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by Veronica Raymond, posted by Deb Shaw

Although not a BAGSC or ASBA workshop, the following may be interesting to all of us who are working on trees for the ASBA exhibition “Out of the Woods”.Dr. Matt Ritter, professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, will be teaching a workshop entitled, “Tough Trees Made Easy: Pines, Oaks, Eucalypts, and Figs.”

Here is the workshop description and information, by Dr. Ritter and Dr. Yost:

Learn to ID species in the most difficult groups of trees! Help support student research travel. At this workshop we will teach you the biology and important identifying characters of pines, oaks, eucalypts, and figs. This all-day workshop will include lecture and lots of hands-on lab time for you to test your knowledge and practice difficult tree identification. You will walk away with the skills and working knowledge needed to identify species in the largest and most confusing groups of trees in California. We’ll also send you away with all the reference materials you’ll need for future work with these ubiquitous trees.

Three workshop locations to choose from:

  • Palomar College, San Marcos on Tuesday June 28th, 2016
  • The Los Angeles County Arboretum, Arcadia on Thursday June 30th, 2016
  • San Jose State University, San Jose on Thursday July 7th, 2016

The workshop costs $120 and includes:

  • A workshop packet and illustrated materials for identification
  • Post workshop online identification and reference tools
  • Catered breakfast and lunch, coffee, tea, and refreshments
  • ISA Continuing Education Units (7 units)

100% of the workshop proceeds go to support student research travel to Australia. Learn new information while helping a Cal Poly student realize their dream!

Space is limited, register online or email Matt Ritter.

 

Workshop Instructors:

Dr. Matt Ritter: Winner of the WCISA R. W. Harris Award for Excellence in Education and author of California’s funniest book on trees.

Dr. Jenn Yost: Inspiring Professor of Botany at Cal Poly, where she teaches plant identification, ecology, and evolution.

by Melanie Campbell-Carter, posted by Deb Shaw

The Botanical Art Exhibit and Sale at the LA County Arboretum this past weekend was a great success!

Titled “the First Annual ARTboretum!”, twelve botanical artists (ten of whom are BAGSC members) exhibited 62 botanical works for three days at the Oak Room.  The twelve artists self-funded the show, with the Arboretum providing space in the Oak Room and on the Patio.

Over the three days, nearly 500 visitors enjoyed botanical art demonstrations, a viewer’s choice ballot, and a delightful reception on Saturday.  Awards were presented to Juanita O’Marah BAGSC, First Place, Citrullus lanatus dulcinea ‘Sugar Baby Watermelon’; Shae Gazzaniga, Second Place, Pelargonium cordifolium; and Robyn Reilman BAGSC, Third Place, Cynara cardunculus ‘Globe Artichoke’.

A full-color exhibit catalog was produced by the artists to help defray costs of the event, and a few copies are still available for $20 plus shipping through this link.

The artists wish to express their appreciation for the support of the BAGSC members who were able to visit the event. Congrats to all!

Click to see the slide show of artists with their paintings:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

by Deb Shaw

Invitation postcard for "Looking for Flora," Roger's Gardens. Watercolor on vellum by Akiko Enokido, Camellia japonica 'Kingyoba tsubaki', © 2016, all rights reserved. Download the complete postcard here.

Invitation postcard for “Looking for Flora,” Roger’s Gardens. Watercolor on vellum by Akiko Enokido, Camellia japonica ‘Kingyoba tsubaki’, © 2016, all rights reserved.

Roger’s Gardens Fine Art Gallery will be hosting a juried exhibition of BAGSC artists, entitled “Looking for Flora: An Exhibition of Botanical Art” from May 21 – June 5, 2016.

Several exhibiting artists will paint in the gardens on May 21, from 12 pm – 4 pm, followed by a reception with the artists in the Art Gallery from 4 pm – 6 pm.

Exhibiting artists include: Diane Nelson Daly • Estelle DeRidder • Akiko Enokido • Cynthia Jackson • Arillyn Moran-Lawrence • Joan Keesey • Suzanne Kuuskmae • Lesley Randall • Gilly Shaeffer • Janice Sharp • Deborah Shaw • Grace Swanson • Ellie Yun-Hui Tu

Download the complete postcard here: Looking for Flora-Postcard-2

Roger’s Gardens is located at 2301 San Joaquin Hills Road, Corona del Mar, CA 92625, 949.640.5800. Hours are 9 am – 6 pm. Roger’s is dog-friendly.

