Trips
Training
Field Arts Workshops
Join Us for Field Arts and Overlanding Events
Events
First Exploration Quarterly Subscribers Field Camp
Save the date! First Exploration Quarterly Subscribers Field Camp – Arizona, USA – April 5–8, 2025 at the beautiful and private Aravaipa Canyon Ranch. This event is open only to subscribers of Exploration Quarterly. Registration will open in October 2024. You can also email Roseann to be put on the Interest List for first notification. Space will be limited.
EQ writers and photographers panels (Q&A)
Enjoy quality time with other explorers around campfires and cocktail hours; have fun with scheduled cook-offs and camp “home tours”
View and test gear up-close with Sponsors
Mini skills clinics every day: overlanding, field arts, victualling, equipment setup and use—the topics are nearly endless.
Custom Training Weekends
Exploring Overland offers custom training weekends (or weekdays)—with no more than six people per session. In 2023 opportunities will be made available as enquiries are made. You pick the modules you are interested in, and the number of days of training desired. Modules include:
Basic off-pavement driving skills (how four-wheel-drive systems work; how to read terrain; optimizing gearing and traction in all conditions)Vehicle preparation, maintenance, and safety for extended overland travel;
Elements of recovery: use of sand mats; Hi-Lift jack use; assisted recovery (using a second vehicle) ;
Basic winching (for someone with no or very little hands-on winching experience);
Advanced winching (double- and triple-line pulls; redirected pulls);
Advanced driving skills (soft terrain; off-camber situations; failed hill climbs; steep descents);
Other requests
Dates ranges where trainings are available are:
March 1, 2024 through May 12, 2024 (with more dates possible later in the year; also locations in interior Alaska during summer).
Meals are not included.
Training is in remove locations suitable to the student/s needs. Camping overnight is preferred. If returning to Tucson each night is necessary, there will be a $45 surcharge per trip.
The cost is $400 per day per person for totally custom training, and you can choose any number of days (we will consult with you based on your curriculum desires if it’s enough time).
For a couple, who travel together and are learning together, we would offer a 25% discount on the training fee (not including the food).
If you are interested, please send us an email and we’ll take it from there!
![Around the World in 80 Animals No. 9 – Oceania [FREE WORKSHOP]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5395fbd3e4b003747ed3b60a/f4504d62-e02f-4cab-9cb2-4a2ed006af70/Sarcophilus_harrisii_taranna.jpg)
Around the World in 80 Animals No. 9 – Oceania [FREE WORKSHOP]
You can find all recorded sessions for past “Around the World” workshops here: https://www.exploringoverland.com/academy#aroundworldseries
Based on my series Around the World in 80 Trees (in which we spent a year traveling around the globe by region and sketching interesting, weird, iconic, or beautiful trees and tree-like plants), this is a new series based on animals—we’ll travel the world and learn as much natural history as we can, plus master the art of quickly sketching birds, mammals, monotremes, and more!
No. 9: Oceania
What you’ll need: a multi-media sketchbook or an accordion booklet to sketch each animal, pen and / or pencil for our base drawings, and then watercolor or colored pencil to quickly bring them to life. A map of Oceania to sketch. Longtime “Around the World” series attendee Dorothea suggested this one (just be sure to acknowledge the source on your sketch): Simple Outline Oceania Map
TIP: I used a strip of heavy watercolor paper folded into four squares to create an “accordion” booklet to record my trees (8 total, 4 on each side). Hint: for animals go with larger squares, at least 4-5 inches.
When: Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 8 am Tucson, Arizona time (use a time converter to make sure you pick the right time for your time zone: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html )
HOW: Zoom link. This session is free but for security, registration is required. Sign up > > HERE >>
Recorded: Yes, I’ll record and post here: You can find all recorded sessions for past “Around the World” workshops here: https://www.exploringoverland.com/academy#aroundworldseries
Art of Exploration Gathering – London
Alex Boon — The Route Through the Famous Undercliffs — strip map in the style of John Ogilby (2024)
Join me and dozens of other artists-explorers-geographers October 30 from 7–9 pm at the Royal Geographical Society in London for a dynamic and interactive evening celebrating the intersection of art and geography, where creativity meets exploration. This special event will showcase how artists from around the world are using their craft to delve into and communicate the beauty and complexity of our planet.
As you explore the historic rooms of the Society, you’ll encounter themed displays and short presentations by artist-geographers who are pushing the boundaries of how we perceive and understand geography through art. Marvel at gallery exhibits featuring maps and polar art that blend scientific precision with artistic expression, and enjoy the opportunity to engage directly with the artists who created them.
The evening will also feature the RGS Art of Exploration Collective, a growing group of artists dedicated to exploring nature and advocating for conservation through their work. These artists, along with other invited creators, will be on hand to share their latest projects, including the outcomes of the GeoARTBlitz in July. This global initiative brought together citizen science-artists to record the natural world in diverse forms, paintings, sketches, words, sounds, and images, all of which have been documented on the iNaturalist app.
As you immerse yourself in this vibrant blend of art and geography, take advantage of the bar in the Map Room to enjoy refreshments and network with like-minded individuals.
Whether you’re an artist, a geographer, or simply someone who appreciates the power of art to inspire change, this evening promises to be a unique and enriching experience. Don’t miss the chance to connect with others who are passionate about using art to explore, understand, and conserve our natural world.
Details
30 October 2024, 7.00pm-9.00pm
Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AR
In-person, Member £10.00, Non-member £12.00
Booking information
Book in advance > HERE <.
Advance booking for this event is required. If you have any questions or require assistance with your booking, please email events@rgs.org
Field Journals and Sketching in Nature Workshop – London
Keeping a field notebook, also known as a nature journal, can both deepen our connections to the natural world and help us learn more about it. Neither science education nor art training is needed and this workshop will help you to develop the skills of a naturalist and a field sketch-artist.
