Online Class: Botanical Close-ups in Watercolor Pencils

Join us as we capture the details of circular botanical subjects such as flowers or flower-like succulents using watercolor pencils. Inspired by Georgia O’Keeffe’s depictions of magnified floral close-ups, we will explore the mandala-like radial balance in her compositions that invite viewers to explore the inner intricacies of these magnificent natural forms. Through interactive demos and instructions, Sudeshna Sengupta will guide you through the concepts and techniques for basic drawing, tonal blending, and color mixing, zooming in on beautiful succulents for observational studies.

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This class is suitable for youth ages 12 and up. Children are welcome to participate alongside their adults.

Space is limited, reservations required.

This program will take place via the video conferencing app – ZOOM. Details for accessing the Zoom meeting will be with your receipt upon registering and again sent via email the day prior. Please register in advance in order to access the program. Note that all program times are in Mountain Time.

Online classes are not recorded. Online classes are offered only as a live and interactive experience.

Supplies needed for this class: 

– Mixed-media drawing pad in Strathmore 400 series or 140lbs acid-free Hot-Press watercolor paper pad or block in Strathmore 400 series or any other brand in any size between 9” x 12” and 11” x 14”. Thicker paper (140 lb or higher) is better.

– A set of watercolor pencils, Derwent and Derwent Inktense brands are recommended.

– A graphite pencil and an eraser.

– Watercolor round brushes – 3 to 5 in the range of sizes 6 to 12

– 3 to 4 Blending stumps (AKA Tortillons, often comes with drawing pencil sets) and or Q-tips

– Glass Jars or plastic containers for holding water

– Optional: Masking tape to keep the paper flat especially if the pad is larger.

About the Instructor

Sudeshna Sengupta’s career as a teaching artist spans multiple decades, continents, and cultures that inform her pedagogy for decolonizing studio art. She received her Master of Fine Arts degree in 1985 from Visva-Bharati, an international university founded in India, by the humanist poet Tagore, the first non-European Nobel Laureate (1913). After teaching art and design at the college level in New Delhi, Seattle, and California, she taught at NMSU-Alamogordo, where she established its first intaglio printmaking studio in 1995. Since moving to Santa Fe, she has been teaching credit courses in online studio art at the Santa Fe Community College. She also conducts workshops and short courses and presents lectures and community-based art events for various age groups with civic, cultural, and community organizations in the US and in India, often with a focus on multicultural and inter-cultural experiences that emphasize human, cultural, and environmental connectedness through creativity. To see her art please visit: notes-and-doodles.com 

This class is being offered on a sliding scale.

$10; minimal fee.

$20; covers the cost of the class.

$30; covers the cost of the class, plus a contribution to support educational programs.