You are currently browsing the monthly archive for September 2011.
by Deb Shaw
BAGSC member Margaret Best, in conjunction with Quench Trip Design, will be teaching a botanical art workshop in Tuscany, in Spring 2012 (April/May). Participants will stay in a restored medieval village, drawing or painting some of the seasonal displays of flowers such as red poppies, Azaleas, wisteria or the native blue iris. Or, artists may choose to depict the local fruit and vegetable offerings such as the asparagus, strawberries, fennel or peas to be found in the market place. This workshop has been designed for artists at every level.
Margaret will teach in a stunning historical indoor/outdoor studio setting. The trip also features an expert Italian-speaking cultural guide on a memorable eight-night visit to Italy.
Outside the studio, participants will visit an organic kitchen garden and join the owner for a sumptuous gourmet meal. They also will be able to experience the authentic Chianti region by mingling with the local residents and visiting boutique wine estates to sip their vintages, and savour the culture of Rome and Siena.
Please read the PDF, MargaretBestItaly, for more details, e-mail Quench Trip Design, or call them at 416 366 2777 to hear more information on how to book. Those booking before October 7th will receive Euro 150 per person off the program cost.
by Leslie Walker (posted by Deb Shaw)
At the last BAGSC meeting at Alison’s, we passed around a “get well” card for Marilyn. Here’s the thank you she posted on my facebook page:
Hi Leslie, I would like to thank the group for the thoughtful card and caring comments. All of you are so special and each get-well wish was greatly appreciated. I am improving and looking forward to only good things in the future. Hope to see you soon and have a wonderful trip to Boston. Fondly, Marilyn Parrino
Get well from all of us, and hope to see you soon!
by Clara Josephs (posted by Deb Shaw)
All BAGSC members attending the ASBA Conference and Workshops in Boston in October should have received notification that power cords are not available for workshops and classes, and attendees need to bring battery operated lights if instructor’s have specified a lamp on the materials list.
Since outlets can be hard to come by in many classrooms, and traveling with lamps add to luggage woes, we decided to post a quick review of some battery-powered options.
The ASBA recommended the following:
- Best Color Rendering: OttLite 290G59 LED Task Light, sold online by many retailers including Amazon.com, J & R Electronics, Sears and Ottlite. It’s also available in Michael’s Craft stores.
- Lightest and Most Flexible: JOBY Gorilla Torch Flare, sold online by many retailers including Amazon.com, J & R Electronics, and REI.com
I read the specs and reviews of the Ottlite battery-operated light and decided that was definitely not for me: It weights 5 pounds (I was thinking of getting two lamps for the illumination I typically need), cost $99 each, and the battery lasts about three hours before it needs recharging. So, where would I recharge it in the middle of a class, and how long does that take?? I need light for four full days of classes. I looked at the Daylite version of the Ottlite battery light at Art Supply warehouse. It is HEAVY and bulky. So, I ordered the JOBY Gorilla Torch Flare.
After I received the first from Amazon, I purchased a second one. It’s lightweight, small, with a strong light that’s easy to position, and has DISPOSABLE batteries. (I definitely don’t want to run to my room at lunch to try to recharge my light for the afternoon.) So far, I am pleased with the JOBY torch light. It isn’t perfect, but the light is crisp and shows details. I am not as sensitive to color correction issues as I should be, but I would guess the color is not as true as on Ott. I will carry a ton of AA batteries (the ASBA should make sure there is someone in the lobby selling batteries at all times!!!!). Joanne’s Fabrics had a 50 percent off sale on all Ott lamps, but I don’t know if they carry the battery light. I also tried ordering a flip light from Lamps Plus and it was useless – a glorified book light. I was going to go check REI for a larger dimension spot light, but I haven’t had time. I think I will just go with these two JOBY’s.
Morgan painting in her studio
The seventh annual San Fernando Valley Artist Studio Tour will be held Saturday and Sunday October 1 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. BAGSC member Morgan Kari will be among the 30 artists participating in the studio tour, presenting her beautiful new studio and teaching school.
Morgan’s art studio, formerly a farm building for processing walnuts grown on the property, consists of five rooms, including an art library of more than 2000 art and photography books, a trundle bed for naps or for guests, a computer and business room, a framing and mat cutting facility, and a lecture and refreshment room. There is also a teaching school for four students that was once the farm’s tool room, and ceilings that are 18 feet high, with skylights that open. North lighting filters through shuttered windows and each room is filled with music from a central sound system.
Morgan’s 900 square foot studio is located in the back garden, surrounded by flowers and numerous fruiting trees, arbors, dogs, birdbaths and flagstone patios for painting outside.
The studio interior is decorated in art deco and Chinese style with a black floor. Special thought was given to the art furniture, storage, lighting, and presentations.
Morgan’s paintings are realistically rendered still life, portraits, and botanicals in watercolor, oil, pastel, silverpoint, and colored pencil.
