Adults Arts & Crafts

Botanical Drawing 1

    

*this class has been rescheduled for Thursday, May 16th from 9 am to 12 pm

CNPS Credit: 3 hours

Instructor: Amy Tipton, UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens’ Assistant Director,

    BFA Drawing, MS Botany

Cost: $45.  Small materials list will be sent to registrants prior to class.

Plants offer an unending supply of interesting shapes, textures, and details for artists to discover and translate to the page. Botanists and artists alike must develop skills of seeing plants deeply.

Amy will help introduce participants to critical exploration of plant forms.  An understanding of basic plant parts and floral arrangement will be discussed briefly to assure accurate representations of the selected subject specimen(s).  

Once the participants choose a plant/flower to draw, they will learn how to select an interesting composition, capture the subject’s proportions, create a line drawing, and complete their plant portrait with a range of values created through an exploration of different types of mark.

Location: Classroom, McMillan Greenhouse, UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens

Class limit: 15

Minimum class size:  7

Level:  Beginner to Advanced (all that is required is an interest in plants and/or drawing!)

 

              

       

Plants, Palettes, and Pixels

   

Thursdays May 9 – October 24   9am – 12pm

Plants, Palettes, and Pixels is a weekly opportunity for artists to utilize The UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens for their drawing, painting, etc.  Bring your easel, your canvas, or your sketchbook. Artists are welcome to stay later than noon, and are encouraged to bring their lunch and gather informally with other artists at the picnic tables in the Idesia Grove of the Harwood Garden.   

Cost: $10 donation requested

Location: UNC Charlotte Outdoor Botanical Gardens

No pre-registration required; please sign in at the McMillan Greenhouse across from the outdoor gardens.  

Artists are asked to review The Gardens’ policies (https://gardens.uncc.edu/visiting-the-gardens/etiquettepolicies/) regarding staying on the paths and not picking flowers or other plant parts.  In addition, we ask that artists do not block paths from other visitors’ passage.

(Note for photographers: Art photography of the plants and scenery is welcome. Professional portrait photographers conducting photo sessions should instead follow our policies outlined here.)

 

 

Painting the Garden: A Plein Air Workshop

    

Date: Saturday, May 18th,  9am – 12pm

Instructor: Jen Spaker, Fine Artist

Cost: $60 / $55 for members

Paint package: (if you are not bringing your own supplies) $25

Come paint the gardens! This class is suitable for beginner to advanced artists. Jennifer Spaker, a talented local artist will be leading a three hour plein air (painting outside) class beginning with a half hour demonstration. She will be there to guide you through the process, provide assistance, tips, and techniques as you complete your own masterpiece painted in our very own Harwood Gardens! 

Jen paints in both oil and acrylics so feel free to paint in the medium you prefer. She has provided a suggested supply list for both oil and acrylics. You are welcome to bring your own supplies, however if you are new to painting, we have a supply package available (acrylic paint only) that includes paint, palette paper, paint retarder, and easel. You just supply your own brushes and canvas! This is a great way to save on the cost of paint (which can get expensive for good quality paint) and “try before you buy”!
To learn more about Jen and see some of her amazing work:
http://jenspaker.com/

Oil Painting Supply List: JenSpakerOilPainting

Acrylic Painting Supply List:  JenSpakerAcrylics 

Please note: in case of inclement weather, we will be painting a still life inside the greenhouse!

Registration Required

 Botanical Watercolor 1     

Thursday, June 6  9am – 12pm

Plants offer an unending supply of interesting colors for artists to discover and translate to the page. Botanists and artists alike must develop skills of discriminating color for plant identification and painting. In this class, Amy will help introduce participants to critical exploration of plant color. The class will explore basic color theory and color mixing. Participants will be provided with a variety of leaves, simple flowers, etc. to use for color studies. They will be guided to mix watercolors to match the multitude of botanical hues, tints and shades they see. Once the student feels comfortable with the colors they have created, they will create a simple line drawing of 1-2 plant elements and complete it/them with the colors they have discovered.

Instructor: Amy Tipton, UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens’ Assistant Director
BFA Drawing, MS Botany

Location: Classroom, McMillan Greenhouse, UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens

Class limit: 15
Minimum class size: 7
Level: Beginner to Advanced (all that is required is an interest in plants and/or color!)
Cost: $55. Paper and watercolors will be provided.  Students should bring a plastic palette and a variety of brushes (specifications will be sent via email to registrants prior to class).
Registration required

 

Through Butterfly Eyes: Making Art from Cellphone Macro-photography

    

*all photos taken by Wendy or by previous class participants

Date: Saturday, May 18, 1 – 4 pm

Instructor: Wendy Wilson, Adult Education Coordinator, UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens

Cost: $35 / $30 for members

Inspired by our Macro Photography Contest? Learn how to take stunning close up macro photographs using just your cell phone! Class includes a lens (no adhesives or mounting strips required), a tutorial on how to use the lens to take pictures, a photo shoot, and then using a creative app to turn your photos into art. You will leave the class with 3 art postcards which you can use for mailing, trading, or framing. 

Registration Required