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by Beth Stone
Are you planning to enter BAGSC ‘s very own adjunct exhibition to “Weird, Wild & Wonderful: The New York Botanical Garden Second Triennial Exhibition, Botanical Illustrations of Remarkable Plants” which is coming to The Huntington’s Brody Botanical Center?
Let’s all take advantage of this truly Wonderful opportunity. First time BAGSC exhibitors are encouraged to enter! Can YOU contribute at least one artwork? (limit is 3 artworks per member)
We have an important deadline, here’s how you can help:
Please email the complete botanical name of your subject matter no later than this coming Wednesday, May 27, 2015 to Beth Stone. Don’t worry, this does not obligate you to submit those works.
by Jan Clouse, posted by Deb Shaw
View of Masseria Montenapoleone, photo by Charles Clouse, © 2015, all rights reserved.
By tourist industry standards, Puglia is undiscovered territory. Situated down at the heel of Italy’s geographical boot, facing east to the Adriatic Sea, it is generally ignored in favor of the High Renaissance attractions of Rome, Florence, or Siena, the style consciousness of Milan and Venice or the casual flair of Naples.
Nevertheless, with its own earthy appeal and cultural heritage of pre-historic, medieval and Byzantine sights, Puglia can be irresistible for visitors ready to hike, bike, or drive through its bountiful landscape. It supplies the largest portion of Italy’s olive oil from its ancient trees, and its typical cucina povera depends heavily on delicious seafood, fresh, seasonal vegetables and the famous Pugliese hearth bread.
The olive groves and almond orchards, the rugged coastline and lush meadows filled with wild flora are a painter’s paradise. And this, in particular, was the attraction for Margaret Best’s latest botanical painting workshop/travel excursion. Five botanic artists (Ana Brito, Jan Clouse, Jane Maycock, Carole Schumacher and Leslie Walker) along with one husband/guitarist (Charles Clouse) and a guide (Kiloran McRae) joined Margaret for an 8-day immersion in art, food and visits to this land that time forgot.
Artists’ studio at Masseria Montenapoleone, (featuring from L to R) Jane Maycock, Carole Schumaker, and BAGSC members Leslie Walker, Margaret Best and Ana Brito, photo by Jan Clouse, © 2015, all rights reserved.
The workshop was based at the rustically elegant agriturismo farm, Masseria Montenapoleone, which besides most comfortable accommodations, provided us with a large airy studio, well lit by walls of windows. At the opposite end of the room from the studio space was a huge fireplace right behind the table where we gathered for fabulous lunches and dinners.
We were introduced to the Masseria by our host, Guiliano Monteneve, who gave us a leisurely tour of the property with the assumption that along the way each of us could find an appealing botanical specimen to paint. Across the path from the main cluster of buildings was an almond orchard interspersed with fava bean rows, further on were olive trees, some many hundreds of years old, a meadow of wildflowers, a path leading to a pre-historic grotto, and everywhere unique indigenous blooms.
Leslie Walker found a beautiful Polygala myrtifolia to paint. Photo credit: Leslie Walker, 2015, all rights reserved.
Besides the ubiquitous red poppies scattered across the springtime fields, there were small pale lavender wild irises, a dark red orchid, a nameless neon blue ground cover, and furry borage everywhere–including on our dinner plates. Most of us spotted several possible specimens on the walkabout, and by the following morning in the studio everyone was ready to draw. As we settled in, each of us had a large table of our own, plenty of space to spread out, and our drawing pencils sharpened.
Margaret got us started on our first day with a meditation to bring us into the time and spirit for art. As always at her workshops, she had a spiral bound syllabus of information and instructions; this one appropriately titled “Postcards from Puglia.” Ahead of time she had emailed us a few instructions, among them was to rule off several “postcard-sized” formats on our favorite paper to help us compose our paintings, and to bring a few finished pieces with us. Personally I found the “ready format” a real help in focusing and cropping the blooming Acacia branch I had chosen, though my “postcard” turned out to be a double-wide affair. I was productive enough, though, to complete two additional postcards of dried acorns gathered on one of our field trips.
A montage of Leslie Walker’s subject: (clockwise from upper left) Polygala myrtifolia, dissection sheet; Leslie’s finished painting; Leslie concentrating on her subject. Photo(s) courtesy of Leslie Walker, 2015, all rights reserved.
We settled in to a comfortable routine. My husband, Charlie, played guitar to start us off on a couple of mornings, and then shifted to the back of the room or outdoors on the patio where Leslie was working, for her own private concert. Our quiet concentration was broken around eleven each morning when Michele, our personal waiter, laid out a couple of plates of sweets and took our coffee, tea and cappuccino orders.
Long, very productive days in the studio were a gift of undistracted time to draw, paint, and ask my mentor for advice, just when I needed it most. One of the real treats of the week was that Margaret could guide each of us in proportion to our skills and needs as both colored pencil and watercolor artists.
