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by Leslie Walker
Join us for our quarterly meeting on May 21, 2011 at Norma’s house. RSVP to Norma and let her know what you will be bringing for our usual potluck lunch.
Coffee at 9:30 am
Meeting begins promptly at 10:00 am
AGENDA
I. Welcome
II. President’s Report
III. Secretary’s Report
IV. Treasurer’s Report
V.Membership Report
VI. Old Business
· Rancho Los Alamitos – Botanical Cards at gift shop
· Water Miser workshop
· Meet with Elaine Searle
· “A Brush with Blue” – Margaret Best
· Susan Frei-Nathan Workshop
VII. New Business
· Calligraphy Class
· “Browns and Pods” – Margaret Best
· Next Meeting will be Saturday, September 24, 2011 at Allison’s
· Other business
Break for lunch
Program: The Brush Lady – Judy Coyle
Judy will be bringing a carload of wonderful brushes for sale. Bring cash and/or your checkbook.
Also be sure to bring your latest work to show the group.
See you there!!
By Cristina Baltayian
Eight of us BAGSC ladies got together with Margaret Best in Sally Jacobs light-filled, beautiful studio in Los Angeles. Our goal was to learn all about the color blue:
- How many varieties of blue (green shade, red shade. Indigo anyone? Or maybe cobalt? Is cerulean the bad-guy blue in the botanical palette, or does it have any redeeming qualities?);
- What’s the difference between Winson-Newton Ultramarine and M. Graham Ultramarine?;
- And what’s the scoop on reds? Which pairings make the best purples? The best greens?
Working hard in Margaret's class.
Along the way, Margaret, being Margaret, taught us a lot more than how to use blues in botanicals. We learned about matching colors for the automotive industry, and how we can apply some of the same principles in our own color matching. How the light in Bermuda can give a plumbago a different shade of blue than a plumbago in L.A; we had a contest, and won a prize. I could go on and on.
The mood was positive, we were excited about learning so much about a color that can be so daunting to a botanical artist, and we had a wonderful time.
From left to right: Carmen, Cristina, Norma, Jesslyn, Margaret and Bonnie.
I only wish I could have taken Margaret’s other classes on colors. But maybe I’ll have to wait for her book…
by Deb Shaw
BAGSC member, Tania Marien, of ArtPlantae, will teach a natural science illustration class this Saturday, 7 May, from 10 am – 11 am at the Santiago Creek Nature Center, 600 E. Memory Lane, in Santa Ana. Presented by Back to Natives, this class will introduce children to natural science illustrator Marianne Wallace and her America’s series of books. The class will create a nature-themed art project, and learn about plants, how they grow, and why they are important in our lives.
The class is designed specially for children ages 5 and 6 for $10.75/child. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times. Register for the class by emailing Back to Natives, then click on the following link: (City+of+Santa+Ana+Registration+Form) to download the registration form. Fill out the form and bring it with you with payment to the class.
Santiago Park Nature Center is located at 600 E. Memory Lane, Santa Ana, 92706, between Main Street and the 22 Freeway in north Santa Ana.
Bring your children or grandchildren and see you there!
by Deb Shaw
Wild Rose Coin by Margaret Best, in packaging, courtesy of the Royal Canadian Mint. (click image to enlarge)
BAGSC member, Margaret Best, was given a rare honor last year; she was commissioned by the Royal Canadian Mint to paint an Alberta wild rose, Rosa acicularis, to be reproduced on a new Canadian 20 dollar coin. The collectible coin is being released May 2, and can be purchased online from the Royal Canadian Mint.
The silver coin is unusual, in that it is reproduced in full color, and contains three genuine Swarovski crystals. A limited run of 10,000 coins will be produced.
Margaret was one of three artists selected to submit designs. She submitted two designs, and her Alberta Wild Rose was chosen for the coin.
Once the design was chosen, it was vetted by a botanist, and Margaret had one month to complete the painting. Unfortunately, the flower was not in bloom at the time, but luckily Margaret had painted the flower before, and was quite familiar with it.
Front of the Alberta Wild Rose Coin by Margaret Best, courtesy of the Royal Canadian Mint. (click image to enlarge)
Her contract with the Royal Canadian Mint meant that she had to keep the coin and the painting a secret, but, now that it has been announced there has been a flurry of publicity surrounding the coin’s release. An interview with Margaret on the CBC radio show “Alberta@Noon” was aired on Wednesday, 27 April. (Click the link to hear the podcast. Margaret’s interview is at the end of the program. Once you click the link, start the podcast and then move the slider to right above the sound symbol to skip to Margaret’s interview.) The radio interview was followed by a story in the Calgary Herald, and many phone calls. Tania Marien also covered the story on her blog, ArtPlantae Today.
