You are currently browsing the monthly archive for August 2014.
by Deb Shaw
The Greenhouse Complex at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Photography © Scott Dressel-Martin
If you haven’t registered for the 2014 ASBA Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado yet, there’s still time. The last day of registration is September 12, 2014. After the 12th, registration will be closed, and no registrations will be accepted.
The Rocky Mountain Society of Botanical Artists is hosting the ASBA’s 20th Annual Meeting and Conference this year. The Conference will be held at the Westin Denver Downtown. Book your room directly with the Westin (information is on the “Lodging” page). If you would like a roommate, email Marilyn Garber.
The Westin is located one block from the famous 16th Street Mall, and within walking distance of the Denver Art Museum, the American Museum of Western Art – The Anschutz Collection, the Clyfford Still Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, the Molly Brown House Museum, Denver Public Library’s Western History and Genealogy Department, the historic Brown Palace Hotel and shopping destination Larimer Square.
In addition to the three-day core conference, there are pre- and post-conference workshops. Conference activities will be held at the Westin Hotel and the Denver Botanic Garden.
The ASBA Silent Auction
If you would like to support the ASBA’s “Artist & Education Grants,” publication of The Botanical Artist journal, and ASBA exhibitions, consider donating to the Silent Auction/Market Place to be held the last night of the conference. Money raised during the Silent Auction directly supports these efforts.
The volunteers for the Silent Auction are always on the lookout for unique items with some sort of botanical theme. You can find donation ideas listed in the Request for Donations in the June issue of The Botanical Artist journal. Bidding starts at 50 percent of the value of the item in
the Silent Auction. This year the ASBA is adding a Market Place component for less expensive items. No bidding is required in the Market Place. You want it? Just simply purchase it.
Donation information is required by September 27. Shipped items must be received by October 13. If you’re going to the conference, you may bring your Silent Auction/Market Place items with you.
Donation information may be submitted on the ASBA Web Site Annual Meeting – Denver 2014, or emailed to Lynne Railsback.
If you’re going to Denver…
Please let other BAGSC members know so we can try to coordinate transportation, shuttles, and other activities. Email Deb Shaw, and let her know when you’ll be arriving and leaving.
Need supplies?
If you need to buy supplies before you go, consider going to the ASBA’s “Shop > Sponsors” page first, and clicking on the link to Dick Blick from there. The ASBA will receive a portion of your purchase price.
Some more important information
Denver’s altitude is 5,280 feet, one mile above sea level. While in Denver, drinking plenty of water is the number one way to adjust to the higher altitude. October temperatures average 37 to 65 degrees F.
If you’re planning to leave the conference on Sunday, October 19, please note that there will be a marathon run in the morning and it may be more difficult to get from the hotel to the airport. Various streets will be closed for the run, and you may need to allow extra time.
See information about the conference, instructors, pre- and post-conference workshops, lodging and more on the ASBA website!
by Janice Sharp, posted by Deb Shaw
Camellia japonica ‘Chandleri Elegans’, Variegated Camellia, by Akiko Enokido, watercolor on vellum, © 2012, all rights reserved.
BAGSC is planning a Camellia Art Show in conjunction with the Camellia Society Camellia Show at Descanso Gardens in January, 2015. The show would be for two days and it is hoped that it will coincide with Descanso’s Camellia Week. It is possible we may be able to move the show to the Boddy House for a longer period of time.
I would like to get an idea of the number of people who would have paintings they would like to enter into the show. I would suggest that we hang original art in BAGSC’s standard light wood frames. Please email me (by clicking on the word “email”) the number of paintings you think you would like to submit by August 29, 2014. Space is limited in the hall in which the Camellia Show will be held, so we may have to limit the number of entries if we get too many.
If you missed the Spring-blooming Camellias, you’re still in luck—there are many Camellias which bloom in the Fall. The seed pods for Camellias which bloomed during the Spring are just now maturing, in case you want to include them in your work.