For more information, contact:
Valley Artists Studio Tour
818-469-3380
or Morgan.
by Deb Shaw
Tiger's Eye, photograph by David Leaser, © 2011, all rights reserved
Director Jim Folsom and The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, have offered an invitation to view a series of Special Showings for Focus on Flowers, a photographic exhibit featuring highly detailed large-scale artwork by David Leaser and Personal Nature: A Photographic Exploration of Botanicals by Mark Hanauer.
Each Special Showing pairs these remarkable exhibits with live flowers presented for microscopic examination – a fresh and enjoyable merging of floral art and science. Staff will be present to assist with microscopes and provide information on plants represented.
All Special Showings are free and will be held on the following Saturday mornings, 9:00 am -12:00 pm:
24 September 2011
1 October 2011
8 October 2011
22 October 2011
29 October 2011
For your own invitation to one of these events, please email:
GardensRSVP@Huntington.org
specifying the date you would like to come and the names of your guests. The Huntington will send you an email confirmation response. Please print out a copy of the email confirmation and bring it with you; it will be your pass to attend.
Photograph by Mark Hanauer, © 2011, all rights reserved.
Attendance is limited, so please contact the Huntington soon.
From 12 September through 1 November, these photographic exhibits will hang in the Botanical Center, which is open with General Admission during Huntington public hours (except Sunday). Fresh flowers will only be present during the Special Showings. The Huntington is closed to the public on Tuesdays.
The Huntington is located at 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108, 626.405.2100.
by Deb Shaw
Jodie Williams, Public Relations Committee Chair for the ASBA, has launched a blog for the 14th Annual International Juried Botanical Art Exhibition 2011. Click the link to read about various pieces in the show, and see an image of Bobbi Angell’s hand-colored etching of an apple tree branch with a single ripening fruit. Jody will update the blog through the opening and the length of the show, so check back frequently.
by Leslie Walker and Bonnie Born Ash (published by Deb Shaw)
Join us for the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting on
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Home of Alison Denning
Coffee at 9:30 a.m. Meeting begins at 10:00 a.m. sharp!
RSVP by email to Alison (or call her) and let her know what you plan to bring for our usual pot lunch! Carpooling is recommended!! An email blast will be sent to all members with directions. The email blast will also include instructions for all those wishing to carpool from Hedy Marien’s house.
Agenda
Coffee at 9:30
I. President’s Report
II. Secretary’s Report
III. Treasurer’s Report
IV. Membership Report
V. Old Business
- Rancho Los Alamitos
- GNSI Conference in Washington
- Filoli Classes
VI. New Business
- Calligraphy Class
- “The Fruits that Fall or Form in the Fall” with Margaret Best, December 2- 4
- ASBA Conference in Boston, October 27-29
- Election of Officers
- Tania Marien, Art Plantae, now handling ASBA publication distribution and will bring the latest show catalogue – $25
Program:
Pat Mark, Clara Josephs, and Deborah Shaw share what they learned at the GNSI Conference and classes at Filoli.
Potluck Lunch
And bring your latest work to show!! Looking forward to seeing everyone there!
by Leslie Walker/Margaret Best (published by Deb Shaw)
Rosa canina, Rose Hips, watercolor, © 2010, Margaret Best, all rights reserved.
Why does a botanical artist need to know anything about brown when there are stunning pink, purple, or blue flowers to paint? Aren’t brown botanical subjects dead, dried up or dull? And then there are all those oxides, umbers and siennas, “burnt” and “raw”. What do these names mean and why can’t you just mix browns from other colours? Just how important can they be in a world that demands eye-popping, saturated hues?
To find out the answer to all of these questions and so much more, join us at Margaret Best’s upcoming class titled the The Fruits that Fall or Form in Fall. This 3-day workshop is designed to give you a meaningful opportunity to explore the range of available watercolor earth pigments. You will discover the warmth and richness of color that they can bring to your work when you know how to use them. Their multitude of useful applications will surprise you!
The timing of this class has been specifically planned for you to utilize your earth color discoveries effectively in the drawing and painting of a choice of seasonally available subject matter. You will need your preferred supply of paper and paints but the earth pigments for testing and color matching will be provided.
This class will be held December 2, 3 and 4, 2011 from 10 am – 4:30 pm in the Oak Room, under the Peacock Cafe, at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, 301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91007.
The cost is $275 for BAGSC members or $300 for non-members. A $50 non-refundable deposit is required to reserve your space, with balance due November 1, 2011. Please mail checks to Leslie Walker, made out to BAGSC, with an indication that the check is for Margaret’s class. Questions? Please call or email Leslie.
by Clara Josephs (posted by Deb Shaw)
Thank you to Clara for finding a news article about the ASBA Art Show and Sale in Texas (partially reprinted as follows):
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF BOVINE ARTISTS ART SHOW AND SALE SET
The American Society of Bovine Artists will conduct its third art show and sale October 15 and 16 at Cactus Jacks Gallery in downtown historic Gruene, Texas. The society is dedicated to the advancement of bovines as an artistic subject matter.
by Deb Shaw
The annual juried exhibition of the ASBA/Horticultural Society of New York opens on September 21, 2011, and runs through November 23, 2011 at The Horticultural Society of New York.
Erythrina sp., Coral Tree Seeds, graphite and watercolor on veilum, © 2010, Deborah Shaw, all rights reserved.
