You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘Learning Opportunities’ category.

by Jude Wiesenfeld and Lee McCaffree, posted by Deb Shaw

BAGSC will be sponsoring a one-day Leaf Detail workshop with Lee McCaffree, on:

Saturday, May 6, 2017
9:30 am – 4:00 pm

The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, Botanical Education Center

Cost, BAGSC Members: $100
Non-Members: $120
Maximum Registration: 16 students

Roger's Red Grape, watercolor by Lee McCaffree, © 2017.

Roger’s Red Grape, watercolor by Lee McCaffree, © 2017.

Leaves form the background for most botanical paintings. It is important to spend the time to make them accurate. We will work to make the veins and margins realistic in their finishing touches while following the form and texture of  several leaves. This workshop will cover leaf-painting techniques using dry brush work, masking fluid, lifting and leaving the white paper.

For more information about the workshop, sign-up, and the materials list, please see the BAGSC website “Classes” and “Class Details” page.

About the Instructor

Lee McCaffree is a botanical illustrator in watercolor. She shares the coordination and implementation of the Filoli Botanical Art Certificate Program and is a primary instructor. She served on the Board of Directors of The American Society of Botanical Artists. She gives regular private classes in the Bay area and instructed at the ASBA Annual meetings and the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden. She supports botanical artists by participating in coordinating teams for art exhibits and jurying.

Lee McCaffree

Lee McCaffree

She began her career in London, England studying under Christabel King of Kew Gardens. She received Medals for showing her “Pinus” series and “Plants in Peril” series at the Royal Horticultural Society exhibitions in London. Her works are in the permanent collections of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew Collection, London, the Filoli Florilegium and Hunt Institute of Botanical Documentation; Lee won Best of Show at the Northwest ASBA Exhibition in Portland, OR. Her showings include juried exhibitions at Contemporary Art Center, MOMA-New York; Longwood Gardens; Hunt Institute, Pittsburgh; Seattle Science Center; Flinn Gallery Greenwich, CT; Horticultural Society of New York; Missouri, Chicago, Denver and UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens; Strybing Arboretum, CA; Arizona Desert Museum, New York State Museum; Johnson & Johnson Headquarters; Oakland Museum; Loveland Museum (Colorado); Filoli exhibits and Florilegium; Northern California Society of Botanical Artist’s Alcatraz Florilegium and other venues. She created the poster for the California Native Plant Sale for the East Bay for ten years. Her work is published in Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, England and Today’s Botanical Artist. Her work was included in “Losing Paradise”, an exhibit of endangered species illustrations which traveled throughout the U.S and to the Shirley Sherwood Gallery at Kew Gardens, London. Currently, she is exhibiting in the Weird, Wild and Wonderful Traveling Exhibit from the New York Botanical Gardens.

Lee’s work concentrates on native plants which she hopes will increase their visibility and use in public and private landscaping. Her skill as a botanical artist allows her to focus her creativity on the finest details of each plant she paints. Her enthusiasm inspires her students to develop their own skills and enjoy the creative process.

by Deb Shaw

The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden has announced the schedule for Cristina Baltayian’s Botanical Art and Illustration classes.

Each session meets four (4) Tuesdays per month, from 10 am – 2 pm (includes lunch break) in the Oak Room:

January          10, 17, 24, 31
February        7, 14, 21, 28
March             7, 14, 21, 28
April               4, 11, 18, 25
May                 2,   9, 16, 23
June                6, 13, 20, 27

Cost: $275 Arboretum members per month; $295 non-members per month (includes Arboretum Admission)

To Register please call the Education Department at 626.821.4623 or pay at the class.

These classes explore color pencil, graphite, pen and ink, and watercolor on various papers, vellum and other surfaces. The emphasis is on plant observation, drawing, composition, color theory and matching, and medium techniques. In conjunction with the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California, students will be studying and portraying many of the Arboretum plant introductions from the last 50 years. The goal is to build a collection of paintings that will celebrate and document the invaluable contribution of the Los Angeles Arboretum to the state of California.

The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden is located at 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007, 626.821.3222.

by Ted Tegart, Education Manager, LA Arboretum, and Deb Shaw

93341e17-7042-4d54-98fc-3154362a8b38Jerry Turney is back for his final Tree ID class of the Fall at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden with a new set of 20 trees.

