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by Jude Wiesenfeld, posted by Deb Shaw
If you were looking forward to taking botanical art classes in 2018, here is the preliminary line up:
Denise Walser-Kolar, Roots and Leaves on Vellum or Watercolor Paper
February 7 – 9, 2018
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
$300 members/$350 non-members
Carrie DiCostanzo, Introduction to Creating Botanical Paintings with Impact using Gouache
Dates to be decided: April 11 –13 OR April 18 – 20, 2018
Location to be decided
$300 members/$350 non-members
Lesley Randall, Pen and Ink Drawing of the Aristolochiaceae including a Botanical Talk
May 10 – 12, 2018
Oak Room, Los Angeles County Arboretum
$300 members/$350 non-members
Robert McNeil, subject to be announced
October 3 – 5, 2018
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
$300 members/$350 non-members
The workshops above have been posted on the BAGSC website under ‘Classes’; and on the calendar on the BAGSC ‘Members Only’ website page. Stay tuned for more information on the website, on this blog, and in email blasts to BAGSC members. Additional workshops, lectures, field trips and meeting programs will be announced soon.
by Gilly Shaeffer, posted by Deb Shaw
There are many workshops to be held before the California Native Plant Society 2018 conference begins on Tuesday, January 30, through Wednesday, January 31, at the LAX Marriott.
There will be two botanical art workshops given by BAGSC members:
Gilly Shaeffer will teach “Introduction to Botanical Art Techniques”
Tuesday, January 30, from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm.
Olga Ryabtsova will teach “Black & White Drawing Techniques in Botanical Illustration”
Wednesday, January 31, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
See complete information about these two workshops below.
Deadline to register January 14, 2018. To Register, go to https://conference.cnps.org/registration/
Introduction to Botanical Art Techniques
Tuesday, January 30, 1:00 PM-4:30 PM
Instructor: Gilly Shaeffer, Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California, American Society of Botanical Artists
Registration: $50 Attending the Conference / $70 Not Attending the Conference
Matilija Poppy, Gilly Shaeffer, watercolor on paper, © 2017.
Botanical art starts with a good drawing. Through demonstrations and hands-on practice, participants will learn ways to create line drawings of plants. We will focus on the need for close observation when creating botanical art. Class will begin with an overview of the materials used to create botanical art and how they are used, including pencils, drawing paper, erasers, magnifiers, watercolor brushes, paints, and watercolor paper. Next participants will be introduced to shading from light to dark to create three dimensional forms. Exercises will further participants’ understanding of form through creation of their own three dimensional forms. An introduction to the importance of a light source in drawing plant forms will be included. Class will conclude with time to sketch from natural forms so that class participants can apply the concepts presented during the class to their actual plant drawings.
This workshop is designed for people who have an interest in learning more about how to draw and eventually paint plants, and will be taught at a beginner level.
Participants will receive a list of reference books for the beginning study of drawing. Handouts will be provided covering basic points made in the class which will include exercises that can be done at home. A variety of books that are highly recommended in the study of botanical illustration and watercolor will be available to look at during class, as well as recent exhibition catalogues.
Please plan to bring (more details will be provided to registered participants—the cost for these materials should be around $15 for those who do not yet own them):
- Strathmore drawing paper pad 400 Series
- Graphite drawing pencils 2H, HB, and 2B
- Cretacolor brand kneaded eraser
Gilly Shaeffer’ s lifelong interest in art and love of nature drew her to the study of botanical art. Her work has been selected to appear in juried exhibitions at museums, galleries, and gardens throughout the United States. She has taught Botanical Illustration and Watercolor at Virginia Robinson Gardens and Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. She also teaches Botanical Art Techniques at her home studio on Mount Washlngton in Los Angeles.
