Costa Rica Birds and Art with Susan Brickner-Wren

With 943 avian species recorded on its territory to this day, Costa Rica is one of the most diverse countries in terms of bird species per square mile in the World. Four of these species are strictly limited to Costa Rica’s geographical boundaries and more than one hundred regional endemic species are shared with the neighboring countries. We have designed this program to maximize the opportunities for the best birdwatching in combination with daily art workshops. This selection of destinations combines field work sessions, feeding stations, diverse landscapes and culture for exciting opportunities in field sketching, plein air painting and photography. With this wide variety of habitats and subjects comes an equally broad range of techniques for watercolor and sketching. Instruction will include perspective and light, color mixing and line quality, composition and focus. Susan’s work ranges from field sketching to large studio pieces, from birds and botanicals to portraits. She utilizes reference photos and field notes to follow up with studio pieces. Susan will share techniques for successful photography and watercolor painting, demonstrating a common base to help participants build confidence in the field. This program is flexible to ensure that there will be time to relax and enjoy the grounds of the lodges.