Tree Identification
Dr. Jerrold Turney, Instructor

Saturday: December 3, 2016
10 am – 12 noon
$25 Members / $35 Non-Members (includes Arboretum admission)
To Register please call the Education Department at 626.821.4623 or pay at the class

Do you know the trees of Southern California? We have one of the most diverse urban forests in the USA. This final two hour lecture will cover 15-20 tree species followed by a walk in the Arboretum to see the trees that were covered during the lecture.

Dr. Jerrold Turney, plant pathologist and certified arborist, will teach you 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 your garden to plant them.

The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden is located at: 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007.

About the instructor
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.

by Melanie Campbell-Carter, posted by Deb Shaw

John Pastoriza-Piñol demonstrating ellipses.

John Pastoriza-Piñol demonstrating ellipses. Photo by Melanie Campbell-Carter, © 2016.

The renowned Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens provided fourteen BAGSC members with a three-day Master Class with John Pastoriza-Pinol on November 8 – 10, 2016. The Huntington offered us exquisite Paphiopedilum specimens from the Conservatory and greenhouses for our subjects. Kudos to Melanie Thorpe of The Huntington, and BAGSC Education Chair Jude Wiesenfeld, for flawless organization on this long-anticipated workshop.

Quoting participant Arillyn Moran-Lawrence, “We learned so many new techniques:

  1. Using ellipses to find the proper placement of a plant on the paper.
  2. Using abundant masking fluid to keep the areas between washes pristine.
  3. Using many layers of pale colors to build to unique darker colors.
  4. Using brushes like blenders, spotters and a Neef comb to complete the painting.”

Reactions to the experience by participating artists included,

Using abundant masking fluid. Photo by Melanie Campbell-Carter, © 2016.

Using abundant masking fluid. Photo by Melanie Campbell-Carter, © 2016.

“Combing is my new favorite thing!” Cynthia Jackson

“Watching John develop the orchid painting was truly an inspiration.” Gilly Shaeffer

“(John) will rewet six or seven times before he starts dry brush work and a total of maybe 30 layers to the final work. I am so happy to have learned about his methods.” Leslie Walker

“I never named my orchid but after all those pastel washes I named my painting…my pretty pony!” Beth Stone

John Pastoriza-Piñol demonstrating to class participants. Photo by Melanie Campbell-Carter, © 2016.

John Pastoriza-Piñol demonstrating to class participants. Photo by Melanie Campbell-Carter, © 2016.

The students coordinated a “paint share” for John’s materials list, courtesy of BAGSC member/artist Beth Stone. As an unexpected bonus, Robert Hori of The Huntington graciously shared several prints from the Estate of Rory McEwen with the class. BAGSC member/artist Mitsuko Schultz shared several books, including the new publication, Flora Japonica, from the current exhibition at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery at the Kew Gardens, which she attended two months ago.

John is currently enjoying an extended stay in the US on a grant from the Australian Arts Council, and will be in New York City through the end of the year in an association with the Horticultural Society of New York. Seeing the American national election process through his eyes was an interesting experience! We are gratified that he so enjoyed his time at The Huntington that he expressed a heartfelt wish to return soon.

A few of the participants in class with John. L to R: Photo by Melanie Campbell-Carter, © 2016.

A few of the participants in John’s class. (L to R:) Teri Kuwahara, Gilly Shaeffer, Jude Wiesenfeld, John Pastoriza-Piñol, Gayle Uyehara, Sydney Tanner, Cynthia Jackson, Leslie Walker, and Kat Powell. Photo by Melanie Campbell-Carter, © 2016.

by Jude Wiesenfeld and Deb Shaw

Kathie Miranda, Strelitzia spp., Bird of Paradise, colored pencil on film. © 2016.

Kathie Miranda, Strelitzia spp., Bird of Paradise, colored pencil on film. © 2016.

Kathie Miranda had been slated to give a workshop at the Weird, Wild & Wonderful Symposium at The Huntington, but unfortunately couldn’t make it due to a sudden family emergency. BAGSC is pleased to announce that Kathie will be coming to Southern California to teach Colored Pencil on Film at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in January, 2017:

Tuesday, January 24 – Thursday, January 26, 2017
9:30 am – 3:30 pm each day
Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Bamboo Room and Oak Room
Maximum Registration: 16 students

Cost, BAGSC Members: $300
Non-Members: $330

BAGSC Special Discount: receive 10% off

BAGSC is offering a special discount for Kathie’s workshop:

  • New BAGSC members receive a 10% discount for a total cost of $270
  • Current BAGSC members registering for the workshop BEFORE December 12, 2016 receive a 10% discount for a total cost of $270

Mylar is a wonderful media for colored pencil, and allows the artist to work on both sides of the film. Visit the new BAGSC website to view the full workshop description, costs, directions, and information, and to download a PDF materials list: http://bagsc.org/index.php/classes/kathie-miranda

Kathie’s Weird, Wild & Wonderful Symposium workshop filled immediately, so don’t delay on this opportunity to learn Kathie’s techniques and to receive a substantial discount!

