Art in the Garden: Plein Air Artmaking Workshop Series

About the Program

Create artworks on paper amidst the beauty of SFBG, with a focus on drawing and watercolor painting. Led by artist Catherine Dauer, these outdoor sessions intend to build connection between nature and your art practice, and build community through working alongside each other in this inspiring natural setting.

Each 2-hour workshop will take place in a different area of the Garden chosen by Catherine to align with the week’s theme, with information about our subject gardens and plantings provided by a SFBG docent to enrich your experience. The group will likely move at least once during each workshop, which may entail reorienting your set-up a short distance, or walking together to another part of the Garden.*

You will be given the opportunity to produce multiple artworks between the group exercises and time for independent work. Ideas, skills and techniques explored in each workshop will relate to that week’s subject garden, and will include composition, contour drawing, color palette, light and shadow, brush and line work, layering, mixed media and others over the course of the series. Experimentation, personal style and an open discussion of artistic concepts, such as realism and abstraction, are encouraged.

Dates & Times

• Plein Air Artmaking Workshop 1: Trees

Sunday, March 6 @10:30am–12:30pm

• Plein Air Artmaking Workshop 2: Landscapes

Sunday, March 13 @10:30am–12:30pm

• Plein Air Artmaking Workshop 3: Plants, Petals, and Poetry

Sunday, March 20 @10:30am–12:30pm

About Catherine Dauer

Catherine Dauer is a lifelong artist with active plein air and studio practices. Her contemporary plein air watercolor paintings balance meticulous observation and rendering with an intuitive, responsiveness to the medium and the elements. She enjoys the serendipity of working outside, where stones, landscapes and trees are frequent subjects in her plein air artwork and sketches. Catherine’s art practice also encompasses mixed media, photography and illustration. She earned her BA from University of Cincinnati with studies in fine arts, art history, creative writing and architecture, and attended continuing studies at San Francisco Art Institute for fine arts and School of Visual Arts for illustration. Catherine has been awarded a 2022 Vashon Artist Residency in Washington’s Puget Sound.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cr8vcat/

Website: https://www.catherinedauer.com/

Things to Note

• Experience with artmaking, drawing or painting helpful but not required.

• You will need to arrive at the main gate at least 10 minutes prior to the start time to meet the group and walk together into that day’s Garden location, or plan to arrive at the at the designated location by the start time.*

• Some areas we’ll visit have some seating, or stones or logs to perch on, but it’s advised for your comfort that you bring something to sit on such as a cushion, blanket, or portable/camp chair.*

• A list of materials and supplies will be provided for each workshop in advance for participants to bring

*Please be in touch in advance if you might need physical accessibility accommodations or have accessibility questions. SFBG staff can help transport your supplies into the Garden if you are not able, and the workshop leader is experienced with physical disabilities.