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by Deborah Shaw
Sally Jacobs will be exhibiting at the TAG Gallery with her collection of works entitled “From the Ground Up”:
November 3 – 27, 2010
Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 11 am-5 pm
Everyone is invited to the:
Artist’s Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5 – 8 pm
Artists’ Panel (Interviews with the three participating artists): November 13, 3 pm
TAG Gallery
Bergamot Station D3
2525 Michigan Avenue
Santa Monica, California 90404
310.829.9556
"Garden Flowers", by Sally Jacobs. Postcard invitation from a 27" x 22" watercolor. © 2010, all rights reserved.
Sally will have a dozen new paintings in the show. Two other TAG members will be exhibiting at TAG at the same time.
The TAG Gallery moved to Bergamot in January, into a large space and wonderful site for exhibiting. There are many galleries in the immediate area, so it’s fun to visit several while you’re there.
Sneak preview of one of Sally's new watercolors: "Strawberries", © 2010, all rights reserved.
Sneak preview of one of Sally's new watercolors: "Old Artichoke", © 2010, Sally Jacobs, all rights reserved.
Sneak preview of one of Sally's new watercolors: "Tomatoes", © 2010, Sally Jacobs, all rights reserved.
by Tania Norris
Rosa Canina, Rosehip, watercolor by Margaret Best, © 2010
Margaret Best will be back at Virginia Robinson Gardens to teach a 3‐day workshop “A Single Flower Portrait”, October 5, 6, and 7.
The purpose of the workshop is to bring together all the skills taught at the workshops at Virginia Robinson Gardens throughout the 2010 series in a single flower study.
To prepare for the 3-day class and maximize on the class time with Margaret, it is recommended that students select a single flower subject that is not complicated and that will be able to be completed in the allotted time. Try to limit the outer dimension of the complete work to a maximum of 7.5 inches by 9.5 inches, so any preparatory drawing on tracing paper or in a sketch book should be sized accordingly. If the selected flower does not meet this dimension in life‐size, there is a strong possibility that the required exercises will not be completed during the class.
Select a single flower on a stem with at least one full leaf (attached if possible). You may have more than one leaf and a bud if you wish, but the goal of the class is to complete all three elements to the final detail stage flower, leaf and stem. Per the homework provided following the composition class, you should complete six different compositional sketches (thumbnail sketches) of your selected flower and related parts. If you did not attend the composition class, take time to position and sketch your subject thoughtfully in six different ways with maximum eye appeal.
The following schedule will form the basis of the 3‐day workshop:
Day 1: Review prepared compositions with Margaret and complete final drawing on quality paper. Light tables are provided.
Day 2: Commence color washes to build form and chroma.
Day 3: Complete chroma and form on all three required elements and add the final details.
If you were not able to attend the details class, Margaret will be happy to demonstrate certain techniques again that pertain to the subjects selected for this final workshop.
For a full schedule of Botanical Art classes, and to register for this class, please visit the Virginia Robinson Gardens website, or call them at (310) 550-2068. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Tania Norris.
by Tania Norris
The Virginia Robinson Gardens Botanical Art program started nine years ago and has been carefully nurtured by renowned teachers from England and Canada.
We are now privileged to have one of Southern Californiaʼs botanical artists and authorities on morphology and botany, agree to present a one-day class at Virginia Robinson Gardens:
Tania Marien, “Plant Morphology and Economic Botany”
One-day class, Wednesday, October 27th, 2010
10 am – 3 pm
Course fee: $60.00 for Friends of Robinson Gardens
$75.00 for non-Friends
$25.00 is non-refundable if for any reason the student has to cancel
Checks should be made payable to: Friends of Robinson Gardens,
1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills, Ca 90210
Payment may be made by credit card by calling (310) 550-2068
The Plant Morphology Reg Form must be filled out and returned to the Friends of Robinson Gardens address.
Tania Marien is a long time member of the American Society of Botanical Artists as well as the local chapter the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California. She has taught botany at the Getty Museum and for other institutions and schools. She is a very knowledgeable young woman that will bring life and excitement in to knowing how to make your paintings botanically correct. She will provide a booklet to keep for reference and during class we will use dissecting kits and magnifying lens as well as microscopes.
This we can promise you – school was never like this class and should be fun and enjoyed by all.
A materials list will be sent to all registered students prior to the class as well as parking instructions. The class will be held in the Pool Pavilion from 10am to 3pm. For a full schedule of Botanical Art classes, please visit the Virginia Robinson Gardens website. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Tania Norris.
by Janice Sharp
Deborah Ravin demonstrating technique during her class.
Deborah Ravin taught a BAGSC-sponsored class, August 19 – 21, 2010 at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.