This workshop will introduce the tools and processes of keeping a nature journal with facilitators Roseann Hanson, Alex Boon, Kirsten Carlson, and Ali Foxon.
The workshop will focus on the importance of field notes, the cognitive value of visual learning, and the social value of sharing.
The workshop will include:
The nuts and bolts of journal-keeping (metadata, archival systems, how to make entries that you can refer to later, prompts to jump-start observations, and tips on researching science questions sparked by your observations).
Easy tips that enable anyone to get started sketching.
Art in a nature journal is not only lovely to see, but an important component of your skillset because the very act of drawing and painting something from life involves incredibly intense observation. Your brain is wholly occupied by only that thing you are observing and drawing—it is a kind of meditation that results in new insights, deeper understanding, and discoveries.
Four skills sessions, one with each of the facilitators, each of whom is an experienced field sketching and art teacher who is passionate about sharing the benefits and joys of sketching in nature.
A copy of the booklet How to Start a Nature Journal; notebook; pencil; kneadable eraser; ruler; and a few other fun journaling resources.
Details
30 October 2024, 1.00pm-5.00pm
Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AR
In-person, Member £48.00, Non-member £55.00
Booking information
Book in advance > HERE <.
Advance booking for this event is required. If you have any questions or require assistance with your booking, please email events@rgs.org
New Mexico Field Arts Bootcamp
Join us in New Mexico’s legendary Georgia O’Keefe country, at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu for four days and three nights of pure immersion in field arts: nature journaling, field sketching and watercolor, animal tracking, birdwatching, reading the weather, using field optics, found pigments and inks, and much more.
Imagine the luxury of doing nothing but exploring wild nature and journaling in a cohort of like-minded fellow journalers . . . and with customized one-on-one feedback and skills-specific tutoring throughout the whole experience.
The Field Arts Boot Camp is suitable for beginners to advanced journalers, as your Boot Camp experience is tailored to your appropriate level. Nurturing, inquisitive, and expansive.
No excuses. Just pure nature journaling growth and mindset.
What’s included:
One-on-one attention in areas in which you would like to improve;
Skills-specific mini-tutorials in field arts such as sketching, watercolor, nature writing, animal tracking, reading the weather, and using optics;
Accommodations in at the legendary Ghost Ranch in the remote and private Casa del Sol lodge, with four different pricing options (noted below);
Shuttle from Albuquerque, NM, to and from the ranch, departing at 8:00 am October 20 (Sunday)—we will have suggested lodging options in Albuquerque near the airport;
Wine, beer, and other beverages and snacks happy hour each evening;
All meals from lunch on Sunday through lunch on Wednesday;
Use of Swarovski Optics binoculars throughout the Bootcamp.
For details please visit the Field Arts Bootcamp page >HERE<
![Around the World in 80 Animals No. 8 – Asia, Part 2 [FREE WORKSHOP]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5395fbd3e4b003747ed3b60a/1727388398759-TCDHM739E6R96WO09CHZ/Dhole_in_its_habitat_%28cropped%29+By+Rohitvarma+-+%5B1%5D%2C+CC+BY-SA+4.0.jpg)
Around the World in 80 Animals No. 8 – Asia, Part 2 [FREE WORKSHOP]
By Rohitvarma (CC BY-SA 4.0)
By A.S.Kono(CC BY-SA 3.0)
You can find all recorded sessions for past “Around the World” workshops here: https://www.exploringoverland.com/academy#aroundworldseries
Based on my series Around the World in 80 Trees (in which we spent a year traveling around the globe by region and sketching interesting, weird, iconic, or beautiful trees and tree-like plants), this is a new series based on animals—we’ll travel the world and learn as much natural history as we can, plus master the art of quickly sketching birds, mammals, monotremes, and more!
No. 8: Asia, Part 2
What you’ll need: a multi-media sketchbook or an accordion booklet to sketch each animal, pen and / or pencil for our base drawings, and then watercolor or colored pencil to quickly bring them to life. A map of central - Southern - Eastern Asia
TIP: I used a strip of heavy watercolor paper folded into four squares to create an “accordion” booklet to record my trees (8 total, 4 on each side). Hint: for animals go with larger squares, at least 4-5 inches.
When: Saturday, October 12, 2024 at 8 am Tucson, Arizona time (use a time converter to make sure you pick the right time for your time zone: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html )
HOW: Zoom link. This session is free but for security, registration is required. Sign up > > HERE >>
Recorded: Yes, I’ll record and post here: You can find all recorded sessions for past “Around the World” workshops here: https://www.exploringoverland.com/academy#aroundworldseries
Global GeoARTBlitz 2024
Join us from wherever you are in the world for a free global citizen art-science blitz July 21–28, 2024.
The Global GeoARTBlitz is a geography+art version of a bioblitz, which are regional or global events that encourage people to observe nature in a specific geography and upload their species observations to iNaturalist.
It will be fun: any time between July 21 to 28, 2024 go out in the field wherever you are and create a journal page, painting, poem, or music (any art) in response to your nature observations. Be sure to accurately record metadata: longitude, latitude, time, date, elevation, even weather.
You then upload your work to iNaturalist (more on that below). Our work will then will be mapped on clickable entries. If you create song or spoken-word art, record as a video to share, or contact the organizer for ways we can link to sound files. If you create visual art, poems or other written works, take a photo to share.
The Global GeoARTBlitz is hosted by the Royal Geographical Society Art of Exploration Collective, a group of artists who explore nature and communicate conservation through art. The Collective is ever growing, and includes Alex Boon (UK), Anna Brewster (UK) Kirsten Carlson (Germany), Ali Foxon (UK), Rob and Harriet Fraser (UK), Tony Foster (UK), Tom Napper (UK) and Roseann Hanson (USA).
