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by Michael Best, posted by Deb Shaw
Fiji flower.
This botanical art retreat ticks all the right boxes . . . tropical location, abundance of exotic flowers and fruit, acclaimed teacher, great accommodation, all meals, great facilities dedicated to the arts, lots to see and do — and all at a great price!
Getting there couldn’t be easier with Fiji Airways flying directly from LAX.
Imagine seven days in this tropical paradise where the biggest challenge is going to be selecting a specimen from among the exotic native orchids, colorful ginger plants and fascinating tropical fruit. Work in water color or colored pencil for three hours each morning and then relax or sight-see in the afternoon. Or, if you prefer, paint all day — your choice.
Take a non-painting partner if you wish. There is more than enough for them to see and do while you paint.
One of many beautiful beaches on Fiji.
This 19th to 26th September, 2015 retreat is being organized by Paradise Courses of Sydney. All the details, including the schedule and reservation information, can be found on their website.
Find out more about Margaret’s art and teaching at www.bestbotanical.com and the retreat at www.dakuresort.com. A PDF brochure about the resort can be downloaded here: Daku Resort Savusavu eBrochure.
Imagine . . .
One view from the Daku Resort in Fiji.
by Tania Norris, posted by Deb Shaw
Anne-Marie Evans.
Anne-Marie Evans will be returning to the Virginia Robinson Gardens in March, 2015 to teach Drawing, Aerial Perspective, and Composition to artists in all mediums. Drawing, aerial perspective and composition will be covered in depth and every student of botanical art will benefit from Anne-Marieʼs expertise and will be given the knowledge to advance their future botanical works.
Monday, March 23 – Friday, 27, 2015
The basics of drawing botanically correct specimens
Saturday, March 28, 2015
A one-day session with Anne-Marie to help students with their unfinished paintings
Monday, March 30 – Friday, April 3, 2015
Aerial perspective and composition for botanical art
Virginia Robinson Gardens and BAGSC Members: $595.00 per week. Non-members: $625.00 per week.
Saturday, March 28th: Virginia Robinson Gardens and BAGSC Members: Members $100.00. Non-members $125.00.
A $100.00 deposit is non-refundable.
Classes will be held daily from 9 am – 3:30 pm in the Pool Pavilion, Virginia Robinson Gardens, 1108 Elden Way, Beverly Hills, California, 90210.
Payment may be made by check, payable to Friends of the Robinson Gardens; by phone, 310-550-2068; or online. A materials list will be sent to all participants. Coffee, tea and water will be provided, but please bring your own lunch.
Anne-Marie Evans is known throughout the world as a master teacher of botanical art. Her classes are filled with the most thoroughly researched methods of giving information so that students can benefit to the fullest from their attendance.
by Deb Shaw
Our dear Jill Berry at the Los Angeles Arboretum will be retiring shortly. BAGSC sends out a BIG THANK YOU to Jill for all your years of help, service, and support.
Many of us got our start in botanical art at the LA Arboretum, in classes taught by Olga Eysymontt. Jill was a big part of our experience there, and we will miss her. Jill, congratulations on your retirement, and we wish you all the happiness and fulfillment in the years ahead. Thank you!
Our collaboration and support of the Arboretum will continue, of course. The schedule for Cristina Baltayian’s classes has been announced for January – June, 2015 at the Arboretum. These classes will be exploring 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.
Tuesdays, 2015 (10 am – 2 pm)
January: 6, 13, 20, 27
February: 3, 10, 17, 24
March: 3, 10, 17, 24
April: 7, 14, 21, 28
May: 5, 12, 19, 26
June: 2, 9, 16, 23
Cost: $275 Arboretum members per month; $295 non-members per month (includes Arboretum admission)
To register: Pre-registration required; please call the Class Registration line at 626.821.4623. Class participation is limited to a minimum of five students and a maximum of 12. A supply list will be provided upon registration. You may bring your lunch or purchase it at the Peacock Café.
Additionally, this year continues the “Arboretum Plant Introduction Project.” Cristina’s students, along with BAGSC members 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.
About the Instructor
Cristina Baltayian has a background in drawing (graphite, charcoal, pen and ink), two-dimensional design, watercolor, and colored pencils. Her work has been shown at Filoli, the Los Angeles County Arboretum, and Chapman University Leatherby Libraries. She is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists, and The Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California.
by Deb Shaw
We’re pleased to confirm the locations for Eileen Sorg’s BAGSC-sponsored workshop, “COLORED PENCIL STEW.”