Interspersed with art time, were some extraordinary sights and experiences—an evening visit to the seaside town of Polignano a Mare, another to the rampart city of Ostuni with a dramatic view of the Adriatic. One morning we toured the Giardini di Pomona, where Paolo Belloni is dedicated to sustaining traditional fruit tree species, including over 350 varieties of figs. Another day we shopped the weekly farmer’s market in Locorotondo, buying assigned ingredients for a dinner to be prepared by celebrity chef Tiziano Mita, and finished the morning with a tour of the UNESCO World Heritage town of Alberobello, known for its concentration of curious conically shaped stone houses called trulli.
Hanging the Exhibition with Alessandra and Giuliano, photo by Jan Clouse, © 2015, all rights reserved.
The workshop week ended, not with a routine sharing of work within the group, but with an elegantly mounted evening exhibition that our host Guiliano had envisioned even before we arrived. Here we met a large gathering of neighbors, friends, and folks who had shown us the wonders of Puglia during the previous week. Guiliano and his family had ingeniously transformed our studio into an art gallery, with suspended panels that featured each artist’s bio, personal quotes and work, including the pieces we had brought with us. And the masseria’s chef, Antonio, prepared an incredible array of antipasti and desserts for a very social and international group of about 75 guests.
The “Vernissage,” Gallery opening exhibition, photo by Jan Clouse, © 2015, all rights reserved.
Altogether the week was an energizing and inspiring introduction to a botanically rich yet otherwise little-noticed part of Europe. Guidebooks should definitely make note for Puglia: “painters welcome.”
Leslie Walker, Carole Schumaker, Ana Brito, Kiloran McRae, Jan Clouse, Charles Clouse, Jane Maycock, Margaret Best, photo courtesy of Masseria Montenapoleone, © 2015, all rights reserved.
by Jan Clouse, posted by Deb Shaw
Quercus agrifolia, Coast Live Oak. colored pencil by Jan Clouse, © 2105, all rights reserved.
I am perpetually drawn to two particular subjects: eucalyptus and oaks. Two varieties of oaks are native to Santa Barbara. The Coast Live Oak grows everywhere in town, in fact, mighty examples anchor each end of my block. And over the Santa Ynez range of mountains the Valley Oak dominates the landscape. This particular branch came from a tree about 3 blocks from my house with summer acorns, green and fresh. For me, part of its charm was the sprinkling of empty brown caps from the year before.
Congrats, Jan!
The Botanical Art Exhibition at Filoli is open Tuesday, March 24 through Sunday, June 7, 2015. Visit their website for hours.
by Deb Shaw
Leucospermum cordifolium, Pincushion protea, colored pencil by Estelle DeRidder, © 2015, all rights reserved.
BAGSC member Estelle DeRidder has been accepted into the 18th Annual International Show of the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) at The Horticultural Society of New York too. Her work, Leucospermum cordifolium, Pincushion Protea, was done in colored pencil.
Congratulations Estelle!
by John Keesey, posted by Deb Shaw
“Dutchman’s Pipevine with Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies” (Aristolochia californica with Battus philenor), watercolor by Joan Keesey, © 2015, all rights reserved.
A watercolor painting of “Dutchman’s Pipevine with Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies” (Aristolochia californica with Battus philenor) by BAGSC member Joan Keesey has been accepted into the 18th Annual International Show of the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) at the HORT Gallery of The Horticultural Society of New York in mid-town Manhattan, September through November 2015. This seems fitting to me, because Joan first saw these butterflies and their caterpillars on pipevine during our first hike along Big Chico Creek in Upper Bidwell Park, Chico, a few years ago. In January 2015 we moved to Chico, and have discovered Pipevine and its inhabitants on our very own property. Recently two caterpillars (black with orange spikes) have each formed a chrysalis (what is the plural?) in a jar in our kitchen, and then soon emerged as beautiful Pipevine butterflies (black + iridescent blue with orange spots)! Truly miraculous!
The stress of moving was mitigated somewhat by learning that Joan’s “Hummingbird Sage” (Salvia spathacea) watercolor painting had been awarded First Place at the Botanical Art Exhibition of the California Native Plant Society’s 2015 Conservation Conference in San Jose, California, in January 2015. Then in March 2015, Joan’s watercolor painting of Matilija Poppy (Romneya coulteri) won the Roth Award “for distinction with an emphasis on traditional botanical art presentation” at the 17th Annual Botanical Art Exhibition at Filoli in Woodside, California.
Whooeee!!! Is it any wonder that I am proud of her? Thanks for letting me toot her horn!
from Deb: Congratulations Joan!
by Beth Stone
The call for entries has been sent (see email from Deb Shaw dated 5/5/15) for BAGSC ‘s very own adjunct exhibition to “Weird, Wild & Wonderful: The New York Botanical Garden Second Triennial Exhibition, Botanical Illustrations of Remarkable Plants” coming to The Huntington’s Brody Botanical Center.