Black & White Drawing Techniques in Botanical Illustration
Wednesday, January 31, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Instructor: Olga Ryabtsova, Botanical Artist; Exhibition Chair of the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California, American Society of Botanical Artists
Registration: $95 Attending the Conference / $125 Not Attending the Conference
Matilija Poppy seed pod, Olga Ryabtsova, watercolor on paper, © 2017.
This workshop will focus on black and white drawing techniques. We will review the materials required, and participants will learn about the perception of light, shadow, and contrast in drawing with a graphite pencil, metalpoint, pen and ink. Drawing with all mentioned materials will be demonstrated. Patricipants will draw a sketch from a living plant or fruit or a provided photo with graphite, and start an original work with matalpoint.
This worshop is open to anyone interested in botanical art and drawing techniques. All skill levels are welcome (beginner, intermediate, advanced artists who are interested in metalpoint).
Preliminary list of supplies that participants will need to bring (more details will be provided before the workshop):
- Graphite pencils 2H, HB, 2B, 4B
- Sharpener
- Sketch paper
- Tracing paper
- Drawing paper
- Eraser
- Board to support paper and tape to hold it
- Metalpoint wire and holder
- Portable light lamp (optional)
Olga Ryabtsova was born in Russia, in the town of Dubna about 80 miles north of Moscow. After school, she moved to Moscow to study graphic design and illustration at the Moscow University of Graphic Arts, where she obtained a Master’s Degree. She worked as an Art Director for advertising agencies, and as a photojournalist and commercial photographer. After moving to California in 2015, Olga became fascinated with the native plants of Southern California, the botanical gardens in the area, and botanical art. She works in many different techniques, including watercolor, oil, etching, silverpoint and ceramic. Additionally, Olga teaches drawing to children and conducts workshops for adults.
by Caitlin Thompson, sent by Nina Antze, posted by Deb Shaw
El Dorado Arts Council, located in Placerville, is currently seeking artists for a gallery exhibition entitled Native Roots, which will open Friday, March 16, 2018, and run through Sunday, May 20, 2018.
El Dorado County is located in the Sierra foothills, between South Lake Tahoe and Sacramento.
The exhibition will feature botanical artworks representing plants that are native to El Dorado County, with a special focus on the rare and federally listed plants in the Pine Hill Ecological Preserve. A full color catalogue will also be created depicting all artworks in the show.
The only requirement for artwork is that the plant(s) depicted must be native to El Dorado County, and preferably be a rare species or variety found within the Pine Hill Preserve. Pine Hill Preserve’s rare plants are a collection of eight species, three of which are endemic to the Pine Hill region and found nowhere else in the world. Another two species are nearly endemic, with only a few small colonies of the plants found elsewhere.
El Dorado County has more than 7,000 native plant species:
- http://calflora.org/cgi-bin/specieslist.cgi?namesoup=&countylist=ELD&plantcomm=any&format=photos&orderby=taxon
- https://www.inaturalist.org/places/1795#taxon=47126
- https://www.eldoradocnps.org/
More information on the ecology of El Dorado County:
- https://www.eldoradocnps.org/plants/ecology
- Information on Pine Hill: http://www.pinehillpreserve.org/
Pine Hill Preserve and the El Dorado chapter of the California Native Plant Society are enthusiastic about this project and have committed to partnering with us. Both organizations would be able to help guide the artists towards images and names of plants within the preserve, or the county as a whole.
Deadlines for participating in this exhibition:
Intent to enter artwork: Thursday, December 21, 2017
- On or before this date, email Caitlin Thompson at caitlin@eldoradoartscouncil.org, with “Native Roots Artist” in the subject line.
- Include your name (first and last), phone number, the best method to contact you, and the number of artworks you anticipate entering. If possible also include the sizes of the pieces.
Deadline for artwork submission: Monday, February 5, 2018
- High resolution digital images of your artwork must be provided to the El Dorado Arts Council to be included in the catalogue.
- Not all pieces are guaranteed to be accepted.
