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by Janice Sharp, posted by Deb Shaw
The exhibition wall faces the stairway in the Brody Botanical Center. The BAGSC logo is a permanent sign, and information about BAGSC and ASBA is available as a handout. Photo by Janice Sharp, © 2017.
BAGSC’s latest exhibit at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, “Inspired by Latin America,” is now open in the Brody Botanical Center.
The art was hung on September 5, 2017, and the show will run through to January 15, 2018. Eleven paintings by eight BAGSC artists are featured in the exhibition, including Melanie Campbell-Carter, Sally Jacobs, Arillyn Moran-Lawrence, Kathly Powell, Olga Ryabtsova, Mitsuko Schultz, Janice Sharp, and Deborah Shaw.
Janice Sharp and Andrew Mitchell review the plans for the exhibition layout. Photo by Beth Stone, © 2017.
We thank The Huntington for providing the beautiful new signage identifying the artwork on the wall as belonging to the “Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California.” The plexi banner will be a permanent feature of the display. We have also added a container to dispense handouts. For this exhibit, the handout lists the artists and their paintings, with information about BAGSC and ASBA on the back. We also thank Andrew Mitchell for his patience with us in hanging the artwork.
The next Huntington exhibition, beginning in January, will be “Bonsai’s of the Huntington.”
By Janice Sharp and Beth Stone, posted by Deb Shaw
On September 6 – 8, 2017, Marjorie Leggitt taught at BAGSC-sponsored workshop entitled “Fresh Art: Pencil and Paint in the Garden” at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. Marj expertly led us on a scary path down the road of fast drawing and minimal supplies.
This class presented a unique opportunity to escape the classroom and venture out into the gardens. We were all grateful that it was cooler than previous weeks, so we enjoyed being outside.
It was great, challenging and yes, frustrating, to use quick techniques: modified blind contour drawing; big wet brushes and simple pallets. Each designed to shift our focus away from the tools and back to observation of our subject. We came away with good tips which we can apply to making thoughtful studies or even initial drawings for a full botanical rendering.
Click on any one of the circles to see the images in a slide show format:
Photo credit: © 2017, Beth Stone.
Photo credit: © 2017, Janice Sharp.
Photo credit: © 2017, Beth Stone.
Photo credit: © 2017, Janice Sharp.
Photo credit: © 2017, Beth Stone.
Photo credit: © 2017, Janice Sharp.
Photo credit: © 2017, Janice Sharp.
By Gilly Shaeffer, posted by Deb Shaw
Matt Ritter talking with Diane Nelson Daly about her watercolor of Bauhinia x blakeana, Hong Kong Orchid Tree.
The Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California (BAGSC) celebrated its 20th Anniversary on August 26, 2017 with a three-event program held at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. The late afternoon program started in the Arboretum Library with a tour of our current exhibition, Illustrating the Urban Forest: 20 Years of Botanical Art. Following a welcome from LA Arboretum Librarian Susan Eubank and BAGSC President Janice Sharp, our guest speaker, Matt Ritter, led the exhibit tour and called on several BAGSC artists to join him in discussing their paintings.
From the exhibition, BAGSC members and guests went to Ayres Hall at the Arboretum for Matt’s keynote presentation on the trees of Southern California. We were grateful to have Matt, a botanist, tree expert and very engaging speaker, share his knowledge of trees and take us on a tour of the urban forest. His presentation shed light on many issues that affect trees in our Southern California environment, as well as focusing on those that do well in our climate, neighborhoods, streets and parks.
BAGSC member Terri Munroe played beautiful harp music to accompany our dinner on the Peacock Café patio.
After Matt’s presentation, BAGSC members and guests meandered over to the Peacock Café patio. As members and guests arrived on the patio, we were welcomed by heavenly harp music by BAGSC member, Terri Munroe, and a magnificent view of the setting sun casting a golden light over our dinner celebration. Members and guests checked out a table display of our 20-year history in photographs, past BAGSC newsletters and other memorabilia from group events.
Before beginning a delicious dinner, we heard a few words from a letter sent by Olga Eysymontt about the beginnings of our group, and listened to fun reminiscences of early times in BAGSC by Leslie Walker (a former BAGSC president). Janice Sharp (current BAGSC president) spoke about what the group is doing now and our plans for the future, including exhibitions, workshops and collaborations with various public gardens in Southern California.