About the Instructor

Kathie Miranda is an award-winning artist, juror and educator of botanical art. She teaches at The Art Students League, NYC and the New York Botanical Garden. She is an active member of the Connecticut Watercolor Society and the Colored Pencil Society of America.

by Ted Tegart, posted by Deb Shaw

Trees at the LA Arboretum. © 2016, LA Arboretum.

Trees at the LA Arboretum. © 2016, LA Arboretum.

Dr. Jerrold Turney is back at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden for his second Tree Identification class of the Fall. Dr. Turney has a completely new set of 20 trees to cover this
Saturday, November 5, 2016
10 am – 12 noon
$25 Members / $35 Non-Members (includes Arboretum admission)
To Register please call the Education Department at 626.821.4623 or pay at the class.

Southern California has one of the most diverse urban forests in the United States. This class will cover about 20 different trees on each of three Saturdays for a total of 60 trees. Each two hour lecture will cover 15-20 tree species followed by a walk in the Arboretum to see the trees that were covered during the lecture. Register for one or both remaining classes.

Jerry Turney, plant pathologist and certified arborist, will teach tree identification, 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 garden to plant them.

The last class will be held Saturday, December 3, 2016.

Questions? Contact LA Arboretum Education Manager Ted Tegart via email or by calling 626.821.4624. The LA Arboretum is located at: 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007, 626.821.3222.

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. 

by Deb Shaw

Aristolochia gigantea, ink on paper, Lesley Randall, © 2013, all rights reserved

Aristolochia gigantea, ink on paper, Lesley Randall, © 2013, all rights reserved

The 14th International Exhibition of Botanical Art and Illustration by The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation has been traveling around the United States for the past two years. Its final stop is at the Petaluma Arts Center in Petaluma, California, for a botanical art exhibition entitled Floribunda, which will run from October 16, 2016 through December 11, 2016.

Floribunda is a celebration of all things floral, featuring the 36 artists from nine countries in The 14th Hunt exhibition, including BAGSC members Leslie Randall and Deborah Shaw. Additionally, the Petaluma Arts Center will feature the work of Aimee Baldwin, Evan Kolker and Randy Strong—three Bay Area artists who create three-dimensional representations of flowers.

 

“This exhibition is designed as a source of inspiration and an invitation to see the natural world around us in distinct ways, to illuminate the relationship between art and science,” explained Petaluma Arts Center Exhibitions Manager Kim Chigi. “With Botany as one of the sciences, we are excited about the juxtaposition of traditional botanical illustration with the contemporary three-dimensional creations, working in tandem, to explore the connections between the creativity of both artist and nature.”

The Petaluma Arts Center will host a series of events related to the exhibition, including artists’ talks, studio workshops, and botanical art demonstrations:

  • Saturday, November 5: Botanical Art Demonstrations with BAGSC member Nina Antze, and Martha Kemp, Lucy Martin and Vi Strain, 1:00 pm, FREE
  • Thursday, November 10: Artists’ Talk with Evan Kolker and Randy Strong, 7:00 pm; doors open at 6:30 pm.
  • Sunday, November 12 -13: Watercolor Botanical Workshop with Amber Turner
Nina Antze, Martha Kemp, Lucy Martin and Vi Strain, will demonstrate botanical art in a variety of media starting at 1:00 pm on Saturday, November 5, 2016. The demonstrations are free.

Nina Antze, Martha Kemp, Lucy Martin and Vi Strain, will demonstrate botanical art in a variety of media starting at 1:00 pm on Saturday, November 5, 2016. The demonstrations are free.

Details and ticket information can be found on the Events page on the Petaluma Arts Center’s website. To arrange for group visits or school tours, email or call Kim at (707) 762-5600 x104.

Following the 14th International Exhibition at the Hunt, the travel exhibition went to the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art—Loretto and was on display from October 18 through December 6, 2014. The exhibition then traveled to the Fellows Riverside Gardens in Youngstown, Ohio where it was on display until January 10, 2016.

