26 JAN 2020 THOUGHT FOUNDATION

British Wildlife Biro Drawing Workshop
Thought Foundation
26 January 2020

WORKSHOP OVERVIEW

Jane's first public workshop of 2020, and what a workshop it was with brilliant drawings celebrating British wildlife created by attendees of all ages.

Four families attended this workshop. It's always wonderful to see parents and children sharing drawing-time as well as parents getting some 'me-time'. Helen and Clare, regular attendees related tales of their recent travels to see wildlife, Helen having visited the rainforests of Costa Rica which were teaming with species and where she was fortunate to see a mother and baby sloth and a quetzal, one of the most beautiful birds in the world.

This workshops presentation about helping wildlife and combating the bio-diversity crisis by starting at home (with kind thanks to Colin for his brilliant point about weeds):

LOOK AFTER YOUR OWN BACK YARD! Looking after local environments can help biodiversity flourish, no matter where we live and also help combat the climate emergency
Plant pollinator-friendly plants in gardens, pots and window boxes. Many pollinator-friendly plants from garden centre’s contain pesticides so plant from seed
If you don’t have a garden, volunteer for community urban or woodland planting schemes or beach clean-ups. Our gardens, parks and urban and rural wild spaces can become a network of nature reserves.

Image credit: Meadowmania

Using pesticides is harmful to both wildlife, and humans. Stop using pesticides and let nature look after itself, sparrows and other creatures will eat your greenfly! Leave weeds to grow in your garden, they are after all wildflowers and plants

Images top row left to right: Death's Head Hawkmoth and Small Elephant Hawkmoth; bottom row left to right: Oleander Hawkmoth and Broad banded Bee Hawkmoth 2012 colour Biro drawings, Jane Lee McCracken

DRAWING SELECTION

British species studied included:

Red FoxBrown Hare Endangered UK

Barn Owl

Red Deer

Common Frog

Badger

Death's Head Hawkmoth

Beaver Reintroduced

Scottish Wildcat Critically Endangered

Jane was particularly proud of Emma and Chris who had not drawn since primary school. Emma filled the paper with a beautiful drawing of a brown hare, now endangered in the UK and Chris drew a brilliant badger, proving yet again that everyone can draw!

Their twin daughters Charlotte and Olivia also made incredible drawings - both embracing their own unique drawing styles with Charlotte drawing colour lines around her grey long-eared bat and abstract marks on its wings and Olivia's beautifully captured red deer stag stands proud as a true Monarch of the Glen.

Five-year-old Isabel astounded everyone with her astonishingly accomplished barn owl as well as giving drawing tips to her mum who made a marvellous drawing of a common frog. Workshop regulars and superstar drawers Caleb and Jude also made fantastic drawings of a stag, while Lily made a sensitive drawing of a Scottish wildcat and her Emma, who has just recently taken up drawing, drew a wonderful fox with gleaming eyes.

Beavers were reintroduced to Scotland in 2016, and subsequently, Devon and Wales having been wiped out in the 16th century, and Violet's brilliant drawing in progress really captures these adorable creatures. Colin, Violet's Dad captured a sense of fluttering wings in his drawing of a Death's head hawkmoth on an abstract bark background, Edie's wildcat snarled and talented Mum, Alisa's drawing in progress of a red fox is going to be another gem.

Talented sisters Lizzy and Catherine made wonderful drawings of a common frog with heart and a barn owl with soul. Helen's elegant hare is also coming on brilliantly as is Clare's beautiful fox and Dawn's bold and confident Death's head Hawkmoth.