Author: Alison Hazel   –   Updated: March 2026

Notes from Nature

Hobby Artist

As a hobby artist I like to find new ways to keep my daily art practice moving forward.

I’m a keen artist of micro artworks and by “micro” I mean small canvasses, cards and mini cards.

The reason I love small artworks is that I can completer them in one day and also the fact that I can create a collection or a deck of these small art pieces.

This also includes:

• Post-it artworks 76mm x 76mm (3 x 3 inch)
• Square mini canvasses 65mm x 65mm (2 ½ x 2 ½ inch)
• Basic cue cards

I recently bought the Notes from Nature cards designed by Johanna Basford.

 

Johanna Basford

Artist

Johanna Basford is Scottish artist who is famous for her delightful colouring books.

I have not personally used her colouring books, but I’ve always admired them.

Cards

Then earlier this year I saw that she was bringing out a set of cards, and you all know I do love a set of cards, and these cards are called her Notes from Nature 30 affirmation cards to colour.

I decided to treat myself to a pack of these cards which duly arrived from Amazon.

Johanna Basford’s Notes from Nature: 30 Affirmation cards to color.

There are 30 cards in Joanna’s signature back to nature style.

I was delighted when I saw them.

I thought I would colour in a couple of these cards and just show you how nice they are.

Cards Flip Through

Cards

Below is an image of the 30 cards from Joanna’s deck. I think they’re delightful.

They are gentle and sensitive cards, and I love the theme she has created for this deck of cards.

Coloring in

Initially I chose three cards to colour in:

• The first card I chose says, “I am grateful for every new day.”
• The second card says, “I stand tall and proud.”
• The third one I did was, “I embrace every season.”

I am Grateful for Every New Day

Grateful

I chose this card because the affirmation touched me immediately. “I am grateful for every new day” feels simple, yet it holds so much. Gratitude does not have to be dramatic. It can be as small as warm tea, a quiet morning or a sharpened pencil waiting to be used.

When I sat down to color this one, I decided to lean into that feeling of lightness. I chose my Faber Castell polychromos pencils and picked soft spring shades, gentle yellows, warm pinks and a hint of peach. Nothing too bold. I wanted the colors to feel like early morning.

Colored Pencil

With colored pencil, I always begin lightly. I build the pigment slowly, deepening the tones toward the center of each flower and easing the pressure as I move toward the petal edges. This creates a natural glow and keeps the piece from feeling heavy. Small cards especially benefit from a light hand. There is not much space, so every mark matters.

As I worked, I found myself thinking about what I was grateful for that day. Not in a forced way, just noticing. The simple act of layering color became a quiet gratitude practice in itself.

If you were to color this card, what gentle colors would reflect your version of a new day?

I Stand Tall and Proud

Sunflowers

I chose this card because sunflowers have always made me smile. They feel optimistic without trying too hard. There is something steady about the way they turn their faces toward the light. I have long admired Vincent’s sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh. They are bold and unapologetic, yet deeply tender.

What fascinates me most about sunflowers is their structure. The seed heads follow the Fibonacci sequence, that beautiful spiral pattern we see repeated throughout nature. It is a quiet reminder that growth has an order. Strength does not happen by accident. It unfolds in patterns.

Colored Ink

For this card, I reached for my Winsor and Newton colored inks and a number 2 superfine paintbrush. Ink wash feels confident to me. There is less room for hesitation than with pencil. I mixed a warm golden yellow and allowed it to settle into the petals, then deepened the center with richer browns while the paper was still slightly damp so the tones could softly merge.

When working with ink on a small card, I like to test the dilution first on scrap paper. A lighter wash can always be layered, but once it is too dark it is harder to reclaim.

Let the first layer dry fully before adding depth to the seed head. The contrast between light petals and a strong center gives the flower its grounded presence.

As I painted, I reflected on the affirmation, “I stand tall and proud.”

Not in a loud way. More in the sense of being rooted. Like a sunflower, steady in your own pattern of growth.

Where in your life are you being invited to stand a little taller right now?

I Embrace Every Season

Seasons

I chose this card because living and creating by the seasons feels natural to me. I do not only divide my art projects into segments, I divide my life that way too. There is comfort in knowing that everything has its time. A time to begin, a time to grow, a time to harvest and a time to rest.

The solar seasons begin around the equinoxes and solstices, usually near the 21st of March, June, September and December. These turning points feel more organic to me than the standard business quarters which start in January, April, July and October.

The light shifts. The air changes. The energy is different. My art responds to that rhythm.

On this card Johanna has beautifully illustrated the four seasons with their plants and flowers, each one distinct yet part of the same cycle. It reminded me that no season is better than another. Winter is not a failure of summer. Autumn is not the end. They are phases within the year.

Markers

For this piece I used my Tombow markers in muted tones. When working with markers on a small card, I like to start with the lightest color first and build gently into the darker shades.

It keeps the transitions softer and prevents the paper from becoming oversaturated. On a small surface, restraint is your friend so do hold back somewhat

As I colored each seasonal motif, I found myself wondering which season I am personally in right now. Am I planting ideas, tending them, gathering results or quietly restoring?

If you were to map your creative life onto the four seasons, where would you place yourself today?

Self-made Cards

Card Sizes

I have made my own art cards in the past.

You’ll be familiar with my Artist Trading Cards and also my Artspiration card deck which I created last year.

I like to cut out my own cards.

When I make my own art cards the sizes I cut are:

• Large at 94mm by 140mm (3 ¾ x 5 ½ inches) or the
• Medium (half size) at 70mm by 94mm (3 ¾ x 2 ¾ inches)

Additionally, just to complete the mini-ness of the cards I use, I have some micro cards from Stonehenge at just 65mm x 95mm (2 ½ x 3 ¾ inches)

 

The I love to cut the corners with my handy dandy corner cutter.

In case you are wondering, the radii for my corners are:

• Large cards corners with a radius of 10mm
• Medium cards corners with a radius of 7mm
• Micro cards with a radius of 4mm

Why Cut Your Own Cards

The main reason I cut my own cards is that I do have the Strathmore Bristol board in a pad and I like to be creative.

You can order precut cards, but I was not getting the sizes I wanted so that’s why I prefer to just cut my cards from the pad which comes with 20 sheets.

Over to You

Modest Moments

As I finished these small cards, I was reminded that creativity does not have to be grand to be meaningful. It does not need a large canvas, a full afternoon or a perfect plan. Sometimes all creativity asks of you is a single card, a handful of colors and your quiet attention.

I believe that one small piece completed with care is enough.

In those modest moments of making, we can build consistency, confidence and a gentle creative life that grows one thoughtful card at a time.

 

Your Thoughts

I would truly love to hear where you are on your creative journey.

Have you already spent happy hours with the work of Johanna Basford and her coloring books, or is this your first introduction to her world?

Author Bio: Alison Hazel

Alison Hazel is a hobby artist and she shares her ongoing journey about becoming an artist later in life. She creates simple art that anyone can make. She hopes to inspire you to reach your creative potential in the area that suits you. Read more about Alison’s story. Get her newsletter.