In 2012 I was awarded a $1000 education grant by the American Society of Botanical Artists, the purpose of which was to bring botanical art awareness to new audiences. With the funds I was able to provide a curated set of Derwent graphite and Blick Studio colored pencils, along with a 6" clear ruler, vinyl and kneaded eraser, a thick wire-bound sketchbook, metal pencil sharpener, Blick pencil case, fruit and vegetables to draw, handouts (and in later classes, a canvas tote bag large enough to hold it all). With some matching funds from my business, we had enough materials to offer 77 students a spot in class and the materials to take home to continue their work.