“A Bug In Your Ear,” mixed media by Eileen Sorg, © 2014, all rights reserved.
The workshop on Monday, March 9–Tuesday, March 10, 2015 will be held at the Los Angeles Arboretum.
The workshop on Thursday, March 12–Friday, March 13, 2015 will be held at the Santiago Nature Center, in the Santiago Park Nature Reserve, freeway-close off of Memory Lane in Santa Ana, Orange County (near the Main Place mall).
Leslie Walker reports a good number of deposits have already come in, so for those of you who were waiting to see which location matched which dates, it’s time to send in your deposit. Maps, times and materials lists will be emailed once full payment has been received.
For convenience, here’s the “save-your-place” deposit information:
Costs will be $250.00 for a two-day workshop for BAGSC and Colored Pencil Society members, $275.00 for non-members. Please send a $50.00 non-refundable deposit, made out to BAGSC, to Leslie Walker and be sure to indicate whether you would prefer the March 9 − 10 dates at the Los Angeles Arboretum, OR the March 12 − 13 dates in Orange County at the Santiago Nature Center.
Want to take both workshops? Please send a $100.00 non-refundable deposit and let Leslie know that as well.
by Anita Walsmit Sachs and Deb Shaw
Anita Walsmit Sachs will be offering a 5-day botanical drawing and painting workshop, “Hortus atelier” in cooperation with The Hortus botanicus, Leiden, in 2015.
About the Hortus
The Hortus botanicus Leiden is a green oasis in the center of Leiden.
The Hortus botanicus Leiden is the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands and one of the oldest in the world. It is located in the historical centre of Leiden. Sitting behind the academy building of the Leiden University, the garden is a green oasis with a large collection of plants native to Southeast and East Asia, Southern Europe and South Africa. The Hortus is a haven within the city centre, a historical monument and a meeting place full of character.
People go to the Hortus to relax, enjoy the seasons or to learn more about the diversity of the plant kingdom.
In 1590 the Hortus was founded by the University of Leiden. In 1594 Carolus Clusius (1526-1609) turned it into a medicinal herb garden. But Clusius introduced the tulip and many other plants like tobacco and potato to the Hortus. These flowers and plants became known throughout Western Europe.
The Hortus botanicus Leiden is the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands, and one of the oldest in the world.
Many famous international scientists such as Clusius, Boerhaave, Linnaeus and Einstein were connected to the Hortus botanicus in Leiden.
In the 19th century, the German physician Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796-1866) brought hundreds of plant species with him from Japan to the Netherlands and 15 of these original introductions can still be found in the Hortus today.
The Hortus atelier program
The purpose of a botanical illustration is primarily a scientifically accurate drawing. The artistic input is reflected in the sensitivity in which the subject is displayed and in the composition.
PROGRAM: from April 12 to April 16, 2015
First day, the class starts at 10, with coffee and presentation, who is who and info, followed by a guided walk through the garden.
Lunch 12.00 – 12.30
Afternoon 12.30 – 15.45 Instruction about the subject to draw. Pencil drawing, including light and dark values.
Second day, instruction about material, paper, paint and colour mixing and composition.
Third day, transferring the drawing to the watercolour paper and painting.
Fourth and fifth days, continuing the process. Every day there will be a discussion about the progress of the drawing. The education is individually focused to gain an optimal result.
Gloriosa, watercolor by Anita Walsmit Sachs, 2014, all rights reserved.
Costs
The fee will be € 375,00 including morning coffee, brasserie lunch and afternoon drinks. Information about payment will follow after subscription as well as information about lodging possibilities. A small optional assignment will be given before the course starts. Sign ups for the class are through Anita directly via email.
About the Artist
Anita Walsmit Sachs in her studio.
Anita initially trained in fashion design at the Royal Academy of fine Arts in The Hague. Fifteen years ago she became a scientific illustator at the National Herbarium of Leiden University, now Museum Naturalis. She has won two RHS Gold medals and a second prize medal at the RBG show in Sydney, Australia. Anita has participated in the Highgrove Florilegium of HRH Prince Charles. She is passionate about painting and teaching.
by Suzanne Kuuskmae, posted by Deb Shaw
Botanical colored pencil artist and sought-after teacher, Wendy Hollender will be here for a two-day workshop:
April 1 – 2, 2015
She will be stopping in Torrance at Destination: Art on her way back from her two-week class in Kauai. The cost will be $200 for the two days, and as space is going to be limited so that we can really get her full attention, please send a deposit check of $100 made out to Destination: Art to Suzanne Kuuskmae.