The results of the Global GeoARTBlitz will be shared with participants in the Royal Geographical Society's Explore Week, which we encourage you to attend if you can - October 28 - November 3. Find out more at https://www.rgs.org/events
How you take part:
1) Download the iNaturalist app from your app store, create an account, and join the project there (if you want to use your phone to participate). If you use the app, click Projects at the lower right, and use the Search function to find “Global GeoARTBlitz 2024.
2) You can also create an iNaturalist account via a web browser https://www.inaturalist.org/ and participate by uploading using your computer.
Go to the GeoARTBlitz project page and join the group so your uploads will be seen in the GeoARTBlitz: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/global-geoartblitz-2024
4) Make your field sketches, poetry, song or other art and upload to the GeoARTBlitz Project any time between July 21 and 28, 2024.
Questions? Contact Roseann Hanson, the organizer of the Global GeoARTBlitz.
If you are in the UK, let us know, as there are several Art of Exploration Collective members hosting regional GeoARTBlitz events or other geogrpahy-art events during the same week; in particular if you are near Devon, check out Anna Brewster and Alex Boon’s River Coly Project which extends through the summer and into the autumn. Here’s their GeoARTBlitz event:
Sunday 21st July, 10am-12noon - Coly River sketching group walk upriver, meeting at Chantry Bridge, Colyton, Devon (the old stone bridge near the garden centre) This is a free nature/art session with Anna and Alex and you can do whatever creative thing suits you best, it doesn’t have to be sketching. The walk is flat on fairly even terrain. Children are welcome under parental supervision but please leave dogs behind for this one. No need to book; just turn up! If it’s raining we can do something in the studio instead.
Thank you for joining us in celebrating the art of field observations and recording nature through art.
![Around the World in 80 Animals No. 7 – Middle East and Asia, Part 1 [FREE WORKSHOP]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5395fbd3e4b003747ed3b60a/1719927585946-2JDY0EG5B1QC122XDU0O/PikiWiki_Israel_38769_Male_Ibex+By+Netzach+Farbiash%2C+Ph.D+Pikiwiki+Israel%2C+CC+BY+2.5.jpg)
Around the World in 80 Animals No. 7 – Middle East and Asia, Part 1 [FREE WORKSHOP]
By Netzach Farbiash, Ph.D Pikiwiki Israel, CC BY 2.5
You can find all recorded sessions for past “Around the World” workshops here: https://www.exploringoverland.com/academy#aroundworldseries
Based on my series Around the World in 80 Trees (in which we spent a year traveling around the globe by region and sketching interesting, weird, iconic, or beautiful trees and tree-like plants), this is a new series based on animals—we’ll travel the world and learn as much natural history as we can, plus master the art of quickly sketching birds, mammals, monotremes, and more!
No. 7: Middle East and W. Asia, Part 1
What you’ll need: a multi-media sketchbook or an accordion booklet to sketch each animal, pen and / or pencil for our base drawings, and then watercolor or colored pencil to quickly bring them to life.
TIP: I used a strip of heavy watercolor paper folded into four squares to create an “accordion” booklet to record my trees (8 total, 4 on each side). Hint: for animals go with larger squares, at least 4-5 inches.
When: Saturday, July 20, 2024 at 9 am Tucson, Arizona time (use a time converter to make sure you pick the right time for your time zone: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html )
HOW: Zoom link. This session is free but for security, registration is required. Sign up > > HERE >>
Recorded: Yes, I’ll record and post here: You can find all recorded sessions for past “Around the World” workshops here: https://www.exploringoverland.com/academy#aroundworldseries
Around the World in 80 Animals No. 6 – Europe [FREE WORKSHOP]
Arturo de Frias Marques image of Iberian Wolf. (Creative Commons License)
You can find all recorded sessions for past “Around the World” workshops here: https://www.exploringoverland.com/academy#aroundworldseries
Based on my series Around the World in 80 Trees (in which we spent a year traveling around the globe by region and sketching interesting, weird, iconic, or beautiful trees and tree-like plants), this is a new series based on animals—we’ll travel the world and learn as much natural history as we can, plus master the art of quickly sketching birds, mammals, monotremes, and more!
No. 6: Europe
What you’ll need: a multi-media sketchbook or an accordion booklet to sketch each animal, pen and / or pencil for our base drawings, and then watercolor or colored pencil to quickly bring them to life.
TIP: I used a strip of heavy watercolor paper folded into four squares to create an “accordion” booklet to record my trees (8 total, 4 on each side). Hint: for animals go with larger squares, at least 4-5 inches.
When: Saturday, June 15, 2024 at 9 am Tucson, Arizona time (use a time converter to make sure you pick the right time for your time zone: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html )
HOW: Zoom link. This session is free but for security, registration is required. Sign up > > HERE >>
Recorded: Yes, I’ll record and post here: You can find all recorded sessions for past “Around the World” workshops here: https://www.exploringoverland.com/academy#aroundworldseries
Online Class - Drawing to Learn - June 2024
We can all draw.
None of us is born “talented” or “not talented.” It is a skill that we learn.
And here’s an interesting fact: our brains love to learn, so much so that the more you push your brain to learn a new skill, the more neural pathways develop. So you get better not only at what you are learning, but at many other mental skills. You get smarter!
I like to say that learning a skill such as drawing is like learning a language. You are not born knowing how to talk. You learn it.
This course is going to teach you the words and grammar you need for the language of drawing, and we are going to use a technique that is proven to work:
We will DRAW TO LEARN, not learn to draw!
This two-day, five-part course Drawing to Lear with Roseann Hanson includes:
Lesson 1 - Study Your Subject
Learn how to intensely observe a subject in order to collect the “words” you need for your drawing language.
Lesson 2 - Make Marks
Practice those new words by making marks that represent your subject—this is a critical building block in unleashing the power of your drawing language.
Lesson 3 - Find Shapes
This exercise is critical for beginning to learn the “grammar” of your subject in order to get the context right.