Congratulations to all of the artists, and looking forward to seeing you at the Opening, May 21!

by Margaret Best, posted by Deb Shaw

BAGSC member Margaret Best has a painting in the newly released book ‘Florilegium’ to mark the bi-centennial of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney, Australia.

A Florilegium Society for the gardens was formed with Shirley Sherwood as the honorary Patron and Beverly Allen as president. One of the goals of the society was to produce a high quality book containing full-page works by various botanical artists to portray a diverse array of plants of significant importance to the garden. The complete exhibition of works is to be hung at the gardens from the end of July to November and is expected to travel to the Shirley Sherwood gallery in 2018.

This is a project of over three years in the making and the superb volume has just been released. The book showcases works by 41 Australians artists, 13 British artists, two South Africans, two Japanese and one each from the United States, Canada, Netherlands, France, Korea and New Zealand.

Leslie scouting out the tree, Schotia Brachypetala at The Huntington. © 2013, Margaret Best, all rights reserved.

Leslie Walker scouting out the tree, Schotia brachypetala at The Huntington Gardens. © 2013, Margaret Best, all rights reserved.

The only Canadian with a painting in the book is Margaret Best. She flew to Los Angeles in 2013, and with the help of Leslie Walker and Janice Sharp, Margaret was able to find a sole specimen of a Schotia brachypetala, in The Huntington Gardens. This is a South African native tree known in Australia as the ‘drunken parrot tree’. Wild parakeets are attracted to the gardens by the clusters of small red flowers that drip nectar. After a short period, the copious quantities of nectar ferments and causes the birds to become intoxicated!

Margaret working in Janice's studio. © 2013, Janice Sharp, all rights reserved.

Margaret working in Janice’s studio. © 2013, Janice Sharp, all rights reserved.

Graciously hosted by Janice, Margaret was able to work in her wonderful studio for a week to complete drawings, colour matching of flowers, leaves and pod specimens for a large study. More than year later, Margaret visited a remarkable specimen in Kirstenbosch Gardens in Cape Town. With the help of the curator Ernst Van Jaarsveld, she was able to acquire a small branch from the landmark tree. That caused a last minute composition change to include the textures of bark and new growth emerging from older parts of the tree.

The outstanding book contains many fine works by artists such as Jenny Phillips, Beverly Allen, John Pastorizia-Piñol, Anita Walsmit Sachs and many more notables. [A list of the Florilegium paintings and artists can be found here.] It is most definitely worthy of any serious botanical artist’s book collection. Ask Leslie and Janice – they have heaped accolades on its quality since recently receiving their copies!

The ‘Florilegium’ may be ordered by contacting Angela Lober, international phone 02 9552 1169 or by email. Payment can be made by cheque or direct deposit. Cheques are payable to: The Florilegium Society at the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney Inc., and can be mailed with your contact and delivery information to: Ms Angela Lober, 12 Allen Street, Glebe NSW 2037

Congrats Margaret!

 

by Beth Stone

Boddy House Postcard from 1967.

Boddy House Postcard from 1967.

In the 1930’s Descanso’s Boddy House was built for E. Manchester Boddy, founder of Descanso Gardens, as a home for his family. It is situated majestically on a hillside with grand views of the San Gabriel Mountains. This elegant Hollywood Regency style mansion now serves as a museum preserving Descanso Garden history and continues as a location for entertaining in style.

In the Spring of 2015, BAGSC’s “A Passion for Camellias” exhibit was hung along an interior hallway of the Boddy House, leading to and spilling into the kitchen. The space is ideally suited to botanical art as it invites close observation and is sheltered from sunlight, protecting sensitive media. The botanical art style is very compatible with the feel of the mansion.

Boddy House: Photo by Beth Stone © 2013, all rights reserved.

Boddy House: Photo by Beth Stone © 2013, all rights reserved.

Artists Diane Daly, Estelle DeRidder, Clara Josephs, Joan Keesey, Patricia Mark, Mitsuko Schultz, Gilly Shaeffer, Janice Sharp, and Beth Stone contributed the artwork for BAGSC’s “A Passion for Camellias” exhibit which graced the walls of Descanso’s Boddy House for a full year.

On Monday May 9th the BAGSC Camellia artworks were taken down and a new exhibit celebrating roses was hung in their place.

Camellia Exhibit: Photo by Beth Stone © 2015, all rights reserved.

Camellia Exhibit: Photo by Beth Stone © 2015, all rights reserved.