Notification of acceptance for the exhibition: Friday, February 9, 2018
Deadline for artwork drop off: Tuesday, March 13, 2018
- If you have questions or concerns regarding getting your artwork to the gallery do not hesitate to send an e-mail.
At the end of the exhibition, individual arrangements will be made for artwork pickup.
If you wish to be part of Native Roots or have any questions, contact Caitlin Thompson at caitlin@eldoradoartscouncil.org or call (530) 295-3496.
For more information about El Dorado Arts Council, visit www.eldoradoartscouncil.org
by Ted Tegart, Education Manager at the LA Arboretum and Deb Shaw
In May, 2018, BAGSC will be exhibiting an adjunct exhibition of trees in public places, in conjunction with the exhibition of “Out of the Woods: Celebrating Trees in Public Gardens: The Third New York Botanical Garden Triennial.”
Trees at the LA Arboretum. © 2016, LA Arboretum.
If you are currently working on a tree painting, Dr. Jerrold Turney, plant pathologist, certified arborist, and general tree wizard will be giving a lecture and tour about “Tree Identification” at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden on:
Saturday, December 9th, 2017
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
$25 Members / $35 Non-Members (includes Arboretum admission)
To Register please call the Education Department at 626.821.4623 or pay at the class
Familiarize yourself with one of the most diverse urban forests in the United States. Get to know the trees of Southern California! Get to know your local trees! This two hour lecture covers 15 – 20 popular tree species, and is followed by a walk in the Arboretum to meet the trees you’ve just learned about.
Dr. Turney will cover how to identify trees, their growth habit, their native country, how they should be cared for, any common diseases or insect pests that attack them, and the best place in the Southern California garden to plant them.
About Dr. Jerrold Turney
Dr. Turney has served as the curator of the camellia gardens at the Huntington Library and Botanic Gardens, a research horticulturist at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, and is currently the plant pathologist for the Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures for the County of Los Angeles.
The LA Arboretum is located at: 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007, 626.821.3222.
by Tania Marien and Deb Shaw
Invitation to “Afternoon tea and the serigraphs of Henry R. Mockel,” a lecture by Tania Marien.
This past year, Tania Marien had the opportunity to learn more about Henry R. Mockel, an East Coast artist known for his serigraphs of California desert plants and wildflowers. She had the opportunity to speak with people who knew Henry, as well as opportunities to tell Henry’s story in a presentation for the Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park and to write a journal article for the Twentynine Palms Historical Society.
On Saturday, December 9, from 3 – 5 pm, Tania will share Henry’s story again, this time over afternoon tea.
This presentation is one of several events celebrating the 65th anniversary of the 29 Palms Art Gallery. Henry was an early member of the Gallery and Tania is looking forward to sharing Henry’s story with a new audience, as well as with those who may have known him.
Everyone is invited for an afternoon of tea and botanical art at the 29 Palms Art Gallery this coming Saturday. The event is free. Donations to the non-profit gallery are suggested.
The historic adobe 29 Palms Art Gallery is located at 74055 Cottonwood Drive, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277, 760.367.7819. Learn more about the Gallery at www.29palmsartgallery.com.
by Beth Stone, posted by Deb Shaw
BAGSC members might like these two upcoming events at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens:
Lecture – Cochineal in the History of Art and Global Trade
Sunday, 12/10/17 at 2:30 pm
Garden Talk & Sale – California “Super Bloom” 2017
Thursday, 12/14/17 at 2:30 pm
by Beth Stone, posted by Deb Shaw
Martin Allen’s Techniques Showcase at the 2017 San Francisco ASBA Conference was a great introduction for the class he subsequently taught locally for BAGSC, October 24 – 26, at The Los Angeles Arboretum.
Martin’s method is to work directly from photographs. He takes great care to stage the photos for dramatic lighting and for color accuracy to the point where paint colors can be directly matched to the colors on a printed photo. Although Martin jokes about his limited pallet there is a wisdom to it. He promotes mixing small quantities of the desired color to create a more realistic appearance.
