Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
A Fun Drawing Lesson
I thought I would share a fun drawing lesson that I learned from a book called Drawing Nature. I borrowed the book from the Nature Center, and unfortunately I don't remember the author's name. This lesson applies to all types of drawing not just nature. If you've taken a drawing class, you may already be familiar with these exercises. I know that not everyone enjoys drawing, but I think drawing really helps people take the time look carefully, it helps me remember things that I've seen, and you can create some wonderful art. I liked these exercises because it made me think about how I look at things and helps me improve my hand-eye coordination. I did the lesson with a bunch of 10 year-olds and they seemed to enjoy it, too. Parts of the lesson are a real challenge. You can spend anywhere from 20-40 minutes on the lesson.
1. Pick something to draw. It's good to start with something small, and somewhat simple. You can also choose something in a photo.
2. Observe the object. Spend 10 minutes looking at your object from all angles, trace it with your fingers, close your eyes and feel the texture, perceive how it is proportioned, notice as much detail as possible.
3. Draw from Memory. Put your object away and take 5 minutes to draw everything you can remember about your object.
4. Contour Drawing- Draw without looking at the paper for 5 minutes. Put your notebook under the table. It is really hard to not look. Putting the notebook under the table keeps you from cheating. This is my favorite exercise because the drawings are really funny looking.
5. Gesture Drawing- Draw very quickly for about 20 seconds. Don't worry about anything, no erasing, no worries. This exercise helps you see the most important part of the object and get the feeling of the drawing. It is my second favorite exercise. It helps me loosen up and have fun.
6. Detailed Drawing. Now, draw your object getting as much detail as you want. You can shade parts to make it 3D, ad notes such as the color of the flower, and ad texture. Give yourself 10-20 minutes to make a final piece of art.
1. Pick something to draw. It's good to start with something small, and somewhat simple. You can also choose something in a photo.
2. Observe the object. Spend 10 minutes looking at your object from all angles, trace it with your fingers, close your eyes and feel the texture, perceive how it is proportioned, notice as much detail as possible.
3. Draw from Memory. Put your object away and take 5 minutes to draw everything you can remember about your object.
4. Contour Drawing- Draw without looking at the paper for 5 minutes. Put your notebook under the table. It is really hard to not look. Putting the notebook under the table keeps you from cheating. This is my favorite exercise because the drawings are really funny looking.
5. Gesture Drawing- Draw very quickly for about 20 seconds. Don't worry about anything, no erasing, no worries. This exercise helps you see the most important part of the object and get the feeling of the drawing. It is my second favorite exercise. It helps me loosen up and have fun.
6. Detailed Drawing. Now, draw your object getting as much detail as you want. You can shade parts to make it 3D, ad notes such as the color of the flower, and ad texture. Give yourself 10-20 minutes to make a final piece of art.
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| Fossil Drawing 1.Memory 2. Contour 3.Gesture 4. Detailed |
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| June Beetle 1.Memory 2. Contour 3.Gesture |
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| Contour Drawings of Sleeping Dogs! |
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Spring has Arrived!
Spring has arrived in Austin, TX. It seemed to come suddenly and earlier than
normal. The signs that I am especially enjoying
are the smell of my Mexican Plum tree blossoms, the special sight of Sandhill
Cranes heading north, bluebonnets and spiderwort wildflowers blooming, and
watching birds collecting nesting material.
The cardinals are making music. The
grackles are doing dances. It’s a
beautiful time of year. Another super surprise
was one of the apartment chickens had a batch of chicks. Our apartment has chickens, 2 hens and a
rooster. They escaped from someone else’s yard and just
run around pecking and cockle-doodle-do-ing.
One reason that spring caught me off guard is that this year
is so different from last year. Last
winter, we had freezing weather followed by a severe drought. This year we have had a warm winter, and
above average rainfall. Gardening with so much variation can be a challenge.
This is my fourth spring planting season
in Austin, and each year is unique. Both this year and last I planted broccoli and
peas on Jan 20, but last year everything froze. I was able to replant the peas, but didn’t
get any broccoli. My pea and broccoli plants are growing like
mad this year. Hopefully it doesn’t get too hot too soon before we get some
veggies. I usually plant tomatoes in the
2nd week of March with the knowledge that everything could still freeze. So far, I’ve planted 2 tomato plants with the intention to plant at least 4 more.
Some people planted tomatoes about 2 weeks ago, and the plants are doing
well. I appreciate farmers who actually
grow things for a living, and allow me to run to the grocery store.
What signs of spring do you enjoy the most?
What gardening tricks have you learned?
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| Spiderwort bloom |
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| Red Admiral on Mexican Plum |
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| Zoom in to find chicks. |
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| Fuzzy picture taken through our bathroom window screen. You have to be very sneaky to get a photo of these chicks! |
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Let's see if this works?
I think the quiz will work, but it I'm not sure I got the scoring correct.
Please let me know how it works and if you like quizzes.
Mammal Quiz 1
See if you can the answer 5 mammal questions.Monday, March 5, 2012
NAI Conference
Last week, I attended a conference of Interpreters. The conference was designed to help people who work at nature parks, zoos, and history museums be more effective in reaching people. I attended several sessions including how to write information signs, working with preschoolers, voice exercises to speak clearly, and designing lessons that appeal to teachers on field trips. I also got to go behind the scenes at a history museum and see how displays are made and managed. The conference was fun, and I was encouraged.
The people at this conference were very passionate and knowledgeable about their sites. Everyone at the conference genuinely wants to help visitors get the most out of their visits and would like reach more people. Most of you (blog readers) are either fellow nature center staff, or family and friends who spend hours outdoors. Most of you are interpreters, too. You help others including your kids, nephews and nieces, and friends connect to nature. You enjoy learning and sharing your knowledge. Unfortunately, most of the US population live in cities and people don't spend as much time outdoors. That is why being an effective interpreter is important.
Have you been to a really good museum lately? What did you learn? What sticks with you about the museum? How did you connect to the material?
The people at this conference were very passionate and knowledgeable about their sites. Everyone at the conference genuinely wants to help visitors get the most out of their visits and would like reach more people. Most of you (blog readers) are either fellow nature center staff, or family and friends who spend hours outdoors. Most of you are interpreters, too. You help others including your kids, nephews and nieces, and friends connect to nature. You enjoy learning and sharing your knowledge. Unfortunately, most of the US population live in cities and people don't spend as much time outdoors. That is why being an effective interpreter is important.
Have you been to a really good museum lately? What did you learn? What sticks with you about the museum? How did you connect to the material?
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| Broccoli plant with water droplets. So pretty! |
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