Encampment of Eternal Hope - Botanical Illustration workshop

Encampment of Eternal Hope by Walker Bromwich

Wild weedy plants are often overlooked. Here we use botanical drawing approaches with ready-to-hand materials to help us get closer to these amazing organisms.

Weeds are our pavement, roadside, wasteland companions. Even if we appreciate the contribution they make to our ecosystems, we may not be aware of the majestic intricacy of their lives and structures.

In this workshop you will learn how botanical illustration can be a tool to look intimately at a plant and to understand it in a botanical context, then communicate the botanical information about a plant that makes its species unique. We will look at what makes the practice special and how it can be both a lasting way to communicate the science of botany, and a set of useful foundational skills for artistic work with plants. Live and pressed plants (herbarium specimens) will be our source material for the workshop. We will share our methods of recording through drawing plants—from measuring to capturing perspective to observing tiny details—making the most of biros, stick-pens, any old bits of recycled paper, with an added splash of ink!

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About The Encampment of Eternal Hope:

Climate House presents The Encampment of Eternal Hope by Walker & Bromwich – coming to The Briggait, Glasgow, for the international climate summit, COP26, 31st October – 10th November. The Encampment is an immersive environment, forming a central hub for creative fringe activities throughout COP26. Amplifying Indigenous voices through workshops and events that bring together artists, academics and activists from Scotland, Colombia and across the world. You are warmly invited to come and engage in meaningful dialogue about the effects of the climate crisis within a playful, dystopian woodland encampment of giant inflatable sculptures.

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Artists’ Bios:

Jacqui Pestell, visiting botanical artist

Jacqui Pestell is head of Botanical Illustration at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). For Jacqui, the world of plants is a never-ending fascination and source of inspiration which, through the RBGE has led to many collaborative initiatives with students, botanists and environments around the world. She values taking time to closely observe plants for drawing and painting- in a meditative way, whilst learning about their life cycles and significance to the world we live in.

A very important role is played by the RBGE in broadening public awareness of natural environments and encouraging a better understanding of how we share our world with plants. Communicating this through art is a long-standing passion and leads into the future.

Sarah Roberts, visiting botanical artist

Sarah Roberts is a botanist and artist with a practice spanning bioart, painting and illustration in which she tries to understand, celebrate and befriend organisms human and non-human. She has been working with RBGE’s collaborative and educational projects for eight years.

Walker & Bromwich:

Glasgow based collaborative duo Zoe Walker and Neil Bromwich are known for their large- scale iconic sculptural works, participatory events and exhibitions that invite audiences to imagine better worlds. At the core of their practice is the exploration of the role art can play as an active agent in society, evolving environments and situations within which people can begin to re-examine the world around them.

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Project supported by:

Climate House, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh