Slow down and enjoy nature
Hidden away in a residential building in the mountains of New Taipei City’s Xindian District is Northbirds—Natural Aesthetics Time for Adults, a workshop dedicated to teaching botanical illustration to adults. Graced with wood furnishings and specimens of plants, insects, and birds, as well as full-length windows looking out onto a small garden where birds sing, the place seems unusually tranquil. The founder, Wu Pei-hsuan, is also known as “Teacher Northbird.” Always smiling, Wu speaks slowly, her voice exuding a calming energy.
On each desk, she has prepared watercolor pencils, graphite pencils, brushes, and magnifying glasses, as well as one potted plant for each participant, who will be working with it for the day. Wu starts off by introducing the plants, going over where they are native to, how they grow, and how they can be used in daily life, helping everyone keep in mind that our lives are actually intimately linked with such flora.
Next, she guides everyone through a careful observation of every detail of the plants, from the leaf shape and arrangement to how they flower, the sepals and bracts, and how they are pollinated. “Understanding the relationships between each of the structures makes it more meaningful to draw the plant,” says Wu. Keeping up a gentle pace, she leads the students through drawing, starting with the stem. Wu gives a demonstration first, then turns things over to the students, waiting until they’re done to move on. With her step-by-step teaching and guidance, even absolute beginners can produce beautiful botanical art.
Janet Wu (right), Kemson Chang (middle), and Zeng Yide (left) jointly run Cooking & Living, offering courses that enrich the senses and communicate the concept of “conscious living.”