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by Tania Norris
Rosa Canina, Rosehip, watercolor by Margaret Best, © 2010
Margaret Best will be back at Virginia Robinson Gardens to teach a 3‐day workshop “A Single Flower Portrait”, October 5, 6, and 7.
The purpose of the workshop is to bring together all the skills taught at the workshops at Virginia Robinson Gardens throughout the 2010 series in a single flower study.
To prepare for the 3-day class and maximize on the class time with Margaret, it is recommended that students select a single flower subject that is not complicated and that will be able to be completed in the allotted time. Try to limit the outer dimension of the complete work to a maximum of 7.5 inches by 9.5 inches, so any preparatory drawing on tracing paper or in a sketch book should be sized accordingly. If the selected flower does not meet this dimension in life‐size, there is a strong possibility that the required exercises will not be completed during the class.
Select a single flower on a stem with at least one full leaf (attached if possible). You may have more than one leaf and a bud if you wish, but the goal of the class is to complete all three elements to the final detail stage flower, leaf and stem. Per the homework provided following the composition class, you should complete six different compositional sketches (thumbnail sketches) of your selected flower and related parts. If you did not attend the composition class, take time to position and sketch your subject thoughtfully in six different ways with maximum eye appeal.
The following schedule will form the basis of the 3‐day workshop:
Day 1: Review prepared compositions with Margaret and complete final drawing on quality paper. Light tables are provided.
Day 2: Commence color washes to build form and chroma.
Day 3: Complete chroma and form on all three required elements and add the final details.
If you were not able to attend the details class, Margaret will be happy to demonstrate certain techniques again that pertain to the subjects selected for this final workshop.
For a full schedule of Botanical Art classes, and to register for this class, please visit the Virginia Robinson Gardens website, or call them at (310) 550-2068. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Tania Norris.
by Tania Norris
The Virginia Robinson Gardens Botanical Art program started nine years ago and has been carefully nurtured by renowned teachers from England and Canada.
We are now privileged to have one of Southern Californiaʼs botanical artists and authorities on morphology and botany, agree to present a one-day class at Virginia Robinson Gardens:
Tania Marien, “Plant Morphology and Economic Botany”
One-day class, Wednesday, October 27th, 2010
10 am – 3 pm
Course fee: $60.00 for Friends of Robinson Gardens
$75.00 for non-Friends
$25.00 is non-refundable if for any reason the student has to cancel
Checks should be made payable to: Friends of Robinson Gardens,
1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills, Ca 90210
Payment may be made by credit card by calling (310) 550-2068
The Plant Morphology Reg Form must be filled out and returned to the Friends of Robinson Gardens address.
Tania Marien is a long time member of the American Society of Botanical Artists as well as the local chapter the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California. She has taught botany at the Getty Museum and for other institutions and schools. She is a very knowledgeable young woman that will bring life and excitement in to knowing how to make your paintings botanically correct. She will provide a booklet to keep for reference and during class we will use dissecting kits and magnifying lens as well as microscopes.
This we can promise you – school was never like this class and should be fun and enjoyed by all.
A materials list will be sent to all registered students prior to the class as well as parking instructions. The class will be held in the Pool Pavilion from 10am to 3pm. For a full schedule of Botanical Art classes, please visit the Virginia Robinson Gardens website. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Tania Norris.
by Janice Sharp
Deborah Ravin demonstrating technique during her class.
Deborah Ravin taught a BAGSC-sponsored class, August 19 – 21, 2010 at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.
Beatrix Potter display.
Beatrix Potter is well known for her “Peter Rabbit” children’s books featuring her pen and ink/watercolors illustrations, however, Beatrix was also an accomplished botanical artist. Her detailed renderings of fungi and lichens were scientific trendsetters in the era before microscopic photography was an option.
Beatrix Potter’s interests lay with botanical art, particularly in the study of mycology. Her investigation and discovery led her to develop theories expressed in her paper “On the Germination of the Spores of Agaricineae.” (Poculum). Her paper was submitted to the Linnean Society on March 18, 1897. However, her theories, like those of any other woman, were not taken seriously. The paper was withdrawn with the understanding that it needed “more work”. One hundred years later, the Linnean Society wrote an official apology for the sins of historic sexism.
Today, 450 of Beatrix Potter’s scientific, archaeological, and botanical art comprise the Armitt Collection in Cumbria. Tania Norris treated us to a close-up of a Beatrix Potter original that is in her personal art collection.
Deborah led us through a series of a variety of methods for applying ink and watercolor to illustrate our botanical drawings.
Afternoon tea during class.
The class featured a treat of afternoon tea with Almond-Cardamom Scones (baked by Jill Carlson to whom we are all very grateful-the recipe is on the BAGSC Blog under the “Recipes” section or can be viewed by clicking the link).
