2023 Master Class in Botanical Illustration - Vodudahue, Chilean Patagonia

Vodudahue Reserve is an extremely special place for botanical painting, due to its natural beauty, biodiversity and isolation.

The workshop, hosted by Fundación Alerce 3000 and organized by Fundación Chilco and Fundación Reñihué, is open to Chileans and international students. The course will be taught by Isık Güner, one of the talented Turkish artists that painted many watercolours of the renowned book Plants of the Woods of Chile, and the group will be accompanied by experts in the botanical field.

MARÍA JOSÉ ARCE. Art Director of Fundación Chilco. Architect and artist, she has specialized in children’s, botanical, and nature illustrations. Communications coordinator and teaching support for the workshop

JOSEFINA HEPP. Executive Director of Fundación Chilco. Agronomist and writer, her areas of interest are biodiversity conservation and science communications. General and logistic coordinator of the workshop.

BELÉN GALLARDO. Director and general coordinator of Fundación Reñihué. PhD in ecology, science communicator, and weaver. Co-creator of the series of courses: Botanical Field Illustration, an expedition to the Chilote forest. Teacher and field support of the workshop.

CLASSES

Pillán is a private natural reserve in the Reñihué fjord. Due to its natural beauty, biodiversity, and isolation is an exceptional place for botanical painting. This workshop offers a unique opportunity to work with a diverse range of Chilean plants found in the Patagonian rainforest, surrounded by snow-capped peaks and tidal fjords. Participants will also explore the Reñihué Valley and work with wild plants as the basis for each session with Isık.

Classes will demonstrate the different techniques of watercolour in botanical illustrations using subject matter collected by you in the forests, hills and meadows in an unspoiled part of Patagonia. We will explore this unique ecosystem with the company of a local botanist, learning about the plants and finding our wild specimens to practice and to prepare watercolour sketches. You will also be able to learn from Işık’s wealth of expertise working in the field and she will share many secrets and practical tips.

During these 5-day classes, you will learn measured drawing techniques and how to use watercolour in layers. Isık will demonstrate how her techniques and skills are used to describe these beautiful plants to achieve accurate and representative paintings. This workshop is designed to develop further your abilities in composition, drawing, colour, perspective and tone to produce high standard botanical illustrations.

Classes are limited to 10 students and will take place in a cosy wooden classroom-studio in a stunning setting submerged in Patagonian rainforest. Each student will have their own working space with one-to-one tuition throughout the course as well as group demonstrations.

DATES

Day 1 - 22nd October – Arrival to Puerto Montt, transfer to Vodudahue, meeting for dinner

Day 2 - 23rd October – Half day exploring the land, collecting our specimens, back to studio for our first drawings

Day 3 - 24th October – Botanical illustration Classes in the studio

Day 4 - 25th October – Half day exploring the land, collecting our specimens, back to studio for our drawings.

Day 5 - 26th October – Botanical illustration Classes in the studio

Day 6 - 27th October – Botanical Illustration Classes, Reviewing our final Works

Day 7 - 28th October – Departure after breakfast

COURSE COST

The cost of the workshop range between $990.000 CLP - $1.769.000 depending on the accommodation that is selected. Please note that there are 3 different houses (Mountain, River and School) and only 3 private rooms that will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The other rooms are shared (maximum 2 people) and are divided between 3 houses fully equipped for the stay. Please, to request more information you can write to contacto@fundacionchilco.cl

Included:

Transport from/to Hornopiren to Pillán
3 meals per day (Chilean wine at dinner included)
1 barbeque in the last dinner.
Accommodation at beautiful comfy houses at Pillán
Activities described in the itinerary

Not included:

Insurances
Transport from/to own home to Hornopiren
Materials not provided

PAYMENT

The payment structure is as detailed:

50% payment is required to book a place.
50% remaining, until Oct 21st (before the workshop).

Payment method accepted: bank transfer (details will be sent after approval)

HOW TO APPLY?

¡Applications are open!

Places will be assigned according to order of arrival, after a selection process by the organizers of the course. To apply, you must complete our online application form.

The application process will remain open until August 27th.

ACCOMODATION

Vodudahue accommodation is surrounded by Chilean temperate rainforest, surrounded by snowcapped Andean peaks and tidal fiords. These forests are home to pumas, guiñas, and a rich biodiversity of plants including the alerce (Fitzroya cupressoides) and tepa (Laureliopsis philippiana), climbers like estrellita (Asteranthera ovata) and botellita (Mitraria coccinea), and beautiful ferns, such as ampe (Lophosoria quadripinnata), costilla de vaca (Blechnum chilense) and the translucent helecho película (Hymenoglossum cruentum).

Our hosts, Fundacion Chilco and Alerce 3000, have a team of people who work at Vodudahue all year round. Beginning 1999 Vodudahue was owned by the American conservationist Douglas Tompkins. The high level of craftmanship and engineering of some of the houses, and the plant nursery are still standing and thriving. Vodudahue sits next to Caleta Leptepu, at the southern end of the Comau fjord, and part of the Carretera Austral.

You will stay in a peaceful accommodation, with plenty of good food, fresh air and wildlife. This will be a relaxing five days, with periods of concentrated study mixed with lots of fresh air, walks, and good food and Chilean wine.

HOW TO REACH TO VENUE?

The workshop includes transferring all students from Hornopiren to Pillán. Each attendee must buy their own ticket to Hornopiren. The arrival time is Sunday, October 22 in the morning.

WHAT WILL YOU NEED?

This is a practical course so you must bring your basic drawing and watercolour painting materials. A details list is found (detailed list of recommended material in the appendix).

Please also consider that the workshop will be mainly in English.

Recommended material list for the workshop

1. Drawing Pencil (2H, HB, 2B, 4B)

2. Divider

3. Eraser

4. Sharpener

5. Tracing Paper

6. Sketching paper (Smooth surface Cartridge paper or pad, 120-160 g/s, A3 or A4 size)

7. A range of Watercolour brushes (Number 4, 3 or 2, and some small number of brushes will be useful for fine details)

8. Palette

9. Watercolour pigments (Winsor&Newton Artists’ Value is recommended but any pigment you prefer to use)

10. Watercolour Paper (Minimum 300 g/s, Hot Pressed, 50-100% Cotton watercolour paper is recommended, but don’t hesitate the one you like to use.