Juliet Batten Books

I have something new and wonderful to share with you: my new publication: ART IN NATURE: Posts from the archive

Not long after I first began writing the Seasons Newsletter, I formed a wish, which soon became a resolve: to share the story of my art work in nature from its early beginnings in the 1980s.

There was an obstacle: the images were buried deep in my archive in the form of obsolete technology: colour slides and film strips. And the stories lay hidden in old journals.

Now after a decade or more of retrieval, including years of slide and film scanning, I have published the archive so it can be available and enjoyed by you, your friends, families, artists, art teachers, and anyone seeking inspiration from the natural world.

I am excited to have found a permanent home for this ephemeral art!

It’s a private publication with a small print run — an artist’s book, a collector’s item eventually — made available to you at cost price.

Please pass the word on!

Art in Nature: Posts from the archive - Juliet Batten A permanent home for ephemeral art. Art in Nature reveals art work that has lain hidden for decades, together with an intimate story of nature connection and collaboration.

My new publication is on its way!

Watch this space

Today's bright moment — yes, despite a cloudy day and 100% rain predicted.

Walking and standing among regenerating Kauri trees cannot fail to lift the heart into brightness — and then the giant kahikatea with its colourful trunk markings, thought to be 200 years old.

Regeneration, conservation, pest control, and ongoing care: in Kauri Glen bush, Birkenhead: so wonderful.

What are your favourite forest places?

What makes a bright moment? I think the element of surprise plays a part.

This is what happened in the late afternoon today on my way to the gym, a little preoccupied and the day cloudy.

Then suddenly I came upon this! A tall ginko tree with a light cascade of leaves tumbling down from the top, and then one branch reaching across the dark cyprus tree behind.

As I reached for my camera, the sun came out and illumined the whole.

Surprises wake me up and open me to gratitude.

Do you find that? Have you had a bright moment today?

A bright moment in nature may not just be something that delights the eyes.

A bright moment can spring up when there's a sense of connection, when nature tells you something, or acts as a reminder. Movement is as expressive as colour and shape.

And so here's my bright moment from last week when sun, wind, and grasses were dancing together.

Imagine, if you can, this picture in movement.
Think about how grasses love the wind.
Imagine how they ripple and move as the breeze streaks through.
And notice what happens in your heart.

Have you had bright moments like this?