Drawn to Natural History
Sketching and Journal Basics for Curious Minds
This workshop can take you from “I can’t draw” to “Look at all the ways I could use drawing!” (or be a fun refresher for more experienced folks).
In this lively, hands-on workshop, you’ll be introduced to an evidence-based toolkit for observational/live sketching that you can use to record your experiences and observations, document your curiosities and, if you’re so inclined, integrate drawing into research, teaching, and sharing science.
Why do we think this workshop is for everyone? For millennia, humans have used drawing to record their experiences and questions about nature, and drawing is known to improve memory and learning and help people make more tangible and long-lasting connections to concepts and places. Equally importantly, creativity is a whole-brain process and artists, scientists, and anyone curious-minded about their surroundings can use drawing to engage more deeply with where they are and what they experience. During the workshop, participants will learn and practice fun sketching techniques that professional artists also use to warm up, give themselves permission to make messy (and managed) marks, and draw expressively. Participants will also engage in discussions about the history of art-science connections, ways art has inspired science research and tools, botanical artists with connections to Quebec, and more.
Participants should arrive with an open mind and some drawing materials. You will need something to draw on and with (doesn’t need to be fancy; printer paper and pens/crayons are fine!) and two small objects to draw. These objects should fit in the palm of your hand (think seashells, pinecones, etc.).
About the Guests
This workshop is led by Bethann Garramon Merkle, MFA, and Dr. Louisa Blair.
Bethann has taught curious and reluctant minds to draw for nearly 20 years, including previous offerings across North America and in Quebec City (such as her illustrated column in the Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph). Today, Bethann is an award-winning artist, writer, and professor at the University of Wyoming, where she teaches about and studies intersections between art, science, and creativity.
Louisa is a writer, translator, and editor with a penchant for intersections of science and history. Her most recent book, The Calf with Two Heads: Transatlantic Natural History in the Canadas, is coming out in November 2024.