An elegant and delicious dinner on the patio of the Peacock Café.
Later during the dinner program, I had the pleasure of expressing the group’s deepest appreciation on behalf of BAGSC members to three members who have made outstanding contributions to our group over the years.
The first person to be mentioned was Tania Marien. She was responsible for starting our BAGSC newsletter, and was editor for a number of years. Her selfless spirit and dedication to botanical art found further expression when she became one of the main organizers for the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) 2008 Annual Conference which was held at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. In 2015, Tania played a major role again as a key organizer of the ASBA “Weird, Wild & Wonderful” Symposium which also was held at The Huntington. Her tireless efforts have increased awareness about plants and botanical art in Southern California and around the world.
We are also grateful for the contributions made by Deborah Shaw to furthering people’s awareness of botanical art and the role of our BAGSC organization. Deb has been instrumental in helping our group become acquainted with current digital technologies. Some of her accomplishments include creating the BAGSC Blog and the beautiful BAGSC website. She has been an extraordinary force in keeping our membership well informed about BAGSC events and ASBA events. She was also a key organizer of the ASBA Annual Conference of 2008 and the ASBA “Weird, Wild & Wonderful” Symposium of 2015. It is hard to imagine how Deb manages to keep our group well informed while also creating paintings that draw great admiration.
And last but not least, our Tania Norris deserves a big thank you for outstanding contributions she has made to BAGSC and botanical art. Tania helped to get the “ball rolling” which led to the 2008 ASBA Annual Conference being held at the The Huntington. She helped in many ways to make the first ASBA Conference held in LA a big success. Tania was also a key organizer for the 2015 ASBA “Weird, Wild & Wonderful” Symposium held at The Huntington. Her selfless efforts have helped to lay the foundation for a special collaboration between BAGSC and The Huntington Brody Botanical Center. Her love for botanical art and her generous support have helped in establishing Los Angeles as a great place for this art form to thrive.
A big and heartfelt thank you to the many others who also have contributed to BAGSC and botanical art over the last 20 years. The truth is, we could not have reached this 20-year milestone without everyone’s contributions and support, too numerous to name.
We could not have had this lovely event without the help of BAGSC member, Jan Clouse and her husband, Charles, who designed the printed post cards and invitations for this 20th celebration. Additional thanks go to Cristina Baltayian for designing and creating the floral centerpieces for the tables. Thank you to Terri Munroe, for volunteering to play music for the dinner, which added a special magic to our evening. And, of course, a heartfelt thank you to Susan Eubank and the LA Arboretum—one of our first botanical homes and an avid supporter of BAGSC, plants, and botanical art.
Most importantly, thank you to all our dedicated members and supporters for all you have done during this 20-year period to make us the strong and vibrant group we are today. We gratefully look forward to the next 20 years.
P.S. from BAGSC members: A big thank you to Gilly Shaeffer, who served as BAGSC President for many years, and volunteered to chair our 20th Anniversary Celebration committee.
Click any of the circles to see the slide show and the captions:
BAGSC Members and their guests gathered in the Arboretum Library for the artists’ walk-through, led by Matt Ritter.
BAGSC Members and their guests gathered in the Arboretum Library for the artists’ walk-through, led by Matt Ritter.
BAGSC Members and their guests gathered in the Arboretum Library for the artists’ walk-through, led by Matt Ritter. (L to R): Tania Marien, Tania Norris, and Leslie Walker.
Janice Sharp introduces Matt Ritter.
Listening to Matt Ritter’s introduction to the artists’ walk-through.
Matt Ritter introduces the exhibition and himself.
Deborah Shaw discusses her Castanospermum australe, watercolor on paper.
Matt Ritter and Cynthia Jackson discussing her watercolor on paper of Brachychiton rupestris, Queensland Bottle Tree.
Matt Ritter and Susan Jackson discuss Susan’s Platanus racemosa, California sycamore, and the annual raking of Sycamore leaves, watercolor on paper.
Matt Ritter discussing Janice Sharp’s Eucalyptus racemosa, Scribbly Gum, and why the scribbles disappear when the tree is grown away from Australia, watercolor/gouache on paper.
Matt Ritter giving his keynote presentation.
Kate Gaman looks over BAGSC’s 20-year history.
Tania Marien looks at the BAGSC history display.