BAGSC artists contributing to the new exhibit “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” are Bonnie Born Ash, Cynthia Jackson, Suzanne Kuushmae, Lee McCaffree, Marilyn Parrino, Gilly Shaeffer, Janice Sharp, Beth Stone and Ellie Tu. Thanks to the variety and quality of the artworks and the professional hanging the exhibit is lovely! “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” made its debute May 10th , timed to be on display for Descanso’s Rose Festival on the weekend of May 14th & 15th. BAGSC volunteers will demonstrate our art form during the Rose Festival.

Rose Hanging in Progress: Photo by Beth Stone © 2016, all rights reserved.

Rose Hanging in Progress: Photo by Beth Stone © 2016, all rights reserved.

The Boddy House is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and is included with admission to Descanso Gardens.

Many thanks to Descanso Gardens, especially David Brown, Susan Armstrong and Cris Martinez for welcoming BAGSC artworks to the Boddy House. Thanks also to Paul Gellman for his thoughtful, professional hanging of the new exhibit.

by Deb Shaw

BAGSC News previously posted Gilly Shaeffer’s acceptance into “Celebrating Flora of the National Parks“, the new exhibition by the United States Botanic Garden (USBG) and the National Park Service (NPS) showcasing plants and ecological communities found throughout the more than 400 national parks.

Dudleya greenei, watercolor by Ellie Tu, © 2016, all rights reserved. This plant grows in the Channel Islands National Park.

Dudleya greenei, watercolor by Ellie Tu, © 2016, all rights reserved. This plant grows in the Channel Islands National Park.

BAGSC member Ellie Tu also was accepted into “Celebrating Flora”. Ellie’s cousin visited the exhibition at the US Botanic Garden at the end of March, and sent these photos of his visit.

The exhibition, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the NPS and the diversity of our national park’s flora, will run from February 18 – October 2, 2016 in the USBG Conservatory in Washington, D.C. Artworks in a wide variety of media by 78 artists from across the country are on display, along with living specimens from the USBG and graphics representing each of the National Parks represented. Programs will include botanical illustration and photography workshops, meet-the-artist sessions, and lectures by national parks rangers and other experts.

The U.S. Botanic Garden is the oldest public garden in the United States, and is open to the public, free of charge, every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Conservatory is located at 100 Maryland Ave. SW, on the southwest side of the U.S. Capitol. More information about the exhibit, programs, and visiting the USBG is available on the website.

Gallery wall showing Dudleya greenei by Ellie Tu; and California Poppy and Toyon Berries by Gilly Shaeffer. © 2016 by the artists, all rights reserved. Photo by Keith Fisher, © 2016.

Gallery wall showing Dudleya greenei by Ellie Tu; and California Poppy and Toyon Berries by Gilly Shaeffer. © 2016 by the artists, all rights reserved. Photo by Keith Fisher, © 2016.

Congratulations to Ellie and Gilly, and Happy 100th birthday to the US Botanic Garden!

Entry to "Flora of the National Parks". Photo by Keith Fisher, © 2016, all rights reserved.

Entry to “Flora of the National Parks”. Photo by Keith Fisher, © 2016, all rights reserved.

by Melanie Campbell-Carter and Gilly Shaeffer, posted by Deb Shaw

The opening day of the 18th Annual Botanical Art Exhibition at Filoli was a most extraordinary day from start to finish! New BAGSC member and Filoli student Ellie Tu had graciously delivered all the BAGSC paintings to Woodside the week before. At dawn on Thursday, April 7, Gilly Shaeffer, Mitsuko Schultz, Cristina Baltayian and Melanie Campbell-Carter arose and departed for a fabulous day at Filoli Gardens. Our first stop was to view the 65 lovely botanical paintings from the US and the Netherlands. Gilly said, “The quality of the paintings this year was truly inspiring!”

It was a magical day in the gardens. With picture-perfect sunny skies and warm breezes, we could not resist enjoying the gorgeous grounds in full spring bloom. The Filoli volunteers made our visit very special by sharing all their knowledge about the history of the estate, even giving a quick personal tour of the home. The Mark Catesby and select pieces of the Filoli and Highgrove Florilegiums prints were exhibited in the ballroom, and well worth a visit.

When the crowd gathered at the reception for the presentation of awards, we were thrilled to hear that Melanie Campbell-Carter was presented the Roth Award, “for distinction with an emphasis on traditional botanical art presentation” for her Duabanga grandiflora. Lee McCaffree was presented with the Bourn award, “for distinction with an emphasis on horticulture” for Narcissus ‘Delibes’, the Alcatraz Daffodil. The third award, the Jurors’ award, “for distinction with an emphasis on botanical art presentation”, went to Milly Acharya for her Lathyrus odoratus, Sweet Pea.

