Have you ever thought about how energizing it might be to breathe in fresh air? It’s exciting to go outside and breathe in the fresh air, feel the soft hug of nature’s beauty all around you, and hear the leaves whispering secrets from the trees. Being in the great woods has a magical quality to it, and when you add your imagination to it, it turns into a great family trip. Today, let’s look into the fun of going on hikes in nature and then drawing or sketching as a way to connect with each other and the world around us.

Imagine getting your whole family together early on a Saturday morning. Picture the sun peeking through the clouds, birds singing, and excitement building about the trip that’s coming up. As we tie our shoes and get our sketchbooks and pens, there is a buzz in the air. We all know that today is a great day to explore and have fun.

The Beauty of Nature

Let us take a moment to enjoy what these hikes in nature show us. Every step on walks that wind around and have twisted roots and bright flowers asks us to slow down. How often do we rush through life without stopping to enjoy its beauty? Ladies dancing on leaves will be something we will see and feel together. We will also hear the sound of faraway streams splashing against rocks. Along the way, you should enjoy every moment of this trip, not just going somewhere.

Finding the perfect place to relax is part of the trip itself. It could be under a big oak tree or near a calm pond with cotton candy fluff reflecting in it. Both are nice places. When you sit down in nature, the scene changes from being busy to being still. We wake up all of a sudden, pencils in hand, after falling asleep and finding peace. You can copy the colors of those tiny flower petals by looking at them very carefully. Listen to how the silence here has its own tune.

Now comes my favorite part: the beginning of drawing! If you are a seasoned artist or someone whose mostly stick figure drawings show they are guilty, you are still welcome! It’s more important to describe yourself than to be perfect, to capture feelings rather than just pictures. Each line tells a story that families can share together, and laughter erupts when someone tries to catch a blinking relative but fails miserably.

As we work together on a project, conversations flow easily like streams running downhill, and ideas spring up like wildflowers from ground that has just been changed by spring rains. We talk about what interests us, like the colors we see or the animals we see on our walk, and maybe we even talk about being responsible for the world.

But I think they could never be full. When it looks like we’ve filled enough pages for one day, it’s time to think while sharing snacks on a picnic blanket, all the while pencil marks are left behind between grass blades. Sharing ideas and drinking lemonade both make the palette and the viewpoint better. This is a lesson that both art and family relationships grow stronger when people work together.

So, let’s remember that these times spent outside—not only getting some exercise but also giving new life to bonds that were made through creativity—are priceless gems that are woven into the patchwork of our shared memories. Nature walks and drawing are more than just fun things to do. They help us become more aware of our surroundings and give us chances to grow as people with close friends.

You might want to take a family trip next weekend. Once more, get out your sketchbooks! Let your feet follow paths that haven’t been traveled before; at every turn, wild inspiration awaits. With excitement and one sketch at a time, we can enjoy all that life has to offer outside of four walls: fresh air and colors that can only be found under the stars, waiting to be explored.

PS. For those of you who might be interested in my source of inspiration, I did the one painting above based on a photo my father took close to fifty years ago. My parents’ celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary this year for context. That photo has gotten a lot of love over the years, for example it is one of my father’s favorites. I colorized it for him in the early 2000s when I got my first copy of PhotoShop. This is the colorized version here.