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by Beth Stone, posted by Deb Shaw
Passion Flower study, Olga Eysymontt, © 2008, all rights reserved.
It’s time to register for BAGSC Founder and Member Olga Eysymont’s next series at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. Registration is through the Otis website. Here’s the link: http://www.otis.edu/ce-course?crs=828
Don’t worry that the class description on the Otis website reads the same as Olga’s previous sessions. Olga says “For my returning students, I will be giving them other projects to work on.”
New students will explore the subject of plant families, with the goal of demonstrating both correct representation of the specimen, as well as a good compositional design. An emphasis on correct placement of light on form will be emphasized, in order to produce an authentic and realistic illustration.
“Botanical Illustration: Plant Studies,” in graphite, will meet for six Sundays, from 9:30 am – 3:30 pm, beginning Sunday, September 18, 2016, and then on the following five Sundays: October 2, October 16, October 30, November 6 and November 20.
Registration
Register online through Otis College of Art and Design Continuing Education. All classes will be held at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. The course is non-credit, although certificate and credit options are available for additional cost.
The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden is located at: 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007.
Workshop Discounts
A $50 discount on the course registration is available until August 21. Senior discounts also are available; check with Otis to see if they can be used in combination with the early registration discount.
Class Materials:
14″ x 17” Strathmore Drawing Pad Series 400, Medium or equivalent. (You may use another brand, but please, no sketch or recycled paper.
14” x 17” Medium Weight Tracing Paper (any brand)
Drafting Pencil with Holder and Sharpener
HB and 2B leads (at least 2 each)
Eraser Stick
Erasing Shield
Drafting Brush
Mars Drafting Dots (masking tape)
Portable Task Light (Ott-Lite)
(Vis a Vis wet erase fine point marker, Clip, 8″ x 10″ Plexi and 8″ x 10″ format supplied by teacher for $10.00)
by Deb Shaw
Buzzfeed’s finished DIY pencil holder, open. © 2016 Buzzfeed Nifty.
I don’t know about you, but I have a collection of palettes and pencil holders and pen holders and brush holders to rival the inventory in any art store. Some I’ve made, most I’ve purchased, and some have been gifts. They all look perfect at first glance, but then there is always something that looks better about the newest version, and, well…
Thank you to Amanda Krauss Nguyen for sharing Nifty’s Do-It-Yourself instructions on Buzzfeed for this easy and fabulous holder with the facebook group The Nature Journal Club. Full instructions are on the Nifty page: http://bzfd.it/2b8n2UB
by Clara Josephs, posted by Deb Shaw
BAGSC’s Fall general quarterly meeting will be held on Sunday, September 11 at the home of BAGSC’s president. BAGSC members also will receive this meeting notification in an email blast with directions.
Coffee will be served at 9:30 a.m. and the business meeting will begin promptly at 10. A highlight of the meeting will be the official unveiling of our new BAGSC website. Come to the meeting, get a tour of the new site, and learn how your images can be part of our members’ gallery. We also have several new workshops to announce.
Bring a lunch item to share. Following our potluck lunch, Kathy Morgan will demonstrate the use of carbon dust to create stunning botanical portraits. After studying with Olga Eysymontt, Kathy has mastered this unique method of painting known for rich, dark values and flawless transitions. You will have an opportunity to try working with the materials and get feedback from Kathy.
As always, carpooling is recommended. In addition to your lunch contribution, bring any painting you are working to show or to receive help from our members. Questions? Contact Pat Mark or Clara Josephs.
Looking forward to seeing you on September 11, at 9:30 a.m!
by Deb Shaw
By Arnold Gatilao – originally posted to Flickr as Root Beer Float, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5644549
I know, it has nothing to do with botanical art, but it’s been so hot and humid, that I felt duty-bound to let you know that today, Saturday, August 6 is National Root Beer Float Day.
A Root Beer Float might be a refreshing incentive to keep working on your art. I usually have tissue down to protect the areas of my artwork, and I wear light cotton gloves with the fingers cut off. It’s been so sticky and humid, however, that I’m now also laying a folded cotton tea towel under my arm and hand.
