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by Gilly Shaeffer, posted by Deb Shaw
The Califfornia Native Plant Society (CNPS) 2018 Conservation Conference will take place February 1 – 3, 2018 at the LAX Marriott in Los Angeles. This event, which takes place once every three years, is an important opportunity to bring together the best minds in the field to share research, gather inspiration, and collaborate on new ways to protect California’s precious natural resources.
This year, CNPS expects more than 1,000 attendees, including consulting biologists, agency staff, researchers, students, conservationists, and environmental professionals. The Conference will feature inspiring keynote speakers, two days of pre-conference workshops and field trips, more than 300 presenters across 24 sessions, a special student session, networking events, and art, poetry, music and photography exhibits!
To attend the conference and see the exhibits, register online by January 14.
BAGSC members in the CNPS exhibition include:
Ellie Yun-Hui Tu
Kim Garrison Means
Nina Antze
Donald Davidson
Estelle DeRidder
Susan Jackson
Joan Keesey
Lee McCaffree
Olga Ryabtsova
Mitsuko Schultz
Gilly Shaeffer
Janice Sharp
Deborah Shaw
Jude Wiesenfeld
Additional artists include:
Aaron Arthur
Marie Brennan
Valerie Cohen
Erica Cordero
Tamren Dong
Justina Freel
Maria Cecilia Freeman
Lesley Goren
Nicole Hempel
Erin E. Hunter
Asisa Madian
Mark Nunez
Melissa Orozco
Patricia M. Palavecino
Rita Sabbagh
Diego Tamayo
Cara Wilco
Additionally, BAGSC Members Olga Ryabtsova and Gilly Shaeffer will be teaching two botanical art workshops, open to conference attendees and the public. Read more about the workshops in a previous story on the blog.
Congratulations to all the participating artists!
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 Deb Shaw
The Third New York Botanical Garden Triennial, Out of the Woods: Celebrating Trees in Public Gardens is on display at the The New York Botanical Garden, in Bronx, New York from November 18, 2017 – April 22, 2018. Information about the exhibition, including images of all the artworks is on the ASBA website.
Forty-four artworks were selected from more than two hundred submissions, depicting one of the planet’s most important and beautiful resources: trees. Each of these subjects have been found in botanical gardens and arboreta throughout the United States and around the world.
Artists have been working on this project for the past three years, not only capturing images of trees, but also drawing attention to the institutions that shelter them: botanical gardens and arboreta. A central goal of the exhibition is to highlight the role of botanical gardens and arboreta in the research/scholarship they provide, as well as their education and outreach to the public.
The artists respond aesthetically to these inspiring subjects, and have depicted everything from seedpods to branches and bark to an entire forest floor. Each artist has written a statement about their artwork; artists’ statements can be read on the ASBA website.
Jurors for the exhibition were:
- Joanna Groarke, Director of Public Engagement and Library Exhibitions Curator, The New York Botanical Garden
- Todd Forrest, Arthur Ross VP for Horticulture and Living Collections, The New York Botanical Garden
- Robin A. Jess, Past Executive Director, ASBA
- Barbara Macklowe, Photographer, former Principal, Macklowe Gallery
Congratulations go to all artists participating, including BAGSC artists Akiko Enokido, Deborah Friedman, Asuka Hishiki, Olga Ryabtsova, and Mitsuko Schultz. (Clicking on the names of the artists goes to their artist’s statement page on the ASBA website; click on any of the images below to see them enlarged in a slide show format, with artist and painting information.)
© 2017 Akiko Enokido Swamp-Cypress Taxodium distichum Watercolor and graphite on paper 22-3/4″ x 16′
© 2016 Deborah Friedman California Sycamore Platanus racemosa Watercolor and ink on paper 24″ x 19″
© 2015-2017 Asuka Hishiki Black Pine Half-cascade Style Bonsai Pinus nigra Oil on paper 28-1/4″ x 36-1/2″
© 2017 Olga Ryabtsova Roxburgh Fig Ficus auriculata Watercolor on paper 18″ x 26″
© 2017 Mitsuko Schultz Sweet Gum Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Burgundy’ Watercolor on paper 11″ x 14″
Congratulations to the award-winners:
Gold Medal:
Asuka Hishiki, Black Pine Half-Cascade Style Bonsai, Pinus nigra
Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, Saitama, Japan
Oil on Paper
Silver Medal:
Lucy Martin
Bigleaf Maple with Inky-Cap Mushrooms, Acer macrophyllum, Coprinellus sp., University of California Botanical Garden, Berkeley, CA, Gouache on Paper
Bronze Medal:
Ingrid Finnan
Snake Branch Spruce, Picea abies ‘Virgata’, The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, Oil on Paper
Honorable mentions:
Beverly Allen
New Guinea Dinner Plate Fig, Ficus dammaropsis, The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, Sydney, Australia, Watercolor on paper
Alexandra Negoita Vulcu
Bigleaf Magnolia, Magnolia macrophylla, Hortus Conclusus, Stone Ridge, NY, Watercolor and acrylic ink on paper
Barbara Oozeerally
Stone Oak, Lithocarpus pachyphyllus, Caerhays Estate, Gorran, St. Austell, England, Watercolor on paper
Beverly Fink
Tree Aloe, Aloe thraskii, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Sarasota, FL, Watercolor on paper
As with previous New York Triennial exhibitions, Out of the Woods will be traveling after the closing date at The New York Botanical Gardens, including coming to The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in May, 2018. Watch for future postings of lectures and other activities at The Huntington that will occur around the exhibition. BAGSC Members also will host a concurrent exhibition of local artists around the same theme at the Brody Botanical Education Center at The Huntington.