The Petaluma Arts Center is located in the historic train depot at 230 Lakeville St, Petaluma, California, 94952. Gallery Hours are: Thursday through Monday, 11 am-5 pm. The gallery is closed Tuesday, Wednesday and holidays.

Prosopis pubescens seed pod (Screwbean Mesquite, or Tornillo), watercolor and graphite on honey vellum, © 2012, Deborah Shaw, all rights reserved.

Prosopis pubescens seed pod (Screwbean Mesquite, or Tornillo), watercolor and graphite on honey vellum, © 2012, Deborah Shaw, all rights reserved.

Admission to the Petaluma Arts Center is $5 for general admission and $4 for seniors. Students, teachers, military, and PAC members are free.

by Jude Wiesenfeld and Janice Sharp

Last April Alexander Viazmensky (Sasha) and his students held their first Botanical Art Exhibition in St. Petersburg, Russia (see the article on page 9 of The Botanical Artist, the journal of the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) for June 2016, Volume 22, Issue 2, ISSN 1523-5165*).

Sasha Viazmensky demonstrating initial watercolor technique for painting a mushroom.

Sasha Viazmensky demonstrating initial watercolor technique for painting a mushroom.

This October 19 – 21, 2016, Sasha came to teach a workshop about painting mushrooms for BAGSC artists. Held at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia, California, Sasha brought with him a wealth of knowledge on his speciality. His technique is largely wet on wet. He reiterated often that we should get ready to put the paint on the paper, then STOP and think about where we will place the paint before proceeding.

One thing we learned to observe is how many more gills appear at the edge of the mushroom that are thinner and closer together than the ones near the stem.

Sasha was an excellent and affable teacher. Each day we watched him demonstrate the techniques for different types of mushrooms. He spent a great deal of his time individually guiding each of us.

* The Botanical Artist is a quarterly publication for members of ASBA. Back publications are available to members for purchase. View a sample of  The Botanical Artist.

Sasha demonstration of a Polypore Mushroom (fungi that grow on tree trunks).

Sasha demonstration of a Polypore Mushroom (fungi that grow on tree trunks).

Those in attendance were (from left to right): Beth Stone, Gilly Shaeffer, Olga Eysymontt, Sasha, Cynthia Jackson, Janice Sharp and Bonnie Ash (missing from the photo are Pat Mark, Kathy Morgan and Jude Wiesenfeld).

Those in attendance were (from left to right):
Beth Stone, Gilly Shaeffer, Olga Eysymontt, Sasha, Cynthia Jackson, Janice Sharp and Bonnie Ash (missing from the photo are Pat Mark, Kathy Morgan and Jude Wiesenfeld).

These are examples of our work!

These are examples of our work!

by Deb Shaw

Cristina Baltayian will continue her monthly series of botanical art classes at the LA Arboretum through the Fall:

4 Tuesdays per session per month
10am – 2pm (includes lunch break) / Oak Room

The Fall session dates are:
October 4, 11, 18, 25
November 1, 8, 15, 22
December 6, 13, 20, 27

Costs are $275 for Arboretum members per month / $295 non-members per month (includes Arboretum Admission).

To register, please call the LA Arboretum Education Department at 626.821.4623 or pay at the class.

These classes will explore color pencil, graphite, pen and ink, and watercolor on various papers, vellum and other surfaces. The emphasis will be on plant observation, drawing, composition, color theory and matching, and medium techniques. In conjunction with the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California, students will be studying and portraying many of the Arboretum plant introductions from the last 50 years. The goal is to build a collection of paintings that will celebrate and document the invaluable contribution of the Los Angeles Arboretum to the state of California.

The LA Arboretum is located at: 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007.

by Margaret Best, posted by Deb Shaw

"The Art of the Tulip" Select River Cruises with Margaret Best, Artist-in-Residence.

“The Art of the Tulip” Select River Cruises with Margaret Best, Artist-in-Residence.

BAGSC member Margaret Best will be the Artist in Residence on a unique river cruise through the Low Countries focusing on “The Art of the Tulip.”

Onboard the MS Select Bellejour, participants will enjoy lectures about the history and cultural impact of the tulip. Demonstrations will be combined with botanical art instruction, including one-on-one attention from the instructor.

Margaret is a regular teacher at the Dundas Valley School of Art in Canada. She is one of three teachers at the school selected to be an Artist in Residence on Select River Cruises in 2017.

