Nature journaling and sketching is a way to deepen your connection with nature while practicing drawing techniques in a loose and creative space. It can help to improve our observation skills and reveal patterns we didn’t notice before. No drawing experience is needed for this class, and all artistic levels are welcome, as we will be studying basic nature journaling techniques and tips, then putting them into practice by sketching bird species found in Nevada.
We will first break down our subject into easily drawn shapes, then learn how adding in field notes on behaviors, postures, and colors will help you to compose a drawing that truly captures the essence of our feathered subject. This class will leave you inspired by the natural history and anatomy of birds.
Suggested Materials
The Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation will provide participants with pencil and paper. To explore all practices reviewed in class, we recommend upgrading to a multimedia sketchbook and bringing a thin waterproof black ink pen, such as the 005 Micron.
Space for this event is limited and registration in advance is required.
Sagebrush to Sandstone is a series of creative gatherings and events that highlight the arts and humanities alongside Nevada nature, produced jointly by Nevada Humanities and Truckee Meadows Parks Foundation.
Image courtesy of Lindsay Dimitri.
Lindsay Dimitri earned a M.S. from the University of Nevada, Reno studying seed dispersal in Juniperus and worked as a rangeland ecologist studying plant and animal interactions in the Great Basin for 16 years, but recently began teaching 7th and 8th grade science. While she pursued science as a career, art has always played a vital role in her life. She took art classes in college to take a mental break from a science packed class schedule, and drawing, painting, photography, crocheting and crafting are a few of her artistic outlets. During her M.S. she co-taught field ornithology for three semesters where students learned to identify the birds of Nevada by sight and sound.
Image courtesy of Meredith Solin.
Meredith Solin holds a B.A. in Studio Art from Florida State University, where she studied in the B.F.A. of Graphic Design program while minoring in Art History, Elementary Education, Communication, and attended FSU’s European Graphic and New Media Design Program in London studying international art and photography. Growing up surrounded by the diverse coastal ecosystems of Florida, she fell in love with marine biology and conservation at an early age. Through travels across the country she has settled in Lake Tahoe with sketchbook in hand, drawing inspiration from nature, pursuing arts of all kinds, exploring outdoor sports, and developing as a teacher and coach. Currently she interweaves the arts and environmental sciences into personal and family development opportunities as manager and resident artist of The Folk School at Martis Camp Club, which she has presided over for the past 7 years.
