Welcome friends of Nature! From an early age, my parents instilled in me a deep love of nature and an insatiable curiosity. Nature exploration has opened my eyes to a world of beauty and wonder that has grown into a deep commitment to stewardship. I strive to share this love and commitment with others.
Auction of Original Artwork from the Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada
Collect original watercolor plates of the artwork that was used in the Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada and Sierra Birds. The plate currently on auction includes five species of swallows that inhabit the Sierra Nevada. Bidding is now open and will close on May 31. Go to the online auction to see the artwork and place your bid.
Bay Area Nature Sketching Group
I am going to start a series of nature sketching meet-ups in the San Francisco Bay Area. The goal is to create a community of nature sketching enthusiasts who support and inspire each other. I envision nature sketching potluck picnics and hikes, family friendly programs, combination of sketching demonstrations, nature exploration, and time to create your own work. For those who are interested we could also display our work at local venues and galleries.
If you would like to join the group and get information about meeting and events, please join my mailing list. I also need your help to me plan the logistics. If you are interested, please fill out this brief survey. It will only take three minutes and you can help shape this program. Respond to Survey.
Nature Drawing
Drawing and sketching is a way to look more carefully at nature. Time and again I discover that there is an infinite world of beauty and wonder waiting to be discovered if I can make myself slow down and observe deeply. Drawing slows you down and makes you look, again and again, until you start to truly see what is before you. Drawing is not a given gift but a skill that anyone can develop when they make nature sketching their habit. I am dedicated to helping people come into a deeper communion with nature through teaching people how to draw and sketch from their own observations. Learn more in my Nature Drawing links and blog posts.
Publications and Programs
The more that people understand and appreciate their local nature, the more will they will be to protect it. I also write and illustrate field guides to deepen people's understanding and appreciation of biodiversity. These field guides are both comprehensive and easy to use. In 2001 I began an ambitious project to create a new and fully illustrated guide to the natural history of the Sierra Nevada. After six years of research, 2,710 original watercolor illustrations and over 1,700 species, the book is complete and The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada is available either through contacting me (signed copy) or in bookstores near you (may I suggest a local independent bookstore).
I am now writing a guide to the natural history of the California coast from Monterey to Mendocino. I have completed work on a book to help people draw and sketch birds that will be available in the Fall of 2012. Until then, I have put together some online resources to help you sketch birds. Visit my nature drawing links and blog and check back frequently for updates. You may also be interested in the videos posted on my YouTube channel.
I teach nature exploration and field sketching classes throughout California (and sometimes even farther afield). You can see a listing of upcoming classes and events either in list view or calendar view.
I am now working to get copies of my Sierra guide into the hands of children in the Sierra Nevada. To this end, I have developed an education program called Following Muir's Footsteps, that engenders passionate love of nature, personal understanding of natural history and commitment to stewardship. This program gets students out in the field, learning from their own observations and using field guides and nature journals as the basis for discovering nature around them. The curriculum links to the State of California’s science, math, language, and social studies standards. Funding for this program comes through donations from private individuals or organizations and grants. Consider sponsoring a local school.
I hope to see you in the field,
