In July, writer-in-residence Maleea Acker gave two workshops for members of the McLoughlin Gardens Society and anyone else who wished to attend. Landscapes of the Heart: An Introduction to Field Journaling was held at the McLoughlin Gardens. We began on the porch of the cottage, and then roamed about the gardens, ending up in the shed working on our field journals.

Participants had some lovely comments to share:

"Thanks for the wonderful opportunity to experience this workshop in this location. Unexpectedly, I particularly loved being in the shed and listening to the rain!"

"I was really inspired by this workshop. I have lots of art experience but field journaling is relatively new to me. I always love to “be” somewhere and actually try new activities versus reading about them or watching videos. The ambience was lovely. I see myself blending field journaling with art journaling and thinking of ways to pass this onto my art students too, while continuing to build/evolve my practice."

When asked how she might incorporate field journaling into her creative practice, one participant wrote: "I have often taken a sketchbook and paints with me on trips, but never felt confident in putting brush to paper. Now, because of the workshop, I do feel confident to do this. I learned that it is less about “product” and more about “process.” I thought that I would like the contour drawing the least, but am now really enjoying doing contour drawings as a practice for focusing my attention and bringing awareness to my drawing (and the unexpectedness of the results). Since the workshop, I have spent less of my free time online, and more time outside with my sketchbook and paints. I see this as a wonderful way to journal, but also as we learned, to gain a deeper understanding of the places around me."