Do you want to learn to draw flamingos?

At the very beginning of 2024, Mama Tierra was approached by Wild Life Drawing UK with a special fundraising opportunity. They wanted Mama Tierra, with the Flamingo Project, to be part of a class in which people will learn not only how to draw a flamingo but also about the conservation efforts that Mama Tierra through the MANGLE Organization in Venezuela, is determined to do. In addition, Wild Life Drawing is committed to donate 50% of their ticket sales to Mama Tierra and the MANGLE Organization !

To give you a bit of background, Wild Life Drawing was set up by Jennie Webber back in 2014, when she was starting out in her career as an illustrator. With a passion for drawing animals, she soon desired to sketch living breathing animals; to see the way they moved, hear their noises and feel their fur, scales and feathers. This desire grew to become Wild Life Drawing. Their in-person drawing classes now run up and down the UK, and their online program, a byproduct of the pandemic, spans the whole globe. What we find most special about Wild Life Drawing is that every single ticket sold raises money for animal charities and with every class, they bring people closer to nature through creativity. That’s a remarkable achievement. And Mama Tierra is very grateful and very proud to play a part in Wild Life Drawing’s mission.

The Flamingo class will be led by artist (and co-founder) Jennie Webber, who will begin with an introduction to observational drawing and her top tips for capturing flamingos on your pages in all their pink perfection. The class is open to all abilities, and to ages between 5 and 105. Jennie will be on hand with lots of creative guidance throughout the session. Dr. Lourdes Grollimund, Mama Tierra’s CEO, will join the class to talk about Mama Tierra’s work. Lourdes will also be translating for the second guest of the evening, Dr. Lermith Torres, President of the MANGLE Organization. As one of the world’s leading experts on flamingos, Lermith plays a key role in the protection and conservation of the fragile ecosystem of Los Olivitos lagoon, which is the habitat, shelter and nesting area of the largest population of flamingos in the Caribbean. This is why the Los Olivitos coastal lagoon in Venezuela was declared a RAMSAR area in 1996. There will be time for the participants to ask the experts plenty of questions.

You will come away with not only some great sketches but a greater understanding of these birds and their habitat. The basic materials you need to take part are some paper, a pencil, a sharpener and a rubber, but Jennie will also be using pastels to capture the tones of the flamingo’s feathers, so if you’d like to do the same, we recommend having some at hand too. We will be drawing from reference images provided by Dr Torres, which will be emailed to you (along with instructions and the Zoom link) before the event is due to start. As with all the online sessions, a recording of the class will be sent out afterwards so that you can watch it back as many times as you like.

So, are you in? Book your class here

When: 10th Apr 2024 7pm – 8:30pm GMT, 8pm – 9:30pm CET.
Where: This is a live-stream event via Zoom.
Please note that the class will be in English.

Flamingo at the Los Olivitos lagoon in Venezuela.