Painting from John Pastoriza Piñol’s BAGSC workshop, 2017. The shiny, reflective areas are masking fluid that has yet to be removed. © 2017 Beth Stone.
My biggest take-away from Martin was the notion of placing “mostly the right color in mostly the right place” from the very beginning. Here are three examples of my paintings from classes within the past year. Hint: both of the Orchid specimens had deep red to nearly black areas.
I call the one from mid-point of John Pastoriza Pinol’s class “my pretty pony” , the other is my first attempt at vellum from Carol Woodin’s class. I eventually finished each of these about two months later.
Painting from Carol Woodin’s BAGSC workshop, 2017. © 2017 Beth Stone.
Contrast these to the depth of tone achieved on this dandelion bud (~15x) in Martin Allen’s workshop.
The more classes I take, the more convinced I am that there is no right or wrong method. To me the secret is to keep an open mind and amass a tool kit of knowledge that can be applied where it suits the subject matter.
Painting from Martin Allen’s BAGSC workshop, 2017. © 2017 Beth Stone.
by Deb Shaw
Artwork from the “Visual Voyages” exhibition at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.
José María Carbonell, Loranthus, Royal Botanical Expedition to the New Kingdom of Granada led by José Celestino Mutis (1783–1816), tempera on paper, approx. 21¼ × 15 in. Archivo del Real Jardín Botánico- CSIC (Madrid).
Join BAGSC and The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens for an innovative seminar, held in conjunction with The Huntington’s exhibition “Visual Voyages,” part of the Getty’s Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA initiative.
BAGSC and The Huntington are co-sponsoring this exciting weekend in November, and are experimenting with a new seminar format. Participants can register for one or more (or all) of the seminar components. BAGSC members have first options on spaces. Each of the seminar components are open to BAGSC Members, their guest(s), and the public. Individual prices are listed with each description; the price for the complete seminar package is listed below.
See full details about the seminar on BAGSC’s website, along with information about how to register for some or all of the events described below.
Friday, November 3
Wine and cheese reception: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Join us for a private exhibition tour and discussion of “Visual Voyages” led by Lugene Bruno and Alice Tangerini: 5:00 pm – 7 pm. This seminar will be a discussion of the artwork of images of Latin American Nature in the exhibition and will compare and contrast the works to contemporary botanical art.
BAGSC Members: $50/person
Non-members: $60/person
Limited to a maximum of 30 participants
Saturday, November 4
Round Table Discussion and Tour of “In Pursuit of Flora: 18th-Century: Botanical Drawings from The Huntington’s Art Collections.” Go from Latin America in the Boone Gallery Friday evening to British artists in the Huntington Art Gallery — Works on Paper room. “In Pursuit of Flora” pulls work from The Huntington’s collection to reveal 18th-century European appreciation for the beauty of the natural world. Lugene Bruno and Alice Tangerini will lead a tour of this exhibition and discussion of the artwork, as it compares to the “Visual Voyages” exhibition and contemporary botanical art.
9:30 am – noon
BAGSC Members: $30/person
Non-members: $35/person
Limited to a maximum of 30 participants
A practical (and fun!) demonstration of pressing and preserving plants for future drawing and painting, and secret recipes for “restoring” preserved samples to use for drawing and painting. Learn how to press plants to preserve specimens for future drawing and painting, as well as how to “bring them back” to view for drawing and painting.
Alice Tangerini: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm.
BAGSC Members: $30/person
Non-members: $35/person
Limited to a maximum of 30 participants
Individual Portfolio Reviews. Lugene Bruno will provide private portfolio critiques by appointment, one-half hour each: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Reviews will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis for the best time possible for your schedule, and for Lugene’s.
BAGSC Members: $50/person (not available to non-members)
Gymnanthemum koekemoerae, © 2017 Alice Tangerini.