The current traveling schedule includes: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, CA, May 19 – August 27, 2018; Foundry Art Centre (in time for the next ASBA conference), St. Charles, MO, October 5 – December 28, 2018; Tucson Botanical Gardens, Tucson, AZ, January 25 – April 13, 2019; Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska, MN, May 9 – August 13, 2019.
Front cover of exhibition catalog, featuring Leiden’s 300-year Old Liriodendron tulipifera, by © Esmée Winkel, watercolor on paper.
Exhibition catalogs may be purchased on the ASBA website for $12.00 ($10.80 for NYBG members). The full-color, 60-page catalog features all of the artwork in the exhibition as well as essays illuminating the pivotal importance of living collections in the conservation of the planet’s trees, and the continued significance of botanical art in the 21st century.
by Deb Shaw
The 20th Annual International Exhibition by American Society of Botanical Artists and The Horticultural Society of New York was on display from November 09 – December 21, 2017 at The New York Design Center. Congratulations to all ASBA artists who participated, including BAGSC members Asuka Hishiki, Joan Keessey, Lesley Randall, Olga Ryabtsova, and Mitsuko Schultz.
Forty-six works from more than 200 submissions were chosen, including artists from the United States, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom. Jurors were: Susan Fraser, Director, Mertz Library, The New York Botanical Garden; David Horak, Curator of the Aquatic House, Brooklyn Botanic Garden; and, Esther Klahne, Botanical Artist.
The New York Design Center hosted the 20th Anniversary exhibition and reception.
If you weren’t able to see the exhibition or the opening in person, you can still view the artwork online on the ASBA website, as well as read statements about their work from each of the artists.
Congratulations to the award winners (artist’s names listed below are linked directly to their statement page):
Mariko Ikeda (Screw Pine), The Hort’s Best in Show Award, $500
Annie Patterson (Cardoon Seedhead), ASBA Eleanor Wunderlich Award of $500
Monika deVries Gohlke (‘Blackcurrant Swirl’ Datura), Helen Gray Garber Award of $500
Martha Kemp (Ornamental Gourd 2), Brooklyn Botanic Garden Award for Print or Drawing of $250
Linda Medved Lufkin (Sunflower x 2), Richmond and Lili Bates Award for Excellence of $300
In recognition of an Artist by a Fellow Artist
Honorable Mentions (4):
Olga Ryabtsova (Bird of Paradise)
Liz Shippam (Merryweather Damsons)
Mitsuko Schultz (Pink Peony)
Tammy McEntee (Shenot Crown of Thorns Gourd)
Click any of the images below to see an enlarged image and a slide show of BAGSC members in the exhibition. Congrats to all!
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- © 2015 Asuka Hishiki Children’s Choir Solanum lycopersicum Watercolor on paper 8″ x 13 1/2″
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- © 2014 Joan Keesey Dancing Ladies Odontoglossum cv. x Oncidium cv. Watercolor on paper 15″ x 11″
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- © 2017 Lesley Randall ‘Ihi Portulaca molokiniensis pen and ink on board 12″ x 9-3/4″
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- © 2017 Olga Ryabtsova Bird of Paradise Strelitzia reginae Watercolor on paper 22″ x 29″
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- © 2017 Mitsuko Schultz Pink Peony Paeonia lactiflora Watercolor on paper 16″ x 12″
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 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 Sally Jacobs, posted by Deb Shaw
This picture shows my “rehearsal” set-up at home. Photo by Sally Jacobs, © 2017.
The Hollywood Farmers Market asked me to set up a booth this coming Sunday, December 3, 2017. I’ll have prints, calendars, cards, and scarves for sale — all make great gifts for the holidays.
