A wonderful thing
happens when people with like interests gather. There is a sense of
comfort and an understanding that you can really talk about what fascinates
you without offending or creeping out whomever you're conversing with.
If you've ever been on the receiving end of one of "those looks" you
know what I mean! From this security of being amongst your peers comes
a wealth of information sharing, inspiration and creativity. This was
the case for the 2003 GNSI Summer Workshop held at the Morton Arboretum
in Lisle, Illinois, July 7 - 11. A full class of 15 participants enjoyed
networking, socializing and learning the natural history and illustration
techniques of "Plants and Their Pollinators". Karen Johnson and Suzanne
Wegener did an outstanding job of instructing and keeping the class
on-track as many people were able to complete the illustrations they
began on the Monday of that week.
It was a very busy
workshop that had the participants going from 9am until almost 9pm daily.
After it was all over, I sent a survey to participants to get a feel for
their experiences at the workshop. The following are some of the highlights
from the week, along with some student comments. I'd like to begin by
saying that during the "quiet times" of the workshop Karen and Suzanne
were demonstrating, critiquing artwork, and sharing tips with students.
This was a daily occurrence and the class really appreciated all of the
individual attention!
The week began
on Monday with severe thunderstorms, introductions and a visit to the
Sterling Morton Library to view artwork and rare books from the Library's
collection depicting the relationships between plants and their pollinators.
Nancy and Michael Stieber, Curator of Rare Prints and Staff Librarian,
respectively, talked to the group and shared the history and stories
behind the artwork. It was an inspirational way to begin the workshop,
and helped get everyone in the right mindset to create some really beautiful
illustrations. After an introduction to plant and insect anatomy and illustration,
everyone selected their specimens and they were drawing! That evening,
Dr. William Bromel gave a very nice lecture about the biology of pollination.
He discussed and showed how plants and insects have evolved some interesting
adaptations and strategies for pollination.
Tuesday brought
with it more rain. Thankfully, Suzanne had potted a variety of plants
well before the workshop and Karen provided mounted insect specimens,
so people could still work despite the uncooperative weather. Watercolor
technique was the topic of the day. Nancy Halliday presented a wonderful
evening workshop on "Mixing Nature's Greens" that was complimentary to
Karen and Suzanne's instruction earlier in the day and very informative.
The weather finally
cooperated on Wednesday, allowing for a field trip to the Ray Schullenberg
Prairie for some collecting and observation. Everyone particularly enjoyed
this opportunity to get out and see pollination in action, as well as
flowers in their natural habitat. Elayne Leighton said it very well:
"If I must select
a favorite part of the workshop, it would have to be the experience in
the Prairie, where we were asked to observe pollinators in action with
their flowers. Here, participants could view the subjects that would be
selected for the illustration and compare them to the preserved specimens
provided in the lab. This way, the detail for an accurate illustration
that was available in the lab did not compromise a realistic representation
of the orientation of the insect with a particular flower. This part of
the workshop also allowed all of us to make the best use of a beautiful
day with plants and pollinators in a natural setting, adding field sketching
to the experience."
As the end of the
week grew nearer, everyone was working extra hard. Thursday was devoted
to drawing and painting, and a lot was accomplished. Karen Ackoff traveled
from Indiana to present a great workshop on ink wash to the group - it
was fun and a technique that many people had never tried before.
Friday came way
too quickly, and Karen and Suzanne had a final critique for everyone.
It was beautiful to see all of the artwork hanging up, almost complete,
and see the tired but exuberant faces of the artists who had created it.
To end the week we had a celebratory pizza party at the Thornhill Picnic
Shelter.
While a lot was
accomplished during the week, the effects of the Summer Workshop last
way long beyond the workshop. One of my favorite comments is from Carol
Rawlinson, and I think it is a nice summary of what illustrators in any
field experience after learning more about their subjects: "My most favorite
part was learning about and becoming more aware of insects. Monday, when
I walked through a patch of prairie planted at the "L" Station and saw
the beetles and bees on the plants, I felt like I was seeing friends!"
