Praise the Pollinators

In this illustration workshop we will celebrate the incredible mutuality between pollinators and botanicals. We will give praise to the bees, butterflies and beetles that flit about our gardens. We will also spotlight some of the more unexpected species that play a role in botanical regeneration. Did you know that bats pollinate the bananas we eat? Even parrots and lizards play a role! We will convey meaning by depicting realistic subjects in aesthetic compositions. There will be plenty of time for presentations, demonstrations and individual instruction.

Zebith Thalden shares her passion and enthusiasm for the outdoors as a nature illustrator, environmental educator and author. Her own artwork presents hyper-realistic representations of insects, botanicals, amphibians and other living treasures. Her pieces have been featured in solo and group exhibitions in galleries, cultural centers, and art museums throughout the United States and abroad. She received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from Goddard College. Through her instruction, creative work and interdisciplinary collaborations she hopes to inspire a deep engagement with the natural world, ecological stewardship and connection through shared wonderment.

• You can choose to work with: watercolor, acrylic paint, pastel (oil or chalk), and/or colored pencil

• References (images and insect specimens) you are welcome to also bring your own

• If you bring specimens, please be sure that they have been professionally preserved, and will remain in a clear container. *Do not harm any species or bring live creatures to this workshop.