From Sky to Root: Drawing Trees in Plein Air

From Sky to Root: Drawing Trees in Plein Air

Instructor: Madelaine Kobe

Day & Date: Saturday, November 9

Time: 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Tuition: $65.00

Location: This workshop takes place on the John C. Campbell Folk School Campus. A workshop reminder email will be sent a week prior to the workshop with information on where to meet and check in. In the event of rain, students will expect to spend more time inside in either the lower Keith House Classroom or Open House, our open-air pavilion in the garden. Keith House is #1 and Open House is #5 on the Campus Map

Ages: Adult (18 and Up)

All levels are welcome. No experience required.

Students Please Bring:

• Note taking materials.
• Bring 1-3 printed photos (8 ½” x 11”) and a story about your favorite trees(s) to share with the group. No need to know the exact species. Tell us how that long armed fella stole your heart!
• Something to sit on (outside): picnic blanket, towel, camping chair, folding chair, etc.
• (Optional) A snack and/or water bottle.

Do you have a special tree in your life? One that’s near and dear to your heart? Come tell us about it! Together we’ll select some of our favorite trees on campus to draw. Referencing the unfurling of Japanese scrolls, we’ll learn to draw trees from their heads to their toes, from their roots to topmost branches.

This workshop is rain or shine. Please plan to dress for the weather.

Instructor provided materials are included with an estimated $ 20 FEE PAYABLE TO THE INSTRUCTOR at the time of the workshop. Material fees may change depending on the number of participants and price of materials at the workshop. *Payment by cash or check is required for materials fees. 

* Workshops are subject to low enrollment cancellation if the minimum number of 4 students is not reached. You can check enrollment listed below the workshop photo. We update these manually so if you have any questions, you’re welcome to call Olive’s Porch for more information.

About Instructor: M. Kobe is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They earned an MFA in Painting from Boston University, a BFA in Painting, and a BA in Art History from Louisiana State University. Kobe is a storyteller and multi-disciplinary artist working primarily with textiles, found natural materials, and lucky objects. Drawing upon her experiences growing up in the American South, her work contends with the religious mythologies of her upbringing, superstition, notions of home, and cultural inheritance. In 2024, Kobe was an Artist in Residence at the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts and at Azule. They participated in several group exhibitions, including Into the Thicket at Morgan Lehman Gallery in New York, NY, and Homologous Structures at The University of Wisconsin Green Bay’s Lawton Gallery. She has an upcoming solo exhibition at Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA. Kobe was the grand prize recipient of the 2023 Esther B. and Albert S. Kahn Career Entry Award, the BU Women’s Council Scholarship, the Constantin Alajalov Visual Art Scholarship, and the Michael Crespo Memorial Scholarship.