This will hold your spot with the balance due 30 days before the workshop. Her last class here a few years back was a sellout and very popular.
by Deb Shaw
It seems like it should be far away, but next year will be here before we know it!
As announced in the “Save the Date” article on the BAGSC blog, and in the email blast that went out to BAGSC members on November 26, 2014, Eileen Sorg will be teaching a BAGSC-sponsored workshop, “COLORED PENCIL STEW.” We are anticipating a lot of interest from BAGSC and Colored Pencil Society Members, and expect the workshops to fill quickly. We have made arrangements to potentially hold two, two-day workshops (same content for each) if enrollments warrant.
Dates:
Monday, March 9 and Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Thursday, March 12 and Friday, March 13, 2015
A Bug In Your Ear, mixed media by Eileen Sorg, © 2014, all rights reserved.
Costs will be $250.00 for a two-day workshop for BAGSC and Colored Pencil Society members, $275.00 for non-members. Please send a $50.00 non-refundable deposit, made out to BAGSC, to Leslie Walker and be sure to indicate whether you would prefer the March 9 − 10, OR the March 12 − 13 dates. Please understand that we cannot guarantee dates until deposits are made for the minimum numbers for each section.
Want to take both workshops? Please send a $100.00 non-refundable deposit and let Leslie know that as well.
We are finalizing plans for one location in the Orange County area and one in the Pasadena area. Details about locations and final payment due dates will be available and publicized soon.
by Deb Shaw
Cristina Baltayian will be teaching Botanical Art & Illustration at the Los Angeles County Arboretum:
Tuesdays, November 4, 11, 18, 25, 2014
10am-2pm; Oak Room
$275 members; $295 non-members
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. All levels of experience are welcome, and participants will find a very high degree of personalized attention. Class participation is limited to a minimum of 5 students and a maximum of 12.
The class fee is for four (4) Tuesdays each month. The next session will be: December 2, 9, 16, 23, 2014. You may bring your lunch or purchase it at the Peacock Café. A Materials List will be provided upon registration.
In addition, an exciting project has begun, in which, 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.
Class fees include admission to the LA Arboretum. For more information, visit the class website page. Pre-registration is required; call 626.821.4623. The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden is located at: 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007.
And one more for all you photography buffs out there…
The LA Arboretum will also hold a workshop on “Night Photography in the Garden”
Saturday, November 22; 7-9pm
Instructor: Frank McDonough
$30 members; $35 non-members
Photographers don’t miss this opportunity to photograph the Arboretum when it’s at its most interesting and unusual; at night. Bring your cameras, LED lights, lasers and specialty light sources and go on the hunt for unique, unusual, and beautiful nighttime picture-taking opportunities. Note: Headlamp required; tripod and DSLR recommended. Please call the class register line at 626-821-4623 to register.
by Deb Shaw
Detail of Cucurbita Maxima, watercolor by Deborah Shaw, © 2014, all rights reserved.
The Ultimate Color Mixing Workshop has moved to Wednesday, January, 14 – Thursday, January 15, 2015 at the Virginia Robinson Gardens.
The workshop details are the same, as posted on a previous BAGSC News Blog article. You may find it at: https://bagscblog.com/2014/10/12/deborah-shaw-to-teach-the-ultimate-color-mixing-workshop-at-the-virginia-robinson-gardens/
9:30 am – 3:30 pm
Cost: $225 for Virginia Robinson Gardens members and Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California (BAGSC) members; $275 for non-members.
$50 deposit is non-refundable.
The Virginia Robinson Gardens has just installed online registration! Register for this workshop by going to: http://www.robinsongardens.org/product/ultimate-color-mixing-class/
You also can still make reservations by calling (310) 550-2068; or mail a check, made payable to: FRIENDS OF ROBINSON GARDENS. The Virginia Robinson Gardens are located at 1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills, California 90210.
by Deb Shaw
“A Bug In Your Ear,” mixed media by Eileen Sorg, © 2014, all rights reserved.
Save the dates for the week of March 9, 2015, when Eileen Sorg comes to teach a BAGSC-sponsored workshop, “COLORED PENCIL STEW” in Southern California.
