Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Creating the Illuminated Field Journal seminar was fascinating, even life changing….

Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

This post was written by Barbara Ball, 2014 Information Center & Bookstore Manager.

Hannah Hinchman’s field seminar this past weekend, Creating the Illuminated Field Journal, was a lush banquet of ideas, beautiful places, art techniques, and creativity.

Participants along upper Lee Vining Creek near Saddlebag Lake. Photo by Barbara Ball.

Activities ranged from sketching antlers, bird skulls, or vertebrae with a stick and cup of ink to creating an event map—exploring an area and drawing/painting what you encounter with commentary—to suggestions on how to format a page of your journal or use watercolors, to traveling to amazing Mono Basin destinations to explore and create.

Hannah Hinchman teaching an initial lesson in the Creating the Illuminated Field Journal seminar. Photo by Barbara Ball.

This was an informative weekend that was relevant to and enjoyed by experienced artists as well as those of us who haven’t received art accolades since junior high school. I feel changed by the experience, inspired to create more art, glad to have met other participants, and grateful to the Mono Lake Committee for offering these field seminar opportunities.

An event map. Photo by Barbara Ball.

Maybe we’ll see you at a future field seminar? Keep your eyes open next January for 2015’s listings, and if you’re a member, sign up starting in February—seminars fill up quickly!