Come on by!
Sunday, Dec. 3, 8 am – 1 pm
Across from the information booth
Ivar Avenue and Selma Avenue, between Hollywood Blvd and Sunset Blvd., just west of Vine
$3 easy parking at the ArcLight Cinema on Sunset with a Market validation.
It’s such a fun market: great produce, music, spirit. I shop there every Sunday.
by Janice Sharp and contributing authors Teri Kuwahara, Kathlyn Powell, Beth Stone, and Leslie Walker, posted by Deb Shaw
Estelle DeRidder receiving her award. Photo by Kathlyn Powell, © 2017.
The City of Torrance Cultural Arts Commission awarded Estelle DeRidder an Excellence in Arts Award on October 21, 2017, in Visual Arts & Design for her extraordinary work in botanical art for the Madrona Marsh and for bringing-the-outdoors-in with her murals on the walls of the city’s Madrona Marsh Interpretive Center.
Each year the City honors individuals Excellence in Arts Awards in four categories: Dance, Music, Visual Arts & Design, Drama & Theater Arts. Two memorial awards are given as well, named in honor of two distinguished citizens: the Dr. Tom Rische Arts Education Award and the (former Mayor) Katy Geissert Award.
Educational napkin at the award ceremony, with artwork by Estelle DeRidder. Photo by Leslie Walker, © 2017.
BAGSC members Teri Kuwahara, Kathlyn (Kat) Powell, Janice Sharp, Beth Stone, and Leslie Walker, and Estelle’s family were on hand to see Estelle accept the award. The City put together a beautiful video about Estelle and the mural project at the Madrona Marsh Nature Preserve. The video was beautifully done and very impressive. BAGSC is planning to show it at our BAGSC Holiday Party on December 9 if possible, so members who weren’t able to attend the ceremony can see it.
After the awards presentation, Kat, Janice and Beth went over to Madrona Marsh to see the progress on Estelle’s mural. (Click on the images below to see them enlarged.)
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- After the awards ceremony, BAGSC members went over to look at the mural. Photos by Beth Stone, © 2017.
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- Mural by Estelle DeRidder. Photo by Beth Stone, © 2017.
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- Mural by Estelle DeRidder. Photo by Beth Stone, © 2017.
Leslie Walker (L) and Estelle DeRidder (R). Photo by Teri Kuwahara, © 2017.
Estelle was awarded a grant from ASBA in 2012 for her Madrona Marsh project. At the 2017 ASBA Conference in San Francisco this past October, ASBA Grants Committee Chairperson Myra Sourkes opened the Grants Presentation with a presentation of Estelle’s work and her accomplishments, with a hearty congratulations from all ASBA members in attendance.
And more Madrona Marsh coverage to come!
Unfortunately, Estelle won’t be able to join us at the BAGSC Holiday Party: a local television station will be interviewing her about the mural on Saturday, December 9. We will find out when the interview will be aired and on which station as soon as possible, and let everyone know.
(Click on the images below to see them enlarged.)
Congratulations, and well-deserved Estelle!
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- City of Torrance Arts Commission with Estelle DeRidder (second from right). Photo by Leslie Walker,
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- Estelle’s family came to the award ceremony. Photo by Leslie Walker, © 2017.
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- Estelle’s family came to the award ceremony. Photo by Leslie Walker, © 2017.
by Gilly Shaeffer, posted by Deb Shaw
Cork Oak Tree, watercolor on paper, Gilly Shaeffer, © 2017, all rights reserved.
I am participating in the Arroyo Arts Collective 25th Annual Discovery Tour on Sunday, November 19, 2017. This is a self-guided tour of artists homes and studios in Northeast Los Angeles. It is a one day event that goes from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. I will have my botanical paintings and prints on display and my long time friend, Bob Layport, landscape oil painter, will be showing his paintings at my home. We would love to have you stop by to see our display. Hope you will come.
To find out more about this free art tour, please go to ArroyoArtsCollective.org or if you would just like to come to see the display at my home, just email me.
About the Arroyo Arts Collective Annual Discovery Tour
The Arroyo Arts Collective is a grassroots, community-based organization of artists, poets, musicians, performers, craftspersons and supporters of the creative community in Northeast Los Angeles. After twenty five years, the ground breaking Arroyo Arts Collective Annual Discovery Tour is going out with a bang. Our last Tour will be Sunday, November 19, 2017 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and admission is free.
The Arroyo Arts Collective (AAC) invites the entire Northeast Los Angeles (NELA) community to visit the homes and studios of the artists who make up the 2017 Discovery Tour!