Beatrix Potter display.
Beatrix Potter is well known for her “Peter Rabbit” children’s books featuring her pen and ink/watercolors illustrations, however, Beatrix was also an accomplished botanical artist. Her detailed renderings of fungi and lichens were scientific trendsetters in the era before microscopic photography was an option.
Beatrix Potter’s interests lay with botanical art, particularly in the study of mycology. Her investigation and discovery led her to develop theories expressed in her paper “On the Germination of the Spores of Agaricineae.” (Poculum). Her paper was submitted to the Linnean Society on March 18, 1897. However, her theories, like those of any other woman, were not taken seriously. The paper was withdrawn with the understanding that it needed “more work”. One hundred years later, the Linnean Society wrote an official apology for the sins of historic sexism.
Today, 450 of Beatrix Potter’s scientific, archaeological, and botanical art comprise the Armitt Collection in Cumbria. Tania Norris treated us to a close-up of a Beatrix Potter original that is in her personal art collection.
Deborah led us through a series of a variety of methods for applying ink and watercolor to illustrate our botanical drawings.
Afternoon tea during class.
The class featured a treat of afternoon tea with Almond-Cardamom Scones (baked by Jill Carlson to whom we are all very grateful-the recipe is on the BAGSC Blog under the “Recipes” section or can be viewed by clicking the link).
Deborah also shared a recipe for “Black Walnut Ink” which is also on the BAGSC Blog (or can be viewed by clicking the link).
Our artwork, accomplished during class.
Julie Schneider Ljubenkov will not be sending out her newsletter this season, but wanted to let everyone know about upcoming classes. Some are for just for fun and learning, some are for college credit, and there is one class offered for children. They are listed below:
For teachers that need credits beyond their masters:
University of La Verne Professional Development Courses, Independent, home study courses. Students have up to one year to complete their course(s). Julie offers some excellent courses for teachers or for life-long-learners, including: Drawing to Enhance Learning; Integrating the Arts for Teaching and Learning; The Impressionists; The Music and Life of Mozart; Beethoven: His Life and Music; The Impressionists; Monet: Painter of Light and Color; The Art and Life of Georgia O’Keefe. Many other courses in all subjects are offered. 1-800-793-6533 or http://pdc.laverne.edu Request a catalog or enroll. 3 units courses are $285.00
Shinto Arch, recovering landscapes with Jan, made in the "Introduction to Mosaic Sculpture" class.
Introduction to Mosaic Sculpture UCSD Extension, 858-534-3400, www.extension.ucsd.edu/ahl or email ahl@ucsd.edu (request a catalog, enroll, or see the class description) Art 40385, 3 units, $275.00 (early enrollment: $250.00). Class is from October 5 to December 10th, 2010. Tuesday evenings, 6:00 to 9:00 PM Room 128 at the Extension Complex.
Mosaics for All Levels Mira Costa College Community Services, non-credit adult courses. Oceanside campus, room 7001 (Horticulture Building). 5:30 to 8:30 PM, 7 Monday evenings, October 4 to November 15th. $109.00 plus a $35.00 materials fee. To see the course description or to enroll go to: 760 795-6820. Email at: commservices@miracosta.edu, or see the website. You can enroll by phone or internet with a credit card 24 hours a day.
Gardening and Landscaping with California Native Plants City of Escondido, Community Services Department and Department of Recreation, 3 Thursday evenings, October 14th to November 4, 6:00 to 8:30 PM. $65.00 There will also be Saturday morning field trip to a native plant garden and nursery on the Saturday immediately following the end of the course. The course is described in the 2010 Community Services Department Brochure or on-line at: http://www.Escondido.org/recreation. Email: recreation@escondido.org. Call the offices at: 760 839-4691
Cartooning for Children (ages 8 to 13) City of Escondido, Community Services Department and Department of Recreation, 4 Thursday meetings, October 14th to November 4, 3:30 to 5:00 PM. $49.00. The course is described in the 2010 Community Services Department Brochure or on-line at: Escondido.org/recreation. Email: recreation@escondido.org. Call the offices at: 760 839-4691.
Hope to see you soon and I look forward to doing another newsletter for the upcoming Spring 2011 courses and other noteworthy events and news.
by Deborah Shaw
Chinese Brush Painting, Bamboo, by Gloria Whea-Fun Teng, © 2009, all rights reserved.
BAGSC Member Gloria Whea-Fun Teng will be teaching a new class at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Gardens:
Introduction to Chinese Brush Painting.
4 Thursdays: October 28-November 18, 2010
1-3pm / Oak Room
Gloria Whea-Fun Teng, Instructor
$120 members / $130 non-members
Pre-registration required. For reservations or information, please call (626) 821-4623 or email Jill Berry at the Arboretum. If there is a conflict with a date, please let Jill know.