Watch the blog and your email for more information about the show as it develops.
by Deb Shaw
The California Native Plant Society (CNPS) has announced registration is now open for the 2015 Conservation Conference. Held every three years, this conference coincides with the 50th anniversary of CNPS. The conference will be held from January 15 – 17, 2015 at the Double Tree by Hilton, in San Jose, California. Those registering by October 31, 2014 will enjoy early registration savings on the conference, workshops, and field trips.
Thread-leaved Brodiaea, Second Place, by Deborah Shaw, watercolor on Kelmscott Vellum © 2012
Call for Entries
The last CNPS Conference was held in San Diego, California in 2012. BAGSC artists were well represented in the exhibition at that conference, and Deborah Shaw, Joan Keesey and Estelle DeRidder won second place, third place and an honorable mention. Read Joan Keesey’s BAGSC Blog review of the 2012 conference and exhibition.
The CNPS will host a juried Botanical Art Exhibition in association with the 2015 conference and has issued a call for entries to the exhibition. One of the goals of the botanical art exhibition is to encourage a greater understanding and appreciation of California’s unique flora.
Artists are invited to enter original artwork of California flora in any two-dimensional medium that is botanically accurate and reflects the beauty and uniqueness of California’s native flora.
Prizes will be awarded, and all winning artwork will be published in Fremontia, a CNPS publication. The first place prize is $500; second place is $300; third place is $200. A “Conference Choice” prize will also be awarded, based on votes by conference attendees.
Snake Lily & Elegant Madia, Third Place, by Joan Keesey, watercolor © 2012
Botanical Art Exhibition Details
The deadline for submission is November 1, 2014. Submitting artists must complete this entry form: cnps2015_art-entry. [The Botanical Art Exhibition entry form is also available for download on the conference website: http://www.cnps.org/cnps/conservation/conference/2015/art.php%5D The maximum framed size for each piece is 20″ x 24″; the minimum framed size is 9″ x 12″. Work outside these limits will not be accepted.
Each artist may include up to three (3) digital jpg images for submission, at least 300 dpi, emailed as attachments for a $35.00 entry fee. Artists who are registered to attend the conference may pay $25.00 for up to three entries.
All artwork must be of California native plants. Digital image submissions should be of the highest quality so that judges will be able to fully appreciate the details of the artwork. Each digital file name should include the artist’s name and the title of the entry. Digital image jpgs should be emailed to Josie Crawford, CNPS Education Program.
Hummingbird Sage, Honorable Mention, by Estelle DeRidder, colored pencil © 2012
Artists will be notified by November 30, 2014 as to whether their work has been selected. The show will be hung for the duration of the conference and security will be provided. The public will be able to view the exhibition on Saturday, January 17, 2015. Prize winners will be posted on Saturday, January 17 as well.
Detailed information about artwork submission and guidelines is available on the CNPS Conference Registration website in the Call for Entries document: cnps2015_art-call_entries.
Sale of Prints and Note Cards
CNPS will invite artists whose work has been accepted to submit prints and packets of note cards to be sold at the conference store. Artists interested in sales should complete the Prints and Note Card section of the entry form. CNPS will handle all sales; 30 percent of sales will be donated to CNPS. Space in the retail area may be limited, and it may not be possible to accept sales items from all accepted artists. More information about sales is available on the CNPS Conference Registration website in the Call for Entries document: cnps2015_art-call_entries.
Judges
The CNPS Botanical Art Exhibition will have three judges:
Kristin Jakob, Botanical Illustrator
Kristin has dedicated much of her life to the study, cultivation, and depiction of plants — in particular, her beloved California native species. Born and raised in Mill Valley, Marin County, she began drawing plants at the age of 12, when she joined CNPS. Essentially self-taught, Kristin has also studied in England, where in 1981 she received an M.A. from the Royal College of Art in London. Since returning to California, her botanical art has graced a wide array of books and periodicals, package designs, posters, prints and cards, and numerous groups and solo exhibitions. Commissions include two major projects for CNPS: the poster “Wildflowers of the Sierra Nevada,” and the set of four grass poster/placemats.