Elegant and delicious dinner and drinks on the patio of the Peacock Café as the sun sets.
Elegant and delicious dinner and drinks on the patio of the Peacock Café as the sun sets.
Elegant and delicious dinner and drinks on the patio of the Peacock Café as the sun sets.
by Leslie Walker, posted by Deb Shaw
BAGSC member Estelle DeRidder continues to work on her murals at the Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center in Torrance, California. And as promised, we’re bringing you updates.
Estelle DeRidder adding details to the mural. Photo by Leslie Walker, © 2017.
Estelle is adding more plants and details to the murals, bringing the outdoors garden inside.
You can visit Estelle and the mural at the Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center in Torrance, California. The Madrona Marsh is located at 3201 Plaza del Amo, Torrance, CA 90503, 310-782-3989.
The Madrona Marsh is open free to the public, Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, excluding holidays. Because most of the Marsh is staffed by volunteers, and because weather can be a factor, the times the Marsh and Nature Center is open is subject to change. Please call (310) 782-3989 before visiting to make sure the Marsh is open.
If you missed the first post about Estelle’s mural, you can read it here on our BAGSC News blog.
by Lesley Randall, posted by Deb Shaw
In preparation for the upcoming BAGSC Exhibition, Ficus at San Diego Botanic Garden, here is a bit of information about this extraordinary group of plants.
We’ll start with the one most of us know best: the edible fig. Ficus carica, has been in cultivation since ancient times. Though humans typically eat only this species of Fig, others are considered to be keystone species in their habitats, providing food (leaves as well as figs) and shelter for a wide variety of mammals, birds and insects. Several species are plants of special significance in many cultures. For example, Ficus religiosa, the Bo Tree, is said to be the tree under which Buddha sat while gaining enlightenment.
Some figs are cauliflorous, a botanical term for plants which have flowers and fruits growing directly from their main stems or woody trunks rather than from new growth. The word comes from Latin. Caulis means trunk or stem and Flory means flower. Photo by Lesley Randall, © 2017.
The genus Ficus is a member of the Moraceae, or Mulberry Family. There are more than 800 species of Ficus. Most are tropical, but there are some species that survive in more temperate zones, such as the edible fig. The genus is highly diverse, with species growing as epiphytes, massive banyans, stranglers, shrubs, caudiciforms, vines and small trees. They are found from rainforests to dry rocky deserts.
So what makes a Ficus a Ficus?
Ficus auriculatus cut to reveal the interior and white latex. Photo by Lesley Randall, © 2017.
There are a couple of key characteristics that separate this group. First is the unusual flower/fruit arrangement—the fig itself. Known as a syconium in botanical lingo, the fig is an urn-shaped structure lined with tiny flowers on the inside. The flowers are pollinated by a specialized group of wasps that enter the syconium through an opening called an ostiole.
The second key characteristic are the paired stipules that enclose the developing leaf. Though these often drop off as the leaf begins to unfold, they leave a distinct scar at the base of the leaf. The stipules may be separate, or fused into one structure.
The third key characteristic is the sap: a striking white or yellow latex.
Other characteristics to note are: an alternate leaf arrangement, and typically, pinnate venation. All figs share these characteristics that, combined, distinguish them from other plant genera. How these characters are expressed are what makes the group so interesting. The syconium can be as large as a baseball or less than a centimeter wide. It may be scaled or smooth, sessile or stalked and borne in leaf axils or on the main branches and trunk (cauliflorous.) The leaves are typically entire, but several species have lobed leaves. Leaves may be thick and tough, light and delicate, very large or very small. The bark can be smooth, rough, or in the case of a couple Australian species, corky and fire retardant.
Ficus with stipules and scars. Photo by Lesley Randall, © 2017.
Where to find Ficus in Southern California?
The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, San Diego Zoo, and San Diego Botanic Garden all have nice collections. The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens have some as well. They also can be found in parks, lining city streets, in back yards, as house plants, in nurseries and as Bonsai specimens.
Want to learn more? Check out Fig Web which has information on specific species as well as general information on the group. BAGSC members who are interested in organizing and/or attending expeditions to find and paint specimens should let us know your interest and stay tuned!
Information about the Ficus exhibition at the San Diego Botanic Garden can be found on BAGSC’s website. Information about the “Call for Entries” can be found on the “Members Only” page of the BAGSC website.
