Sketching and Botany Days

Enjoy a day of guided botanical observations and sketching on a beautiful farm in the rolling Howardian Hills with Kate Pettitt (artist) and Frances Standen (conservationist, farmer and protected landscape management specialist). Frances will tell you all about the plants and wildlife in front of you while you work, allowing you to understand the place and flora of the landscape you are drawing/painting in more depth. Kate will guide your sketch book observations and techniques to help you collect useful visual information and explore your mediums.

Through the day, we will work out in the landscape and study details up close either outside or in the barn or cottage (depending on the weather and the subject matter). We will have lunch in the barn or cottage, and delicious home made cake, tea and coffee will be provided.

The aim of the day is to take away a series of sketches and studies that capture the unique spirit of the place and the subject matter in whatever style you wish to work in, but in a way that will aide recall and develop a a deeper understanding of the fascinating ecology of the area.

There will be some short creative exercises designed to help you ‘get your eye in’, relax into your surroundings and peel back the layers of colour, tonal and textural information in front of you, before visually exploring the subjects that capture your own interest. We will discuss how to record useful information in your sketch book so that it will aide your work and trigger memories of the landscape, flowers, fungi and wildlife when you’re back home. Throughout the day you will be guided in the use of your materials and Kate will share techniques that will help you to loosen up and work expressively.

Home made charcoal, honey and free range eggs will also be available to buy on the day.