CBAA Chairperson Mary Bess Gloria and Treasurer Carolyn Propst were seeking to provide activities for artists submitting work to a juried exhibit at the Cannon Beach Gallery. The theme, Terra Nova, requested that artists “blur the lines and depart from conventional interpretations of the landscape” and was curated by the CBAA Gallery Committee. As a volunteer for both CBAA and NCLC, Carolyn Propst reached out to NCLC Director Katie Voelke, who was enthusiastic about the possibility of bringing artists to the land to engage in the creative process while getting inspiration from the source that keeps on giving - precious planet Earth. Conditions could not have been more optimal on the date of the event. The days prior were foggy and misty, but Sunday morning brought lots of sun and a gentle whooshing breeze blowing through the plant life at the Reserve.
Dorota and Katie led the group of twelve on a short hike through the loop trail in the forest at Circle Creek, back around to a gathering spot beneath a large Sitka, where Dorota shared drawings from her own Nature Journal, where she keeps exquisite renderings of various botanical specimens alongside information she gathers about the plants and trees she encounters on her many hikes along the Oregon Coast. Arranged in the book by the month in which she saw them, Dorota also shared drawings that were completed on a Spring vacation to Florida, where the colors and ecology are very different than those found here in Oregon.
Dorota provided a demonstration of drawing basic shapes in nature - cylinders for trees. She encouraged students to examine the angles or directional lines that they observed and capture the basic essence of the specimens rather than starting with a detailed drawing. She gave demonstrated shading, with a discussion of value in color from dark to light, and as well as the practice of creating texture. Students then dispersed into various areas, either along the trail or under the shade of the Sitka, to practice their own drawings of their observations. Dorota was on hand to answer questions and provide guidance and feedback when needed.
For the full post written by Mary Bess see
http://nclctrust.org/blurring-the-lines-between-art-and-nature-at-circle-creek/