Ficus religiosa, the Bo Tree, with reddish new growth. Photo by Lesley Randall, © 2017.
by Janice Sharp, posted by Deb Shaw
Artwork hanging above the card catalog in the Arboretum Library. Artists are: (L to R) Diane Nelson Daly, Deborah Shaw, and Estelle DeRidder. Photo by Janice Sharp, © 2017.
Illustrating the Urban Forest: 20 Years of Botanical Art, is now open at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden. The exhibition, featuring Southern Californian urban trees, is now hanging in the Arboretum’s library and includes 29 artworks by 17 BAGSC artists. The exhibition is being held in conjunction with BAGSC’s 20th anniversary celebration.
Photo by Janice Sharp, © 2017.
BAGSC artists in the exhibition include: Diane Nelson Daly, Estelle DeRidder, Cynthia Jackson, Susan Jackson, Clara Josephs, Suzanne Kuuskmae, Patricia A. Mark, Arillyn Moran-Lawrence, Terri Munroe, Marilyn Anne Parino, Veronica Raymond, Olga Ryabtsova, Mitsuko Schultz, Gilly Shaeffer, Janice Sharp, Deborah Shaw, and Jude Wiesenfeld.
Illustrating the Urban Forest: 20 Years of Botanical Art will run from July 6, 2017 to September 28, 2017.
A collage of artwork in the exhibition in The Arboretum Library. Photo collage by Janice Sharp, © 2017.
Join BAGSC members for our 20th Anniversary Celebration at The Arboretum
On Saturday, August 26, BAGSC will celebrate their 20th Anniversary. The program for the celebration will be:
4:00 – 4:45 p.m.
“Illustrating the Urban Forest: 20 Years of Botanical Art” Exhibition by BAGSC Members • Tour of the exhibition includes light refreshments and comments by the artists and Matt Ritter, our guest speaker.
5:00 – 5:45 p.m.
Presentation by Matt Ritter, botanist and author of A Californian’s Guide to the Trees Among Us
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Buffet Dinner • Highlights of BAGSC’s 20-year history
BAGSC members and their guests are invited to the programs and the dinner for $60 per person. Admission to The Arboretum is free; please see the Visitor’s Center attendant for free admission to the Arboretum Gardens for BAGSC guests.
Please email Gilly Shaeffer to RSVP with your name, phone number and the number in your party. Gilly will send an email reply to let you know where to send your check, payable to BAGSC, by August 15.
Los Angeles County Arboretum members and others who would like to attend only the exhibition tour and Matt Ritter presentation (but not the dinner) are welcome to join us for that part of the program. Arboretum members are $10; non-members are $15, payable at the door. There is no additional charge for Arboretum admission.
The 2017 Summer/Fall issue of The Arboretum’s magazine has a page featuring the upcoming exhibitions in The Arboretum’s library.
The Urban Forest exhibition can be seen with admission to The Arboretum during regular business hours in The Arboretum’s Library. There are no additional charges. The Arboretum is located at: 301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia CA 91007-2697.
by Leslie Walker, posted by Deb Shaw
The background and basic plant shapes are blocked in. Notes and reference photos are taped on the beginnings of the mural. Photo by Leslie Walker, © 2017.
BAGSC member Estelle DeRidder has been painting a mural at the Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center in Torrance, California. She has been working on the wall for the past couple of weeks, but has done a great deal of planning previously.
I have been following the progress of the mural. The first time I saw it, the background was in and Estelle was beginning to paint in the big plants, but I couldn’t take any pictures as I had forgotten my iPad.
This past weekend, there were many more plants blocked in, and places were earmarked where more plants would go.
I will be keeping everyone up-to-date about Estelle’s botanical mural as the work progresses. More plants will continue to be blocked in, after which details will be added, including insects, animals and birds.
You can visit Estelle and the mural at the Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center in Torrance, California. The Madrona Marsh is located at 3201 Plaza del Amo, Torrance, CA 90503, 310-782-3989.
Another section of the mural, with reference photos. Photo by Leslie Walker, © 2017.
The Madrona Marsh is open free to the public, Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, excluding holidays. Because most of the Marsh is staffed by volunteers, and because weather can be a factor, the times the Marsh and Nature Center is open is subject to change. Please call (310) 782-3989 before visiting to make sure the Marsh is open.