Back side of Wild Rose coin, courtesy of the Royal Canadian Mint. (click image to enlarge)
Margaret’s next venture is a one-person show in Bermuda, Bermuda Botanica. For more details on her Bermuda show and classes, see the prior article in the blog.
Congratulations Margaret!
by Gilly Shaeffer
Gilly will have 4-6 paintings in the upcoming “Fifteen Graces” Exhibition at the Fremont Gallery during the month of May.
Address:
812 Fremont Avenue
South Pasadena, CA 91030
Opening Reception:
Sunday, May 1, 2011, 3:00-6:00 p.m.
Hope to see you there! (Download the attached PDF flyer for more details: 3Artists.)
by Deb Shaw
Watercolor painting by Akiko Enokido, Pomegranate, Punica granatum, © 2010, all rights reserved.
An article in the April 2011 issue of American Art Collector features the upcoming exhibition, Green Currency: Plants in the Economy to be held at the New York Botanical Garden April 30 – July 31, with images of Akiko’s Pomegranate, Punica granatum; along with milly acharya’s Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea/D. lutea, and Karen Kluglein’s Corn, Zea mays.
The exhibit is organized and hosted by The New York Botanical Garden and curated by the American Society of Botanical Artists, and features 43 artworks of plants used for medicine, food, clothing, fuel, and shelter. Participating artists are from the US, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Japan, and the UK.
Art Collector 66001 Click the link to download the PDF and read the article and see the images.
Congratulations Akiko and all of the participating artists.
by Akiko Enokido, Deb Shaw, and Leslie Walker
Our friends in the Japanese botanical artist’s group will be having a meeting in Tokyo on May 8th, and BAGSC members are writing letters of sympathy and support on botanical art cards that Mieko Ishikawa will present at their meeting. Please bring your cards to any of the BAGSC gatherings in April (see below — Elaine Searle’s “Meet and Greet”; Margaret’s Blue Class; or Susan Frei Nathan’s Workshop), or send them to Akiko for inclusion in our package to them.
If you have cards of your own work, or would like to bring additional cards for others to sign, that would be wonderful.
Our hearts, prayers, and thoughts go out to everyone there, and all those who have friends and families in Japan.
Thank you.
Keep your eye on the calendar for April! An email blast was sent out to members with information on the following April dates:
Come Meet and Greet Elaine Searle (and potluck)
Saturday April 2, 2011
at Tania’s.
Margaret Best class: “A Brush with Blue”
April 15, 16 & 17, 2011, 10 am – 4 pm
at Sally’s new studio — there are still a few openings left. See the blog posting below and contact Leslie.
Susan Frei Nathan at the Huntington Library
April 28-29, 2011
See the blog posting below and contact Deb.
Next meeting
The next meeting will be May 21 instead of May 28, 2011 at Norma’s house.
by Deb Shaw
Susan Frei Nathan will be presenting a workshop at the The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens on
April 28-29, 2011
Susan Frei Nathan is an ASBA Board Member, and a gallery owner specializing in botanical art representing Jean Emmons, Martha Kemp, Karen Kluglein, Kate Nessler, Lizzie Sanders, Catherine Watters and Carol Woodin, among others.
She has a talent for helping artists bring their work to the next level. Susan will give a lecture on the morning of April 28 (cost $10 for members; $15 for non-members), followed by individual meetings with artists in a half-hour, one-on-one portfolio review/critique session ($50) that afternoon and on Friday, April 29. Susan will discuss each artist’s work as well as marketing and personal artistic goals.
The lecture/discussion will cover:
- the current market valuation for botanical art
- how botanical art has been valued over time
- choosing subject matters with the intention of selling your work
- quality of work and how this is determined
- how to find the right gallery to represent your work
- what collectors look for
- building collections
- dissecting specific collections Susan has built and exploring the collector’s mind
The individual critiques will cover:
- evaluation of the artist’s potential to sell artwork within the fine art market
- discussion of technique, composition, color, choice of subject matter
- individual professional goals
Take advantage of this valuable opportunity. To reserve your space for the lecture AND for an individual critique, send your $10 deposit to Deb Shaw. To schedule an individual session with Susan Frei Nathan contact Deb. Every attempt will be made to schedule BAGSC members who come from far away for the Thursday afternoon sessions after the lecture/discussion. The $50 payment for the individual session can be paid in advance, or the morning of the lecture.
by Sue Kuuskmae
The Pastel Society of Southern California show is opening this Saturday, March 26. The reception is at the Creative Arts Center, Manhattan Blvd., Manhattan Beach, CA.
We will have food, wine and non-alcoholic beverages, a piano player, and an enthusiastic bunch of 50 artists showing their work. Please come and join in the fun as we vote for our favorite landscape, plein aire painting, still life, or abstract. The hours are from 6 – 9:00 p.m., the perfect cocktail hour.
By Leslie Walker
Plumbago auriculata, watercolor by Margaret Best, © 2011, all rights reserved.
