Watercolor Sketch Painting - A Walk In the Forest

“Forest Bathing”, watercolor painting, 7in x 5in

To stand amongst mature trees in the forest can feel very grounding; it reminds me of endurance, rooting, and persisting in one place for many decades. This red oak tree, along with many other trees have lived here in this forest for over 100 years.

The deeply cracked bark of this red oak tree indicates its age and acts as a suit of armor, protecting from unwanted insects and disease. The oak trees wide and expansive canopy provides wonderfully filtered sunlight below for life below and helps to cool and protect the forest floor.

Trees are invaluable to human kind for many reasons, and there are many people (Robert Frost, Henry David Thoreau, and contemporary Peter Wohlleben) who spend their lives protecting, learning from, and admiring trees and forests around the world. I once stumbled across a carved sign in a forested area of the U.S., with a beautiful poem. Although unattributed on the sign, I later looked it up to find out it was originally written in Portuguese, by Alberto de Veiga Simoes, and was displayed on the grounds of a castle in Lisbon, Portugal. (Article: National Tree Week)

“Prayer of the Woods:

I am the heat of your hearth on the cold winter nights,
the friendly shade screening you from the summer sun,
and my fruits are refreshing draughts quenching your thirst as you journey on.
I am the beam that holds your house, the board of your table,
the bed on which you lie, and the timber that builds your boat.
I am the handle of your hoe, the door of your homestead,
the wood of your cradle, and the shell of your coffin.
I am the bread of kindness and the flower of beauty.
Ye who pass by, listen to my prayer: Harm me not.”

Seeking Calm and Hope Through Nature

In these times of quarantine, we are surrounded by uncertainty and loss everyday - even if we are fortunate enough to still be employed… My entire life, I have found great comfort in connecting with nature. Research shows that being in or even just viewing images or artwork of nature can reduce stress, anxiety, anger, and contribute to your physical well-being including decreased blood-pressure or muscle tension. Before I heard and read theories related to “Forest Bathing”, the benefits of gardening, or taking care of house plants - I was doing this because it just made me feel better.

As my art making has developed over the years, the presence of nature has been consistent. Even after moving to New York City, with limited “nature”, I have sought out every opportunity to connect with and appreciate a beautiful allée of street trees, a sunrise/ sunset from the waterfront, a view of the rippling water from one of our many bridges; also the city parks, public and private gardens, and forested areas through the 5-boroughs and beyond.

In the last few months, I have found great comfort in daily walks through our local forest with my dog Stanley. As a regular practice I sometimes take photos during the walks as inspiration for future paintings. In the desire to create an almost-daily-ritual, I have been making small watercolor paintings I call “sketches”. Each sketch expresses a moment of beauty during one of those walks. The sketches are for my well-being, and also in hopes by sharing these sketches of nature with friends and others I can help brighten someone else’s day. I hope we can all find small moments of beauty everyday to help us connect to the present in a meaningful way that bring hope for a better future.

“Spring Beauty” - a flowering dogwood tree. I love the whimsical white petals as they almost glow in the late afternoon sun, and shift back-and-forth from the wind.

“Squirrel Watching” - my dog loves to stand on fallen trees to watch for squirrels.