Deborah also shared a recipe for “Black Walnut Ink” which is also on the BAGSC Blog (or can be viewed by clicking the link).
Our artwork, accomplished during class.
Julie Schneider Ljubenkov will not be sending out her newsletter this season, but wanted to let everyone know about upcoming classes. Some are for just for fun and learning, some are for college credit, and there is one class offered for children. They are listed below:
For teachers that need credits beyond their masters:
University of La Verne Professional Development Courses, Independent, home study courses. Students have up to one year to complete their course(s). Julie offers some excellent courses for teachers or for life-long-learners, including: Drawing to Enhance Learning; Integrating the Arts for Teaching and Learning; The Impressionists; The Music and Life of Mozart; Beethoven: His Life and Music; The Impressionists; Monet: Painter of Light and Color; The Art and Life of Georgia O’Keefe. Many other courses in all subjects are offered. 1-800-793-6533 or http://pdc.laverne.edu Request a catalog or enroll. 3 units courses are $285.00
Shinto Arch, recovering landscapes with Jan, made in the "Introduction to Mosaic Sculpture" class.
Introduction to Mosaic Sculpture UCSD Extension, 858-534-3400, www.extension.ucsd.edu/ahl or email ahl@ucsd.edu (request a catalog, enroll, or see the class description) Art 40385, 3 units, $275.00 (early enrollment: $250.00). Class is from October 5 to December 10th, 2010. Tuesday evenings, 6:00 to 9:00 PM Room 128 at the Extension Complex.
Mosaics for All Levels Mira Costa College Community Services, non-credit adult courses. Oceanside campus, room 7001 (Horticulture Building). 5:30 to 8:30 PM, 7 Monday evenings, October 4 to November 15th. $109.00 plus a $35.00 materials fee. To see the course description or to enroll go to: 760 795-6820. Email at: commservices@miracosta.edu, or see the website. You can enroll by phone or internet with a credit card 24 hours a day.
Gardening and Landscaping with California Native Plants City of Escondido, Community Services Department and Department of Recreation, 3 Thursday evenings, October 14th to November 4, 6:00 to 8:30 PM. $65.00 There will also be Saturday morning field trip to a native plant garden and nursery on the Saturday immediately following the end of the course. The course is described in the 2010 Community Services Department Brochure or on-line at: http://www.Escondido.org/recreation. Email: recreation@escondido.org. Call the offices at: 760 839-4691
Cartooning for Children (ages 8 to 13) City of Escondido, Community Services Department and Department of Recreation, 4 Thursday meetings, October 14th to November 4, 3:30 to 5:00 PM. $49.00. The course is described in the 2010 Community Services Department Brochure or on-line at: Escondido.org/recreation. Email: recreation@escondido.org. Call the offices at: 760 839-4691.
Hope to see you soon and I look forward to doing another newsletter for the upcoming Spring 2011 courses and other noteworthy events and news.
by Deborah Shaw
Chinese Brush Painting, Bamboo, by Gloria Whea-Fun Teng, © 2009, all rights reserved.
BAGSC Member Gloria Whea-Fun Teng will be teaching a new class at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Gardens:
Introduction to Chinese Brush Painting.
4 Thursdays: October 28-November 18, 2010
1-3pm / Oak Room
Gloria Whea-Fun Teng, Instructor
$120 members / $130 non-members
Pre-registration required. For reservations or information, please call (626) 821-4623 or email Jill Berry at the Arboretum. If there is a conflict with a date, please let Jill know.
In this introductory course the student will learn the difference between Chinese brush painting and other watercolor painting. The class will teach the beginning painter to use Chinese brushes and ink to create beautiful paintings on rice paper. At the end of this course, a completed painting will be ready to be framed and displayed. Gloria, the instructor, is a very talented artist who has taught a variety of courses over the years. She has also studied botanical illustration at Otis College of Art & Design.
1. Week one: Introduction to Chinese brush painting: includes how to mix color, brush painting style and techniques, how to use the brush on rice paper, practicing on newsprint first, and how to paint a bamboo branch. 1st assignment: bamboo branch
2. Week two: Bamboo branch with leaf: using black ink, learn to paint a bamboo leaf, single leaf, double leaf and how to paint a set of leaves. The student will learn how to control the water with brush. 2nd assignment: bamboo branch and leaf
3. Week three: Flower: Rose: how to paint flower stems and buds; start to use color, practicing on a single petal flower, including different angles and shapes; learn the techniques of painting multiple layers of petals and different leaves. 3rd assignment: Flower: Rose
4. Week four: Final Critique: bamboo painting in black ink, and rose in color. Student will complete one painting in the class, and it will be ready to frame when the course is finished.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch Gloria’s grace and skill executing a Chinese brush painting, now is your chance to learn this beautiful technique.
by Tania Norris
Canadian artist/teacher and a member of BAGSC, Margaret Best, will be teaching three classes at the Virginia Robinson Gardens, Beverly Hills.
