TSPU students are winners of the International botanical illustration competition
The International Botanical Illustration Contest was organized by the Department of Biology of the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia. Our students Tatiana Sobina and Ekaterina Sycheva (second year) and Arina Maryina and Ekaterina Frolova (fifth year) demonstrated their knowledge and creative talents in the contest. The professional competition was organized by the Department of Biology of Herzen State Pedagogical University.
The competition was held to celebrate the 85th anniversary of Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Gennady Alexandrovich Vorobeynikov. Bachelors, master's students, and postgraduates participated in the event to develop their creative abilities, improve the level of implementation of educational projects, and increase their interest in the learning process at the university.
Future teachers from the TSPU joined the competition under the guidance of Associate Professor of the Faculty of Biology and Chemistry, Irina Borisovna Minich, presenting their portfolios containing sketches of various plants created during the study of disciplines and field practices. The students took part in the «Realism in Botanical Illustration» category and demonstrated drawings made with colored pencils, including watercolor pencils.
«The tradition of depicting plants can be called scientific botanical drawing and it is also a special direction not only in art, but also in the practice of studying botany. Scientific illustration is one of the oldest and most effective methods not only for learning plants, but also for their popularization, a means of scientific communication and an integral part of scientific works on botany, — says Irina Borisovna. — Studying the surrounding nature, in particular various types of plants with special properties, it is necessary to know their morphological and anatomical features in order to be able to classify them and subsequently recognize them in nature. Botanical drawing allows you to accurately convey all the features of plants. This is important for a future biology teacher: the drawing is a visual learning aid, activates cognitive activity, develops the ability to connect theory with practice, educates attention and accuracy, increases interest in learning and makes it more accessible».
TSPU students presented images of dandelion, buttercup, clover, pansies, Siberian pine, and Siberian endangered iris. As Ekaterina Frolova noted, with the help of botanical illustrations, a teacher can show students how to explore the world and plants without harming nature. Arina Marinyina also sees the undeniable benefits of such a tool:
«By depicting research objects on paper, it is possible to highlight the main morphological features of the structure of each plant, study the species diversity, and acquire the skill of morphological description. It is precisely in this way that the development of professional skills occurs when creating illustrations».
The TSPU students became the winner of the I degree in the nomination «Realism in Botanical Illustration», received a diploma and prizes, as well as the opportunity to participate in public exhibitions at the Herzen State Pedagogical University..