Lesson 4 - Create Your Study Sketch
You will learn how to get proportions right—proportion is like the advanced grammar in this langauge of drawing;
You will learn to dip into your Marks to add characteristics to your subject, and check the shapes.
Lesson 5 - Dive into Details
Our final lesson brings us back to the study notes in Step 1, coming full circle to finish up our process of Drawing to Learn.
Live, online course: $75
two days:
June 1 AND june 8, 2024
9 AM – 12 pM ARIZONA TIME
Wild Pigments Class – In-person, Arizona
Join me in central Arizona for Wild Colors of the Verde River: Learn to create paint and ink from wild pigments and plants, hosted by the Natural History Institute in Prescott.
You will learn how to find the right soil and plants, how to easily process them into paints and/or ink, safety tips, and more. Arizona’s Central Highlands are famous for their red soils, and we’ll work from pigments you gather, or that we provide from local foraging expeditions, we’ll do ahead of time to ensure we have enough material for everyone. We’ll also explore plants along the Verde River, and learn how to create botanical inks. For the last hour of workshop, we’ll create sketches of the landscape, plants, and wildlife of the Upper Verde using our new paint and ink—truly place-based art. Participants will take home sample paints and inks. Bring your own lunch and sketchbook, and don’t forget your binoculars.
Details:
Cost: $75 (van transportation Included)
Time: Depart from Prescott, AZ, at the Natural History Institute at 8:00am and return 5:00pm
Difficulty: Easy (0.5 - 1 mile of walking) We will be stationed at the Rio Verde Ranch, which is a short 1/4-mile walk from the van parking. The day will be spent in one location, with options to explore the Verde River and forage for pigment materials.
Food and Water: Bring your own lunch, water, and snacks for a full-day excursion.
Art of Exploration – Talk in Prescott, Arizona
Join me for a talk on my favorite subject: the Art of Exploration. I will share the history of human exploration and curiosity expressed in field sketching and journaling, from the stone age to today, and why it’s still an essential activity. In this age of digital dominance in our communications, I will build a case as to why we cannot lose the analog activity of observation, drawing, and writing (by hand!) about the natural world is the key to connecting more people to science and nature conservation, as well as a path to personal well-being.
Around the World in 80 Animals No. 5 – Africa, Part 2 [FREE WORKSHOP]
You can find all recorded sessions for past “Around the World” workshops here: https://www.exploringoverland.com/academy#aroundworldseries
Based on my series Around the World in 80 Trees (in which we spent a year traveling around the globe by region and sketching interesting, weird, iconic, or beautiful trees and tree-like plants), this is a new series based on animals—we’ll travel the world and learn as much natural history as we can, plus master the art of quickly sketching birds, mammals, monotremes, and more!
No. 5: Africa, Part 2
What you’ll need: a multi-media sketchbook or an accordion booklet to sketch each animal, pen and / or pencil for our base drawings, and then watercolor or colored pencil to quickly bring them to life.
TIP: I used a strip of heavy watercolor paper folded into four squares to create an “accordion” booklet to record my trees (8 total, 4 on each side). Hint: for animals go with larger squares, at least 4-5 inches.
When: Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 9 am Tucson, Arizona time (use a time converter to make sure you pick the right time for your time zone: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html )
HOW: Zoom link. This session is free but for security, registration is required. Sign up > > HERE >>
Recorded: Yes, I’ll record and post here: You can find all recorded sessions for past “Around the World” workshops here: https://www.exploringoverland.com/academy#aroundworldseries
Introduction to Nature Journaling
Introduction to Nature Journaling at the Texas Canyon Nature Preserve, Arizona, at the Amerind Foundation with Instructor Roseann Hanson
Saturday, April 20, 2024
9:00 am – 3:30 pm
$75 non-members (link below to register)
$70 Members (please call to register)
Day long workshop Includes:
Lunch
a copy of the workbook, Nature Journaling for a Wild Life-a $35 value, free passes to the Amerind
Keeping a nature journal can both deepen our connections to the natural world and help us learn more about it. Neither science education nor art training is needed—we will develop the skills of a naturalist and a field sketch-artist along the way.
This workshop will introduce the tools and processes of keeping a nature journal with instructor Roseann Hanson, author of Nature Journaling for a Wild Life, Master of Field Arts, and the Southern Arizona Nature Almanac.
We will learn how to practice “intentional curiosity” as the core of nature journaling: to ask questions, to dig deeper into science, to focus our minds both intently and intentionally. The workshop will include:
• The nuts-and-bolts of journal-keeping (paper and ink types, archival systems, how to make entries that you can refer to later, laying out pages, prompts to jump-start observations, and tips on researching science questions sparked by your observations).
• Easy tips that enable anyone to get started sketching and painting. Roseann will help free you from your inner critic and start sketching and painting. Art in a nature journal is not only lovely to see, but an important component of your skillset because the very act of drawing and painting something from life involves incredibly intense observation. Your brain is wholly occupied by only that thing you are observing and drawing—it is a kind of meditation that results in new insights, deeper understanding, and discoveries.
• A short classroom session and, weather permitting, we will spend most of the time exploring the grounds and trails around Amerind and practicing our journaling skills. (Please wear suitable footwear and outdoor clothing.)
• A copy of the workbook, Nature Journaling for a Wild Life, which includes blank journal pages — a $35 value. All you need is a pen or pencil and your curiosity about nature.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
Space is limited, please register early!
Members please call Maggie Ohnesorgen at 520-686-1336 or mohnesorgen@amerind.org to register/reserve your spot.
