The guide of the "Religion and Trees" class
tour of Washington Square Park is one of the conveners of a weekly gathering to sketch the English Elm in Washington Square Park called Tree Wonder, and told us that tree alphabet artist
Katie Holten would be there for this week's gathering... Holten's alphabet is at the head of my course
syllabus, and I connected our weekly drawing sessions with
Tree Wonder early on. And the course started with a visit to that tree. (The picture above is from the day of our tour.) I decided this was the week to play hooky from church - well, my usual church! - and join in!
The weather wasn't golden like yesterday; indeed, a few scattered raindrops fell. But the group was a nice size, incuding a student from class, with her visiting parents, and another student, whom I'd told about it, with a friend - and I had a chance to speak to most of the other tree wonderers too! And draw. (All of our drawings will be on their
instagram page soon.) Holten told us about a practice she learned, growing up in Ireland, called "blind drawing" - you look at the object you're drawing, not the page you're drawing on - so I gave it a try. First looking down from time to time so as not to lose my bearings (above), then without that safeguard (below). Everyone likes the second one best! Holten saw eye movements; I feel tree buzz.