Everything about the day was perfectly delightful, and we feel that we have blazed a trail for future BAGSC jet-setting adventures! We heartily encourage everyone to see the exhibit before it closes on June 12, and to enjoy the beautiful spring gardens at Filoli.

BAGSC members accepted into the 18th Annual Botanical Art Exhibition at Filoli include:

  • Cristina Baltayian
  • Melanie Campbell-Carter
  • Joan Keesey
  • Lee McCaffree
  • Mitsuko Schultz
  • Gilly Shaeffer
  • Ellie Tu

The 18th Annual Botanical Art Exhibition at Filoli goes through June 12th. Filoli is located at 86 Cañada Road, Woodside, CA 94062.

Kudos to all the award winners, and congratulations to all the accepted artists!

Click on an image of the exhibition opening and the Filoli gardens to enlarge:

 

by Teri Kuwahara, posted by Deb Shaw

small ARTboretum logoThe students in the Botanical Art and Illustration Class at the Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanical Garden will present ARTboretum!, botanical art show and sale. The beauty of capturing nature in a realistic style using watercolor and color pencil will be on display at the Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanical Garden on
Friday, Saturday and Sunday,
April 29, 30 and May 1, 2016,
11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m

Electronic Pomegranate Postcard“I have been honored to teach the botanical illustration class for the last four years,” said instructor Cristina Baltayian. “The best way to highlight the value of the Arboretum and its botanical art educational program is to allow you to see the inspiration, talents, and visions of the students.”

Twelve artists will display original art and fine art giclees in the Oak Room for this weekend event. In addition, prints and greeting cards will also be available for sale. Artists will demonstrate techniques and will be available to answer questions. The public is invited to attend the Artists’ Reception and Catalog Signing on Saturday, April 30 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Catalogs for the show will be available for sale while supplies last.

Admission to the art show and sale is free with admission to the Arboretum.

BAGSC Members participating in the show are: Cristina Baltayian, Nancy Beckham, Melanie Cambell-Carter, Nancy Grubb, Teri Kuwahara, Kathy Morgan, Juanita O’Marah, Marilyn Parrino, Robyn Reilman, Jude Wiesenfeld.

The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden is located at 301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, CA.

by Patricia Kernan, posted by Deb Shaw

Focus on Nature logo

Focus on Nature logo

Unfortunately, the “Focus on Nature” (FON XIV) on-line submission form was not working today. Due to the cyber problems, the entry deadline for FON XIV will be extended until midnight on Thursday, March 17, 2016. The issues with the form are supposed to be resolved Thursday, but if anyone wishes to enter and has a problem with the form, please email Patricia Kernan directly to make sure your entry is recorded.

We appreciate your patience and apologize for the situation.

If you have already entered, you should have received an acknowledgement.

[Read the initial post about the “Focus on Nature XIV” on our BAGSC News blog at: https://bagscblog.com/2016/03/04/call-for-entries-focus-on-nature-natural-and-cultural-history-illustration-exhibition/%5D

by Ellie Tu and Deb Shaw

Dudleya greenei, watercolor by Ellie Tu, © 2016, all rights reserved.

Dudleya greenei, watercolor by Ellie Tu, © 2016, all rights reserved.

BAGSC member Ellie Tu will have two displays of her botanical art, and will present two talks this coming weekend:

Saturday, March 19, 2016 at 1 pm
Ojai Library, Ojai, California

Ellie will present a talk entitled “Channel Islands National Park Guide Book Illustrations and a Glance at Traditional Botanical Art.” This talk will include a brief history of traditional botanical art and explain the equipment and materials used for painting and drawing.

Ellie will also speak on the process of creating the Channel Islands National Park guide book illustrations and give a drawing demonstration. She will bring some plant samples for guests to experience from a botanical illustrator’s point of view.

Ellie Tu illustrated the Channel Islands National Park guide books.

Ellie Tu illustrated the Channel Islands National Park guide books.

Ellie Tu illustrated the Channel Islands National Park guide books.

Ellie Tu illustrated the Channel Islands National Park guide books.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ellie’s artwork will be on display in the library until the end of June, 2016.

This event is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact the library at (805) 646-1639. The E.P Foster Library is located at: 111 East Ojai Avenue, Ojai, California 93023.

Pen and ink illustrations of California native plants by Ellie Tu, © 2016, all rights reserved.