At one time blue pigments were amongst the most expensive and difficult to obtain. Unlike red pigment, the challenge was not one of permanency but availability. Technology has eliminated many of the former problems related to this color. But in the range of blue paints now available to the artist, what are the best choices and most specifically which ones serve the specific needs of the contemporary botanical artist? For an in-depth study of the color blue, exercises to help you discover which blue pigments will provide you the best colour matches for botanical subjects, join Margaret Best for this 3-day workshop in another of her series designed to expand your understanding of available pigments. You will also learn how to use blue effectively in the highlights and shadow areas of your paintings and your knowledge gained will be used to create a single flower study.
Class location is at Sally Jacobs’ new studio in LA. An email blast will be sent out with directions; for questions, please contact me. Classes will be April 15, 16 & 17, 2011, 10 am – 4 pm. Bring a bag lunch as there are no nearby places to eat. Cost will be $275 for BAGSC members and $300 for non-members. Space will be held for a non-refundable $50 deposit sent to Leslie Walker. Final payment is due April 1, 2011.
Questions? Call or email Leslie.
Iris "Fleur de lis", watercolor by Arillyn Moran-Lawrence, © 2011.
Arillyn Moran-Lawrence’s, Iris “Fleur de lis” will be in the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club’s show at the Salmagundi Club in New York City. The show will be March 20th to April 1st, 2011, at 47 Fifth Avenue, NYC. The reception will be Friday, March 25th, from 6-8 pm.
Congratulations Arillyn!
By Sue Kuuskmae
Wendy Hollender demonstrating during her colored pencil class. Photo credit: S. Kuuskmae, 2011.
Wendy Hollender of the New York Botanical Garden arrived from her snow-bound farm near New Paltz, NY, on Sunday, February 13, and stayed with me in Manhattan Beach as she got acclimated to our time zone before her workshop began.
The class was held at the Creative Arts Center, Manhattan Beach, on February 14 & 15 from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Wendy stressed doing the form of the plant first and thinks about color only after that is complete. We began by doing the shading of a small fruit that we found on some local bushes as she demonstrated the technique of giving a 3-dimensional look. She also gave a demonstration of how to do a few different kind of leaves before she set us loose on giving it a try.
The second day we were given a demonstration of correct perspective and then worked on whatever drawing we had brought with us. Wendy walked around stopping at each desk continuously so that we all felt we got lots of attention. This is one of the good aspects of her teaching style as she never gets bogged down with one student for an inordinate amount of time. At the end of our second day, we all visited each desk to hear Wendy’s comments about each piece of work and her suggestions for improvement. This was quite educational for all.
As we had several out of town participants from San Diego, we had a dinner out on Monday night, which was lots of fun. Arlene Weinstock of the Colored Pencil Society joined us for a delicious meal at a local Lebanese restaurant. I hope that when Wendy comes out this way again, I will get enough notice so that I can once again get together a workshop for those who are interested in colored pencil skills. For a good review of Wendy’s methods, take a look at her new book, “Botanical Drawing in Color – A Basic Guide to Mastering Realistic Form and Naturalistic Color” which can be purchased on line at Amazon.com.
by Deb Shaw
Margaret Best will have a solo exhibition in Hamilton, Bermuda, entitled “Bermuda Botanica“. The exhibit will be in the Edinburgh Gallery of the Bermuda Society of Arts, from May 20 – June 7, 2011 and will feature watercolor paintings of plants from Bermuda.
Margaret taught three workshops in 2010 at the Bermuda Society of Arts, and will be teaching more workshops in March of 2011 and a class in association with the show in May/June (please see posting below).
by Deb Shaw
Carica papaya, Bermuda Paw Paw, watercolor by Margaret Best, © 2010, all rights reserved.
Join Margaret Best at the Bermuda Society of Artists’ Gallery, Hamilton, Bermuda for a four day botanical art workshop:
“Color and Composition“
May 30 – June 2, 2011
10 am – 4 pm
Cost: $395 members/$445 non-members
The workshop will explore color and composition in watercolor by painting stunning sub-tropical plant specimens, including hibiscus ginger, strelitzia, plumeria, wild gladioli, magnolia and more.
For more information about the workshop and to register, contact: The Bermuda Society of Artists.
Other botanical art classes that Margaret will be teaching in Bermuda include:
Drawing with Dimension
March 5 – 6, 2011
Graphite techniques to achieve effective continuous tone
Finding Form in Watercolour
March 9 – 11, 2011
The role of light and shadow, value and colour in effective botanical watercolours
As stated on their website, The Bermuda Society of Arts is known affectionately as the “People’s Art Gallery”. The oldest established arts organization in the country, the Society’s mission is to further the arts and artists in Bermuda.
Location of Hamilton on the island of Bermuda.
Bermuda is located approximately two hours off the east coast of the United States, and is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom.
BAGSC News 