Add your tips to working in hot, humid, sticky weather in the comments section please. And enjoy a Root Beer Float and your art!
by Deb Shaw
Hunt 15th International Exhibition of Botanical Art and Illustration
Every three years the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) holds its annual conference in Pittsburgh, PA to coincide with the Hunt Institute’s International Exhibition. This year is no exception: the 15th International Exhibition will open on September 15, and will run through December 15, 2016.
The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation established the International Exhibition in 1964 with the purpose of supporting and encouraging contemporary botanical artists. The upcoming exhibition features 43 works by 43 different artists from 15 different countries. A few selected works from the exhibition can be viewed on the website.
![Cover of the Hunt 15th International Exhibition Catalog. Cover art: Soft Tree Fern, Dicksonia antarctica [Dicksonia antarctica Labillardière, Dicksoniaceae], watercolor on paper by Laurie Andrews (1936–), 2008, 76.5 × 56.5 cm, HI Art accession no. 8078, reproduced by permission of the artist.](https://bagscblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/hibd-15th-international-title.jpg?w=300&h=476)
Cover of the Hunt 15th International Exhibition Catalog. Cover art: Soft Tree Fern, Dicksonia antarctica [Dicksonia antarctica Labillardière, Dicksoniaceae], watercolor on paper by Laurie Andrews (1936–), 2008, 76.5 × 56.5 cm, HI Art accession no. 8078, reproduced by permission of the artist.
The opening reception on October 13, from 6 pm – 9 pm is open to the public, and also is a highlight of the ASBA conference. The curators of the exhibition will give a short introduction to the exhibition in the gallery at 6:30 pm. Catalogues will be available for sale at the opening.
The Hunt Institute is located at: 4909 Frew Street, 5th Floor, Hunt Library. The exhibition will be on display on the 5th floor of the Hunt Library building at Carnegie Mellon University and will be open to the public free of charge. Hours: Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–noon and 1–5 p.m.; Sunday, 1–4 p.m. (except 20 November and 24–27 November). Because the Hunt’s hours of operation are occasionally subject to change, please call or email before your visit to confirm. For further information, contact the Hunt Institute at 412-268-2434, or email.
Early Bird Registration for the 22nd Annual ASBA Meeting and Conference CLOSES AUGUST 7, 2016!
The deadline for early registration discounts for the 22nd Annual ASBA Meeting and Conference closes on August 7, 2016. Early registration fees (on or before August 7) are $360. Register now online. After August 7, registration jumps to $425. Registration closes September 4, 2016, no exceptions.
Join ten other BAGSC members who have registered for the conference so far. See old friends, meet new friends from all over the world, learn new techniques and get inspired.
The conference will be held at the Wyndham Pittsburgh University Center, just a few blocks from Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden, The Carnegie Museum of Natural History, The Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. And, of course, there is the Hunt 15th Annual International Exhibition—one of the world’s most prestigious exhibitions of botanical art and a must-see.
BAGSC member Margaret Best will be teaching a one-day workshop on watercolor, “From the Ground Up.” BAGSC member Deborah Shaw will be giving an up-to-the-very-minute lecture about how to protect your images on the web, along with some tips and tricks and a list of helpful and fun apps.
There are still openings in various workshops, including graphite, colored pencil, and pen-and-ink. There are many fascinating lectures available at no additional charge. And there are openings available for a field trip to visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater.
Read about the conference, sessions and instructors on ASBA’s website, make your selections, then go to the online registration site to register.