Sunday, November 5
Botanical Scientific Illustration Workshop. Pencil and watercolor on film, Alice Tangerini: 10:00 am – 2:15 pm. A hands-on workshop using pressed, “revived” and live specimens. Workshop will break for lunch. Lunch will not be provided; please bring your own, or feel free to purchase lunch at one of The Huntington’s cafés. Please be advised that the cafés can be crowded on the weekends.
BAGSC Members: $30/person
Non-members: $35/person
Limited to a maximum of 16 participants
Please note: the workshop costs above do not include materials. BAGSC will purchase some of the materials in bulk to save money for participants; we will post materials costs as soon as possible.
Individual Portfolio Reviews. Lugene Bruno will provide private portfolio critiques by appointment, one-half hour each: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Reviews will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis for the best time possible for your schedule, and for Lugene’s. Please only request an appointment within the allotted time frame; we may not be able to accommodate other times due to other scheduled seminar activities.
BAGSC Members: $50/person, (not available to non-members)
Dudleya rigida Rose, Crassulaceae, watercolor on paper by Frederick A. Walpole (1861–1904), 1897, 35.5 x 25.5 cm, on indefinite loan from the Smithsonian Institution, Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation accession no. 4304.
“Hidden Treasures: The rediscovery of art treasures in our collections” Public Lecture with Alice Tangerini, Smithsonian Institution and Lugene Bruno, Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mellon: 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm in Rothenberg Hall.
Lugene Bruno and Alice Tangerini will present an illustrated lecture on missing artworks that were rediscovered in and curated for their museum collections. These art pieces represent historical events and important discoveries or were created for publications in the realm of science and art. They may have been stored in places where their presence was not easily detected; sometimes amongst old boxes of artifacts, in the files of herbarium specimens or even catalogued as another kind of object. Artists such as Frederick Walpole (1861–1904), Paulus Roetter (1806–1894), Isaac Sprague (1811–1895) and Mary Emily Eaton (1873–1961) portrayed each plant subject with aesthetic beauty and scientific accuracy. Walpole divided his time between Washington D.C. for the USDA and field trips to the Northwest as far as Alaska, during which time he made field drawings, watercolors and exquisite ink drawings that resemble fine line engravings. His talent was extinguished at 43 when he died of typhoid while working in California. Isaac Sprague, a self-taught artist, and one-time assistant to John James Audubon, was one of the most prolific illustrators of the 19th century and, from his home in Massachusetts, he drew in pencil and ink illustrations for published descriptions of native floras and plants collected during exploring expeditions and railroad surveys by some of the most important botanists of the period. Paulus Roetter, an émigré from Germany went on to create some of the finest drawings of the cactus family while accompanying the botanist George Engelmann on one of the government boundary surveys in the Southwest from 1853–1854. Engelmann named the cactus Cereus roetteri in honor of this artist’s skill. Mary Emily Eaton contributed drawings and watercolors for a four-volume opus, Britton’s The Cactaceae (1919–1923), while working as a scientific illustrator for the New York Botanical Garden. She lost her job during the depression and returned to England where she exhibited her work over the years. Each artwork has a storied past, and the history and the images of the artist’s field studies and finished drawings and paintings that were rediscovered in the collections will be featured in this presentation. By curating, cataloging and imaging these art works the Smithsonian Institution and the Hunt Institute preserve for the future a part of American history.
BAGSC Members: FREE
Non-members: FREE
Maximum of 250 participants
The Works
Want to participate in the entire weekend? Sign up for “The Works!” Complete Seminar Cost (everything included, except individual portfolio reviews)
BAGSC Members: $150
Non-Members: $175
Questions? Contact the BAGSC Education Chair.
About the Instructors
Lugene Bruno, Curator of Art & Senior Research Scholar at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.
