It is happening! The second graders of Machias elementary have been naming the living organisms that live in their watershed. Because of their interest in the project, I came to them to give them a free beginner all day science illustration session which resulted in amazing works. Thank you to Stephanie Chlebowski, the distinguished teacher who got the ball rolling.

All of the second and fifth grade students participated in the tutorials and their experimental works are stunning. Each student trusted their own individual mark, each their own lines and each their own interpretations of my tutorials. Stay tuned as the Field Guide to the World takes off to catalogue the living organisms of the  Snohomish Watershed.

I’m excited to announce that I am going to  volunteer to teach science illustration classes in Washington State beginning in January. Here’s how it works:

I’ll teach a free session of “Art for Nature’s Sake” at your school or homeschool collective if the students can name 30 animals living currently in their watershed. I’ll be making the rounds starting in January with a mission to select the students who will become “Field Guide Ambassadors”. “Field Guide Ambassadors” will be invited to attend a summer camp where they will be trained as citizen scientists. Together we will catalogue the living things, and we’d like the children to be the watershed stewards, the keepers of the catalogue.

I will share a brief history of the pen and the students will be provided with a good pen and tutorials to help them become comfortable one line at a time. They will quickly learn that there are no mistakes in art when studying for curiosity’s sake. I can visit science, art, and library classes for a length that fits your school schedule. I have programs ranging from twenty minutes to two hours. Mainly, I want to offer them the chance to help us make the Field Guide to the World, starting with their own backyard.

We’ll begin with the endangered rivers, the Puyallup and Duwamish, and compare them to the healthy river systems, the Nisqually and the Elwah. Students of other watersheds will discover the potential for health surrounding their water sources as they share their findings. The diversity of life among us gives us hope and intrigue. We protect the thing we love but become overwhelmed by the decline of nature. I propose that when we look at renewal, we become energized to participate.

No student will be turned away from the ambassadors program because of financial need. I will need to raise funds to make this happen. I will need funding to help me cover rent at Walking on Water Studios where the Field Guide to the World workshops and “Thoughtful Parties” will happen. In order to train our “Field Guide Ambassadors” I will need eight months worth of funding. The budget is available to anyone who asks. But the need starts at $10,000.

Would you like to help me make this happen?
Please order a “Little People” print. Order a commission. Buy a painting. All of my current work will benefit this endeavor. If you click on the link below, you’ll be guided on how to contact me to order a painting, a print, or a commission.

http://karenlukefildes.org/blog/

Prints:

One Little People Print – $30
Two Little People Prints – $50
Three Little People Prints – $75

Mats – add $20
Frames – add $40

Personalized “Little People” Commission, Oil on cradled wood originals:

6 x 6  $200
8 x 10 $250
12 x 12 $400
11 x 14 $850

Shipping will happen December 8 and December 19. I will gift wrap your paintings and prints and I will add a card with your message so they will come with a little extra love.