Pen and ink illustrations of California native plants by Ellie Tu, © 2016, all rights reserved.

Sunday, March 20, 2016 at 2 pm
Oak Park Library, Oak Park, California

On Sunday, March 20, Ellie will present a talk entitled “Botanical Wonders: An introduction to Traditional Botanical Art.” Ellie will give a brief history of botanical art, show the step-by-step process of botanical painting, and give a watercolor demonstration. Those who attend get to create (and take home) their own botanical art! Ellie’s artwork will be on display in the library until April 3, 2016.

This event is free and open to the public. The address for the Oak Park Library is: 897 North Kanan Road, Oak Park, CA 91377.

 

Additionally, Ellie will be giving a talk at Channel Islands National Park auditorium on April 9th. Stay tuned — details will be posted to our BAGSC News blog.

Ellie demonstrated botanical art with BAGSC at the Bowers Museum and at Roger's Gardens.

Ellie demonstrated botanical art with BAGSC at the Bowers Museum and at Roger’s Gardens.

by Deb Shaw

Aristolochia californica, California Pipevine, watercolor by Lee McCaffree, © 2016, all rights reserved. This painting by Lee was part of the "Weird, Wild & Wonderful" exhibition.

Aristolochia californica, California Pipevine, watercolor by Lee McCaffree, © 2016, all rights reserved. This painting by Lee was part of the “Weird, Wild & Wonderful” exhibition.

The schedule for Lee McCaffree’s workshops, A Painting! What do you See? and Completing a Painting have been changed: both workshops have been rolled into one day, one workshop, on Saturday, March 19. The workshop will still be held at the Los Angeles Arboretum, from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm.

There are still a few seats available. If you would like to take the workshop, but have not yet registered, please email BAGSC Treasurer Janice Sharp to let her know and make arrangements to send a check and/or bring it to the workshop on Saturday.

Cost: BAGSC members, $100.00/non-members, $120.00
Maximum number of participants (in each class): 15

You can see the original BAGSC News blog posting about the class here, including materials list and Lee McAffree’s bio. Don’t miss this great opportunity to take this rare workshop.

by Ted Tegart, posted by Deb Shaw

The Arboretum is bringing back botany Professor Matt Ritter for a lecture and walk, discussing and celebrating the Arboretum’s Australian trees, “Australian Trees for a Drought-Stressed Southern California”.

Saturday, March 19, 2016, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Los Angeles Arboretum
301 N. Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007
10 am – 12 noon / Bamboo Room
Matt Ritter, Instructor

$30 members; $40 per non-member (includes Arboretum admission)
Reservations are preferred: Please call 626.821.4623 or pay at the door

Whether it’s an El Niño year or not, it’s dry in California and likely to get dryer. Trees from Australia can be part of the solution toward creating beautiful, diverse, and resilient urban forests that use less water.

We’ll explore drought-tolerant, appropriate Australian species for planting in our Southern California environment. This event will be partial classroom lecture and discussion, and part tree walk in the Arboretum’s world class collection of Australian trees. Come learn about Acacias, Eucalypts, Callistemons, Melaleucas, and Brachychitons, and so many more great Australian trees.

Matt Ritter is a professor in the Biology Department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. 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’s native plants. He is also the author of A Californian’s Guide to the Trees Among Us, the state’s most popular natural history guide to the urban forest.
 
He is the California Coordinator of the American Forests Big Tree Registry, 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. He is an avid woodworker and gardener.

by Melanie Campbell-Carter, posted by Deb Shaw

February 27, 2016 was a picture-perfect day for botanical art at Roger’s Gardens in Corona Del Mar! Featured prominently for the fourth Annual Day of Art at Roger’s Gardens, the BAGSC outreach table was well received by the public, with hardly a moment for breaks. Deborah Shaw, Diane Daly, and Clara Josephs presented a Nature Journaling workshop, delighting visitors with a chance to draw freesias, pansies, and other lovelies from the nursery.

Additional BAGSC members came as well, and there were a lot of visitors who had seen BAGSC at the Bowers Museum demonstrations and joined us at Rogers.

Theresa Marino, the Fine Art Gallery director, was thrilled with the art provided by our BAGSC artists. She can’t wait for the upcoming BAGSC exhibit, “Looking for Flora,” slated for May 21-June 5, 2016. (BAGSC members should have received the Roger’s Gardens “Call for Entries” for “Looking for Flora” in your email. If you haven’t received it, please contact Deb Shaw. Submission deadline is April 23, 2016.)

