Drawing in Nature - With the Plants

                                       

Lungs of the City - Drawing in Nature

Today in Chapultepec Park, CDMX, was the first session of the four Drawing in Nature classes!

We focussed on breathing, grounding, stretching and being present, before beginning our tree sketches. We didn't spend too much time on techniques but spoke briefly about the hand-eye-mind loop of observation drawing, texture and mark-making, shading and making things look 3D.

2 hours passed by super fast and the group were happy with our 4 warm up drawings, and one extended sketch. We ended with an 'embodied breath drawing', inspired by artist Luisa McCormack. 

I loved the session and I hope the group got something out of the experience of being in nature!

We tuned our senses otherwise, and by this process the aim was to connect to the more-than-human through an extended time frame... 

Drawing in Nature - workshop series

 I am very pleased to announce this new drawing workshop series taking place in April and May. It ties into my ideas exploring drawing as quiet ecological activism. 

In the Larval Stage - Research Stream

Hello all,

I wanted to update you on the work I have been up to with my artist scholarship programme with Creature Conserve - who work to bring artists and scientists together in an effort of conservation. The work is centred around the Mexican Axolotl, the mysterious and magical amphibian that stays in its larval stage, and has the capability to regrow limbs, as well as it's embryonic cells curing some forms of human cancer. Important scientifically, and culturally here in CDMX, the axolotl is on the brink of extinction with only 34 left per square km in its endemic wetland ecosystem, Xochimilco. Although the research has been a little heavy - delving into the world of conservation biology and the socio-economic factors that affect and exist in and around the axolotl's habitat - there is hope within one on-going project occurring at Xochimilco. Scientists from UNAM university are working collaboratively with local people in a pioneering bottom-up conservation project. By creating 'Chinampa-refuges', the scientists are working with local farmers to promote traditional 'MILPA' (multi crop - squash, corn and beans), ways of farming, that doesn't use pesticides, whilst creating smaller areas of refuge for the axolotls. They use water plants as filter to keep the introduced predatory fish out of these refuges, as well as providing cleaner water for the farmers crop irrigation. I hope to visit one of the projects soon. But in the meantime, we visited as tourists. Here are my boyfriend's lovely documentary style photos of the trip. If you're interested in the project please see my new research stream blog at In the Larval Stage.

Artists to Watch - blogpost - ShePerforms

 

ARTISTS TO WATCH (a2w) www.sheperforms.com/sheperforms/charlie-betts-jessica-emsley-bella-schauer

Each month we invite a member of the She Performs community to share their Artists to Watch - a personal selection of artists whose work has caught their attention.

This month’s a2w - Charlie Betts, Jessica Emsley and Bella Schauer have been chosen by Anna Garrett.

Pollinator sketches installed at Guapamacataro, Mexico

Graphite on paper, 70cm x 50cm, 2021

POLLINATOR SAFARI - and community drawing workshop!

The local children loved finding the 16 pollinator species hidden around the Guapamacataro hacienda property! They had a map with 4 locations Jardin (Garden), Granero (Granary), Bosque (Woodland), Campo (Field) - where I conducted my entomological surveys. They had so much fun running to each insect to mark it off!! Ended with drawing workshop in the garden.