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Watercolor in the Wetlands

Watercolor in the Wetlands takes places on May 13 from 1 to 3 pm. Click here to register. $25 for members / $35 for non-members.

Time is to be treasured. If you are interested in Watercolor in the Wetlands, what it really boils down to is time and spending it well. Fontenelle Forest hums with history and the bees all waking up from their long winter naps. The breeze drifts through the trees and plants arise in slow motion. The Forest knows some things about time and spending it well. The trees know how to stand still and silent, enjoying all the days that pass by, soaking in the sun. This class is about learning from those trees more than painting with perfection. In this class we won’t be able to do it all. We won’t nail down every technique with perfection or do a masterpiece in two hours. Here is what we WILL do. We will take our time walking in the wetlands. We will notice the tiny moss and the large cottonwoods and everything in between. We will stop and sit and watch what goes on around us, and with brushes in hand we will find those things that draw us in and connect us to where we are. We will put aside our phones and forget about unanswered emails for a while, and observe every detail to relay it onto paper.

With a mixture of scientific illustration, creativity, and a love of the outdoors we will learn what it looks like to take our time in painting, dealing with the frustration of mistakes as they come. I hope that if you are considering taking this art class, you will see it as an opportunity to challenge yourself and grow. Painting outside, or “En plein air,” is not often something we take the time to do, and this is a great opportunity to set aside all of that and practice your skills of observation and creativity. We provide a watercolor book for you to keep, and pencils, brushes, and colors to use, but if you have anything at home you like to draw and paint with please know you are more than welcome to bring it along. We will stop and possibly sit along the trail so if you would like to bring along an easy to transport seat that would be useful as well. I cannot wait to meet those of you who sign up, and I hope that when you complete the class you will feel more confident with watercolors, know a few new exercises to help you practice, and sense a lot more connection to this wonderful place called Fontenelle Forest!

– Grace Noecker, Naturalist

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