries I really get a sense of sitting right next to her at her desk as she looks out her window, or observing the nighttime sky for the dark beauty it is, etc. I could only dream of creating something so pleasant both visually and emotionally to leave behind for my children and grandchildren.
With regards homeschool and applying the browsing through this book and gleaning insight in creating ones own nature journal, thsea are just a few of my favorite pages:
p. 39-- I LOVE this page. I really like that she drew all these items together in a "collage." We the readers don't actually know if these were all drawn at once or if it is a culmination of sketches done, perhaps, throughout the day. (The entry is dated with only one date.) I like this because as a homeschooling mom (and wannabe nature journaling guru, LOL) I can see this being just another idea to have on hand for perhaps a month long collection of "nature things" found. Or a family gathering of X number of items, all brought together with each person sketching them all in their own notebook. Very cool indeed.
p. 75 -- A great example of drawing quickly in the field and then returning home later to identify and draw a better rendering of the animal. (This particular page speaks about a weasel she saw while out birding. ) The initial sketch is very rough, but going home she (I assume) pulled out some field guides, referencing her rough sketch and memory, and identified it as a longtail weasel (Mustela frenata). And she drew a a more detailed weasel (complete with hashed lines for its fur covering as well as toenails and whiskers. Then she applied watercolor not only to the more detailed sketch but the rough one as well (including the landscape.) Of course, like any mindful journal-keeper would do, she included the date, time, and a quick writing for that entry.
p. 75 & 126-- Two wonderful examples of "enhanced list making" in a nature journal. Whether listing bird sightings for the day/week/month, or listing various trees in the park a few blocks away, or listing the number of bugs that are invading your garden, this loose listing just works. I love the minimal, yet effective, watercolor sketches she's added. The hand-written text tells the story but the little illustrations really take you there. Just Wonderful.
p. 94-95-- This two page spread of a timeline depicting the view from her desk window is breathtaking. Really, who doesn't have 5 minutes every week or two to just observe what is right out a window in their home? Grab a pencil or your favorite drafting pen and just set it to paper. Seeing this, realizing (for the umpteenth time?) that our drawings just do NOT have to be perfect... well, what a splended way to appreciate God's Creation. Simply simple.
p. 101-- How many of us have done some sort of "weather study" in our homeschooling science lessons? Whether we've used living books (I hope!) or text books, done a unit study, or watched learning videos, I'm sure that something in that had the student making a record of the weather for a week or a month. This page is such a "lightbulb moment" for me! The weather tracking doesn't have to be some silly pocket chart (often used in kindergarten levels) or pencil-to-paper-fill-in-the-chart worksheet. It can be a beautiful rendering of the student's visual perception of the weather. Surely most children can draw a circle for the sun or some raindrops. Give the student the "permission" to bring the weather to life in their nature journal. Quick watercolor washes truly set the text blurbs off. We're definitely going to utilize this in our homeschooling!
I have other pages in this book marked (with my favorite 1.5" post-it notes!) that really caught my eye and/or thoughts, but I just selected these few to share here. I really do love this book, even as a mother struggling with her art skills. Just seeing how loose and free and open a nature journal can be is truly inspiring!
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I also highly recommend this book. Though I'm certainly no Audubon, LOL, it was this book that gave me true inspiration & a bit of instruction to try my hand at drawing from nature a few years ago. I'm usually pleased with my sketching results, if for no other reason than the effort I put forth in my attempts. I return to it from time to time for little gems I find with each browsing. Perhaps I'll give you a view into it someday in the future. | 
Posted by dianeinjapan 
i am just starting this nature journal thingy -
love those sign pictures!
blessings, melanie <><