Non-members may also call or register at Eventbrite: https://bit.ly/amerindnaturejournaling04202024
___________________________
About the instructor: Roseann Hanson is a naturalist, artist, and explorer who has been keeping science-based nature and field notes journals for 40 years. She is one of the organizers of the Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference, and is the author of the popular books Nature Journaling for a Wild Life, and Master of Field Arts. She studied journalism and ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona, and has worked in the American Southwest, Mexico, and East Africa as a conservationist, naturalist, and writer. She has authored a dozen natural history and outdoor books, including the Southern Arizona Nature Almanac with her husband Jonathan Hanson, and San Pedro River: A Discovery Guide, both of which include her nature journal data and art. She was the coordinator for the trans-disciplinary Art & Science Program at the 115-year-old Desert Laboratory on Tumamoc Hill, part of the University of Arizona College of Science. She teaches nature writing, nature journaling, and field notes for biologists. She was named a Fellow of both the Explorers Club in the U.S. and the Royal Geographical Society for her conservation and expedition work. You can find her on social media at https://www.facebook.com/roseannhansonexplore or https://www.instagram.com/roseannhanson and on the Hansons’ website: http://www.exploringoverland.com/fieldarts
Sonoran Desert Field Arts Bootcamp – April 2024
Southern Arizona in spring is magical—and southern Arizona in spring at a private ranch alongside a perennial river and a mythical wilderness is the best ever—and a rare opportunity not to be missed.
This Bootcamp, one of our most popular, will be four days of pure immersion in field arts: nature journaling, field sketching and watercolor, animal tracking, birdwatching, reading the weather, using field optics, found pigments and inks, and much more.
The setting is a private ranch along Aravaipa Creek about 90 minutes north of Tucson, Arizona. These are ancestral lands of the Apache people, who used the fertile riverside valley for seasonal crops.
Your accommodations are comfortable but not high luxury—think 1970s big ranch house set in a grassy meadow, with a burbling creek running alongside; meals will be included.
A camping option is available if you have your own vehicle and camp setup; there is a modern bathroom for campers.
We’ll be able to host up to 21 participants because of the camping option, and there will be two instructors—Roseann & Jonathan Hanson, and another naturalist (TBD).
Four-wheel-drive is not needed to get into the site (the main road in is graded dirt), but there is a river crossing that is usually fine. We can’t accommodate Class-A motorhomes, but possibly smaller Class-B, and definitely vans and trucks pulling small trailers. Please contact us first if you have a vehicle larger than these described.
Imagine the luxury of doing nothing but exploring wild nature and journaling in a cohort of like-minded fellow journalers . . . and with customized one-on-one feedback and skills-specific tutoring throughout the whole experience.
The Field Arts Boot Camp is suitable for beginners to advanced journalers, as your Boot Camp experience is tailored to your appropriate level. Nurturing, inquisitive, and expansive.
No excuses. Just pure nature journaling growth and mindset.
For a recap with photos and journal images of the 2023 Sonoran Desert Field Arts Bootcamps, see HERE.
Priced per person from $695 – April 12–15, 2024, this will fill quickly!
Around the World in 80 Animals No. 4 – Africa, Part 1 [FREE WORKSHOP]
You can find all recorded sessions for past “Around the World” workshops here: https://www.exploringoverland.com/academy#aroundworldseries
Based on my series Around the World in 80 Trees (in which we spent a year traveling around the globe by region and sketching interesting, weird, iconic, or beautiful trees and tree-like plants), this is a new series based on animals—we’ll travel the world and learn as much natural history as we can, plus master the art of quickly sketching birds, mammals, monotremes, and more!
No. 4: Africa, Part 1
What you’ll need: a multi-media sketchbook or an accordion booklet to sketch each animal, pen and / or pencil for our base drawings, and then watercolor or colored pencil to quickly bring them to life.
TIP: I used a strip of heavy watercolor paper folded into four squares to create an “accordion” booklet to record my trees (8 total, 4 on each side). Hint: for animals go with larger squares, at least 4-5 inches.
When: Saturday, March 30, 2024 at 9 am Tucson, Arizona time (use a time converter to make sure you pick the right time for your time zone: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html )
HOW: Zoom link. This session is free but for security, registration is required. Sign up > > HERE >>
Recorded: Yes, I’ll record and post here: You can find all recorded sessions for past “Around the World” workshops here: https://www.exploringoverland.com/academy#aroundworldseries
The Art of Exploration: Writing Workshop in the Sonoran Desert
Announcing our new Art of Exploration Series of workshops for adventurers, overlanders, and travelers who love to explore the world—near and far—and record their experiences and observations through words, photographs, and / or art.
February 26 – 29, 2024 join Jonathan and Roseann Hanson for our new Writing Workshop in the beautiful Sonoran Desert north of Tucson, Arizona.
This unique workshop is for anyone who wants to improve their writing—non-fiction travel and adventure, long or short-form fiction, journaling, technical, or scientific—with two experienced authors and editors with over 40 years of experience in those fields.
The workshop will include:
Daily instruction in specific writing skills as well as hints and tips for the business of writing for those who want to go freelance;
Daily writing assignments focused on building skills and creating fluency in new forms of writing—even if you are a science writer you will benefit from pushing your “artistic” writing, or if you are a creative writer you will likewise benefit from stretching your science or technical skills;
Daily feedback from the instructors;
Sharing work with others.
Accommodation (ranch house or camping) and meals from lunch on the 26th through lunch on the 29th)
WHERE:
The setting is a private ranch along Aravaipa Creek about 90 minutes north of Tucson, Arizona. These are ancestral lands of the Apache people, who used the fertile riverside valley for seasonal crops.
The Hansons wrote their way across the Australian outback in 2017 and 2018.
Your accommodations are comfortable but not high luxury—think 1970s big ranch house set in a grassy meadow, with a burbling creek running alongside; meals will be included. There are three private room options; the rest are shared, up to three people (these rooms have 3-5 beds in them). There are two bathrooms shared by all participants in the ranch house.
There will be a camping option if you have your own vehicle and camp setup (limited to 6 vehicles); there is a separate bathroom for campers.
We’ll be able to host up to 21 participants because of the camping option.
