Prickly Pear cactus by Barbara Terkanian

Festival of Books

Prickly Pear cactus by Barbara Terkanian
“Burning Prickly Pear” by Barbara Terkanian

LAST WEEKEND we gathered a few of the usual suspected artists that hang around Tumamoc and went to draw at the Tucson Festival of Books. On the invitation of the UA Institute for the Environment, we held some public plant sketching sessions at their booth in “Science City” Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

The photos and artwork will explain themselves. But pay special attention to the handout on drawing the Prickly Pear. You can see that Barbara Terkanian followed it for her version. There are infinitely many styles of prickly pear cactus and all are valid.

Letter-size handout on "How to Draw a Prickly Pear Cactus.
Letter-size handout on “How to Draw a Prickly Pear Cactus.” (Click to enlarge) You can print this out for easier use.
Meredith coaches a young visitor in drawing a Verbena plant.
Meredith coaches a young visitor in drawing a Verbena plant.
Our site at the UA Institute for the Environment tent.
Tumamoc Sketchers site at the UA Institute for the Environment tent.
Meredith draws a brittlebush.
Meredith draws a brittlebush.
Paul's Verbena sketch
Paul’s Verbena sketch

AS IF THAT weren’t enough, Eric Magrane and I did a collaborative bookmark for TumamocSketchbook.com using one of my photographs to go with his poem. There are many left and they will be freely given out at the Desert Lab office on Tumamoc and at events. Something about the Book Fair seems to incite people to go all out and make it as complex as possible.

Tumamoc sketchbook bookmark tumamoc_bookmark_poem

 

 

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