August 28, 2025

Wild Wonder Weekend in Port Townsend

Art Toolkit and the Wild Wonder Foundation organized a special weekend of nature journaling sketch walks and presentations led by naturalist, artist, scientist, author, and educator John Muir Laws.

By The Art Toolkit Team

A man stands by the water, demonstrating a technique to an audience seated nearby. He holds a small object while facing the crowd, with a sketching easel set up beside him. The background shows a calm body of water and trees in the distance.

Between Sketch Walks and a special book-signing and nature journaling presentation, last weekend’s events with the Wild Wonder Foundation were memorable and filled with sketching inspiration. Read on for a recap of each event!

We had a fabulous time hosting John Muir Laws (Jack) in Port Townsend! Thank you to everyone who joined us for our whirlwind of events. Jack brings joyful delight and wonder to the world, and we’re grateful for him and his team for visiting and for you all joining!

A diverse group of people sits on the beach near a building, some in folding chairs and others on logs. They are wearing hats and enjoying the sunny weather. In the background, a waterfront and urban architecture are visible under a clear blue sky.

Saturday, August 23rd | Nature Journaling Demo with John Muir Laws at the Tyler Street Plaza

We started with sketching out on the Tyler Street Plaza beach adjacent to our retail shop in downtown Port Townsend.

An individual with light hair wears a wide-brimmed hat while sketching in a notebook. The drawing depicts a scene with people, set against a blurred background of greenery and earth.
A man is standing on a beach, holding up a small object while speaking to an audience seated on the sand. He has a microphone attached to his shirt and is gesturing toward an easel with a reflective surface. The background features a calm body of water and a distant shoreline.

It was a hot day, and the sea was a sparkling backdrop for inspiration.

“I’m looking for beautiful and looking for wonder. I’m looking for things that make my heart dance.”
—John Muir Laws
A person with long, teal hair sits on the ground, sketching in a notebook under a large straw hat. They are wearing a light tank top and a patterned skirt. The surrounding area has rocky ground and sparse vegetation.

From noting the location and weather to exploring found objects and small landscapes, time flew by! Jack shared different approaches to nature journals.

A person wearing a wide-brimmed hat holds a sketchbook and a paintbrush. The hand is poised over a watercolor palette with vibrant colors, suggesting an outdoor art session. In the background, other seated individuals are partially visible.
A chalkboard sign announces a nature journaling demonstration with John Muir Laws, scheduled for today from 1:00 to 2:30 PM in the plaza. It mentions that supplies will be available to borrow and invites everyone to attend.
A person with a flower in their hair sketches a landscape with water and trees, using a pen on a long sheet of paper. The scene includes scattered figures wearing hats in the foreground.
A group of people sitting outdoors, focused on sketching in notebooks. They hold watercolor palettes and brushes, engaged in painting. Some individuals wear hats and casual clothing, with a variety of colors and patterns visible in their attire.

“There are people who gravitate first towards drawing, or words, or numbers. Each is a different language for exploring the world.” You might start with what you are comfortable with, and then layer in additional approaches.

Participants draw and take notes in sketchbooks, focusing on shells and natural objects. Various hands are seen holding pencils and pens, with a diverse array of clothing styles in the background.

Jack emphasized that “Mysteries are everywhere, embrace being authentically curious!”

Saturday, August 23rd | Book Signing and Nature Journaling Presentation with John Muir Laws at the Port Townsend Carnegie Library

Following the beach, we met Jack at the Port Townsend Library for an additional presentation. Jack shared ideas for “exploration frames” in journals, one being a side-by-side comparison of similar objects to learn about them.

A display featuring several copies of "The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling" alongside a brochure about the author, John Muir Laws. The background shows a bookshelf with various books.
A speaker stands in front of a projector screen during a presentations in a library setting. The audience, seated in chairs, looks attentively towards the front. Bookshelves filled with books line the walls of the room.

He sketched and measured two pine cones and needles he had found outside the library, even counting out the Fibonacci sequence of the spiral cone growth! After the library, we took the Wild Wonder team out to dinner at La Cocina. It was a gorgeous night and we walked down Union Warf to visit Gunther the whale. Sunset was gorgeous and we all started sketching, working quickly in the fading light.

Sunday, August 24th | Sketch Walk on the Beach with John Muir Laws at the Fort Worden Marine Science Center Dock

Finally, for our last event, we met the following morning at the Fort Worden Pier, joined by Port Townsend Marine Science Naturalist Carolyn Woods.

A diverse group of people stands on a sunny boardwalk, some wearing hats and holding cameras or maps. One person is seated in a wheelchair, while others are engaged in conversation or taking photos. The sky is blue with a few clouds.
“The nature journal is an invitation to fall in love with the world.”
—John Muir Laws
A man sits on the ground, focused on sketching in a notebook. He wears a blue cap and a light blue shirt, with binoculars around his neck. People are gathered around him, observing his work.

We made our way down the dock, pausing to create a small map, observe the landmarks, eel grass, and birds.

A woman with a straw hat is sketching at a waterfront, standing beside a cart filled with supplies. A sign on the cart announces a nature journaling event featuring John Muir Laws, indicating supplies are available to borrow. In the background, a line of people are gathered on a dock.
A diverse group of people stands around a picnic table covered with sketchbooks and drawings. They are engaged and wearing hats for sun protection, with a scenic waterfront in the background.

A pair of Belted Kingfishers were delightfully chattering, and we watched them fish and return to their perches. At the end of the dock, Carolyn paused to introduce us to a science project that is monitoring Dungeness Crabs, and we learned about their life cycle.

A hand-drawn sketchbook page featuring illustrations of various birds in flight, accompanied by handwritten notes about observing their behavior. There are sketches of a bird on a perch, a pair of feathers, and a magnifying glass. Watercolor splashes add earthy tones, enhancing the details of the drawings and notes.
Maria’s sketchbook page from the sketch walk with Jack.
“When impatience comes up, just breathe and keep going.”
—John Muir Laws
Open sketchbooks and notebooks filled with sketches of birds and notes placed on a wooden table. The sunlight casts shadows over the pages, highlighting various drawings and annotations.
A sketchbook held by a person features a detailed drawing of a bird with notes beside it. The opposite page displays a colorful palette of paint swatches and a magnifying glass illustration.
“The journal is a tool that slows us down, a tool that forces us to pay deep attention... I believe that attention itself, is love; that love is sustained attention.”
—John Muir Laws

Thank You!

We finished our time together with shared community joy, wonder, and curiosity for the world. Thank you again to the dozens of locals who joined us throughout the weekend to learn about nature journaling. Special thanks to the Wild Wonder Foundation, Port Townsend Library, and Port Townsend Marine Science Center for partnering with us on these fabulous events!
An artist sites on a rock, dipping a paintbrush in a Pocket Palette.

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