Outdoors & Nature   

This four week class is about the subset of Nature Illustration that focuses on select views of trees, the part of their life cycle in-between dormancy and full bloom, and the Birds that perch upon them!

Students will learn about rendering techniques using a variety of materials when drawing bark, moss, and flowers that are in the buds, and/or berry stage, before they fully open up into flowers. The transition from Winter into Spring yields beauty in the creatures that we see, and the environments that they appear in. Students will learn a variety of techniques, varying from more realistic, to more stylized.

This is an exploration of the natural world around us.

These techniques can stay separate from piece to piece, or be mixed and matched in the same illustration.

Explore the basics inherent in Botanical Drawing, considering how to put together shapes, how petals and leaves attach to plants, and an overview of some different types of plants to draw. 

Know the importance of grayscale shading, going over how to get three-dimensional effects with pencil and value when it applies to color and how that applies in Botanical Art. 

Botanical Art that is more along the lines of nature journaling.

Foraging Location in Port Orchard will be listed prior to the Class.

This session is designed to enhance your spring/summer gardening as you invite pollinators to visit your yard. 

An overview on what a butterfly garden is and what it requires to create one. Students will learn information on butterflies and their needs throughout their life cycle, which plants suitable for this area are best for them, how to plant a garden that maintains blooms through almost all seasons, and additional tips and tricks. 

Class will be held on location at Cooleens Gardens 2232 NE Sylvan Way, Bremerton, WA 98310

Participants will be able to purchase plants to begin building their gardens!

Explore the world of pollinators and their vital contributions to our ecosystem and economy.

This course will focus primarily on honey bees and will cover the lifecycle and unique functions of worker bees, drones, and the queen in a colony, and how they make honey. Participants will gain hands-on insight into the essential equipment used in beekeeping, from hives to protective gear and tools, and will learn about the sustainable practices involved in harvesting honey and other products.

We will also discuss threats to honey bees and other pollinators and ways we can support them. 

Dry flies have been used for several hundred years.

These flies imitate an insect that has already hatched from its nymphal state, has wings, and is sitting on top of the water. 

Dry flies are most effective when imitating aquatic insects that hatch from the water system and will be most effective when the majority are transforming to the winged adult stage. This can be seen frequently with mayflies, stoneflies, caddisflies, and even others like crane flies and midges.

Due to the need for a dry fly to float they are tied on a hook made from a “light” wire. 

When you see insects swarming on top of the water, that is when you fish dry flies.