I am excited to announce today that a two-plus year project has finally seen the light of day.
In A Portrait of Astonishing Nature whimsical pen and watercolour artwork is paired with haiku to depict 53 plants and animals found in Quebec and surrounding areas. From darting dragonflies, to magnificent pine trees, mythical snapping turtles, elusive moose, and sleek tree swallows, readers will be enthralled and inspired by the beauty of nature. This book is accessible to a range of audiences, from the nature-enthusiast to armchair biologist, lover of poetry and watercolours, and for anyone who cares about the world’s biodiversity.
Proceeds from the sale of the book will support a Conservancy Land Trust called Creek 53, located in the western part of the town of Hudson, Quebec (I have written about it before). It is a wild, and beautiful place. It contains old-growth and secondary forests, meadows, agricultural lands, wetlands, small ponds, and creeks. It is home to a plethora of species – over a dozen different kinds of amphibians and reptiles, over 60 tree species, 150 or more plant species, and over 180 bird species, and hundreds of insects and spider species. All these species are all being preserved in perpetuity for future generations. The 53 species depicted in the book occur within this Land Trust.
The book is now available through Friesen Press, and will soon be widely available on Amazon, etc. I will be doing events and book-signings in Montreal later in May, and closer to Creek 53 in June. You can bookmark this website for updates.
I must also thank so many people who have supported this work, first and foremost the Creek 53 Trustees, but also my family (they were so patient, especially when I spend a very significant part of my holidays last summer truly obsessed with finishing up watercolours – the dining room table was covered with art supplies for weeks on end…). It’s been a wonderful project and I am grateful for being able to complete it. And, thank YOU for following, and I hope you consider buying the book, which in turn will help to preserve biodiversity.
© Christopher M Buddle 2024
Nature's Reverie 