Forty works were selected from a field of 199 entries, by jurors Patricia Jonas, Kathie Miranda and Derek Norman. Artists from the US, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, and the UK are in the show, including BAGSC members Akiko Enokido and Deborah Shaw.
An artists’ reception will be held from 6 – 8 pm on September 21 at The Horticultural Society of New York, 148 W. 37th Street, 13th Floor, New York, New York. A catalog has been published, and can be ordered through Tania Marien at Art Plantae Books (see BAGSC News blog article below).
by Deb Shaw
The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) has issued a “Call for Entries” for botanical art, in preparation for their CNPS 2012 Conservation Conference: Conserving and Restoring the Roots of California’s Richness. The conference will take place January 12 – 14, 2012 at the Town and Country Resort and Conference Center, San Diego, CA.
Among the many objectives of this conference is to “foment a greater understanding and appreciation of California’s unique flora”. The juried botanical art exhibition will contribute to this goal. All winning artwork will be published in Fremontia, a CNPS publication and awarded the following prizes: 1st Place: $500, 2nd Place: $300, 3rd Place: $200, along with a “Conference Choice”- (voted on by conference attendees).
Criteria
Artists are invited to enter original artwork in any two-dimensional medium that reflects the beauty and uniqueness of California flora and adheres to high standards of botanical accuracy. All entries must depict plants indigenous to California (no introduced plants, please!). All work for the show must be framed and wired for hanging and “glassed” with plexiglass (no glass please!). The show will be hung for the duration of the conference and security will be provided. Cash prizes will be awarded.
Deadline for submission: October 15, 2011
Entry form specifics:
Please go to the Art Contest page on the CNPS website to download the (one and two page) PDFs for the:
- CNPS 2012 Conservation Conference Flyer
- Official Call for Entries
- Botanical Art Exhibition Prospectus
- Botanical Art Contest Entry Form
Entries may include up to three digital images submitted on CD. A separate fee will be paid for each entry. All work will be juried using digital images sent in jpg file format, at least 300 dpi. Accepted entries will be hung and available for viewing by conference attendees. Attendees will have an opportunity to vote for “Conference Choice” from those entries on display. Artists will be notified by November 30th if their work has been selected for hanging in the show. Winners will be posted on Saturday, January 14, 2012. The Exhibition will be open to the public Saturday, January 14, from 10 am – 3 pm.
Entries will be judged by: Kristin Jakob, Lee McCaffree, and Geri Hulse-Stevens.
by Deb Shaw
Our beloved ArtPlantae Books, by Tania Marien, is now the official source for purchasing ASBA Catalogs; including catalogs of past exhibitions. A portion of each sale will be donated to the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) to support their mission and goals of promoting public awareness of contemporary botanical art, to honoring its traditions, and to furthering its development.
For fastest service and easiest ordering, use your credit card at the ArtPlantae Books website, click on “ASBA Exhibition Catalogs” and complete the order form. Catalogs can also be purchased by check by sending an order form and check, including shipping and handling and sales tax (if applicable), made out to ArtPlantae Books at:
5225 Canyon Crest Drive, Suite 71-127
Riverside, California 92507
Cover of the ASBA's, "Losing Paradise?" catalog
ASBA members ordering through the ArtPlantae Books website can enjoy a special discount on the Losing Paradise? Endangered Plants Here and Around the World catalog. Regularly $29.95, the Losing Paradise? catalog can be purchased through ArtPlantae Books for $25.00. See the last page of your latest issue of the ASBA journal, The Botanical Artist for the special checkout code, or contact Tania Marien.
After a successful show in New York, Losing Paradise? Endangered Plants Here and Around the World, opened at the the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, UK on June 25, 2011. This exhibition at Kew is an integral component of a larger exhibition called Plants in Peril that will be on view at the gallery until Sunday, October 16, 2011.
The Losing Paradise? exhibition features 44 works of original art depicting threatened and endangered plants from North & South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. The exhibition catalog was produced by the American Society of Botanical Artists and features the artwork that appeared in the original exhibition in New York, as well as information about each plant. The catalog also includes essays by leading plant scientists and conservationists. Learn more about the Losing Paradise? exhibition on the blog at www.asbalosingparadise.blogspot.com.
by Deb Shaw
BAGSC member Tania Marien, ArtPlantae, will be teaching “Learning through Natural Science Illustration: Tree Life Cycle” at the Environmental Nature Center (ENC) in Newport Beach, CA on Saturday, October 8, 2011 from 10 – 11 am.
Children ages 5 and 6 (and their parents) will learn what happens to a tree after it falls to the ground during a reading of “A Log’s Life”, by Wendy Pfeffer. They will then learn about the amazing paper sculptures used to illustrate the book, created by artist and natural science illustrator Robin Brickman, before creating their own paper sculptures of Fall leaves.
Fee: $12 per child, ages 5 – 6. Art supplies will be provided. Call the ENC at 949.645.8489 to reserve a space, or email Lori Whalen at the ENC. Reservations are required. The ENC is located at: 1601 16th Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663.
BAGSC News 