There are 193 ASBA members who have registered so far. Come join us in Pittsburgh!
by Deb Shaw
Forest of Fontainebleau, Cluster of Tall Trees Overlooking the Plain of Clair-Bois at the Edge of Bas-Bréau; Théodore Rousseau (French, 1812 – 1867); France; about 1849 – 1852; Oil on canvas; 90.8 × 116.8 cm (35 3/4 × 46 in.); 2007.13
In addition to all the other exciting exhibitions to see in Southern California this summer, The Getty Center currently has a wonderful exhibition titled Unruly Nature: The Landscapes of Théodore Rousseau. On display until September 11, 2016, the exhibition brings together seventy paintings and drawings loaned from museums and private collections from all over the world. It is the first comprehensive exhibition about Rousseau in North America, and the largest Rousseau exhibition since 1967 in Paris.
Personally, it is my favorite type of exhibition, containing working sketches, master works and problematic works spanning Rousseau’s entire career as an artist. Regardless of how you feel about Rousseau’s work, this is one of those spectacularly curated exhibitions that allow us to see into the artist’s techniques, working styles, and artistic demons.
Although severely under-appreciated by the art establishment of his time, Théodore Rousseau was a pivotal figure in the history of art. A leader and founder of the Barbizon School of Painters (named for the village of Barbizon, France, near the Forest of Fontainebleau where he spent much of his career), Rousseau pushed the Romantic art movement towards Realism, and laid the groundwork for the Impressionists who followed.
Rousseau found refuge from external and internal turmoil in nature, in the forests, trees and landscapes around him. The 1800s were a time of rapid change, and a source of anxiety and disappointment for everyone: wars raged across Europe and abroad; the industrial revolution became entrenched in daily life; and Rousseau suffered so many rejections from The Paris Salon, he was given the nickname “le grand refusé” (“the great refused”).
Closer to home, his wife suffered from debilitating bouts of mental illness—called “insanity” at the time. As his wife’s mental health grew more precarious, he took her for treatment. While absent, a young man who was a friend of the family and staying in his Barbizon home committed suicide there. Rousseau’s father (who outlived him), became financially dependent on him and Rousseau’s own health deteriorated. After his death, his lifelong friend and fellow artist, Jean-François Millet, assumed responsibility for Rousseau’s wife.
Rousseau was somewhat of a mystic, and said the trees spoke to him. He took his sketchpads into the forest and drew directly from nature. Unlike other artists of the time, he treated his sketches with the same reverence as he treated his art—as artistic works in their own right. In an effort to capture light and dark, mood and texture, Rousseau used mixed media on a variety of surfaces, allowing his gestures and painterly marks to add to the energy of his art.
Forest in Boisrémond (recto); Cottage in a Forest (verso); Théodore Rousseau (French, 1812 – 1867); 1842; Black chalk on laid paper (recto); graphite (verso); 28.1 × 45 cm (11 1/16 × 17 11/16 in.); 2002.3
Rousseau’s sketches in the exhibition are immediate and visceral. It is wonderful to see how he blocked in the perspective and ignored overlapping lines (which, of course, no one would notice unless you were looking carefully).
One of my favorites in the exhibition is a pairing of a sketch next to the finished oil painting on one wall of the gallery. The detailed sketch, [Under the Birches, Evening, 1842, Black chalk on brown wove paper, Toledo, Museum of Art, Frederick B.and Kate L. Shoemaker Fund, 1976.8, Catalogue number 20] is lively, serene and pleasant. At first glance, the finished oil painting, [Evening (The Parish Priest), 1842–43, Oil on panel, Toledo Museum of Art, gift of Arthur J.Secor, 1933.37, Catalogue number 21] looks to be a faithful studio rendering of the sketch, except that the mood of the painting is substantially different. It’s not simply the addition of color that creates the quiet melancholy. Closer examination between the two reveals where Rousseau changed the mode by subtly changing the details. He removed some leaves from this branch, reduced the size and altered the round shape of one of the trees, slightly reduced the width of the trunks, emphasized the crooks and turns of the trunks, and more, to achieve the effect he wanted, without changing the habit or growth patterns of the trees themselves.
Rousseau was able to complete sketches and drawings outdoors with no problem, but agonized over whether or not a canvas in the studio was finished. A fellow artist and neighbor in Barbizon, Jules Dupré, would sometimes sneak into the studio and take a painting away to prevent Rousseau from overworking it. Many of his canvases have areas that are executed in great detail, while other areas are barely developed.