Lugene Bruno, Curator of Art & Senior Research Scholar at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA. Since 1996, Lugene Bruno has held a position at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation where she has immersed herself in the collection. She is responsible for all activities of the Art Department, including the curation of the art collection and twice-yearly exhibitions in the Institute’s gallery (most notably the triennial International Exhibition of Botanical Art & Illustration). She designs the exhibitions and companion catalogues; provides talks and tours related to collection items on site and at botanical conferences; responds to research requests; and makes available for study selections of the art collection to visiting scholars, students and artists. She is an honorary member of several botanical art and florilegia societies in the United States and abroad. Bruno is also a practicing artist working with the concepts of gestural abstraction and employing the mediums of photography and graphite drawing.
Alice Tangerini, Staff Illustrator and Curator of the Botanical Art Collection at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
Alice Tangerini, Staff Illustrator and Curator of the Botanical Art Collection at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. As a Staff Illustrator for the Botany Department at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Alice Tangerini has been specializing in drawing plants in pen and ink and graphite since 1972 and now her illustration media includes digital color.She has illustrated at least 1000 species of plants appearing in scientific periodicals, floras, and botanical and nature books. Most of her subjects are based on the Department’s extensive collection of over 4 million herbarium specimens.Alice also teaches classes in illustration techniques, presents lectures on botanical illustration and juries shows in botanical gardens and in academic institutions.She has exhibited her botanical artwork in numerous shows connected with the botanical and scientific illustration societies of which she is also a member. Her responsibilities in the department also include managing and curating an extensive collection of botanical illustrations, both historical and contemporary, which are available for viewing on the Department of Botany website.
by Deb Shaw
“Every Berry”, watercolor, © 2017, Martin J. Allen.
Following the 2017 ASBA Conference in Northern California, Martin J. Allen will arrive in Southern California to teach a BAGSC-sponsored workshop, entitled Larger than Life
Tuesday – Thursday, October 24, 25 & 26, 2017
9:30 am – 3:30 pm each day
Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Oak Room
Cost, BAGSC Members: $250
Non-Members: $275
Maximum Registration: 16 students
There are still a few seats available in Martin’s workshop. If you were unable to get into his workshops at the ASBA conference, now is your chance to enjoy a focused workshop with Martin, close to home.
Registration deadline is Tuesday, October 10, 2017. Please see the BAGSC website for details about how to register, materials list, and other workshop information. Questions? Contact the BAGSC Education Chair.
Workshop Description
This three-day workshop with Martin Allen looks at how to take digital reference photographs and use them to enlarge small parts of plants to create an exciting new image. Martin will cover how to take useful photographs and the practical challenges of translating that photograph into a realistic image on paper using a straight-forward painting technique.
About the Instructor
Martin J. Allen
(Please read the full text about Martin Allen on the BAGSC website.) I began painting plants in the autumn of 1992 whilst recovering from illness, studying with Colin Swinton. What was intended initially as therapy, quickly turned into a serious interest.
In early 1995 my first Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) exhibit was awarded a Gold medal (the second in 1997 also gained Gold) and in the same year RHS Enterprises Limited commissioned three autumn flower designs as part of their Collectors’ Plate Series. Awards at The Society of Botanical Artists’ exhibitions followed in 1996 and 1998.
I became a member of the then newly formed Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society in 1995, taking part in their 1999 RHS Gold medal group exhibit, becoming a Fellow in 2000 and regularly writing articles on botanical art for their newsletter. I am now honoured to be an Emeritus Fellow.
I am represented in America by Susan Frei Nathan, Fine Works on Paper, and Forum Botanische Kunst in Germany.
by Deb Shaw
The BAGSC September quarterly meeting will be held on
Saturday, September 23, 2017
at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, in the Brody Botanical Center Auditorium (downstairs).
Arrive about 9:30 am to chat, settle in and view the BAGSC 20th Anniversary history that was on display at the celebration at the Los Angeles County Arboretum on August 26. The meeting portion of the program will begin promptly at 10 am and will cover upcoming classes, workshops, exhibitions and member news.
