Drawing Nature: Capture the details of nature through art
Registration is now open to Madison Audubon members
Class dates: April 19, April 26, and May 10
Welcome to our Drawing Nature adult education classes! This collection of classes will help you develop or sharpen your art skills so you can enjoy capturing the outdoors on paper. These classes are great for beginners and people in the "I draw stick figures" camp, and also more advanced artists that don't have a lot of experience in the class topic. Your instructor will be Carolyn Byers, Madison Audubon’s education director and artist behind Green Sparrow Arts.
Folks who have taken Carolyn’s art classes before are welcome to take this course again! We will cover similar topics, with new images and settings to practice.
Classes will consist of learning to draw plants (April 19 - online, 7-9pm), learning to draw birds (April 26 - online, 7-9pm), and drawing from life (May 10 - Goose Pond Sanctuary, 6-8pm).
The first two classes will be held on Zoom at 8:00-9:00 p.m. on the Tuesdays listed above. You’ll need an internet connection and a device to watch the class on. Having a microphone and video camera will help you participate in the class, but is not necessary.
The final class will be held at Goose Pond Sanctuary from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on the south side of Goose Pond near the Wingspan pavilion. Participants will practice putting their art skills to practice by drawing from life, with Carolyn’s guidance.
Find more details about each class session below (under the registration section)!
Register here!
Registration is limited to 25 people participating in the online class. Registration will open to Madison Audubon on March 1 (any remaining seats will open to the public on March 25).
April 19: Botanical Illustration
Tuesday, 4/19, 7-9pm, Online
Spiderwort, by a first time art student (Brenna) in Carolyn’s class, June 2018.
Plants are a wonderful place to begin your sketchbook journey. They’re beautiful, you can draw them simply or in great detail, and they (generally!) don’t move. In this class, Carolyn will teach you simple drawing skills (accurate perspective, breaking down the objecting into basic shapes, building detail, composition), how to experiment with the amount of details you add to your drawing, and how to notice details you might not have seen before.
You’ll need: paper and a pencil or your favorite art supplies. Please also gather 3-5 dried plants or other natural objects (and please return them to nature when the class is finished!) We recommend flower seed heads, dried leaves, sticks, or nuts.
April 26: Sketching Birds
Tuesday, 4/26, 7-9pm, Online
Artwork by Carolyn Byers
Birds are fantastically fun to draw. They’re everywhere, there are SO many kinds of birds, and drawing them really helps you become a better birder — you see all kinds of details you would miss if you weren’t drawing them. In this class, Carolyn will teach you basic drawing skills (accurate perspective, breaking down the objecting into basic shapes, building detail, composition), how to experiment with the amount of details you add to your drawing, and how to notice details you might not have seen before. We’ll mostly practice drawing from reference photos, but you’ll learn tips for drawing moving birds too.
You’ll need: paper and a pencil or your favorite art supplies. Please also gather 3-5 bird images that you’d like to draw (we’ll provide some too).
May 10: Art in the Field at Goose Pond Sanctuary
Tuesday, 5/10, 6-8pm
Geese fly over Goose Pond. Photo by Monica Hall
Goose Pond Sanctuary is a beautiful setting for low-key art practice. The pond hosts reliable waterfowl for folks who want to draw and/or paint birds, and the surrounding prairie provides lots of good fodder for anyone interested in drawing plants. We will meet along the south side of the pond (Prairie Lane), which offers a wide shoulder, benches, the Wingspan pavilion for shade, and an ADA path to access each of these areas. Our group will receive initial instruction from Carolyn, then participants will spread out to their desired locations and practice creating art from life. Carolyn will offer support to all class attendees.
You’ll need: sketchbook and art supplies. Carolyn will have a few supplies (watercolors, pens, etc.) you can try out, if you wish. Bring a lawnchair or blanket if you wish, as well as appropriate clothing and water
About the Instructor
Carolyn has spent many years studying avian behavior, and loves to share her bird knowledge with the Madison Audubon community. She is particularly interested in nesting ecology, chick development, and foraging behavior. Carolyn earned a BS in biology from the University of New Hampshire and a Master’s degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Carolyn loves being a part of Madison Audubon education team which brings science to local youth and our communities. Carolyn enjoys spending time being active outside gardening, camping, fishing, and (of course) birding. Carolyn's (current) favorite birds are Henslow's Sparrows and other LBJs (little brown jobs)!
This class is part of Madison Audubon’s Naturalist Series. Registration for this class opens first to Madison Audubon members, and any remaining seats will open April 1. Want to join Madison Audubon? Click here!
