The Art of Seeing: Light and Color

The Art of Seeing: Light and Color

The Art of Seeing: Light and Color with Mark Kesling

Santa Fe Workshops

June 10- June 20, 2025 Tuesdays and Fridays; 2:30 – 4:30 EDT

“Color is a pigment of our imagination,” Mark Rea famously said, highlighting how colors only come to life through our perception. In this new online workshop with Mark Kesling, photographers of all skill levels explore the interconnected roles of light and color in photography. We examine the science of light, understanding the electromagnetic spectrum and how different types of light (from infrared to visible) impact exposure, mood, and composition. At the same time, we investigate how light influences color perception, focusing on how light interacts with various surfaces and materials to shape the way color is captured in a photograph.

Throughout our group sessions, we engage in hands-on exercises that experiment with both lighting techniques and color theory. We learn how natural and artificial light affect color and how to manipulate both to create dynamic and compelling images. We also explore how color influences mood and composition, uncovering the emotional power of colors and how to use them intentionally in their work. From working with different types of light to experimenting with color grading and filters, you refine an understanding of both lighting and color, gaining new skills to elevate

Register Here

About Mark

Mark Kesling is a pioneering artist and science educator with over 30 years of experience in museum education, exhibit design, and science education. He has designed and managed major exhibits for institutions such as The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, The Carnegie Museum, and The Exploratorium. Currently, Mark serves as Founder and CEO of the daVinci Pursuit, a concept he conceived in 2009—a “science museum without walls” that brings educational exhibits to neighborhoods using outdoor spaces as galleries. Mark combines art and science to create engaging installations that serve communities in underserved areas of Massachusetts and Indiana.

Nature Journaling Workshop: Connecting Art and Science Through Observation

Nature Journaling Workshop: Connecting Art and Science Through Observation

Join us for an enriching Nature Journaling Workshop designed to help participants explore and engage with the natural world through the combined practices of art and science. This workshop invites you to develop a deeper connection to your environment by cultivating observational skills, creativity, and curiosity.

In this unique combination of book club, art lesson, and nature journaling, we will explore the natural world around us on the Cape through a 5-week session utilizing the book Keeping a Nature Journal: Deepen Your Connection with the Natural World All Around You by Clare Walker Leslie. Each session is designed to focus on a different part of Clare’s book.

We will begin with a guided discussion about the importance of nature journaling, including its role in scientific observation and artistic expression. Participants will learn techniques for effectively observing and recording their surroundings, noting not just what they see but also what they hear, smell, and feel.

Keeping a Nature Journal and supplies for each session are listed in Eventbrite.

Register Here

Dates, Times, Locations

Supply List

Book

Wednesdays: April 23, 30, May 7, 14, 21, 2025

10 – 11:30am EDT

Brewster Book Store, 2648 Main Street, Brewster, MA 02631

(Feel free to use/reuse what you already have or purchase from the Bookstore)

  1. Backpack or shoulder bag

  2. Journal with watercolor paper (cold press)

  3. Soft pencil (HB, H, or #2)

  4. Pencil sharpener

  5. Technical drawing pen

  6. Refillable brush pen

  7. Technical drawing pencil

  8. Binder clips

  9. Small ruler

  10. Colored pencils

  11. Watercolor pencils

  12. Watercolor set (pans or tubes)

  13. Small mixing palette

  14. Small sponge

  15. Small rag

  16. Small water bottle

  17. Small water spray bottle

  18. Small syringe (no needle)

  19. White gel pen

 

Keeping a Nature Journal: Deepen Your Connection with the Natural World All Around You by Clare Walker Leslie. 3rd Edition, Available at Brewster Book Store. 

Try to get a copy before the first class and read chapter one.

About Mark

Mark Kesling is a pioneering educator, designer, and professional photographer with a rich and diverse background in the arts and sciences. Beginning his photographic journey in the 1970s as a wedding and studio photographer, Mark has evolved his practice to focus on the dynamic intersection of art and science. His innovative approach utilizes scientific principles to enhance the artistic skills of photographers, making the learning experience both engaging and impactful.

With over 45 years of extensive work in museum design and education, Mark has established himself as a leader in the field. As the founder and CEO of the daVinci Pursuit, he drives initiatives that embody the concept of a “museum without walls,” fostering an inclusive and accessible environment for learning and exploration. His unique skill set enables him to blend artistic creativity with scientific inquiry, captivating learners of all ages.

Mark collaborates with a diverse range of partners, including neighborhood organizations, city institutions, and educational entities, to create meaningful art and science installations in communities. Through his work, he inspires and enriches the lives of those he engages, making a lasting impact on the cultural landscape.

 

Protected: Participants: Field Sketching Galls with Robin Carlson Part 2

More: Field Sketching Galls with Robin Carlson Part 2

Recorded Session:

Field Sketching Galls with Robin Carlson Part 2

Part 1:

Field Sketching Galls with Robin Carlson Part 2 – Session Ended – But you can still register for the recording at the link below.

Location: Online via Zoom Recording

Cost: $30 per session

Register for Recorded Session

The daVinci Pursuit is pleased to welcome illustrator and author Robin Carlson to our second series of online workshops about sketching gallls. In this series of two workshops, we will combine drawing, painting, and natural science. The classes will weave scientific knowledge into accessible and engaging instruction, where students actively create stories in their own artwork.

About Robin

Robin Lee Carlson is a natural science illustrator and the author of The Cold Canyon Fire Journals. She builds careful observations of the natural world into deeper commentary on ecology and climate change, and her work centers on field sketching ecoreportage, living documentation of the ever-accelerating transformation of ecosystems by human activity. Her work has also appeared in The Common, the literary journal of Amherst College, and in Arnoldia, the magazine of the Harvard University Arboretum. She teaches online and in-person workshops that combine drawing, painting, and natural history.

Robin is one of the 2024 recipients of the Fireline Fellowship, part of the Long-Term Ecological Reflections Program in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon.

https://robinleecarlson.com/
https://www.instagram.com/anthropocenesketchbook/

Made possible through the generous support of the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitiable Foundation

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