From Sight to Sketch: Bringing the Desert to Life on Paper

Summary: Practice your observational drawing skills, capturing wilderness, and wildlife in sketches! This field sketching workshop covers rendering the flora, fauna, geological wonders, and vistas of Joshua Tree National Park.

• This class is held at Black Rock, with the classroom portion taking place in the Black Rock Nature Center education room.
• Anyone may attend! No drawing experience is required.
• This beginner-friendly activity is suitable for ages 12 and older.
• No park pass is required.
• Participants must bring their own art supplies, including paper and drawing utensils.
• No meals or equipment are provided.

The indoor portion of this class is ADA accessible. It requires very little travel with ADA accommodations, such as accessible parking, available.

The outdoor portion is leisurely and can be modified to accommodate participants. It requires less than 2 miles of walking with shade, seating, consistent terrain, and little to no elevation gain. Please email desertinstitute@joshuatree.org if you need specific accommodations.

Instructor Aidan Koch: Aidan Koch is an artist and graphic novelist based in Landers, California. Her work is focused on ecological storytelling. Koch has exhibited across the United States and Europe, and her most recent book, Spiral and Other Stories, was published in 2024 by New York Review Comics.
www.aidankoch.com | @aidanalexiskoch

Photo credit:  NPS/Hannah Schwalbe