2024 Calendar : Learning from Animals
This 26-page wall calendar measures approximately 9” x 11” and is printed on thick cardstock with a durable wire binding. Illustrations are all original graphite drawings done in September and October of 2023. Monthly grids feature the full and new moon.
This year, I lost an animal that was so dear to me. He was with me for 8 years of his life-my cat, Melvyn. His place in my life and in my heart is hard to explain in words, but within my experience of grief, it’s clear to me that aligning my life with his, helped me to feel present and purposeful. I believe there is an education in presence and open heartedness that all animals offer us. Especially those with whom we share our daily lives. Sitting with this belief, I wonder about human relationships with wild animals. To me the practice of drawing feels like a way to express care, reverence and my endless curiosity. Why are we drawn to certain animals? What resonates within us? What kinds of truths could our human family learn from the animals in this world we all share? While drawing them I can feel my body relax with each soft detail. Specific creatures remind me of myself or loved ones. They represent things to me. Inspire me. Keep my imagination in a state of awe and wonder.
In a recent interview, Jessica Lanyadoo, Animal Communicator, stated, “With the climate crisis, we need to be a lot more aware of the humanity in animals and their personhood.” Hearing this, I felt something in my gut. Similar to Botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer’s description of our needing to learn FROM organisms instead of ABOUT them, I’ve come to know, in my bones, that my interest, my curiosity, and my connection to animals is important. We share a home. They are also navigating the changing ecosystems in which we all belong. This year I chose to draw many of the wild creatures that live near me. With each month’s illustration, I invite you to be curious, to learn from, and to connect with their humanity and their personhood. Thanks for looking.
This 26-page wall calendar measures approximately 9” x 11” and is printed on thick cardstock with a durable wire binding. Illustrations are all original graphite drawings done in September and October of 2023. Monthly grids feature the full and new moon.
This year, I lost an animal that was so dear to me. He was with me for 8 years of his life-my cat, Melvyn. His place in my life and in my heart is hard to explain in words, but within my experience of grief, it’s clear to me that aligning my life with his, helped me to feel present and purposeful. I believe there is an education in presence and open heartedness that all animals offer us. Especially those with whom we share our daily lives. Sitting with this belief, I wonder about human relationships with wild animals. To me the practice of drawing feels like a way to express care, reverence and my endless curiosity. Why are we drawn to certain animals? What resonates within us? What kinds of truths could our human family learn from the animals in this world we all share? While drawing them I can feel my body relax with each soft detail. Specific creatures remind me of myself or loved ones. They represent things to me. Inspire me. Keep my imagination in a state of awe and wonder.
In a recent interview, Jessica Lanyadoo, Animal Communicator, stated, “With the climate crisis, we need to be a lot more aware of the humanity in animals and their personhood.” Hearing this, I felt something in my gut. Similar to Botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer’s description of our needing to learn FROM organisms instead of ABOUT them, I’ve come to know, in my bones, that my interest, my curiosity, and my connection to animals is important. We share a home. They are also navigating the changing ecosystems in which we all belong. This year I chose to draw many of the wild creatures that live near me. With each month’s illustration, I invite you to be curious, to learn from, and to connect with their humanity and their personhood. Thanks for looking.
This 26-page wall calendar measures approximately 9” x 11” and is printed on thick cardstock with a durable wire binding. Illustrations are all original graphite drawings done in September and October of 2023. Monthly grids feature the full and new moon.
This year, I lost an animal that was so dear to me. He was with me for 8 years of his life-my cat, Melvyn. His place in my life and in my heart is hard to explain in words, but within my experience of grief, it’s clear to me that aligning my life with his, helped me to feel present and purposeful. I believe there is an education in presence and open heartedness that all animals offer us. Especially those with whom we share our daily lives. Sitting with this belief, I wonder about human relationships with wild animals. To me the practice of drawing feels like a way to express care, reverence and my endless curiosity. Why are we drawn to certain animals? What resonates within us? What kinds of truths could our human family learn from the animals in this world we all share? While drawing them I can feel my body relax with each soft detail. Specific creatures remind me of myself or loved ones. They represent things to me. Inspire me. Keep my imagination in a state of awe and wonder.
In a recent interview, Jessica Lanyadoo, Animal Communicator, stated, “With the climate crisis, we need to be a lot more aware of the humanity in animals and their personhood.” Hearing this, I felt something in my gut. Similar to Botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer’s description of our needing to learn FROM organisms instead of ABOUT them, I’ve come to know, in my bones, that my interest, my curiosity, and my connection to animals is important. We share a home. They are also navigating the changing ecosystems in which we all belong. This year I chose to draw many of the wild creatures that live near me. With each month’s illustration, I invite you to be curious, to learn from, and to connect with their humanity and their personhood. Thanks for looking.