August 4, 5, 6: Creative Composition
September 1, 2, 3: How and When to Add Details
October 6, 7, 8: Painting a Flower
All classes are held at the Virginia Robinson Gardens, 1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. The hours are 9:30 am to 3 pm. Participants must bring their own lunches, but coffee, tea and water will be provided.
The price is $275. per class for BAGSC members and VRG members. $75 is non-refundable if you have to cancel attending the class.
A materials list will be provided to class participants, but BAGSC members will already have most of the items needed.
Anne-Marie Evans will be returning from England in February/March, 2011 for her tenth year of teaching at the Virginia Robinson Gardens. Her classes are watercolor for beginning and advanced students.
Elaine Searle, also from England, will be at the Virginia Robinson Gardens in March/April, 2011 for the first time. She will be teaching a five-day watercolor course and a two-day class using watercolor on vellum.
Complete course descriptions and costs are covered by clicking on the title to download the Virginia Robinson Gardens Classes. For further information, please contact Tania Norris.
by Sue Kuuskmae
Mike Sibley will teach a workshop in Graphite Pencil Techniques in Solvang, California, September 10-12, 2010, from 10 am to 5 pm at the Royal Copenhagen Inn. The cost is about $374.00.
This informal workshop is designed for artists of all levels, from the basics through to a final drawing. A variety of techniques will be covered. Paper, pencils and all other necessary supplies are included, although participants should feel free to bring their own. The workshop is limited to 20 students to ensure individual attention.
BAGSC welcomes Sasha Viazmensky back from St. Petersburg, Russia, to teach his watercolor painting techniques November 16 – 18, 2010 at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.
The cost of the class is $250.00 for members, and $275.00 for non-members. To reserve your place, mail a non-refundable $50 deposit (or the full amount), payable to BAGSC and send to Leslie Walker. Please mark all checks as “Sasha Class” in the memo line.
The lifespan of mushrooms as subjects can be fleeting. Sasha has perfected a more relaxed, but still detailed and botanically accurate watercolor style. His works are in Shirley Sherwood’s collection and have appeared in many of her books, in the Lindley Library, and the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation to name a few. His workshops in the US have received rave reviews. Come learn to quickly (and accurately) capture your subject.
by Leslie Walker
Deborah Ravin will be teaching “Classic Illustration Styles of Beatrix Potter”, Thursday, August 19, Friday, August 20 and Saturday, August 21 at the Huntington Library, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Sign up immediately by emailing Leslie to obtain the materials list and directions for drawings that must be done before class begins. These drawings should be botanical or zoological in nature (nut, insect, flower, etc.) to save class time for ink and watercolor.
Cost is $245 for BAGSC members and $270 for non members.
There are still a few spots left in Margaret’s Class:
Margaret Best: Seeing Red… To your Advantage
June 11-13, 2010
“Seeing Red …. To your Advantage” will help you develop a deeper of understanding of the red paints available on the market and how to bring them under control to work for you. You will also learn how to match some of the trickier red hues found in nature and how achieve the best possible lasting brilliance.
Join us June 11-13, 2010 from 9:30 a.m to 4:00 p.m. at the
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden,
1500 N. College Avenue, Claremont CA 91711
Fees for this exciting 3-day workshop:
BAGSC or RSABG Members: $275.
Non-members: $300.
Make checks payable to BAGSC and send to Leslie Walker. Please mark all checks as “Best Class” in the memo line.
The Virginia Robinson Gardens in Beverly Hills, CA is one of the best-kept secret gardens in the Los Angeles area. Margaret Best will be teaching botanical art at the Virginia Robinson Gardens; her next class will be:
JUNE 8, 9 and 10
Topic: Watercolor brush techniques for Botanical Art
Basic plant elements such as petals and simple fruits will be selected for understanding the application of washes, glazes, color blending, color layering for increasing intensity. How to build form and shadow while avoiding making muddy colors and overworking the paper surface will be covered, as well as wet brush, dry brush and lifting techniques. The class will also focus on brushes and papers best suited to the various techniques required in creating Botanical Art.
For further information about this class or the schedule of classes, email the Virginia Robinson Gardens or download this file: VRG_BotArt_2010R.
New classes are coming soon! Sign up and make note of the dates below. More information will be coming in the minutes and to the blog as plans get solidified.
Margaret Best: Seeing Red… To your Advantage
June 11-13, 2010
Margaret Best is returning to the LA area for another in her popular series of workshops on specific colors. “Seeing Red …. To your Advantage” will help you develop a deeper of understanding of the red paints available on the market and how to bring them under control to work for you. You will also learn how to match some of the trickier red hues found in nature and how achieve the best possible lasting brilliance.
