Observational Drawing

About Facilitators

John Grund is a comics artist, ceramicist, and community gardener. He makes comics about nature, technology, and the city. When he’s not drawing or sculpting, he can be found wandering the city, people watching, or planting a seed.

Leah Yassky is a movement artist working in NYC. With a foundation in contemporary choreography, Leah creates classes, performances, films, and commercial work. Leah loves growing cacti and everyday herbalism. 

Objective

The goal of this workshop is to observe and understand our relationships to our environment. Through a mixed practice of breathwork, observation, note-taking, and drawing, we will find a sense of place and form new understandings of how places change. This class will use drawing as a way to see the world.

Participants will begin with a grounding breathwork practice led by Leah. Then, drawing exercises with John will serve as warm-up before finally making an observational comic of their surroundings. What do you see around you? Any animals? Any plants? What are they doing? What sounds do you hear? What does the sound look like? Where is it coming from? What just happened? What happened next? These are the kinds of questions we are looking to answer in this class. 

What's Included

• Paper
• Coloring pencils

What to Bring

• Imagination
• Observational skills
• Mark making utensils you like to draw with (Optional)
• Paper you want to draw on (Optional)

Disclaimer

This is a 2 hour, outdoor workshop. We will be seated on grass in Brower Park. Bathroom accessible. In case of inclement weather, we’ll notify participants 2 hours before the start of our program.

For the safety of our community, we would like to kindly remind all participants that masks are encouraged at indoor workshops and going forward, the FM team will have masks available at all programs. In lieu of flu season and the ongoing pandemic, we ask that if you are feeling unwell or experiencing any symptoms of illness, please refrain from attending. Your consideration helps foster a more comfortable and accessible environment.