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 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 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.