Margaret Best teaching.

Margaret Best teaching.

To coincide with Tulip Time in April, Margaret will be offering lectures on the Art of the Tulip from the Ottoman era to contemporary portrayal, while traveling luxuriously on the waterways of the region. She will be also offering instruction on keeping an illustrated journal of this memorable trip with spectacular tulip specimens and other seasonal flowers both on board and in famous gardens, like Keukenhof to name but one.

For non-artist partners, friends or spouses there are a wide range of small-group tours to choose from to soak up the European culture and to partake in the unique food and beverage offerings. Like specialty cheese, chocolate, beer and a visit to the Delft China factory.

Seeing this remarkable spectacle of color is on most plant lover’s bucket list. For botanical artists, combining Margaret’s tuition with expert tour guides on a Select Cruise line famous for a more personalized treatment of guests, it will be unforgettable.

Tour dates: March 30 – April 7, 2017
Cost: $3,190
Download “The Art of the Tulip” PDF information flyer: art-of-the-tulip-20062016
Includes airport transfers, pre-cruise hotel and excursions, unique excursions with tour escort and Artist in Residence, onboard lectures and demonstrations, house wine and beer, gourmet meals, gratuities, and partner program options.

For more information and reservations, contact Sandie Harman, 416.407.1830 or 705.657.7196.

Anne-Marie Evans.

Anne-Marie Evans.

The Virginia Robinson Gardens will have Anne-Marie Evans in November, 2016:
November 7th – 11th
November 14th – 18th

Anne-Marie added to her lengthy list of credentials when she was awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire) for her services to Botanical Art and Education in the New Year Honours List in December, 2015.

Anne- Marie is in a large way responsible for the renaissance of botanical art in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Her classes cover the five-step method she developed for producing a botanically correct and beautiful portrait of a floral subject in watercolor.

Anne-Marie welcomes beginners and experienced artists.

Please save the dates for this very special opportunity to be taught by one of the best!

Tuition:  $595 members/$625 non-members each week
$100 non-refundable deposit due upon registration, with balance due one week prior to scheduled class.

On-line registration: Make checks payable to Friends of Robinson Gardens – memo:  Botanical
Classes begin at 9:30 AM and end at 3:30 PM. Please bring your lunch.

Details and supply list will be emailed to all registrants prior to the class.

For additional information please call Friends of Robinson Gardens at 310.550.2068

The Virginia Robinson Gardens is located at: 1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills, CA  90210.

by John Pastoriza-Piñol, Jude Wiesenfeld and Deb Shaw

Tulipa x hybrida, watercolor by John Pastoriza-Piñol, © 2016.

Tulipa x hybrida, watercolor by John Pastoriza-Piñol, © 2016.

BAGSC will be offering a Masterclass with Australian botanical artist John Pastoriza-Piñol in November, 2016. Students will learn the intricacies of achieving fine detail with watercolour masking fluid and NEEF ¼ Comb, invaluable tools for contemporary botanical artists. As a result, your paintings will be brought to a new level of realism and detail. Students should have skills in drawing and watercolor. Over three days, John will assist you with painting the chosen class subject. John will show how masking fluid can be used to achieve very fine detail and will instruct students how to use the NEEF ¼ Comb.

November 8, 9 and 10, 2016
9:30 am – 4:00pm each day
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
Cost: BAGSC Members: $300; Non-Members: $330
Maximum Registration: 16 students

To register:
Send a check for your $50 non-refundable deposit fee (or payment in full), made out to BAGSC, to BAGSC Education Chair, Jude Wiesenfeld. Please write “JohnPP” on the memo line of the check. Payment in full is due by Monday, October 25, 2016.

Bring your lunch, or purchase lunch at The Huntington Cafes, at The Huntington.

Questions about the Workshop? Contact the BAGSC Education Chair.

Fragaria x ananassa, Strawberry, watercolor by John Pastoriza-Piñol, © 2016.

Fragaria x ananassa, Strawberry, watercolor by John Pastoriza-Piñol, © 2016.

Learning Objectives:
Students who enroll in this workshop would have completed some level of introduction to Botanical Art and be at an intermediate to advanced level. The structure of the class involves a three-day painting project and the demonstrator assists each student with composition, painting techniques, colour theory which will be offered in class and assigned for homework.