This two-day workshop will teach you how to use pen and ink, watercolor, and colored pencil together to create richly detailed pieces of art. This mixed media approach allows for a quick build up of color and value while still leaving room for the beautiful detail and control of colored pencil. You will learn watercolor and colored pencil application tips, and how to extract the best qualities of each medium in this fun and informative workshop.
We are anticipating a high demand for Eileen’s workshop, and so may offer two, two-day classes back-to-back if the numbers are there. Member fee rates will be offered to BAGSC members and members of the Colored Pencil Society.
Watch this blog for updates on how to register (coming soon)!
About the Instructor
Eileen Sorg’s work is collected internationally and is known for its complexity and vibrancy. Her students appreciate her “full disclosure” method of teaching, where no information is held back. Eileen is a Signature member of the Colored Pencil Society, the Society of Animal Artists, and the International Guild of Realism.
by Deb Shaw
BAGSC member Lisa Pompelli will be teaching a botanical art class about carnivorous plants at The Huntington during the month of November:
Nepenthe, watercolor by Lisa Pompelli, © 2014, all rights reserved.
Botanical Watercolors: Carnivorous Plants
Saturdays, November 1 – November 15, 2014
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Members: $245. Non-Members: $275.
Explore the unusual world of sarracenias, nepenthes, sundews, and other carnivorous plants while honing your botanical watercolor skills. Prior drawing experience recommended. Register online with Brown Paper Tickets, or call 800-838-3006. A supply list will be sent upon registration.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens is located at:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
by Deb Shaw
The American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA), The Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California (BAGSC) and The Huntington Botanical Gardens present:
A Weird, Wild & Wonderful Symposium
July 23 (Thursday) – 26 (Sunday), 2015
in conjunction with
Weird, Wild & Wonderful
The Second New York Botanical Garden Triennial Exhibition of 46 captivating paintings and illustrations of exotic specimens by invited members of the American Society of Botanical Artists at
The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Garden
San Marino, California
Solanum lycopersicum, Heirloom Tomato, Watercolor on paper, © Asuka Hishiki
Information about the Symposium is available on the ASBA website, and registration opens in May, 2015. Save the dates and watch this blog for exciting learning and volunteering opportunities.
About Weird, Wild & Wonderful:
Botanical art has traditionally depicted conventionally beautiful plants, such as sunflowers, irises, and roses. Weird, Wild, & Wonderful features plants not always thought of as beautiful but rather strange, eccentric, intriguing, and mysterious. Join us in Southern California as we explore the plants and their depictions during a special Weird, Wild & Wonderful Symposium on July 23 – 26, 2015, with additional classes, workshops, displays and lectures throughout the summer.
Only 46 works were selected from nearly 240 entries, hailing from the United States, Australia, Canada, India, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The selection jury consisted of Lugene Bruno, Curator of Art at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation; Jean Emmons, award-winning botanical artist; and Marc Hachadourian, Manager of the Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections at The NewYork Botanical Garden.
About The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Garden:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens is a collections-based research and educational institution established in 1919 by Henry E. and Arabella Huntington. Henry Huntington was a man of vision—with a special interest in books, art, and gardens. During his lifetime, he amassed the core of one of the finest research libraries in the world, established a splendid art collection, and created an array of botanical gardens with plants from a geographic range spanning the globe.These three distinct facets ofThe Huntington are linked by a devotion to research, education, and beauty. For more information, visit: http://www.huntington.org
About American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA):
ASBA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting public awareness of contemporary botanical art, to honoring its traditions and to furthering its development. In its 20th year, ASBA has 1,300 members from more than 20 countries around the world. For more information, visit: ASBA-art.org.
About The Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California (BAGSC):
A chapter of the American Society of Botanical Artists, BAGSC members actively promote development and awareness of this artistic tradition. Guild members are committed to improving their artistry and technical abilities.The Guild supports and sponsors workshops with local experts and visiting lecturers in areas such as drawing and painting botanical subjects, botany, resources, and botanical art history. For more information, visit: bagscblog.com.
by Kathlyn Powell, posted by Deb Shaw
I wanted to let everyone know about a terrific 25 podcast series on BBC Radio 4 called “Plants: From Roots to Riches” that might be of interest. Each podcast is approximately 15 minutes, and is free. All of the podcasts can be downloaded at the same time.