In this introductory course the student will learn the difference between Chinese brush painting and other watercolor painting. The class will teach the beginning painter to use Chinese brushes and ink to create beautiful paintings on rice paper. At the end of this course, a completed painting will be ready to be framed and displayed. Gloria, the instructor, is a very talented artist who has taught a variety of courses over the years. She has also studied botanical illustration at Otis College of Art & Design.
1. Week one: Introduction to Chinese brush painting: includes how to mix color, brush painting style and techniques, how to use the brush on rice paper, practicing on newsprint first, and how to paint a bamboo branch. 1st assignment: bamboo branch
2. Week two: Bamboo branch with leaf: using black ink, learn to paint a bamboo leaf, single leaf, double leaf and how to paint a set of leaves. The student will learn how to control the water with brush. 2nd assignment: bamboo branch and leaf
3. Week three: Flower: Rose: how to paint flower stems and buds; start to use color, practicing on a single petal flower, including different angles and shapes; learn the techniques of painting multiple layers of petals and different leaves. 3rd assignment: Flower: Rose
4. Week four: Final Critique: bamboo painting in black ink, and rose in color. Student will complete one painting in the class, and it will be ready to frame when the course is finished.
If you haven’t had the opportunity to watch Gloria’s grace and skill executing a Chinese brush painting, now is your chance to learn this beautiful technique.
By Joan Keesey
Joan Keesey with Buckeye Painting at Filoli
On July 15th I attended the Artist’s Reception for the FILOLI 12th Annual Botanical Art Exhibition. There were 46 paintings from the United States and Canada; six were by members of BAGSC: Margaret Best, Akiko Enokido, and Joan Keesey. The paintings were beautiful; the Filoli gardens in summer were lovely, and it was a pleasure to talk to other botanical artists with pictures in the exhibit.
I also attended a four-day class on Nepenthes, taught by Hillary Parker. I have admired her work since I first saw it at the ASBA Conference in Pasadena. You can see her work on her website. Her emphasis is on composition and a more conceptual and interpretive rendering of a plant species. While we did use plant specimens, she didn’t want us to “ copy the specimen” but rather to portray the characteristics of the species.
There were six students in the class, three of whom are currently in the Filoli Botanical Art Certification program. We did gesture and contour drawings of six species of Nepenthes, then we each chose a species to paint. We wrote verbal descriptions of the plants and did multiple
Akido Enokido Painting at Filoli
“thumbnail sketches” until we achieved a composition that we thought characterized both the species as well as something of the artist’s reaction to the species. I thought that there were several outstanding compositions as a result of this process. Everyone was very enthusiastic about the class. The certification candidates have requested that she return next summer because they thought the process was so different and produced a more interesting and artistic rendering of a botanical subject. I hope that she is able to teach a class in Los Angeles sometime in the future.
Margaret Best Paintings at Filoli
by Sue Kuuskmae
Morgan Kari with First Place Pastel Painting
In April, 2010, the Pastel Society had a show, with quite a few works submitted by BAGSC members. Morgan Kari won both first and third prize in the popular choice voting. The opening reception was attended by 400 people. Congratulations Morgan!
The Virginia Robinson Gardens in Beverly Hills, CA is one of the best-kept secret gardens in the Los Angeles area. Margaret Best will be teaching botanical art at the Virginia Robinson Gardens; her next class will be:
JUNE 8, 9 and 10
Topic: Watercolor brush techniques for Botanical Art
Basic plant elements such as petals and simple fruits will be selected for understanding the application of washes, glazes, color blending, color layering for increasing intensity. How to build form and shadow while avoiding making muddy colors and overworking the paper surface will be covered, as well as wet brush, dry brush and lifting techniques. The class will also focus on brushes and papers best suited to the various techniques required in creating Botanical Art.
For further information about this class or the schedule of classes, email the Virginia Robinson Gardens or download this file: VRG_BotArt_2010R.
You and your guests are invited to
The Opening Reception for the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California Art Show at the LA Arboretum Library
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
From 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
In the Library at the
Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
301 No. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia CA 91007
Light refreshments will be served.
The Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California Art Show at the Arboretum Library will be on display from April 1 to June 30, 2010.
Parking is in the regular LA Arboretum parking lot for free. Please enter through the green gate next to the green circular exit.
If you have any questions, please contact Janice Sharp.
The following is reprinted here from the LA Arboretum’s email newsletter. The posting can also be seen on the Arboretum’s website, along with Akiko Enokido’s beautiful painting, Silk Floss Tree (Chorisia speciosa).