Another section of the mural. Photo by Leslie Walker, © 2017.
Andrew Mitchell (left) and Janice Sharp (right) mark the wall for hanging the paintings.
by Janice Sharp and Deb Shaw
The first art exhibition by the Botanical Artist Guild of Southern California in the Brody Botanical Center at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens has been hung… and it is beautiful!
This show, Inspired by California, features plants that are both indigenous to California as well as plants that have become synonymous with California.
Janice Sharp hanging one of the selected artworks.
Thirteen of the entrants were selected for hanging. We congratulate Diane Nelson Daly, Estelle DeRidder, Patricia Mark, Terri Munroe, Gilly Schaffer, Deborah Shaw, Mitsuko Schultz, Janice Sharp, Beth Stone, Ellie Tu and Jude Wiesenfeld on their outstanding submissions.
We thank The Huntington for the exhibit space, Jim Folsom for the inspiration that resulted in the exhibition, Robert Hori for the inception and logistics, Andrew Mitchell for the designing and hanging of the exhibit and Melanie Thorpe for all the details.
Andrew Mitchell with final exhibition display.
Inspired by California will run from June 1, 2017 to August 15, 2017. Current and future exhibitions in the Brody Botanical Center will coincide with events and seasons at The Huntington.
In September, Inspired by Latin America will take the place of the current exhibition. Inspired by Latin America will shown from September 1, 2017 to January 15, 2018. BAGSC member entries will be due no later than August 1, 2017. See the “Call for Entries” page in the “Members Only” section of the BAGSC website for further details.
Inspired by California can be seen with admission to The Huntington during regular business hours. There are no additional charges. The exhibition is in the main lobby area of the Brody Botanical Center. The Huntington is located at: 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108.
“Inspired by California” by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California, in the Brody Botanical Center at The Huntington. Signage about the paintings and information about BAGSC was added after this photo was taken.
posted by Deb Shaw
Descanso Gardens had perfect specimens of California native plants on the demonstration tables, with the botanical and common names on tags.
The most recent of BAGSC’s ongoing exhibitions at the Descanso Gardens opened on Friday May 19, 20017. The theme of the show is California Natives.
On the May 20 and 21 weekend, BAGSC held botanical art demonstrations in the Boddy House in conjunction with the exhibition opening and the Rose Festival at Descanso. Thank you Estelle DeRidder, Mitsuko Schultz and Janice Sharp for demonstrating botanical art and talking with the public.
Upon arrival at the Body House the demonstration artists were presented with fresh-cut California native flowers in vases on our cloth-covered tables. Each flower had a tag printed with its common name as well as its botanical name. Each was a perfect example of the species.
The continuous stream of visitors to the Boddy House were very enthusiastic about the art and the Native Plants on the table.
Docents at the Boddy House were very excited and complementary about our art and enjoyed seeing the change over of art. (They keep tabs on the exhibitions.)
The BAGSC sign at the beginning of the exhibition gives information about our organization and mission.
The Boddy House at Descanso Gardens is open daily (except Mondays) from 10 am to 4 pm (the gardens are open daily 9-5).
The California Native Plants show runs until May 2018. The next BAGSC Descanso Garden show theme will be Plants from a Japanese Garden and will run from March, 2018 to March, 2019. Entries are due no later than February 12, 2018. Visit the BAGSC Exhibitions page for more details.
Happy painting.
Hanging along wall in the Boddy House at Descanso Gardens.
by Deb Shaw
Paphiopedilum ‘Hideki Okuyama’, © 2017, Carol Woodin, watercolor on vellum, all rights reserved.
Carol Woodin will be teaching a workshop entitled “Painting Orchids in Watercolor on Vellum” at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, June 2, 3 and 4, 2017, from 9:30 am – 4:00pm each day. There are still some spaces available in this coveted workshop, with subject specimens specially selected from The Huntington’s prized Orchid collection.
In addition to teaching about painting on vellum, and all about orchids, Carol will demonstrate how to select, cut and stretch vellum over a board.
The cost to BAGSC Members for the three-day workshop is $250; the cost for Non-Members is $275. Payment should be received by BAGSC by Saturday, May 27. Participating artists can provide their own vellum for the workshop, or can purchase a piece from the instructor, who will provide a 10” x 13” piece of vellum for $50, payable at the workshop.
Details about the workshop, enrollment, directions and a materials list can be found on the BAGSC website.
