Audubon To Offer Drawing From Nature Art Class

SOUTHBURY — Painter and natural science illustrator Dorie Petrochko will be teaching “Drawing from Nature” at the Audubon Center at Bent of the River on Sunday, March 18, from 1 to 4 pm.

Participants will learn how to capture form, texture and balance in their drawings of the natural world, sketching such objects as bird eggs and nests, bird mounts, trees, shells, driftwood, seedpods, leaves and skulls. A portion of the day will be devoted to drawing in the field, where Audubon’s nature sanctuary provides an ample supply of natural subjects for creative expression.

“Drawing from Nature” is open to adults, either experienced or beginning artists, who are interested in learning or expanding on their drawing skills. Fee is $35. A materials list will be provided to participants

upon registration.

Dorie Petrochko has taught art for over 20 years. She began her study of fine arts at the age of 16 when she began painting with Robert Brachman at the Brachman Studios in Madison. She received her BFA in painting from Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y., and her MA in Art Education at Southern Connecticut State College. She has taught art in both public and private schools and has given private lessons in her studio in Oxford, Connecticut. She currently exhibits her work in galleries throughout New England.

Ms Petrochko is pursuing her Certificate of Botanical and Natural Science Illustration from the New York Botanical Garden and teaches drawing and painting in nature centers throughout Connecticut.

To register for the class, call the Audubon Center at Bent of the River at 264-5098 or email the center at BentOfTheRiver@audubon.org and put “art class” in the subject line. Registration deadline is Wednesday, March 14.

Bent of the River is at 185 East Flat Hill Road in South Britain, about a half mile from Connecticut Route 172 off of I-84 (Exit 14).