“Your Thursday” Artist Meetings: Conversation with Işık Güner: From Observation to Plant Drawing

Conversation with Işık Güner: From Observation to Plant Drawing

Led by botanical artist Işık Güner, the program explores the process of transforming the observation of a plant into a painting, using the sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) as an example. During the workshop, participants have the opportunity to closely observe the artist’s process at her worktable, including a live watercolor demonstration.

Guiding participants step by step through a process that begins with live plants and herbarium specimens and continues through sketches, paper, paints, and completed works, Güner discusses the materials she uses, her methods for observing plants, her approach to color and detail, and the relationship between scientific accuracy and artistic interpretation in botanical painting.

The program also offers participants the opportunity to examine the artist’s materials up close. In doing so, they discover the fundamental tools and methods of botanical painting while gaining firsthand insight into the making of a botanical illustration.

Date: September 10, 2026

Time: 13.00–15.00

Venue: Istanbul Modern Event Room 2

Duration: 120 mins

The event is free of charge