Many artists find red both challenging in terms of the color application and also in how to balance its presence with regards to overall composition. So part of the class will focus on effective composition and the impact a color such as red can have on your painting.
Margaret has 22 years of experience of working with pigments in addition to her own active involvement as a botanical artist and teacher. As well as benefitting from the technical side of her instruction in watercolor painting, you will find her knowledge of the historical sources of red pigment very interesting.
Come and find out how to make red pigment work … to your advantage.
Join us June 11-13, 2010 from 9:30 a.m to 4:00 p.m. at the
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden,
1500 N. College Avenue, Claremont CA 91711
Fees for this exciting 3-day workshop:
BAGSC or RSABG Members: $275.
Non-members: $300.
A non-refundable $50 deposit will reserve your space. The balance is due by May 15, 2010. Make checks payable to BAGSC and send to Leslie Walker. Please mark all checks as “Best Class” in the memo line. Margaret’s classes fill quickly, so reserve your spot now.
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Save the Dates
Next BAGSC Meeting
Saturday, June 5, 2010, location to be announced.
Deborah Raven “Classic Illustration Styles of Beatrix Potter”
August 19 – 21, 2010 at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. Final details are being arranged and then class information and descriptions will be posted. If you would like to reserve your place now, mail a non-refundable $50 deposit. The balance due date will be posted with the class information. Make checks payable to BAGSC and send to Leslie Walker. Please mark all checks as “Raven Class” in the memo line.
Rancho Los Alamitos Exhibition and Demonstration, Long Beach
October 16, 2010. Watch for the call for entries and information about this opportunity at historic Rancho Los Alamitos.
Sasha Viazmensky “Mushrooms”
Sasha Viazmensky will be coming from St. Petersburg, Russia, November 16 – 18, 2010 to teach his wonderful mushroom painting techniques at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. If you would like to reserve your place now, mail a non-refundable $50 deposit. The balance due date will be posted with the class information. Make checks payable to BAGSC and send to Leslie Walker. Please mark all checks as “Sasha Class” in the memo line.
by Leslie Walker
Dick Rauh, PhD Plant Sciences, and current President of the American Society of Botanical Artists will be teaching a Plant Morphology Class.
Dates and Times: March 16 & 17, 2010, 9:30 – 4:00
Place: Held at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in the Brody Teaching Lab at the Botanical Center.
Hone your observational skills and learn from a master.
Spend two days observing and learning to identify 12 plant families. Dissect flowers and learn the important characteristics needed to identify plant families. These skills are required to produce good botanical drawings & paintings. A 10x hand lens and a small dissecting kit will be needed for this class. If you do not have these items, Leslie will purchase them from ArtPlante for about $15 for the set. Let Leslie know if you would like to order the hand lens and dissecting kit, and she will order them and make them available before the start of the first class.
Cost of class for BAGSC members is $120. (Non-members $145.) Send check payable to BAGSC to Leslie Walker to hold your space in the class.
As much a course in “art for botanists” as “botany for artists!”, this weekend workshop at the height of the desert blooming period, will provide some very exciting plein-aire drawing and watercolor painting. Pen & ink and watercolor rendering, focus/perception skills as they relate to plant identification. Detailed dissection and field work.
April 9, through April 11, 2010
Botanical Illustration of Native Desert Flora Weekend Workshop
Art X454.5 (1 unit), REG # 094-SCF-F60, (credit & non-credit)
Desert Studies Center, University of California-Riverside (UCR), Mojave National Preserve
Instructor: Donald Davidson
Fee: $325 individuals/ $305 each couples, family members / $295 with PINE discount. Includes room and board. To register, contact UCR extension, or call 951-827-4105.
FREE California Native Plant Landscaping Workshop
January 24, 2010, 9 am – 2 pm
Join Back to Natives for a free native plant landscaping workshop at Deborah Shaw’s house. Participants will learn how and why planting native plants is beneficial, and learn how to plant natives (although participating in planting is not required).
The landscape will consist of drought-tolerant locally native plants in mulched beds, with no water-hungry turf grass. The design also incorporates a dry creek bed that will harvest rainwater, allowing it to percolate through the soil to the aquifer below reducing run-off and preventing pollution.
Native vegetation requires less water and maintenance, and no fertilizer or pesticides. Many native butterfly and bird species are dependent on the habitat provided by native vegetation, and the plant selection has been chosen for butterfly and bird habitat, and for future illustration purposes. Three endangered species are part of the habitat. Come learn about the process of designing and installing a native plant landscape from start to finish! To RSVP, call Back to Natives at 949-509-4787 or send an email to info@backtonatives.org. All are welcome.
BAGSC News 