COST:
$995 per person, shared room
$695 per person, camping
$175 private room supplemental cost (only 3 available)
Around the World in 80 Animals No. 3 – South America [FREE]
Oleksandr (Alex) Zakletsky, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
My original series Around the World in 80 Trees was inspired by Jonathan Drori’s wonderful books Around the World in 80 Trees and Around the World Plants. We spent a year traveling around the globe by region and sketching interesting, weird, iconic, or beautiful trees and tree-like plants.
View all the past 80 Trees and 80 Animals workshops at:
https://www.exploringoverland.com/field-arts-tutorials#virtualfield
Based on my series Around the World in 80 Trees (in which we spent a year traveling around the globe by region and sketching interesting, weird, iconic, or beautiful trees and tree-like plants), this is a new series based on animals—we’ll travel the world and learn as much natural history as we can, plus master the art of quickly sketching birds, mammals, monotremes, and more!
No. 3: South America
What you’ll need: a multi-media sketchbook or an accordion booklet to sketch each animal (see the versions I did for the other sessions, links below), pen and / or pencil for our base drawings, and then watercolor or colored pencil to quickly bring them to life.
TIP: I used a strip of heavy watercolor paper folded into four squares to create an “accordion” booklet to record my trees (8 total, 4 on each side). Hint: for animals go with larger squares, at least 4-5 inches.
When: Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 10:30 am Tucson, Arizona time (use a time converter to make sure you pick the right time for your time zone: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html )
HOW: Zoom link. This session is free but for security, registration is required. Sign up >> HERE >> https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpcu6orT8oGNIZum-J8EM3GfyPhUNrdRBv
Around the World in 80 Animals No. 2 – North America part two [FREE]
My original series Around the World in 80 Trees was inspired by Jonathan Drori’s wonderful books Around the World in 80 Trees and Around the World Plants. We spent a year traveling around the globe by region and sketching interesting, weird, iconic, or beautiful trees and tree-like plants.
View all the past 80 Trees workshops at:
https://www.exploringoverland.com/field-arts-tutorials#virtualfield
Based on my series Around the World in 80 Trees (in which we spent a year traveling around the globe by region and sketching interesting, weird, iconic, or beautiful trees and tree-like plants), this is a new series based on animals—we’ll travel the world and learn as much natural history as we can, plus master the art of quickly sketching birds, mammals, monotremes, and more!
No. 2: North America part 12– Continental US and Mexico
What you’ll need: a multi-media sketchbook or an accordion booklet to sketch each animal (see the versions I did for the other sessions, links below), pen and / or pencil for our base drawings, and then watercolor or colored pencil to quickly bring them to life.
TIP: I used a strip of heavy watercolor paper folded into four squares to create an “accordion” booklet to record my trees (8 total, 4 on each side). Hint: for animals go with larger squares, at least 4-5 inches.
When: Saturday, January 13, 2024 at 10:30 am Tucson, Arizona time (use a time converter to make sure you pick the right time for your time zone: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html )
HOW: Zoom link. This session is free but for security, registration is required. Sign up > > HERE <.
Around the World in 80 Animals No. 1 – North America part one [FREE]
My original series Around the World in 80 Trees was inspired by Jonathan Drori’s wonderful books Around the World in 80 Trees and Around the World Plants. We spent a year traveling around the globe by region and sketching interesting, weird, iconic, or beautiful trees and tree-like plants.
View all the past 80 Trees workshops at:
https://www.exploringoverland.com/field-arts-tutorials#virtualfield
Based on my series Around the World in 80 Trees (in which we spent a year traveling around the globe by region and sketching interesting, weird, iconic, or beautiful trees and tree-like plants), this is a new series based on animals—we’ll travel the world and learn as much natural history as we can, plus master the art of quickly sketching birds, mammals, monotremes, and more!
No. 1: North America part 1 – Alaska and Canada
What you’ll need: a multi-media sketchbook or an accordion booklet to sketch each animal (see the versions I did for the other sessions, links below), pen and / or pencil for our base drawings, and then watercolor or colored pencil to quickly bring them to life.
TIP: I used a strip of heavy watercolor paper folded into four squares to create an “accordion” booklet to record my trees (8 total, 4 on each side).
When: Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 9:30 am Tucson, Arizona time (use a time converter to make sure you pick the right time for your time zone: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html )
HOW: Zoom link. This session is free but for security, registration is required. Sign up > > HERE <.
The Art of Exploration — In-Person and Online Panel Discussion – London
Join us in person or online for a panel of environmental scientists, conservationists, explorers, and journalers as they discuss how exploring, studying and drawing what they observe deepens their connections to, and inspires conservation of, the natural world.
A practical field journal and sketching workshop can be booked separately for early afternoon. (Information >>HERE<<)
Panellists: Rob Fraser, Roseann Hanson, Ali Foxon, Alex Boon, and Tony Foster.
Part of the Explore festival. 1 November 2023
6.30pm - 7.45pm. In person: £12, £10 RGS-IBG members. Online: £6, RGS-IBG members £5.
Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), 1 Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AR
Field Journals and Sketching in Nature—London workshop at RGS
Join me in London for an afternoon and evening of field journaling at the Royal Geographical Society, part of their Explore Festival!
Field notebooks are a time-honored tradition of explorers and naturalists for hundreds of years. Charles Darwin, Lewis and Clark, Mary Anning, and Beatrix Potter all kept careful notes of their observations and journeys.
Keeping a field notebook—also known as a nature journal—can both deepen our connections to the natural world and help us learn more about it. And you don’t have to a trained scientist or artist to keep a journal. This afternoon workshop will start you on the path to developing the skills of a naturalist and a field sketch-artist and a lifelong journey of discovery and exploration.
You will learn the tools and processes of keeping a nature journal with instructor Roseann Hanson, a Fellow of the Society and author of Nature Journaling for a Wild Life and Master of Field Arts. The workshop will focus on the importance of field notes, the cognitive value of visual learning, and the social and ecological value of sharing our discoveries.