In the exhibition it is readily apparent (and delightful) to see Rousseau’s finished paintings that are clearly overworked, against those which are not. His overworked paintings are beautifully executed, but clearly have all the life sucked out of them. A brilliant visual lesson for all artists who labor over the “is it done?” question!
Rousseau loved music, especially Beethoven, Mozart and Schumann. Like Beethoven, Rousseau’s inspiration came from long walks in the woods. The Getty has free headphone and players available for use while viewing the exhibition that plays music by composers who inspired Rousseau. Los Angeles Philharmonic guest conductor Nicholas McGegan curated the playlist of works by Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann and others.
In my opinion, Rousseau’s trees are portrayed with weathered wisdom and a great melancholy sadness. They are trees that speak eloquently to our time as well as his.
“I listen to the voices of the trees… I discover their passions.
The artist’s soul must become filled with the infinity of nature.”
—Théodore Rousseau
Unfortunately, the Studio workshop and my Tree Drawing workshop at The Getty in conjunction with the Rousseau exhibition are past. The Getty still has, however, upcoming events related to the exhibition, including:
COMMUNITY PARTNER EVENT
Mozart, Weber and Schumann
Conductor Nicholas McGegan leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a program of music inspired by the personal taste of Théodore Rousseau, a true “mélomane,” or music lover. Videos made in collaboration with the J. Paul Getty Museum will provide insight into the artist’s relationship with the music that fired the passions of his Romantic generation.
Thursday, August 18, 8:00 p.m.
Hollywood Bowl
“The Great Landscape Painter of our Time”: Théodore Rousseau and the Imaging of 19th-Century France
Simon Kelly, curator of modern and contemporary art at the St. Louis Art Museum, explores Rousseau’s central position in 19th-century French landscape painting. Kelly questions the dominant narrative of plein-air naturalism surrounding his work, instead arguing for a more complex view of an artist producing deeply meditated imagery, drawing on a broad range of interests that includes literature, music, and philosophy. Kelly also places Rousseau’s output within the context of the Barbizon artistic colony which included his close friend, Jean-François Millet.
Sunday, August 21, 2:00 p.m.
Getty Center: Museum Lecture Hall
The exhibition, Unruly Nature: The Landscapes of Théodore Rousseau, has been co-organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen.
The J. Paul Getty Museum is located at: North Sepulveda Blvd and Getty Center Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90049. Hours and fees can be found here.
by Deb Shaw
One of 512 Unique Blueprints created by the artist and team to distribute at the Field Office.
Artist Mel Chin has a new Land Art project in Los Angeles, entitled The Tie that Binds. Created for Los Angeles’ CURRENT:LA Water Public Art Biennial, the project invites visitors to connect to the site of the Bowtie Project, to understand water conservation in Southern California and to join hundreds of other LA residents in owning a work of Land Art we can grow in our own yards.
The Bowtie Project envisions a transformation of a stretch of the LA River. Once a railroad yard, this rare, 18-acre part of the River was left completely in its natural state, never transformed by engineers or concrete. Currently overgrown with invasive species, the site is still home to some native plant species, fish and birds.
TTB plot 111-CF, Bowtie demonstration garden and South LA mirror installation.
The Bowtie Project is part of a plan to restore this area of the LA River as an natural, urban state park. The Tie that Binds imagines the future Bowtie Project and the entire city sustained with water-saving, California-native landscapes. Compelled by the beauty of the site and belief that this is a place that should be owned by everyone, The Tie that Binds invites the public to “mirror” this future landscape in hundreds of individual lawns throughout Southern California.
To introduce the project, eight, small Land Art gardens are planted at the Bowtie site to serve as “models”. A field office on site is staffed by “MirrorMakers/Espejeros” and is open Thursday–Sunday evenings through August 14. Private and public locations in diverse neighborhoods of Southern California have already planted exact replicas or “mirrors” of one of the Bowtie Project garden demonstrations.
