Drawing allows you to observe the world closely and to thus discover wonderful things about living things.  In this two-day workshop, we will investigate the beauty of plants from several perspectives.  On Day One, we will begin with some warm-up exercises designed to get even the most art-shy person loose and convinced they can, in fact, draw.  We will learn some basic plant anatomy and ecology so we can better understand what we’re looking at when we see a plant.  We will then use the microscope to observe living plants at a scale we rarely see, and learn some techniques for rendering technically accurate drawings.  After lunch, we will draw whole plants using several media – pencil, pen, and color pencil.  Finally, we will plunge outdoors into the lovely Conway School grounds to try our hands at landscapes, using the big, sensuous colors of pastels.  On Day Two, we will examine some great examples of botanical illustration and discuss what makes these works aesthetically (and scientifically) effective.  Participants will then pick a botanical subject of their own – at the scale and using the medium of their choice – and finish a piece, with lots of one-on-one support from the instructor.