October Workshops, Nature Journaling with a Difference.

My October workshop in the Botanic Gardens was entitled "Nature Journaling with a Difference". 

After discussing the nature of journaling and an approach incorporating close observation and sensitive mark-making, each participant was given a concertina sketchbook and various ink pens to record their observations and sense responses. 

We discussed different possible approaches and the use of contour or descriptive lines. We allowed for the use of colour and word descriptions and the honing of all the senses to enhance the experience. 

Each participant was given a handout with some word prompts.

Here are a few photos from the morning.

Robyn Bauer Workshop

Workshops and progress photos

My monthly workshops in the Gardens are going swimmingly with no shortage of participants. The full complement of 12 has been reached and surpassed every time, with a few on the waiting list managing to sneak in also.

The topic for September was "Tips on Composition" and there were many practicing artists or sketchers who attended.

The outdoor component was held in the Aboriginal Trail area just off the main road. Plenty of shade in this spot.

It was quite a complicated lesson but putting it into practice outdoors consolidated the concepts.

Perfect weather for working outdoors. 

Not a great photo of the sketchbook throw-down due to the shadows but it just started to rain slightly so people were scurrying for cover.

The drawing above was done in the City Botanic Gardens as I do try to spend some time each month there also. The trees there are older and thus much more established. You can see distant vistas also through the different grouping of plants.

I just couldn't go past this tortured specimen of a Fig tree just up from City Hall. It's not actually in the Gardens of course but the drawing is certainly inspired by others I have been working on that are.

Robyn Bauer sketching on location

Here I am working on my very long concertina sketchbook, the results of which will be revealed shortly.

Every part of the book has been drawn on location in the gardens.

A studio shot of a small part of the book.

Above shows several of the pages collaged into one photo.

Still working on others like these!