Download a PDF of the materials list: John Pastoriza Pinol Materials list 2016

About the Instructor:
Rich luminous hues and gorgeously exotic and rare botanical specimens epitomize John’s work, however his are much more than mere flower paintings:closer inspection reveals a certain ambiguity of form and intent directing us towards a complex narrative.

John Pastoriza-Piñol, © 2016.

John Pastoriza-Piñol, © 2016.

A master of his medium, his perfectly executed watercolours remain true to the accuracy that is vital to botanical illustration yet they have a fluidity and sensuality that stirs the viewer to experience more than a mere marveling of technique.

The artist suggestively urges us to look beyond the aesthetic and move into slightly more uneasy territory as his work inhabits a territory somewhere between scientific analysis and symbolic realism, prompting a reading that goes beyond the purely representational and literal. The artist intends for literal and subversive elements to coexist uneasily on the same plane, while the aesthetics will remain true to the fundamental principle of objective observation of the natural world.

Location:
The workshop will be held at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, in the Botanical Education Center. The Huntington is located at: 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108.

 

by Jude Wiesenfeld and Deb Shaw

"Forest Bouquet, Russian Choice," watercolor by Alexander Viazmensky, © 2016, all rights reserved.

“Forest Bouquet, Russian Choice,” watercolor by Alexander Viazmensky, © 2016, all rights reserved.

Alexander (Sasha) Viazmensky will be returning to Southern California from St. Petersburg, Russia to teach a three-day, BAGSC-sponsored workshop, Mushroom Portraits in Watercolor.

Wednesday, October 19 – Friday, October 21, 2016
9:30 am – 4:00 pm each day
Los Angeles County Arboretum, Oak Room
$300 for BAGSC members; $330 for non-members
Class limit: 16 students

Workshop Description:
Mushroom hunting is a passionate, national pastime in Russia, and Sasha’s paintings capture the spirit of the fungi and the forest. Painted life sized, he calls his paintings “Portraits of Mushrooms.” The class will consist of the following steps:

  1. Composition.
  2. How to properly place your subject: lights, shadows, reflections.
  3. Creating the shape from light to dark.
  4. Creating various textures with dry brush.
  5. Using white gouache.
  6. Final details.

Download the materials list: sashaMaterialsList

To Register:
Send a check for your $50 non-refundable deposit fee (or payment in full), made out to BAGSC, to BAGSC Education Chair Jude Wiesenfeld. Please write “Sasha” on the memo line of the check. Payment in full is due by Monday, October 3, 2016.

Bring your lunch, or purchase lunch at the Peacock Café, on the Arboretum grounds.

The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden is located at: 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007.

"Forest Bouquet, Russian Choice," watercolor by Alexander Viazmensky, © 2016, all rights reserved.

Alexander Viazmensky in the woods. © 2016.

About the Instructor:
Sasha Viazmensky was born and lives in St. Petersburg, Russia, and specializes in painting fungi. Although he has a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, he has devoted his life to painting, studying, and picking mushrooms. His work is included in the collections of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation in Pittsburgh, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Shirley Sherwood Collection and the Komarov Botanical Institute in St. Petersburg, among others, and in private collections all over the world. You can read an article Sasha wrote about picking mushrooms in Russia, published in MUSHROOM, The Journal of Wild Mushrooming, here.

by Beth Stone, posted by Deb Shaw

Passion Flower study, Olga Eysymontt, © 2008, all rights reserved.

Passion Flower study, Olga Eysymontt, © 2008, all rights reserved.

It’s time to register for BAGSC Founder and Member Olga Eysymont’s next series at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. Registration is through the Otis website. Here’s the link: http://www.otis.edu/ce-course?crs=828

Don’t worry that the class description on the Otis website reads the same as Olga’s previous sessions. Olga says “For my returning students, I will be giving them other projects to work on.”

New students will explore the subject of plant families, with the goal of demonstrating both correct representation of the specimen, as well as a good compositional design. An emphasis on correct placement of light on form will be emphasized, in order to produce an authentic and realistic illustration.

“Botanical Illustration: Plant Studies,” in graphite, will meet for six Sundays, from 9:30 am – 3:30 pm, beginning Sunday, September 18, 2016,  and then on the following five Sundays: October 2, October 16, October 30, November 6 and November 20.

Registration

Register online through Otis College of Art and Design Continuing Education. All classes will be held at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. The course is non-credit, although certificate and credit options are available for additional cost.

The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden is located at: 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007.

