science

Scientifically Inspired Whimsy

/ natashavannetten

I imagine you have probably heard the phrase, ‘variety is the spice of life’. However, I would prefer if the saying went, “curiosity is the spice of life.”

Variety often depends on outside factors, but curiosity comes from within. I think curiosity is a skill that we can nurture and develop and, when you do this, you will reap great rewards. Curiosity means to engage with the world and not just take things at face value. To question things and ponder.

Curiosity is something that starts off strongly when we are young because there is so much that we don’t know. Although it’s intrinsic, it is something we can loose. As we go through life we can slip into a pattern of accepting things as “just the way they are” and loose that attitude of engagement with life. This is why I think it’s important to stretch out those curiosity muscles and exercise wonderment.

Do you need a little curiosity kick-start? Here are a few places that I find inspiration:

One of the main topics that stirs my curiosity is whenever art mixes with scientific elements. Add a pinch of imagination and I am hooked! Speaking of which, I thought I would share a few photos from the Watercolour Animal Pop-up workshop that I instructed last weekend. These are just a sample of the incredible and intricate creatures that the participants created.

And here are a few creatures in more detail:

Upcoming events:

This Sunday (tomorrow) I will be participating at Apple Day, an event at Sea Cider from 11-4 as part of the market inside the pavilion. For more information about this free event as well as a list of my upcoming holiday workshops, please click here.

Drawing Under the Salish Sea & Upcoming Activities/Events

/ natashavannetten

Life gets busy and its easy to forget to pay attention to what we see—especially when it comes to nature. We see things we’ve seen before and automatically catalogue an object or creature, ticking a check box in our mind. Seen it.

This is the big hurdle when it comes to drawing from life: trying to teach your brain to slow down and try to look at something with fresh eyes, like its something you’ve never seen before. If you take time to draw what you see, as you see it in front of you, you will discover so much about it! Trust me, your brain and eyes will thank you for doing this. We humans are curious creatures, so do yourself a favoure and indulge yourself in watching nature.

I was recently asked to instruct a scientific drawing workshop supported by a grant from Early Career Ocean Professionals Canada (ECOP)…..which is why I found myself with an amazing group of curious humans at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea last Monday. This grant provided the opportunity, support and tools to offer this workshop, making it accessible and inviting to people who consider themselves early in an ocean-related career/studying ocean-related fields/interested in learning about our local marine ecosystems.

Photos from the Observational Drawing Workshop

Photo credit: Rosie Poirier & Natasha van Netten

My heart-felt thanks to Rosie Poirier , ECOP Canada, the Victoria Foundation and the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea for making this event possible.

Upcoming Events

Watercolour Animal Pop-Ups Workshop: Saturday Sept 20

This quirky and whimsical workshop is inspired by historical zoological illustrations, such as those from the Encyclopedia of Nature, where the images are created in layers that you can lift to discover the anatomy inside. We will use watercolour, collage, drawing and paper cutting during this workshop. Happening at the Vancouver Island School of Art, downtown Victoria.

For more information and to register, click here
(it’s already over half full)

Cadboro Bay Fest: Sunday August 10

Come check out the live music, community drumming, delicious food, engaging kids’ crafts, and informative interactive booths! Connect with ocean sports enthusiasts, learn about marine wildlife and discover how you can enjoy and support our oceans. 
If you know any young humans, bring them by to the craft tent! I have prepared a fun craft activity and will be facilitating it between 11am-3pm.

This is a FREE, family-friendly event 🙂 Find more info here

Ucluelet Market: Sunday August 31

At the end of August I will be participating in the Ucluelet Sunday Market. If you are in the area, come by and check it out! There will be loads of amazing vendors, live music, food and it in such a beautiful location 🙂 10am-2pm

For more info, click here.