The students of Adult Nature Sketch visited Toronto Botanical Garden this week for their second outdoor class.  We had a Naturalist join us to talk about the flora found in the garden and nearby ravine. 

We spent the day sketching in a few of the lovely gardens and made a series of stops in different locations so Sally could point out noteworthy plant communities, including a spectacular Dawn Redwood tree.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by plants due their complexity, but by breaking them down into simple shape first, you establish a foundation from which to add successive layers of detail, shading and expressive line work.  I believe the artists did an incredible job and their resulting sketches are very impressive!

The next time I'm in the area, I’ll be sure to take a closer look at that rare Cucumber Tree growing along the edge of the trail.

Next class, we’ll be exploring & sketching in Toronto's rare Black Oak Savannah ecosystem.