The workshop will include:
The nuts and bolts of journal-keeping (paper and ink types, archival systems, how to make entries that you can refer to later, laying out pages, prompts to jump-start observations, and tips on researching science questions sparked by your observations).
Easy tips that enable anyone to get started sketching and painting.
Roseann will help free you from your inner critic and start sketching and painting. Art in a nature journal is not only lovely to see, but an important component of your skillset because the very act of drawing and painting something from life involves incredibly intense observation. Your brain is wholly occupied by only that thing you are observing and drawing—it is a kind of meditation that results in new insights, deeper understanding, and discoveries.
A short classroom session and, weather permitting, the rest of the session will be held in Hyde Park (please wear suitable footwear and outdoor clothing.)
A copy of the workbook, Nature Journaling for a Wild Life, which includes blank journal pages, special field tools and a basic field sketching set (pen, pencil, eraser, ruler).
WHEN: 1 November 2023
2.00pm - 5.00pm
WHERE: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), 1 Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AR
COST: . £48 (includes handbook)
After the workshop, join us at the RGS for The Art of Exploration, a panel of environmental scientists, conservationists, explorers, and journalers as they discuss how exploring, studying and drawing what they observe deepens their connections to, and inspires conservation of, the natural world. See details >HERE<.
Wild Colors in South Devon (UK) — In-person workshop
Let's play in the dirt—and more! Learn to create paint and ink from soil and plants in a 5-hour workshop at The Nature Journaling Centre in beautiful East Devon in the village of Colyton. The centre is housed in Umborne Bridge Studio.
You will learn how to find the right soil and plants, how to easily process them into paints and / or ink, safety tips, and more. Devon is famous for its red soils, and we’ll work from pigments you gather or that we provide from local foraging expeditions we’ll do ahead of time, to ensure we have enough material for everyone.
Instructors: Alex Boon and Roseann Hanson.
WHEN: Saturday, October 28 from 10 am to 4 pm (bring a lunch)
COST:
- £75 including soil and plant materials from which we’ll make paint and ink; equipment for processing; containers so that you can take home sample soil paints and inks from the workshop, plus Master of Field Arts, Roseann Hanson’s field arts guide that includes chapters on making ink from natural materials and painting with soil pigments (as well as chapters on cartography, animal tracking, meteorology, and much more). BONUS: Includes access to a private online community of field arts enthusiasts just like you. On this forum you can share your future experiments, ask questions and receive timely answers from your instructors and other wild color enthusiasts. (Field Arts Community Forum)
Bring a lunch. Tea and water provided.
WHERE: The Nature Journaling Centre at Umborne Bridge Studio, Unit 1 Dolphin St. Colyton EX12 6LU [MAP].
Optional: Join us for an optional pigment collecting expedition on Friday, October 27 at 5PM, leaving from the Hideaway end of Seaton Beach.
Nature Journaling — Book signing and free how-to-get-started mini class (UK)
Join naturalist, field artist, and explorer Roseann Hanson for a morning introductory talk on how to get started nature journaling and field sketching. Her books, Nature Journaling for a Wild Life, and Master of Field Arts, are unique “workshops in a book” format with easy how-to instructions that progress chapter-by-chapter and include goals and homework assignments to keep you on track. Nature Journaling for a Wild Life (£39.99) includes 60 pages of blank journal pages plus special pull-outs such as bookmarks and an acetate drawing grid.
With this book, you will be “drawing to learn,” not learning to draw, and you’ll discover that anyone can master field sketching and watercolor.
Roseann’s second book, Master of Field Arts (£37.99), is like a master’s degree in becoming a more advanced field sketcher and naturalist, with chapters on cartography, animal tracking, reading the weather, and deep dives into mastering pen and ink, graphite pencils, and natural pigment paints, as well as a bonus chapter on making your own ink and quill pen.
Join us and enter the magical world of nature journaling and field arts.
Books for sale, signed by the author. Outdoor sketching demo if weather permits.
WHEN: Saturday, October 21, 2023
10 am to 11:30 am
WHERE: The Bale House, Hastings Country Park Visitor Centre, Lower Coastguard Ln, Fairlight, Hastings TN35 4AD [MAP]
Online Class - Drawing to Learn - Course 1, Trees
We can all draw.
None of us is born “talented” or “not talented.” It is a skill that we learn.
And here’s an interesting fact: our brains love to learn, so much so that the more you push your brain to learn a new skill, the more neural pathways develop. So you get better not only at what you are learning, but at many other mental skills. You get smarter!
I like to say that learning a skill such as drawing is like learning a language. You are not born knowing how to talk. You learn it.
This course is going to teach you the words and grammar you need for the language of drawing, and we are going to use a technique that is proven to work:
We will DRAW TO LEARN, not learn to draw!
This two-day, five-part course Drawing to Learn, Workshop #1 – Trees with Roseann Hanson includes:
Lesson 1 - Study Your Subject
Learn how to intensely observe a subject in order to collect the “words” you need for your drawing language.
Lesson 2 - Make Marks
Practice those new words by making marks that represent your subject—this is a critical building block in unleashing the power of your drawing language.
Lesson 3 - Find Shapes
This exercise is critical for beginning to learn the “grammar” of your subject in order to get the context right.
Lesson 4 - Create Your Study Sketch
You will learn how to get proportions right—proportion is like the advanced grammar in this langauge of drawing;
You will learn to dip into your Marks to add characteristics to your subject, and check the shapes.
Lesson 5 - Dive into Details
Our final lesson brings us back to the study notes in Step 1, coming full circle to finish up our process of Drawing to Learn.