Bring your current and latest works and sketchbooks to share. Bring lunch and eat in the Auditorium at the desks or in the Atrium area outside the Auditorium. Feel free to purchase lunch at any of The Huntington’s cafés, although lines can be long during the weekend. Eating is not allowed on The Huntington grounds except in designated areas,
At 12:30 pm, Deborah Shaw will give a presentation entitled “Mushrooms in Djibouti: Protecting Traditional Botanical Art in an Increasingly Digital World.”
This is an important presentation that not only will cover scary horror stories and how to protect your artwork, but also will highlight solutions, tools and resources, and fun apps to try on your tablet or smart phone. Extensive handouts will be given out with resources lists, websites and digital Photoshop recipes to follow at home. Technical jargon will be kept to a minimum, and I haven’t had anyone fall asleep during this lecture yet!
The goal of the presentation is to keep everyone safe on the web AND get everyone prepped for filling out our BAGSC website gallery and creating or refining your own digital presence. Added bonus: get a quick view of the BAGSC website and blog so you can use those resources too!
Do you have a “computer-savvy” helper you prefer to have do the digital work while you paint? (Very smart of you.) Bring them along; there is no charge and all are welcome.
After the presentation, there are lots of things to do. Deb will hang around, answer questions, and take in images for the BAGSC Website Gallery. See the BAGSC exhibition wall upstairs, “Inspired by Latin America.” View the wonderful exhibition in the Florilegium room and then head over to the new, spectacular “Visual Voyages” exhibition in the Boone Gallery at The Huntington. Bring your art supplies and draw/paint Bonsais in preparation for the upcoming exhibition, “Bonsais of The Huntington.”
Have topics for the agenda? Please email Sally Jacobs.
Please RSVP.
We will need to have passes for everyone and want to be sure to have enough handouts. Please email Clara Josephs to let her know you will be attending the meeting. As always, carpooling is encouraged.
This email duplicates some of the information in the Members Only area of the BAGSC website, and will be posted to the blog. A map, parking instructions and details about what to bring if you would like your artwork to be posted to the BAGSC gallery are on the BAGSC website in the Members Only section, on the BAGSC Quarterly Meetings page.
Hope to see you there!
By Janice Sharp and Beth Stone, posted by Deb Shaw
On September 6 – 8, 2017, Marjorie Leggitt taught at BAGSC-sponsored workshop entitled “Fresh Art: Pencil and Paint in the Garden” at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. Marj expertly led us on a scary path down the road of fast drawing and minimal supplies.
This class presented a unique opportunity to escape the classroom and venture out into the gardens. We were all grateful that it was cooler than previous weeks, so we enjoyed being outside.
It was great, challenging and yes, frustrating, to use quick techniques: modified blind contour drawing; big wet brushes and simple pallets. Each designed to shift our focus away from the tools and back to observation of our subject. We came away with good tips which we can apply to making thoughtful studies or even initial drawings for a full botanical rendering.
Click on any one of the circles to see the images in a slide show format:
Photo credit: © 2017, Beth Stone.
Photo credit: © 2017, Janice Sharp.
Photo credit: © 2017, Beth Stone.
Photo credit: © 2017, Janice Sharp.
Photo credit: © 2017, Beth Stone.
Photo credit: © 2017, Janice Sharp.
Photo credit: © 2017, Janice Sharp.
by Deb Shaw
Paphiopedilum ‘Hideki Okuyama’, © 2017, Carol Woodin, watercolor on vellum, all rights reserved.
Carol Woodin will be teaching a workshop entitled “Painting Orchids in Watercolor on Vellum” at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, June 2, 3 and 4, 2017, from 9:30 am – 4:00pm each day. There are still some spaces available in this coveted workshop, with subject specimens specially selected from The Huntington’s prized Orchid collection.