Workshop Discounts

A $50 discount on the course registration is available until August 21. Senior discounts also are available; check with Otis to see if they can be used in combination with the early registration discount.

Class Materials:

14″ x 17” Strathmore Drawing Pad Series 400, Medium or equivalent. (You may use another brand, but please, no sketch or recycled paper.

14” x 17” Medium Weight Tracing Paper (any brand)

Drafting Pencil with Holder and Sharpener

HB and 2B leads (at least 2 each)

Eraser Stick

Erasing Shield

Drafting Brush

Mars Drafting Dots (masking tape)

Portable Task Light (Ott-Lite)

(Vis a Vis wet erase fine point marker, Clip, 8″ x 10″ Plexi and 8″ x 10″ format supplied by teacher for $10.00)

by Deb Shaw

Hunt 15th International Exhibition of Botanical Art and Illustration
Every three years the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) holds its annual conference in Pittsburgh, PA to coincide with the Hunt Institute’s International Exhibition. This year is no exception: the 15th International Exhibition will open on September 15, and will run through December 15, 2016.

The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation established the International Exhibition in 1964 with the purpose of supporting and encouraging contemporary botanical artists. The upcoming exhibition features 43 works by 43 different artists from 15 different countries. A few selected works from the exhibition can be viewed on the website.

Cover of the Hunt 15th International Exhibition Catalog. Cover art: Soft Tree Fern, Dicksonia antarctica [Dicksonia antarctica Labillardière, Dicksoniaceae], watercolor on paper by Laurie Andrews (1936–), 2008, 76.5 × 56.5 cm, HI Art accession no. 8078, reproduced by permission of the artist.

Cover of the Hunt 15th International Exhibition Catalog. Cover art: Soft Tree Fern, Dicksonia antarctica [Dicksonia antarctica Labillardière, Dicksoniaceae], watercolor on paper by Laurie Andrews (1936–), 2008, 76.5 × 56.5 cm, HI Art accession no. 8078, reproduced by permission of the artist.

As always, the exhibition is accompanied by a full-color catalogue containing reproductions of all of the artworks, as well as biographies and portraits of the artists. Collectively, the 15 catalogues of each exhibition features 1,172 contemporary botanical artists from around the world.

The opening reception on October 13, from 6 pm – 9 pm is open to the public, and also is a highlight of the ASBA conference. The curators of the exhibition will give a short introduction to the exhibition in the gallery at 6:30 pm. Catalogues will be available for sale at the opening.

The Hunt Institute is located at: 4909 Frew Street, 5th Floor, Hunt Library. The exhibition will be on display on the 5th floor of the Hunt Library building at Carnegie Mellon University and will be open to the public free of charge. Hours: Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–noon and 1–5 p.m.; Sunday, 1–4 p.m. (except 20 November and 24–27 November). Because the Hunt’s hours of operation are occasionally subject to change, please call or email before your visit to confirm. For further information, contact the Hunt Institute at 412-268-2434, or email.

Early Bird Registration for the 22nd Annual ASBA Meeting and Conference CLOSES AUGUST 7, 2016!
The deadline for early registration discounts for the 22nd Annual ASBA Meeting and Conference closes on August 7, 2016. Early registration fees (on or before August 7) are $360. Register now online. After August 7, registration jumps to $425. Registration closes September 4, 2016, no exceptions.

Join ten other BAGSC members who have registered for the conference so far. See old friends, meet new friends from all over the world, learn new techniques and get inspired.

The conference will be held at the Wyndham Pittsburgh University Center, just a few blocks from Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden, The Carnegie Museum of Natural History, The Carnegie Museum of Art, and the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. And, of course, there is the Hunt 15th Annual International Exhibition—one of the world’s most prestigious exhibitions of botanical art and a must-see.

BAGSC member Margaret Best will be teaching a one-day workshop on watercolor, “From the Ground Up.” BAGSC member Deborah Shaw will be giving an up-to-the-very-minute lecture about how to protect your images on the web, along with some tips and tricks and a list of helpful and fun apps.

There are still openings in various workshops, including graphite, colored pencil, and pen-and-ink. There are many fascinating lectures available at no additional charge. And there are openings available for a field trip to visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater.

Read about the conference, sessions and instructors on ASBA’s website, make your selections, then go to the online registration site to register.

There are 193 ASBA members who have registered so far. Come join us in Pittsburgh!

February 2026
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
232425262728  

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 161 other subscribers