The framed art gallery on the shaded outdoor furniture pavilion was thronged with visitors most of the day, enjoying over 50 submissions in all media. Member Terri Munroe sold her lovely painting, and members Deborah Shaw and Melanie Campbell-Carter took home “Award of Excellence” blue ribbons for their submitted artworks. Thanks to all the participating members, as well as the visiting members, who helped make this another successful BAGSC outreach event.

Participating BAGSC artists included: Melanie Campbell-Carter, Clara Josephs, Suzanne Kuuskmae, Patricia Mark, Arillyn Moran-Lawrence, Terri Munroe, Diane Nelson Daly, Mitsuko Schultz, Deborah Shaw, and Ellie Yun-Hui Tu.

Click on the photo bubbles below to see the full image and caption.

by Cynthia Jackson and Clara Josephs, posted by Deb Shaw

Olga Eysymontt's demonstration of carbon dust, graphite dust and pencil techniques. Photo by Cynthia Jackson, © 2016, all rights reserved.

Olga Eysymontt’s demonstration of carbon dust, graphite dust and pencil techniques. Photo by Cynthia Jackson, © 2016, all rights reserved.

In each of Olga’s classes, we show our progress on what we had started the class before. Recently, that meant we shared our composition of the seedpods, cotton plant, bottlebrush branch, pussy willow, or whatever each of us had chosen. After the critique we continued to finish the drawing we had started.

One session ago we had a demonstration of carbon dust technique by Olga. She had done a pepper using graphite dust, carbon dust, and a combination of both, including the pencils that she had listed on the list of supplies we got for the class. She uses old makeup brushes for some of the application of the dust. The shorter handles are easier to work with when applying the carbon dust or graphic dust. Olga suggested we start with an outline of a simple object—nothing complicated. It turns out this technique is a very fast way, comparatively, to do a drawing. One classmate had drawing almost completed before the end of the class, beautifully done. And it’s fun!

We were asked to try to continue practicing with the carbon dust and other work we had started. We are learning a lot!

by Emileigh Tanner, Program Manager, posted by Deb Shaw

Huyck Artist-in-Residence poster. Download a PDF of the poster for reproduction by clicking on the link at the end of this article.

Huyck Artist-in-Residence poster. Download a PDF of the poster for reproduction by clicking on the link at the end of this article.

The Huyck Preserve and Biological Research Station, in collaboration with the New York State Museum, is providing a unique opportunity for up to six natural history artists to immerse themselves in a two-week residency program in the picturesque Catskill hill-town village of Rensselaerville, New York. COM.EN.ART (Community. Environment. Art) is designed to provide concentrated field experience and study for illustrators, as well as encourage interaction and discussion about nature among artists, with scientists and with the community. This process affords the artist the opportunity to produce inspired and insightful natural history artwork.

Program Schedule:

Session I: June 20 – July 4
Session II: July 25 – August 8
Up to two applicants will be chosen for each session based on room availability

Application deadline: April 15, 2016
Formal decision and notification by May 1, 2016
Application can be found on our website: http://www.huyckpreserve.org/comenart-application-form

Artists and scientists have worked side by side for centuries, most notably in the realm of rendering the natural world. The COM.EN.ART Natural History Artist-in-Residency Program was inspired by that long-lived historic relationship and by a desire to provide artists with an opportunity to immerse themselves in nature, through the lens of science. The goal of this program is to provide a link to environmental stewardship, preservation and conservation through the aesthetics of art. The works completed under this residency contribute to the public understanding and appreciation of our natural landscape, as well as provide realistic representation of our many seasonal flora and fauna.

During their residencies, artists are free to produce artwork in their chosen manner and medium. The Preserve provides rustic housing, studio space, access to the laboratory, and over 2,000 acres of northeastern forest, fields, lakes and streams for exploration. In exchange, the artist is asked to contribute an original work constituting something appropriate for exhibition and publication, as well as a sketch page for our ongoing Artist’s Sketchbook.

This year, we are offer two traditional sessions as well as a new session focusing primarily on new art. Details about this new category will be available soon. More information about the artist-in-residency program, including logistics, expectations, and examples of previous artwork can be found online at  http://www.huyckpreseve.org/comenart-program.

If you have any questions about COM.EN.ART, please contact us at comenart@huyckpreserve.org or by calling at 518.797.3440. If you would like to download the poster for posting to fellow artists, please do so by clicking here 869b62c1-4b4b-45ea-bc18-815763513388.

We hope you are encouraged to apply for this unique and exciting residency.

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