This is more than a little bit because Ray Woods is something of a legend - he's worked with all sorts of organisations such as BIS, The Wildlife Trusts, and Botanic Gardens Wales as well as appearing on the BBC and in the Guardian! In fact, why not check out that article - it's HERE.
We're also wildly excited because plants are INCREDIBLE. Don't take them for granted. Have you ever wondered why leaves are different shapes? Have you ever seen a fluffy white seed gently blow past and wondered; why? have you ever noticed how similar the branching limbs of an oak tree are to human veins?
If we look closesly, we can develop a real appreciation for the intricacy, the ingenueity, dare I say the ARTISTRY that these often overlooked miracles of the natural world hold within their leaves, berries, twigs, buds, fruit, nuts, seedpods and even cells...
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Drawing: Inspiration, History and Getting out of your comfort zone...
In the drawing session we're also going to be cracking out the watercolour pencils (working with colour on berries! flowers! leaves!) and for the braver amongst us, having a go with drawing inks and reed pens to explore calligraphic twigs and branches and leaf veins.....
The practice of Drawing Plants (or Botanical Illustration if you're feeling fancy) has an incredible history. It's possible to trace its roots (haha) back to sometime between 50 and 70 CE when an illustrated book titled De Materia Medica was published, mostly to help people identify which plants could be used in medicine. It's a gorgeous thing - have a look:
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But Botanical Illustration really had it's Heyday in the eighteenth century, when significant advances in the printing process were made. This allowed colors and details of drawings to appear even more accurate on paper! Mass-production also became more widespread, meaning that lots of books could get printed very quickly, and were therefore cheap enough for regular folk to buy and enjoy. As interest in botanical publications increased, the role of botanical illustrator came to be considered a respected profession - particularly amongst unmarried ladies of a certain age, who chose to support themselves rather than relying on a husband!
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Don't worry: you won't be expected to start cracking out stunningly detailed, proportionally perfect and tonally matched drawings like this! Unless, of course, you've secretly been honing your craft for 40 years in an artist's garret somewhere and you're coming down on Saturday with a mission to WOW us all!
Instead, you'll be gently guided to explore the form of plants; we will use watercolour pencils (much, much easier than watercolour paints, but still the same medium that botanical illustrators used hundereds of years ago) and I will be on hand to support you the whole time.
Also, Botanical Illustration is a very particular style, which you DON'T have to do if you don't like it. You're more than welcome to create something big, expressive, splotchy, or wild.....
By the end of the session, you will have something that you are proud of.
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If you haven't already......
Feedback is really, really really important to organisations like ours, because:
1. It forms an essential part of funding applications, which means we can get money to put on more fun stuff for the community - as well as paying our local lecturers a proper wage
2. It gives you an opportunity to have your voice be heard - want a different kind of biscuit? more talking? more drawing? just let us know!
3. It helps us make sure that what we are doing is what you want. We can make the best guess we can, but we want this to be the best it can be for you!
Please take just one moment of your time to fill out this 100% completely and utterly anonymous feedback form. I won't be able to thank you (because it's secret!) but you'll have the warm glow of my gratitude nevertheless.
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You Asked - We Listened
In the feedback that we've gotten so far through that really quick and easy form above, a few things have been requested are:
1. More soft charcoal (We have gotten more soft charcoal!)
2. I want to see other people's work (with your consent, I will be putting people's drawings up on the wall by the refreshments table to create a tiny, temporary gallery space)
3. The session should be in the moring or afternoon, not both (we are now starting at 1pm! Any you can stay and draw for as long as you like.)
Is there anything else? Let me know in the form above and IT SHALL HAPPEN!
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