TTB plot 184-DJ, Bowtie demonstration garden and Brentwood mirror installation.
Mel Chin invites Southern California to help realize this Land Art work. Those who commit to growing a The Tie that Binds mirror garden receive a free, unique, artist-designed blueprint, a list of native plant species, and instructions on how to grow a garden that requires little or no watering. These gardens will fulfill the potential of a living sculpture that is collectively owned by the public.
Carolina Miranda wrote a wonderful article for the LA Times about the site, titled “Why Mel Chin is giving away the land art design of his subversively charming CURRENT:LA native garden.” You can see additional photos of the installation, as well as photos of the installation with Miranda’s trusty research assistant, Bonnie, the American Staffordshire Terrier.
MirrorMakers Yrneh and Margo with Roger, a new Tie that Binds blueprint holder (Photo credit: Amanda Wiles, © 2016).
Visiting The Tie that Binds
The Bowtie Project is an 18-acre post-industrial site owned by California State Parks and is located at 2780 Casitas Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90039. Please enter through the yellow gate and follow directions for parking. The nearly 3/4 mile site is accessed by walking; accommodations will be made for any who need assistance.
The Tie that Binds field office at the Bowtie Project is open 5:30 pm until sunset, Thursday – Sunday through August 14, 2016. Mirror Makers/Espejeros are onsite to talk with visitors about the project.
About the Artist
Mel Chin is from Houston, Texas and is known for the broad range of approaches in his art, including works that require multi-disciplinary, collaborative teamwork and works that conjoin cross-cultural aesthetics with complex ideas. He developed Revival Field (1989-ongoing), a project that pioneered the field of “green remediation,” the use of plants to remove toxic, heavy metals from the soil. A current project, Fundred Dollar Bill/Operation Paydirt, focuses on national awareness and prevention of childhood lead-poisoning through art-making. Mel is also well known for his iconic sculptures and installations, works that often address the importance of memory and collective identity, and for inserting art into unlikely places, including destroyed homes, toxic landfills, and even popular television, investigating how art can provoke greater social awareness and responsibility.
Mirror Garden Host Blueprint Holders from Long Beach (Photo credit: Amanda Wiles, © 2016.)
The Tie that Binds: The Mirror of the Future is produced by Mel Chin in partnership with California State Parks, The Bowtie Project, and Clockshop. It is is commissioned by Department of Cultural Affairs for Current: LA Water Public Art Biennial 2016, and is made possible by the support of the Department of Cultural Affairs, The City of Los Angeles, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation.
by Patricia Mark, posted by Deb Shaw
The Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens (RSABG) is opening an exhibition entitled On Location: California Native Plants in the Movies. The opening reception will be held on Friday August 19 from 5 pm to 7 pm, at Johnson’s Oval at RSABG. Remarks will be made at 5:30 pm and light refreshments will be served.
Learn how native plants have shaped movie culture—from Vertigo to Star Wars—in this fun exhibition where botany meets the box office. Discover film stills, posters and other memorabilia from movie culture that spotlight a cast of native floral characters.
RSVP requested by Wednesday, August 17 to development@rsabg.org.
RSABG members are free
Guests of RSABG members: $20 per person
Please contact the Development Office to pay for your guests, via email, or by calling (909) 625-8767, ext. 258.
The Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens are located at: 1500 N. College Ave, Claremont, CA 91711.
Note: if you are interested in sponsoring this exhibition, sponsorships are still available. Contact RSABG via email for more information.
by Deb Shaw
Prunus dulcis, Almond, watercolor by Margaret Best, © 2016, all rights reserved.
BAGSC members Margaret Best, Akiko Enokido, Asuka Hishiki, Mitsuko Schultz, and Deborah Shaw have been accepted into the 19th Annual International American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) and The Horticultural Society of New York.