More information can be found on the Arroyo Arts Collective website.
by Gilly Shaeffer, posted by Deb Shaw
As part of BAGSC’s 20th Anniversary Celebration, we wished to start a scholarship fund to reach out to promising artists and foster their development as botanical artists. Congratulations to Irina Stolyarova, Natasha Zueva and botanical painting students from Russia! We warmly welcome Irina and Natasha as new members to our Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California (BAGSC) group.
Irina and Natasha were chosen by a committee headed by their teacher, Alexander Viazmensky (Sasha) to receive scholarships offered by BAGSC. Each scholarship includes a two-year membership to the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) and BAGSC starting in 2018, plus a $100 gift.
Irina Stolyarova lives in St. Petersburg. She graduated from St. Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts as a librarian and bibliographer. She works as an economist/accountant. Irina has attended classes in botanical painting with Sasha since 2016.
She is also in her second year as an evening student in academic drawing classes at the Ilya Repin St. Petersburg State Academic Institute of Fine Arts, Sculpture and Architecture, and has participated in several botanical painting exhibitions since 2016. (Note: please click any of the thumbnail images below to see a larger slide show.)
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- Cactus, Irina Stolyarova, © 2017, all rights reserved.
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- Hydrangea, Irina Stolyarova, © 2017, all rights reserved.
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- Pomegranate, Irina Stolyarova, © 2017, all rights reserved.
Natasha Zueva has a degree in Sociology and Art History. She has been a student of Sasha’s for about three years. She has exhibited her paintings in two shows that were held for Sasha’s students. (Note: please click any of the thumbnail images below to see a larger slide show.)
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- Rose Hips, Natasha Zueva, © 2017, all rights reserved.
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- Peonies, Natasha Zueva, © 2017, all rights reserved.
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- Cotton, Natasha Zueva, © 2017, all rights reserved.
A warm welcome to BAGSC and ASBA!
by Janice Sharp, posted by Deb Shaw
BAGSC’s Ficus Exhibition at The San Diego Botanic Garden’s Ecke Hall opened on Thursday, November 2, 2017.
In addition to written posters describing the morphology of the Ficus species, leaf rubbings, ink prints, sketches and color studies complement the educational component of the exhibition. © 2017, Janice Sharp. Photo by Olga Ryabtsova, © 2017.
Nineteen Ficus artworks, by 11 artists, are featured in the exhibition. A wonderful diversity of techniques have been used by the artists. In addition to the “traditional” watercolor, colored pencil and graphite there are leaf ink prints, graphite leaf rubbings, linoleum cut hand colored prints and tape-mounted fig wasps. Three written posters describing the Ficus species, their fertilization and biology provide an educational component to the exhibition.
Thank you Cristina Baltayian, Cynthia Jackson, Susan Jackson, Arillyn Moran-Lawrence, Lesley Randall, Robyn Reilman, Olga Ryabtsova, Janice Sharp, Deborah Shaw, Beth Stone, and Anna Suprunenko for your participation and for making the show a success.
© 2017, Janice Sharp. Photo by Olga Ryabtsova, © 2017.
The show closes November 30 so make your plans to visit The San Diego Botanic Garden. The San Diego Botanic Garden is located at 230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas, CA 92024.
Janice Sharp placing labels throughout the exhibit. Photo by Olga Ryabtsova, © 2017.
Photo by Olga Ryabtsova, © 2017.
Janice Sharp (left) and Lesley Randall (right) hang Olga Ryabtsova’s painting of a Jackfruit. Photo by Olga Ryabtsova, © 2017.
Photo by Olga Ryabtsova, © 2017.
© 2017, Janice Sharp. Photo by Olga Ryabtsova, © 2017.
Photo by Olga Ryabtsova, © 2017.
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 Teri Kuwahara, posted by Deb Shaw
The City of Torrance Cultural Arts Commission has announced their 2017 Excellence in Arts Awards.
The City honors individuals each year in four categories: Dance, Music, Visual Arts & Design, Drama & Theater Arts and two memorial awards named in honor of two distinguished citizens: the Dr. Tom Rische Arts Education Award and the (former Mayor) Katy Geissert Award.
Estelle DeRidder adding details to the mural. Photo by Leslie Walker, © 2017.
This year, BAGSC member Estelle DeRidder will be honored with the Visual Arts & Design Award, no doubt for her tireless work at the city’s Madrona Marsh Interpretive Center.
Award Ceremony Details:
Saturday, October 21, 2017
2:00 p.m.
Torrance Cultural Arts Center
Toyota Meeting Hall
3330 Civic Center Drive
Torrance, CA
Light refreshments
Please RSVP to secure seating 310-618-2376
Congratulations Estelle!
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.
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