“Plants: From Roots to Riches” is a brief history of botanical science and our changing relationship with plants over the last 250 years—from tools, to objects of beauty, to an essential resource we have to conserve. Presented by Professor Kathy Willis, Director of Science at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the series draws upon the archives, collections and scientific research at the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew. Additional information is available from the series main website, including clips, galleries and additional podcasts.
I found out about it from an article in my favorite magazine, New Scientist. Enjoy!
by Deb Shaw
Tired of spending endless time and paint trying to find the right color? Learn to mix colors through color theory. This fun, no-stress overview workshop is for beginners through advanced participants and goes beyond what is typically taught in botanical color mixing classes. Although this watercolor workshop will focus on botanical subjects, the theory and exercises apply to all art forms and media, including: plein air, still life, and portraits; whether they’re created in watercolor, oil, acrylic, colored pencil, or pastel. Learn about:
- The hidden values in color, and color mixing basics.
- Where colors fall on the color wheel, and how that affects mixing.
- Transparency, lightfastness, granulation.
- Basic color theories and changing color through the ages (how did Van Gogh get those sad violets?).
- Color mixing and painting methods.
- How to avoid mixing mud, AND how to (purposefully) mix the appropriate mud, shadows and other nasty colors.
- Mixing beyond the basics, including a handout containing the ultimate color mixing exercise.
Monday, October 27, 2014, and Tuesday, October 28, 2104, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm
Cost: $225 for Virginia Robinson Gardens members and Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California (BAGSC) members; $275 for non-members.
$50 deposit is non-refundable.
Tea, coffee and water provided. Bring your own lunch. A materials list will be supplied. Paint samples will be supplied.
Suz Landay and Kerstin Royce look over Deb Shaw’s shoulder during a demonstration.
Classes will be held in the Pool Pavilion, Virginia Robinson Gardens, 1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills. To make reservations, visit Virginia Robinson Gardens; call (310) 550-2068; or mail a check, made payable to: FRIENDS OF ROBINSON GARDENS.
Instructor biography:
Deborah Shaw has a degree in fine art from Pomona College, The Claremont Colleges, where she also studied botany and native California flora. Ms. Shaw is an active member of the American Society of Botanical Artists, the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California, and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators. She has taught art and botanical art at numerous venues, including The Getty; The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens; Virginia Robinson Gardens; and Bowers Museum. She taught illustration, digital design and information design at the University of California, Irvine, Extension where she was the recipient of the “Distinguished Instructor” award.
Deborah’s work has been displayed in juried and non-juried exhibitions, and is in private collections. Her work is in the permanent collection at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation at Carnegie Mellon University. She has received numerous awards for art, illustration, design, product design and advertising. Her preferred media include graphite, watercolor, colored pencil, scratchboard, Illustrator and Photoshop.
by Deb Shaw
Fullerton Arboretum, CSU Fullerton, © CSU Fullerton, all rights reserved.
Tania Marien, ArtPlantae, has scheduled a series of workshops at the Fullerton Arboretum, called “InterpretPlants.” These workshops are scheduled for October 2014 through May 2015, and highlight the Arboretum’s 26-acre oasis and vast plant collections and community programs on the sprawling campus of California State University, Fullerton.
The first two workshops will be a Farmer’s Market Guide to Plants, at the
Fullerton Arboretum at CSU Fullerton, Wednesday, October 29, 2014 (1-4 pm) and Saturday, November 1, 2014 (10 am – 1 pm)
$28 members, $35 non-members (fee includes most of the required art supplies)
Limit: 12
Participants will create their own, personalized farmer’s market guide to locally grown food. Sketch the harvest, create printed images reminiscent of woodcut images in old herbals and learn about the botany of food while documenting the Fall harvest at the Arboretum’s Farm Stand. Create your own artwork to use on recipe cards, notecards, food labels or wherever you like!
Future workshops include:
- Pollination Ecology for Young Naturalists
- History of Botanical Illustration
- Discover the Arboretum Potting Shed
- A Vistor’s Guide to the Cactus Garden
- Farmer’s Market Guide to Plants
- A Visitor’s Guide to the Palm Garden
Online registration can be accessed by clicking the “InterpretPlants” link above, or on the Fullerton Arboretum site.
The Fullerton Arboretum is located at 1900 Associated Road, Fullerton, CA. Information about BAGSC member Tania Marien’s background can be found on her “About” page at ArtPlantae.
BAGSC News 