Jurors Susan Fraser (Director, Mertz Library,The New York Botanical Garden), David Horak (Curator of the Aquatic House, Brooklyn Botanic Garden), and Catherine Watters (Botanical Artist) chose 48 artworks from 258 submissions. Works in the exhibition include artists from the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
Camellia japonica ‘Hakuho’, Heirloom Camellia ‘Hakuho’ ‘White Phoenix’, watercolor on vellum by Akiko Enokido, © 2015, all rights reserved.
This year’s exhibition is in a new venue: it will be hosted by the New York Design Center and installed in their bright, airy, contemporary gallery space, 1stDibs, on the tenth floor. The Horticultural Society of New York, New York Design Center, and ASBA are designing special outreach events and programs, to be announced in September.
The opening reception will take place on Thursday evening, November 3, 2016 and will be on display through December 30, 2016. The catalog of artwork images will be posted on ASBA’s website the day of the opening. A full-color catalog will be published and available on ASBA’s website, as well as at the 1stDibs Gallery and at The Horticultural Society of New York. For further information please contact ASBA’s Exhibitions Director.
1stDibs is located on the 10th Floor of The New York Design Center, 200 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York, 10018. Gallery Hours are 9:30 – 5:30 Monday – Friday.
Solanum lycopersicm, Dancing Duo 34-A, Portrait of an Heirloom Tomato, watercolor by Asuka Hishiki, © 2016, all rights reserved.
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Hibiscus, watercolor by Mitsuko Schultz, © 2016, all rights reserved.
Opuntia spp. Fruit, Tunas or Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit, watercolor on vellum by Deborah Shaw, © 2016, all rights reserved.
California Poppy, 50″x28″, © JW Fike, 2015. Photographed in Miramonte, CA.
by Deb Shaw
There are a wealth of exhibitions this summer in Southern California that are botanically instructive and inspirational.
One is in South Orange County. Soka University in Aliso Viejo is currently showing JW (Jimmy) Fike’s solo exhibition, Photographic Survey of the Wild Edible Botanicals of California, now through August 26, 2016.
Even though his medium is photography, rather than traditional painting or drawing, the intent behind Fike’s large, stark, beautiful photographs is similar to any botanical artist or illustrator:
“Within my system the plant is excavated, arranged in the studio, photographed, then illustrated digitally in such a way as to render the edible parts in color while the remaining parts, less emphatically, read as contact prints.” [Quote from Soka University website.]
Henbit, 28″x20″, © JW Fike, 2014. Photographed in Miramonte, CA.
After Fike meticulously composes and arranges his specimen to emphasize key plant characteristics, he photographs it and then begins illustrating in Photoshop. Each piece may take up to three or four months to illustrate. (Sound familiar?) Each photograph references scientific illustration, contact prints, and photograms:
“I’m referencing the history of contact prints and photograms from the dawn of photography,” said Fike, noting 19th century English botanist Anna Atkins and pioneering photographer Henry Fox Talbot. “Some of the very first photographs were plant specimens on sensitized paper.” [Quote from LA Times article, Haunting flowers: The eerily beautiful California botanical art of J.W. Fike.]
Fike exhibits a symbiotic collection of edible plants from a geographic area. He has photographed more than ninety plants in “seven different states and plan to continue the survey until I’ve created a collection that spans the continental United States.” [Quote from Soka University website.]
Soap plant, 110″ x 64″, © JW Fike, 2015. Photographed in Miramonte, CA.
Fike’s exhibition has been covered in the LA Times, and on Botanical Art & Artists by Katherine Tyrrell. His photographs and other articles can be found on his blog.
Soka University’s Founders Hall Art Gallery is located at 1 University Drive, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656, 949-480-4000, info@soka.edu
Exhibition now through August 26, 2016
Free Admission
Monday thru Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Map and directions
by Deb Shaw
“Fragaria x ananassa ‘Fragoo Pink’,” Strawberry, watercolor by Mitsuko Schultz, © 2013, all rights reserved.
Submission deadlines for the The BAGSC exhibition “Cornucopia” at The San Diego Botanic Garden, Ecke Building are roaring up soon. Complete submission of up to three (3) artworks, forms, digital images and $35 entry fee are due by August 12, 2016.