In addition to teaching about painting on vellum, and all about orchids, Carol will demonstrate how to select, cut and stretch vellum over a board.
The cost to BAGSC Members for the three-day workshop is $250; the cost for Non-Members is $275. Payment should be received by BAGSC by Saturday, May 27. Participating artists can provide their own vellum for the workshop, or can purchase a piece from the instructor, who will provide a 10” x 13” piece of vellum for $50, payable at the workshop.
Details about the workshop, enrollment, directions and a materials list can be found on the BAGSC website.
See you there!
By Jude Wiesenfeld, posted by Deb Shaw
Lee McCaffree (left) and Pat Mark (right); photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2017.
BAGSC held a one day class with botanical artist (and BAGSC member), Lee McCaffree, at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens on May 6, 2017 on “Leaf Detail: Start to Finish, Veins and Edges”.
Susan Jackson, enjoying her leaf studies; photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2017.
Lee stayed with Pat Mark, who also acted as her assistant in the class, arranging for specimens, distributing hand-outs, etc. We brought our lunch, which was a very good idea, as there turned out to be a special film event at The Huntington that took over the Brody side parking lot and added to the crowd.
Lee is a very affable teacher and took time with every student checking their work on the assignments. She began showing us examples of different leaf vein patterns and margin (edges) patterns. We divided our watercolor paper into sections and worked on different techniques in an effort to decide which ones we preferred.
I liked leaving the whites of the veins, rather than “lifting” or “masking” the veins. Lee also suggested tools that would best suit rendering our veins and edges for the best results.
We hope Lee will join us again in future. All of us enjoyed meeting her and enjoyed the class very much.
Class members, © 2017.
Kat Powell (left) and Estelle De Ridder (right); photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2017.
Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2017.
by Lisa Reynolds, Public Relations & Marketing Manager, San Diego Botanic Gardens and Deb Shaw
Cork oak trunk at San Diego Botanic Garden. Photo by Deb Shaw, © 2014.
This Sunday, May 7, 2017 at 11 am, the San Diego Botanic Garden will present a rare demonstration by Matt Ritter on how to harvest cork from a live cork oak tree in the grove at the San Diego Botanic Garden.
The cork oak is one of the world’s most interesting and iconic tree species. Commercial cork comes from the thick, spongy, outer bark which is harvested in the tree’s native range in Spain and Portugal. The outer bark of each tree is skillfully and harmlessly stripped off the trunk once every decade, allowing new bark to regrow. Cork oaks are widely grown in California as ornamental trees, but the bark is rarely harvested. The San Diego Botanical Garden has a beautiful grove of cork oak trees that is a perfect place to host this demonstration.
Cork oak branch at San Diego Botanic Garden. Photo by Deb Shaw, © 2014.
Botany Professor Matt Ritter will show how the outer bark of the cork oak is carefully harvested so as to not damage the tree. Using special tools and the same techniques employed by cork harvesters in Portugal, he will demonstrate how this amazing renewable resource can be sustainably harvested. Come see this rare opportunity right here in California!
The San Diego Botanic Gardens are located at 230 Quail Gardens Drive, in Encinitas. Open from 9 am – 5 pm daily; adult admission is $14; seniors, students and active military are $10; children 3 – 18 are $8; and children 2 and under are free. Parking is $2, except for members and for electric vehicles, which are free.
Cork oak trunk at San Diego Botanic Garden. Photo by Deb Shaw, © 2014.
About Matt Ritter
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, and editor-in-chief of Madroño, the journal of the California Botanical Society. He is an avid woodworker and gardener, and spent part of a recent sabbatical in Portugal, the cork oak capital of the world.
And if you would like more Matt Ritter…
Matt Ritter will be the keynote presenter at the 20th Anniversary Botanical Artist Guild of Southern California celebration dinner in August at the Los Angeles County Botanical Gardens & Arboretum. All are invited and we hope to see you there!
BAGSC News 