Lee McCaffree, Botanical Illustrator
Lee McCaffree teaches botanical illustration classes and workshops and helped develop the Botanical Art Certificate Program at Filoli Gardens in Woodside, California. She received medals for her “Pinus” series and “Plants in Peril” series at the Royal Horticultural Society exhibitions in London. She serves on the Board of the American Society of Botanical Artists, and worked with the plant sale propagation team for EBCNPS. Lee’s publications include the posters for the EBCNPS Plant Sale, and illustrations in “Today’s Botanical Artists” and “Curtis’s Botanical Magazine”, Kew Gardens, England.
Geri Hulse-Stevens, Botanical Illustrator and Botanist
Geri Hulse-Steens graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a minor in art and entered into the world of scientific illustration through classes taught by Chuck Stasek at the Point Reyes Field Seminars. Her work was first publishe in “Fremontia” in 1982 in an article she wrote and illustrated. Her illustrations have appeared in books, government publications and articles since. She is a botanical consultant living in Mendocino County and has played an active role in the Sanhedrin Chapter of CNPS for more than 25 years.
by Jill Berry, posted by Deb Shaw
Looking up into the canopy of Platanus racemosa, or Western Sycamore. Photo by Deborah Shaw, 2014.
Don’t forget Matt Ritter’s class on trees on Saturday, September 6 at 9:30 am at the LA Arboretum. Matt’s previous class in June, The Botany of Trees, was enthusiastically attended and filled with accolades at the completion! This will be the second of three workshops with Matt:
Tree Diversity and Natural History, with Dr. Matt Ritter
Workshops for Homeowners, Landscape Professionals and Plant Lovers at the Arboretum
Discussion will focus on the remarkable tree diversity in Southern California (including natives), how to identify trees, and how to appreciate them.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
9:30 am – 12:30 pm
301 North Baldwin Ave., Arcadia 91007
$25 Arboretum members per class; $30 non-members per class (includes Arboretum admission)
Please call the Class Registration Line at 626.821.4623 to register, or you may register at the door.
Be sure to save the date for Matt’s third (and final) lecture in the tree series:
Saturday, October 11: Trees for the 21st Century in Southern California
The focus in this class will be on the most appropriate trees for both small yards and for Southern California’s climate, in addition to undeservedly rare trees for this region and how to find them.
Matt Ritter has a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and a Ph.D. in plant biology. He has authored numerous scientific papers and botanical treatments, including the second edition of the Jepson Manual, the Flora of North America Project, and a natural history guide to San Luis Obispo plants. He is a professor in the Biology Department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and director of the plant conservatory there. He holds a Kenan Fellowship at the National Tropical Botanical Gardens, is the chair of the City of San Luis Obispo Tree Committee, and editor-in-chief of Madroño, the journal of the California Botanical Society. http://www.baobabbotanical.com/Ritter
by Deb Shaw
Bud of the quickly-growing Amorphophallus titanum, (Titan Arum, or Corpse Flower). Courtesy of The Huntington.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens is hosting their fifth bloom of Amorphophallus titanum, the Titan Arum, or “Corpse Flower.” Renowned for its magnificent size and exceptionally foul odor, the Amorphophallus titanum flower can grow to be more than six feet tall, with a diameter of three to four feet.
The Huntington’s first “Big Stinky” bloomed in 1999; since then, they have had three more blooms, in 2002, 2009, and 2010. Native to Sumatra, the flowering of a Amorphophallas titanum is unpredictable and rare; the plant can go for years without blooming. Once the bud opens, the blossom is fleeting, lasting only one to three days.
Experts are now predicting the flower will open sometime around August 20 – 23. (The inflorescence grew 3.5 inches yesterday alone!)
Follow the flower’s progress and learn more about it on The Huntington’s website page, “Stinky 5: Return of the Corpse Flower,” or on The Huntington’s Instagram or Twitter. A video of the original blooming in 1999, narrated by Jim Folsom, is now on Tumblr and YouTube.
A prior bloom of Amorphophallus titanum. The inflorescence can grow to be more than 6 ft tall, with a diameter of 3 – 4 ft across. Photo courtesy of The Huntington.
BAGSC News 