“Cornucopia” will focus on all plants consumable. All life depends on plants, so let’s celebrate the diversity of plant life used in food, beverages and to enhance flavor. Draw or paint the weird fruit or vegetable found in the grocery store, the prize tomato from your backyard garden, an exotic spice or the essential ingredient of a beverage (such as hops!). If you can, include a recipe using your plant subject, or some information about how the plant is used. Submitted artworks can include any traditional media, including watercolor, colored pencil, graphite and pen and ink.
All current BAGSC members in good standing (dues paid) are eligible to enter up to three (3) two-dimensional artwork(s). High quality prints are acceptable, but no photos or digital enhancements please. We are encouraging all BAGSC members, of all experience levels to enter at least one piece.
This is not a juries show. Though not a juried show, if space becomes an issue, selections will be made to show a diversity of subjects and to include as many artists as possible.
The “Call for Entries” packet was sent via email blast to all BAGSC members. If you did not receive it, or have problems with the file, please contact Deb Shaw or Janice Sharp.
Looking forward to seeing your incredible edibles!
by Bonnie Born Ash, photos by Janice Sharp, posted by Deb Shaw
On Saturday afternoon, July 16, 2016, a festive opening reception for “Capturing the Arboretum: the Art of Botanical Illustration” was held in the newly renovated Arboretum Library. Participating BAGSC artists were Cristina Baltayian, Bonnie Born Ash, Diane Nelson Daly, Estelle DeRidder, Nancy Grubb, Cynthia Jackson, Arillyn Moran-Lawrence, Marilyn Parrino, Mitsuko Schultz, Janice Sharp, Deborah Shaw, and Beth Stone.
Artists and guests enjoyed viewing twenty-three fine works of art depicting plants of the Arboretum. Individual works were enhanced by comments from Jurors James Henrich, Arboretum’s Curator of Living Collections; Arboretum Librarian Susan Eubank; and Olga Eysymontt, Botanical Art Teacher. In addition, artwork signage gives the specific location in the reference library to find additional information on each plant illustrated.
Throughout the reception, Estelle DeRidder and Mitsuko Schultz demonstrated botanical art techniques. Additional artist demonstrations are planned in the Library on two Saturdays, August 27 and September 24. The exhibition continues through December 29. Many thanks to our jurors, volunteers, and congratulations to all participating artists!
Library Location
The Arboretum Library is located within The Arboretum. Go straight through the double doors on the left (east) of the entrance rotunda.
Library Hours
Tuesday-Friday 8:30 am to 5:30 pm
Saturday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Susan Eubank, Librarian
Phone: (626)821-3213
Fax: (626)445-1217
The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden is located at 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007.
Click on an image below to enlarge and view through a slide show format.
Photo by Janice Sharp, © 2016.
Photo by Janice Sharp, © 2016.
Photo by Janice Sharp, © 2016.
Photo by Janice Sharp, © 2016.
Photo by Janice Sharp, © 2016.
Photo by Janice Sharp, © 2016.
By Tania Marien and Estelle DeRidder, posted by Deb Shaw
Patricia Mark at the opening reception “For the Love of Botanicals.” Photo credit: Tania Marien, © 2016.
This month BAGSC President Patricia Mark shared her passion for plants, gardens and art in her solo exhibition For the Love of Botanicals.
Twenty drawings and paintings adorned the walls of Bunny Gunner Gallery, a bright and airy gallery located along the quaint tree-lined streets of the historic Claremont Village, in Claremont, California.
The exhibition opened with a very successful reception on July 2. The gallery filled immediately with admiring and enthusiastic guests. Guests included members of the public, friends and current and former Guild members.
Patricia’s paintings were rendered on archival cotton rag in watercolor, colored pencil and graphite. The paintings range in size from approximately 10″ x 10″ to 16″ x 20″. With good street exposure, the artwork is clearly visible from outside the intimate gallery, which attracted members of the public who might not have had intentions of visiting a botanical art exhibition. During the reception the guests spent time examining the artwork up-close and admiring the detail. Many of the pieces have sold.
