Let your imagination take flight! In this workshop, we will look closely at feathers, one of the hallmark traits of birds. By looking at both macro- and micro-scale patterns and how to match our observations with mark-making, we will build up a visual vocabulary for bird plumage. From this observational foundation we will consider how illustrators reinvent vanished animals like feathered dinosaurs or folk stories like the phoenix. Class will culminate in project time for everyone to experiment with their own creative project.

About Rachel Mirus: Rachel is a teaching artist, nature writer, and lifelong learner. Her passion is to inspire observation, experimentation, and creativity in students of all ages through her visual art, writing, and teaching. Originally trained in biology, she has worked in research labs and museums across the country, including the California Academy of Sciences and the Harvard Museum of Natural History. She continues to teach online for the Harvard Museum of Natural History, in person for Vermont nature centers and arts organizations, and has been a resident artist at public schools around the state. Rachel actively practices the skills of learning by pursuing hobbies she’s bad at, including Celtic harp, rock climbing, and belly dance.