About three years ago, a proposal came into my email from my Weelunk editor: would I, a frequent book review contributor, be interested in providing a review for Watercolor in Nature by Rosalie Haizlett? As a lover of books, art, and nature, the answer was an obvious yes. I had already purchased a number of Haizlett’s prints and was eager to see what the book would entail. I found it to be a delightful book of guided projects by a talented artist (the full review of which can be read here).
A few months ago, I was contacted by Rosalie herself. Since my first review we had gotten to know each other better when she returned home and frequented the Bethany College where I work fulltime as a librarian. She asked if I would be willing to review her upcoming second book and provided a description of it, saying that she thought it would appropriate for Weelunk as it “features several spreads and essays about nature in Ohio and Brooke County.” Based on how much I loved her first book, and the fact that I have resided in both Brooke and Ohio county for most of my life, the answer was of course a resounding yes.
Rosalie generously provided me with an advanced copy of Tiny Worlds of the Appalachian Mountains: An Artist’s Journey and I got to reading. The book was a thing of beauty: over 200 pages of Haizlett’s gorgeous watercolors in an oversized hardback. While Haizlett’s first book showcased her artistic talent and teaching ability, in Tiny Worlds she shines as an essayist and naturalist. The essays and art within are the product of an ambitious endeavor: “to slowly explore the entire length of the [Appalachian] mountain range, using my illustration skills to document the area’s tiny worlds—those creatures, plants, and fungi that often go unobserved.” Over a span of six months Haizlett does just that, the proof of which being contained within these pages.
A native of Brooke County, West Virginia and a recent artist-in-residence at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, this journey took Haizlett far beyond her usual stomping grounds as she followed the mountains from Alabama to Maine and into Canada. Haizlett’s stunning art is elevated by her keen eye and clear love of the natural world. Her art and accompanying essays serve as a journal as she records her findings in national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests that exist within the Appalachian Mountains. For a number of the outings recorded here Haizlett is accompanied by a park ranger, local naturalist, or biologist who provides her (and by extension her readers) with a professional’s eye and understanding of a particular animal (be it feathery, furry, or scaly) or environment. This “insider” knowledge elevates Haizlett’s already well-informed observations and serves to deepen the reader’s knowledge and appreciation of the subject matter.
Each section highlights a different park or public land and showcases some of the diverse life that call the area home. Butterflies, birds, flowers, fungi, and even slime molds are recorded in dazzling watercolor and described by an artist who clearly possesses a deep appreciation and understanding of the natural world they inhabit. It is a considerable feat to describe a bog or slime mold as enthusiastically as one might a majestic hawk or lovely Luna moth, but within these pages Haizlett does just that. Her passion for nature is infectious and will make readers want to go out and observe some of these “tiny worlds” for themselves. Luckily, Haizlett—ever the teacher—includes at the end of each section a page from her own sketchbook and three prompts “to encourage your own up-close nature exploration.”
After traversing through and documenting the Appalachian Mountains from Alabama to Canada, Haizlett ends her journey back home again. The final pages contain illustrations and observations about the tiny worlds contained within Brooke and Ohio county. I liked the choice to end the book on a homecoming as, in my experience, nothing makes a person appreciate their home like being away from it for a time. I also imagine that this time away, as well as time spent in stretches of the Appalachian Mountains that seem so different from the ones we call home, allowed Haizlett to document her home with fresh eyes. As a native of Brooke County myself, I was delighted to see the places and creatures I knew featured alongside the diverse plant and animal life that existed in other parts of the mountain range.
Tiny Worlds is set to be released on September 1, 2024, and can be purchased through Amazon and other major retailers including Barnes & Noble and Target. I am already looking forward to rereading this one and trying some of the prompts! (Art club, anyone?)