BAGSC members at Patricia Mark’s opening reception included (from left to right): Melanie Campbell-Carter, Patricia Mark, Marilyn Parrino, and Nancy Beckham. Photo credit: Tania Marien, © 2016.
Patricia earned a Botanical Art Certificate at Filoli. Her work has been shown at Filoli, Descanso Gardens, Chapman University Leatherby Library, Roger’s Garden, the Pasadena Showcase House, the Theodore Payne Gallery and the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden.
This exhibit has been extended till August 3rd, with an additional Artists’ Reception on Saturday, July 30 from 6 pm – 9 pm.
The Bunny Gunner Gallery is located at 230 West Bonita Avenue, Claremont, California, 91711, 909.624.7238. The gallery is open:
Tuesday: 12 – 6 pm
Wednesday – Friday: 10 am – 6 pm
Saturday: 12 am – 4 pm
Patricia Mark with BAGSC member guests (left to right): Diane Daly, Patricia Mark, Olga Eysymont, and Estelle DeRidder. Photo credit: Jack Daly, © 2016.
This notice of the Art Show appeared in the latest issue of the Arboretum Newsletter. Artwork by Diane Daly, © 2016, all rights reserved.
by Janice Sharp, posted by Deb Shaw
The Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California will present an exhibit of their work depicting Arboretum trees and flowers from July 16 to December 29 in the Arboretum Library at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. Meet the artists featured in Capturing the Arboretum: The Art of Botanical Illustration at a reception:
Saturday, July 16, 2016
1 pm – 3 pm in the Arboretum Library
Members of the local chapter of the American Society of Botanical Artists will demonstrate botanical art techniques including graphite, colored pencil and watercolor in the Library on two Saturdays, August 27 and September 24. Prints and cards will be sold during demonstrations, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Los Angeles Arboretum.
The Guild promotes public awareness of this artistic tradition.
BAGSC artists participating in The Art of Botanical Illustration include: Bonnie Born Ash, Cristina Baltayian, Diane Nelson Daly, Estelle DeRidder, Nancy Grubb, Cynthia Jackson, Arillyn Moran-Lawrence, Marilyn Parrino, Mitsuko Schultz, Janice Sharp, Deborah Shaw, and Beth Stone. Congrats to all!
The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden is located at: 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007, 626.821.3222.
The Arboretum Library is located within The Arboretum. Go straight through the double doors on the left (east) of the entrance rotunda.
Library Hours are from:
Tuesday-Friday 8:30 am to 5:30 pm
Saturday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
by Deb Shaw
The deadline for submission to The California Islands Symposium Art Exhibition has been extended to July 19, 2106!
The California Islands Symposium Art Exhibition will be held October 3 – 7, 2016 in Ventura, California during the Symposium and then moved to the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden in Santa Barbara, California, where it will be on display for one month, from October 9 – November 6, 2016.
Artists are invited to enter original artwork in any two-dimensional medium that reflects the beauty and uniqueness of the California Islands. One source of the flora found on the islands is: https://www.nps.gov/chis/learn/nature/plants.htm. Submissions are not limited to the plant life, but can include marine life, shells, birds and fauna. The only qualifier for content is that the subject matter must be connected to the California Channel Islands. Many of the plants that grow on the Channel Islands also grow on the mainland. Check the lists; if you’ve painted any California natives, you may already have a painting in the drawer that qualifies for submission.
Entries are accepted through http://www.onlinejuriedshows.com and the deadline is July 19th. The symposium website can be found at: http://www.californiaislands.net/island-art-exhibition/. There will be prize money for the top three artists.
“We believe that including the arts in the international island symposium is a critical component in cultivating a greater appreciation of the unique California islands. The juried Art Exhibition is a special event associated with the scientific symposium.”
Questions? Contact the 9th California Islands Symposium Planning Committee at: californiaislands@gmail.com
BAGSC News 