Special introductory offer for live, online course: $75
two days:
SEPTEMBER 30 AND OCTOBER 7, 2023
9 AM – 11:30 AM ARIZONA TIME
Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference 2023
Join me for the 2023 Wild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference—I’ll be appearing and teaching several times with 25 other international instructors. I’ll be teaming up with the popular Instagram duo Ben Goulet-Scott and Jacob Suisse known as Let’s Botanize to take you on a virtual field trip to Panama, and I’ll be leading a panel on Adventure Nature Journaling!
The conference is 100% online, and five days long—the cost for all five days is equivalent to just $6 per class!
The dates are September 13 to 17, 2023, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 pm Pacific each day!
Buy tickets at the Wild Wonder Foundation website: https://www.wildwonder.org/wild-wonder-nature-journaling-conference-2023
Meet all of the teachers & speakers
Learn about P22, the mountain lion in the conference art by John Muir Laws.
Free Online Workshop - Creative Night Skies
How do you journal night skies? It's always been a love-hate thing for me—I love tracking the stars and planets and finding constellations, but depicting them in journals can be challenging!
In this free online workshop, we will work on four different approaches:
Pre-painted watercolor skies on which you can add sky components live or after a sky-viewing telescope session (a technique inspired by Alaska artist Kristin Link);
Making a cutaway peek-a-boo window showing day-and-night;
Using Sharpies and white, silver, or other metallic pens and pencils; and
Using black paper and white, silver, or other metallic pens, pencils, and paint.
WHEN: Saturday, September 9 at 9 am AZ time (use a time converter to make sure you pick the right time for your time zone: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html )
COST: Free but registration is required (link below)
HOW: Register now via Zoom at this link >HERE<
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
Journal with or sheets of watercolor paper;
Paint colors: Indigo, Pthalo Blue (Green Shade), Quinacridone Rose or similar, Burnt Sienna (mine are Daniel Smith but any brand will do);
Hair dryer;
White gel pen (the best is Uniball Signo;
White and red colored pencils;
For fun if you have them: metallic paints or pens and pencils;
Black Sharpie;
Black paper.
Alaska Field Arts Bootcamp 2023
Join me and my husband Jonathan Hanson on a unique Arctic journey as we experience the beauty and magic of Alaska’s vast interior, from the Alaska Range to the Brooks Range, crossing the mighty Yukon River and the Arctic Circle in between.
We begin Saturday, August 19 in the legendary gold rush city of Fairbanks on the Chena River, where we’ll get oriented at a local museum and enjoy the Sandhill Crane Festival. The next day the adventure begins when we depart by small planes to a bush airstrip at the Wood River Lodge, where we spend four days and three nights nestled in the huge roadless wilderness of the Alaska Range.
We return to Fairbanks and next day depart for the North by van on our optional Arctic Circle two-day extension, August 24-25. We’ll cross the mighty Yukon River and then the Arctic Circle on our way to the quirky roadhouse camp of Coldfoot, at the base of the Brooks Range. We return to Fairbanks for our final night.
Journaling Jumpstart—Beginner's guided 8-week DIY class [ONLINE]
Have you been struggling to get started journaling, and prefer a more structured format—but also with flex-times so you can work on learning when it’s right for you, and have a healthy check-in every few weeks? My Journaling Jumpstart class will be perfect for you!
Bonus!: includes workbook and supplies—everything you need to start out (if you already have the workbook and supplies but just need more incentive, there’s an option for just the class, too).
We’ll spend eight weeks getting you going on your journey as a lifelong nature journaler.
Next 8-week class starts: June 25 and will meet for four Sundays (9 am Pacific time on June 25, July 9, July 23; and August 13), with our “graduation” on August 13.
Around the World in 80 Trees No. 10 – Wild Cards [FREE WORKSHOP]
View all the past 80 Trees workshops at:
https://www.exploringoverland.com/field-arts-tutorials#virtualfield
Inspired by Jonathan Drori’s wonderful books Around the World in 80 Trees and Around the World Plants, we’re going to travel around the globe by region and sketch interesting, weird, iconic, or beautiful trees and tree-like plants.
No. 10: Final Episode! Wild Cards submitted by YOU
You send me a photo of a finished journal page with a tree that we have not showcased in #1-9, along with a photo of the tree, and I’ll select as many as I can to share!
To celebrate, I’ll enter you in a drawing to win a $50 gift certificate to the Field Arts shop!!
What you’ll need: a multi-media sketchbook or an accordion booklet to sketch the Wild Card Trees (see the versions I did for the other sessions, links below), pen and / or pencil for our base drawings, and then watercolor or colored pencil to quickly bring them to life.
TIP: I used a strip of heavy watercolor paper folded into four squares to create an “accordion” booklet to record my trees (8 total, 4 on each side).
When: Saturday, June 17, 2023 at 9 am Tucson, Arizona time (use a time converter to make sure you pick the right time for your time zone: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html )
HOW: Zoom link. This session is free but for security, registration is required. Sign up > > HERE <.
Wild Wonder Nature Journal Educators Workshop
John Muir Laws
Have you considered teaching nature journaling or leading a club or group in your region?
Join me and John Muir Laws, co-author of How to Teach Nature Journaling, along with Rob Wade, and other experienced educators on June 9-10, 2023, for a fun, informative, and empowering two-day online workshop offered by the Wild Wonder Foundation.
This workshop is for anyone who is teaching in any form—or wants to teach. This includes formal classroom educators, but also homeschool parents, park rangers, adult education instructors, nature center staff, scout leaders, environmental educators, club leaders, and more. Beginners are welcome. Even if you haven’t taught yet, but you love nature journaling and would like to teach, we would love to have you join us!
It’s affordable—only $70 with opportunities for scholarship grants, and will include six months of access to all the video recordings and resources.
You will come away from this workshop inspired with best practices and practical tools for teaching nature journaling, and you will be prepared to put them into practice with your students.
Roseann teaching the basics of watercolor mixing at the Baja Field Arts Bootcamp in February 2023.