Open Now – June 30
“Seeing the Details: An Exhibition of Southern California Botanical Art”
April 7 from 5-7pm: Opening Reception
The Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California will be exhibiting their work in The Arboretum Library, April 1 to June 30, 2010. Botanical accuracy and artistic merit will ensure a detailed and breath-taking view of Southern California plants, both native and ornamental. The show will be juried by Olga Eysymontt, Guild Member and Botanical Illustration Instructor at The Arboretum, James E. Henrich, Arboretum Curator of Living Collections, and Susan C. Eubank, Arboretum Librarian. Many works will be available for purchase, with a percentage of sales supporting The Arboretum Library. An opening will be held with the artists, Wednesday, April 7. Watch The Arboretum website for the reception announcement. The Guild is dedicated to encouraging the development of botanical art and the promotion of public awareness of this very old and established artistic tradition. Guild members are committed to improving their artistry and technical abilities through supporting and sponsoring workshops with local experts and visiting lecturers in areas such as drawing and painting botanical subjects, botany, calligraphy, and resources.
Free with admission.
by Arillyn Moran-Lawrence
I participated in the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club Members’ show at the Broome Street Gallery, NY, the month of March. My painting was titled “Endangered!” Gardenia brighamii. The painting won a Second Place Award in watercolor.
The CLWAC has been in existence for 114 years. Catharine Lorillard Wolfe was the first woman to be on the board of directors of the Metropolitan Museum. She began the club and it remains aligned with the Metropolitan to this day.
by Sue Kuuskmae
The Pastel Society Show at Manhattan Beach Creative Art Center will be up from April 3 – 17 with the reception on April 9 from 6 – 9:00 p.m. The show set up was on April 1 and the paintings are spectacular. Morgan Kari, Rita Hopper and Suzanne Kuuskmae all have paintings in the show. Come on to Manhattan Beach to see this fabulous show.
by Suzanne Kuuskmae
Suzanne Kuuskmae is the artist of the month at the Artist Studio Store located at the top of Crenshaw Rd. at the Palos Verdes Art Center. Go check it out! Also, there is a small group of budding botanical artists taking a class from Jennifer Seigal as part of the course offerings up at the Center. I (SK) was honored to be asked to speak to the group this past week about the five-step method of doing botanical drawing/painting. You may see some of these students at future BAGSC meetings.
In addition, I wanted all to know that the newly formed Pastel Society of Southern CA will be holding their first pastel showing from April 3 -17 with reception April 9 from 6 -9:00 p.m. at the Creative Arts Center in Manhattan Beach. Hope some of you can make it to the reception and show.
Clonard Thomas from the Aerie Art Garden has confirmed our worries: the desert is due for severe thunderstorms tomorrow, and so we need to postpone our trip until next week.
New date: March 6, 2010
Same times: arrive before noon or gates will close
Same place: Aerie Art Garden (please see the prior blog posting)
Coachella Valley Watercolor Show Announcement
An added bonus is that next weekend, March 6 & 7 is the big Coachella Valley Watercolor Society show in Palm Desert. Kathy Dunham will be exhibiting in the show. The hours are 10 am – 5 pm at the Palm Desert Community Center, and admission is free. BAGSC members can have a two-for-one day in the desert at the Gardens, and also stop off to view the watercolors at the Coachella Valley show.
We’ll be sending out an email blast in addition to the blog posting about the change in dates for this weekend. Please help by double checking with folks that you know might have been planning to go this Saturday. Please also RSVP if you can with Leslie if you are planning to go next weekend.
Thanks, and sorry about Mother Nature. The flowers, however, should be stunning by next weekend with this added dose of water.
by Leslie Walker
Pool of water at Aerie Art Garden.
On Saturday, February 27, 2010, BAGSC members (and their guests) have been invited to spend the day at a private garden in Palm Desert. The “Aerie Art Garden” is 2.5 acres of cultivated native desert flora on a 20-acre piece of land. On this property can be seen many desert dwellers with legs and wings. We will have free run of the 2.5 acres for the day to wander, sketch, paint or what-have-you. There are shaded areas where we can have our usual potluck lunch, paint, and hang out. The garden also includes art galleries, sculptures and palms.
One of the many flowers blooming at Aerie Art Garden.
Bring your cameras, sketching and painting gear along with binoculars, stools or chairs and umbrellas to sit in the garden and draw if that is what interests you. Bring food for a pot-luck lunch and prepare to enjoy the day. The gate will close by noon, so it’s best to arrive early (between 10:00 am and noon). Carpooling is encouraged, of course!
Go to the website to learn more about the place. The map on the site will lead your way to join us. See you there!
BAGSC News 