BAGSC members of all experience levels are encouraged to enter at least one artwork (limit is 3 artworks per member). To date we have a list of nearly 50 subjects from 25 artists, we’re expecting many more.
Botanical oddities and curiosities could be those found locally, in natural surroundings or a botanical garden. If you’re looking for more inspiration, Dick Rauh, PhD offered ideas to artists on potentially pertinent plants: http://asba-art.org/article/weird-wild-and-wonderful-suggested-subjects. We’d like to include as many different species as possible.
So…what visually unusual, bizarre, beautiful (or not) subject have you chosen?
We have an important deadline, here’s how you can help:
Please email the complete botanical name of your choices ASAP but no later than Wednesday, May 27, 2015 to Beth Stone. Don’t worry, this does not obligate you to submit those works.
The cut-off date is when we will submit our “list of plant subjects” as best we know it to The Huntington so they can start planning on signage, related plants from the Garden, microscopes and more, linking our artworks to The Huntington’s vast plant collection in creative, and no doubt “wonderful”, ways.
by Janice Sharp and Beth Stone
Gilly Shaeffer demonstrating her watercolor technique. Gilly Shaeffer demonstrating her watercolor technique. Photo credit: Brad King (SCCS President).
In January of 2015 BAGSC staged a show entitled A Passion for Camellias in Van de Kamp Hall at Descanso Gardens. The exhibit was an exciting addition to the first Camellia flower show of the 2015 show season. BAGSC members were on hand all that weekend to answer questions and to provide demonstrations.
At the request of Descanso Gardens, 11 art works from the initial display of 20 have been re-hung in the historic and beautifully restored Boddy House where they are expected to remain well into 2016. Art works were selected to represent as many contributing artists as possible. The area where the botanicals are hanging invites close observation, along the interior hallway leading to and spilling into the kitchen.
You’ll want to set aside some time to bring friends and family to visit Descanso Gardens and see this lovely display in person. For an orientation to the Boddy House, please refer to the Descanso Gardens web site: https://www.descansogardens.org/explore/boddy-house
Artist Tania Norris chatting with Camellia enthusiast Hiromi Sato.
While you’re there, be sure to stop into the Sturt Haaga Gallery to see California Light opening May 3rd:
https://www.descansogardens.org/explore/upcoming-exhibition/
Many thanks to David Brown, Susan Armstrong and Cris Martinez of Descanso Gardens for welcoming BAGSC’s Passion for Camellias to the Boddy House.
Watercolor of C. japonica ‘Berenice Boddy’ by Clara Josephs, © 2015, all rights reserved.
Camellia Botanicals in Descanso’s Boddy House.
by Deb Shaw
BAGSC members Margaret Best and Melanie Campbell-Carter have been accepted into the 18th Annual International American Society of Botanical Artists at The Horticultural Society of New York.
Margaret Best, Echinacea purpurea or purple cone flower, © 2015, All rights reserved.
Margaret’s 8.5 x 11 watercolour on paper is of a Canadian native Echinacea. She writes, “There are two Echinacea natives species in Canada. The one shown is Echinacea purpurea or purple cone flower—the species widely harvested for medicinal use. It has also become popular as a cultivated flower in Canadian gardens, as it brings a final splash of colour at the end of summer and into the fall. The specimens I used came from my daughter’s beautiful front garden that she inherited from the previous green-fingered owner of their new home in Ontario, Canada.”
Melanie Campbell-Carter, colored pencil, Pseudobombax ellipticum, shaving brush tree, © 2015, all rights reserved.
Melanie submitted a Pseudobombax ellipticum, also known as the shaving brush tree. She writes, “The tree was in its full blooming glory this past March on the island of Kauai. Depicting the sturdy strength of its stems and buds, and the delicate profusion of vivid pink stamens, was not only an enormous challenge but also a fantastic and joyful process. As we spent our days and weeks together, I developed a great affection for my ‘shaving brush.’ I am so thrilled to have been able to translate a gorgeous, living thing to paper in such a way that it continues to speak to others!”
Congrats to both of you!
Are there any more BAGSC artists who have been accepted? If so, please send me an email with an image.
A Little About the International ASBA/Hort Exibition
Each fall, the Annual International American Society of Botanical Artists at The Horticultural Society of New York exhibition is held at the Hort in mid-town Manhattan. It is the ASBA’s longest running collaboration. Past exhibitions are posted on the ASBA’s website; this year’s exhibition will be posted as well.
The Hort’s Gallery encourages gardeners and artists alike to appreciate the creative intersection between art and nature. Exhibitions showcase emerging and established contemporary artists inspired by horticulture, botany, landscape, and the environment.
BAGSC News 