Are you inspired by the natural world? Would you like to express your connection to nature through art? This year, as part of its 60^th anniversary, Cumbria Wildlife Trust is celebrating nature and wildlife with an exciting arts programme and you’re invited to get involved.

Cumbria Wildlife Trust has announced that local artist Julia Garner is the Artist-in-Residence for its year-long Arts in Nature celebration, to celebrate our county’s amazing wildlife and wild places.

Julia will run a series of art workshops for all levels, many of them held at Cumbria Wildlife Trust nature reserves. The events will provide an opportunity for you to slow down and see nature and wildlife from a new perspective. The celebration starts on Friday 18 February with a Felting Day workshop at Mungrisdale near Penrith. After gathering inspiration on a guided walk of nearby Eycott Hill Nature Reserve, you’ll return to the village hall for an afternoon making felt pictures – book here.

The series of monthly events will include a lino print workshop at Gosling Sike, Houghton;  coastal collagraphs and gelli-prints print-making workshop at Maryport; spring woodlands print-making workshop at Barkbooth Lot Nature Reserve; creative drop-in at Drumburgh Moss Nature Reserve on the Solway, and a summer workshop exploring the Flora of Latterbarrow Nature Reserve.

Julia, a trained primary school teacher, will share her ideas, designs and practice, to inspire you to record your connection to nature. The workshops are mixed level – beginners are welcome, as well as those who want to improve their skills. You’re invited to bring your own phone, camera or ipad to record your own images of what inspires you – you’ll then work them up into a creative piece of artwork back at the workshop venue.

Click here for more details and to book your place. Early booking is advisable, as these special events are likely to be very popular.

As part of the Arts in Nature celebration, there’ll be an exhibition of Julia Garner’s art at the Derwent Pencil Museum in Keswick and if you attend one of her workshops this year, your artwork may also be displayed here, alongside Julia’s!

Artist and naturalist Julia Garner has always enjoyed exploring and recording the wilder places of Cumbria. She works in a wide variety of media, including oils, printmaking and textiles, and combines many different techniques. She’s lived in Cumbria for over 30 years, originally in Grange and now in the northern fells, and she says that it’s this landscape that provides the inspiration for her art.

Julia says: “My father worked in nature conservation, both my parents were interested in natural history and I’ve always liked being in wild places. Up to the age of five, I lived in Cornwall and I was always drawing rockpools and crabs. When I moved to Cumbria, I became interested in drawing the landscape and botany. Then I started experimenting more widely in landscapes, where I like working with oils and a pallet knife. I also starting experimenting with printing and in sketching out in the field, with pen and watercolours, as well as textiles. I most enjoy creating big landscapes in oils, in particular of the wonderful northern fells like Carrock Fell. I love working in nature reserves too. My favourite is Latterbarrow, near Witherslack. It’s a sheer riot of colour in the summer, when the columbine and rock roses are out!”

You can keep up-to-date with the year-long Arts in Nature celebration by signing up now for a special Cumbria Wildlife Trust e-newsletter. When you sign up you’ll be in with the chance to win a wooden box of 72 professional-quality sketching pencils (RRP £170), kindly donated by the Derwent Pencil Museum.  

More Arts in Nature events, including creative writing and theatre projects, will be added throughout the year so keep an eye on the website!