The BookMooch Journals

Part art project, part nature journal and for some of you, part therapy, this book may require you to be very brave indeed. If you are still interested, read on… It’s simple – find one spider, capture it, draw it, try to identify it, and then release it. To carry out this task you will have to really LOOK at your spider. Visit your local library or use the internet for tips on catching spiders and identifying them. You will be amazed at the variety and beauty of spiders (I hope!), and you may learn to overcome a long held fear. And none of this “I can’t draw” nonsense! If you can hold a pencil, you can draw. I didn’t know I could draw until I started my spider notebook. The aim is to observe your spider well enough to sketch it and note its features. Use pen, pencil, pastels or paints. I’ve included some of my own sketches to get you started and to introduce you to some of my favourites, such as the spitting spider, a slow moving creature which pins down its prey with a zig-zagged jet of sticky glue, and the almost day-glo green, orb-web spinning cucumber spider. Any takers? (If you can’t face it but you know someone who’ll give it a go, mooch it for them). -Laura

More images: as a slideshow:

and some stills: Pg 1, Pg 2, Pg 3, Pg 4, Pg 5, Pg 6, Pg 7, Pg 8, Pg 9, Pg 10, Pg 11, Pg 12, Pg 13

Filed under: Journal | Tagged: art, nature, spiders |