Want to learn some very basic ways for drawing the nature you know and love here in Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge? Join illustrator Clare Walker Leslie in a Sunday afternoon session on November 13. Appropriate for ages 10 and up, teens and adults. No previous drawing experience needed. Bring a drawing pad, several pencils and an eraser. There will be materials provided, as well. Workshop takes place indoors. Meet in Story Chapel, masks required. Registration required HERE. $7 for Friends of Mount Auburn, $12 for nonmembers.
In this Wellesley College Botanic Gardens class on four mornings, November 2, 4, 9 and 11, from 9:30 – 12:30, Tara Connaughton will help sharpen your drawing, painting, and color mixing skills through a series of small studies of fall treasures such as leaves and dried fruits. Each week will focus on a different subject with the goal of accurately representing each specimen’s form and color with watercolor. Emphasis will be placed on painting technique as well as the process of analyzing, mixing, and rendering color. Prerequisite is the completion of at least one Foundations class, or equivalent. Online via Zoom. WCBG members $150, nonmembers $190. Register by calling 781-283-3094.
A very special art class will take place at Hollister House Garden, 300 Nettleton Hollow Road in Washington, Connecticut, on November 12 at 10 am. Create a “gift from the heart” with this simple woodland watercolor scene, just in time for gift-giving or a holiday card! All skill levels welcome in this workshop filled with step-by-step demonstrations of a variety of fun watercolor techniques and plenty of individual instruction.
The watercolor workshops at Hollister House Garden are taught by Betsy Rogers-Knox. Betsy received a Certificate in Botanical Illustration from NYBG in 2006. Her work has been widely exhibited in the United States and at the Royal Horticultural Botanical Art Show in London where she was awarded the Silver Gilt Award.
Open to all skill levels. Materials List. Hollister House Garden Members $95 Non-Members $120 Register HERE.
Decorate a real mini-pumpkin using cut flowers, succulents, air plants, moss and foliage. Your adorable embellished pumpkin will last for several months! This New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill workshop takes place October 22 from 1 – 3 with instructor Mary Beth Hayes.
Mary Beth is an avid gardener and floral designer who began studying floral design so she could bring the beauty of the garden into her home. She’s taken classes with the Mass Horticultural Society and Cass School of Floral Design in Watertown, MA. She has studied with noted floral designers Francoise Weeks, Holly Chapple and Hitomi Gilliam. Mary Beth loves to share the techniques she’s learned with others so we can all “play with flowers” and create beautiful, natural flower arrangements and more.
$80 Member Adult; $95 Adult; $105 Adult Pair (Registration includes admission to the Garden) If you sign up as a PAIR your will receive ONE SET of supplies. A pair ticket is designed for two people to work together to make ONE PROJECT. All materials will be provided. Please bring your own clippers/floral scissors. Register at www.negb.org
On Wednesday, October 19 from 9:30 – 11:30, explore the beauty of butterflies and moths. This two-hour online workshop will introduce observational drawing techniques with pencil and then dive into colored pencil techniques used to create a rich, vibrant image. All skill levels are welcome. Fees: $30 HMNH members/$35 nonmembers. Advanced registration is required at https://reservations.hmsc.harvard.edu/Info.aspx?EventID=11
Learn how to capture the splendor of the Garden with the deep pigments that can only be found with pastels. This Berkshire Botanical Garden two part class is appropriate for beginners to intermediate students. A materials list will be provided upon registration. Students will work en plein air, learning the fundamentals of this medium before using it to render the late summer garden in all its glory. The class takes place September 29 and 30 from 10 – 3:30. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/garden-pastel-0
Cheryl Moore is an artist and educator who specializes in watercolor and oil pastel. With more than 40 years of teaching experience working with children and adults, she holds a BA from Rhode Island School of Design and has trained in botanical art with Janet Walsh, Charles Reid and Jack Flynn.
Refine your drawing and watercolor techniques with Sarah Roche and Wellesley College Botanic Garden in a six session class beginning Tuesday, September 27. You will focus on achieving the accurate representation of botanical subjects, with the fall project being Fungi & Ferns. Fall in the woods is an exciting time as all the showy plants have faded away, and the fungi, ferns and grasses become the stars. Your composition will be the result of your foraging. Observation, note taking and detailed sketching will be key since your specimens won’t be in their prime for long. You will create a painting of your habitat with all the fall leaves, twigs, ferns and grasses that are associated with your fungi. In person sessions at Elm Bank will take place September 27, October 18, and November 1. Other sessions are online. WCBG members $295, nonmembers $345. Register by calling 781-283-3094 or emailing wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu The series will be offered again January 31 – March 7.
In this virtual Wellesley College Botanic Garden class with Tara Connaughton, we will explore the colors, forms and textures of late summer fruits while fostering the important practice of using our sketchbooks to develop drawing and painting skills. The focus will be on observing and drawing a series of fruiting plants as well as exploring painting techniques to show rich color and varied surfaces. The class will take place Thursday, September 8, Tuesday, September 13, & Thursday, September 15, from 9:30 – 12:30, and all experience levels are welcome. $125 for members of WCBG, $165 for nonmembers. Register by calling 781-283-3094, or email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu
Explore the fundamentals of perspective with Carol Ann Morley and take your drawing skills to a new level. Learn methods of measuring and how to draw in proportion; foreshortening, overlapping shapes and illusion of depth; linear and atmospheric perspective; light source; and techniques of shading with graphite. Examine how key shapes like the cube, cone, sphere and cylinder underlie all organic subjects and are the foundation of drawing. Beginner to experienced students welcome. Carol Ann has led sessions with the Garden Club of the Back Bay is is an excellent instructor. The classes will be held at the Putnam Classroom at The Gardens at Elm Bank in Wellesley, August 22 & 23 from 9:30 – 3:30. Pack a lunch. Friends of Wellesley College Botanic Gardens $225, nonmembers $275. Email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu
Greet spring with flowers you create in this intensive Smithsonian Associates 3-session course March 5, 12, & 19 from 10:30 – 1 pm. Begin building your skills with the basic construction of the multi-hued tulip. Then, apply those new skills constructing a daisy’s complex stamen and brawny leaves. In the final session, construct an iris using wire to create dramatically shaped petals. Each session focuses on a different weight and type of crepe paper, including Italian, German, and Chinese. Beginners and seasoned crepe paper crafters are welcome.
Supplies are provided in a kit that will be mailed to the address on file at least one week prior to the beginning of class (a supply fee of $45 is included in the course price). If you need your supplies mailed to a different address, please email us at Associates-StudioArts@si.edu. Please order at least one week prior to the class date to allow ample time for delivery.
This class will be recorded. Please see our FAQ for recording terms and conditions. $160 for Smithsonian Associates members, $180 for nonmembers. NOTE: Registration will close for this program at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, March 4, 2022. Register HERE.
Other Information
The instructor is Karen Cadogan.
3 sessions, 2.5 hours each
This studio arts program is a Zoom Meeting to allow for patron and instructor interaction.
All Studio Arts classes require a ticket for each participant so that the instructor can provide individual attention to every student listed on the roster.
If you register multiple individuals, you will be asked to supply individual names and email addresses so they can receive a Zoom link email. Please note that if there is a change in program schedule or a cancellation, we will notify you via email, and it will be your responsibility to notify other registrants in your group.
Unless otherwise noted, registration for streaming programs typically closes two hours prior to the start time on the date of the program.
Separate Zoom link information will be emailed closer to the date of the program. If you do not receive your Zoom link information 24 hours prior to the start of the program, please email Customer Service for assistance.