See you there!
by Jennifer Muto; and Rose Marie James, ASBA On-Line Manager; posted by Deb Shaw
As you know, ASBA continues to be a wonderful resource for all information about what is happening in the world of botanical art. It brings us together in the way of conferences, a terrific quarterly magazine and as a means of showing our work to the world through exhibitions, our website gallery and our annual on-line auction.
The ASBA online auction offers us the most exposure because it provides a broad opportunity for friends and associates, and their friends and acquaintances, to see and purchase our work through social media. It benefits everyone – you the artist, the buyers and ASBA.
ASBA needs the help of our members to participate in this very important fundraiser. Submit an original piece or a gicleé print you have in your library of work. If it’s an original you get half the sale price back. This is about the same as any gallery but the balance goes to our wonderful organization.
Please help support the ASBA so that we can continue to provide those enriching resources we have all come to enjoy. The ASBA On-Line Auction is approaching its submission deadline in eight days, on Monday, March 13th. Here is the link to the ASBA website where you can register to participate in the online aution. Just send a digital copy of your art and the PDF application form and you are good to go. It will make us happy.
You may have seen the copy below in the recent ASBA highlights newsletter. We would love to get more submissions from ASBA members and was hoping you’d be willing to submit something and/or reach out to your ASBA friends to help us rally submissions. No submission is too small!
Tick tock, tick tock. Time is getting short. The ASBA Online Auction needs you! You need the Online Auction! It’s a Win-Win! It’s a chance to show your botanical artwork to a world-wide audience. Plus, if you make a sale of an original work, 50 percent comes back to you, and you help ASBA at the same time. It really is easy to send a digital image of your art (sized to 72 dpi, 8 inches high) with a brief description of the art work or item, plus its value. You may submit one or more original pieces, or giclée prints (five per artist maximum), art materials or equipment, and classes. Here – is the link for further details and submission – just click it – it is easy! We’ll take care of the rest. Deadline to submit: March 13th, 2016.
Thanks and looking forward to seeing you in October at Filoli for the ASBA Conference & Annual Meeting!
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 Estelle DeRidder and Deb Shaw
Invitation for Estelle DeRidder’s Madrona Marsh Nature Center Exhibition, © 2016, Estelle DeRidder.
In 2012, BAGSC member Estelle DeRidder was awarded an education grant from the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) to use in creating reusable plant identification cards featuring California native plant illustrations from the Madrona Marsh Preserve in Torrence, California.
Information about Estelle’s project was presented at the ASBA Annual Meeting and Conference in Denver, Colorado during the ASBA Grant Presentations, October 17, 2014.
Estelle is now exhibiting the complete project at the Madrona Marsh Nature Center. Titled The Flashcard Project: Flora of the Madrona Marsh III, the exhibition runs from December 6, 2016 through January 20, 2017. There will be an opening reception Sunday, December 18, 2016
1:00 – 4:00 pm.
The public is invited and welcome.
The Nature Center at the Madrona Marsh Preserve is located at: 3201 Plaza del Amo, Torrance, CA 90505. Phone: (310) 32-MARSH. The Madrona March is open Tuesday – Sunday, 10 am – 5 pm.
If you are interested in applying for an ASBA grant, please apply by August 1, 2017 (open to ASBA members only). Information and the application can be found on the ASBA’s Grant page on their website.
by Sally Jacobs, posted by Deb Shaw
Sally Jacobs’ 2017 Gift Calendar, © 2016 Sally Jacobs, All rights reserved.
BAGSC member Sally Jacobs has issued a 2017 calendar featuring her original watercolors and graphite, keyed to the month and season.
A perfect 12-month, compact calendar for desk or counter, each month is printed on a separate 4″ x 5″ sheet, which fits into a compact, clear acrylic 4.5″ x 7.5″ plastic shell. The shell provides a stand for the calendar, or folds flat. As a holiday special, buy three (3) or more and receive an extra calendar free! [Note: the free additional calendar won’t show on the Etsy site, but don’t worry, it will be in your shipment.]
Calendars are shipped in 1 – 3 days in well-protected, eco-friendly, stay-flat mailers.
Order your calendars. Questions? Contact Sally Jacobs.
by Melanie Campbell-Carter, posted by Deb Shaw
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:
- Using ellipses to find the proper placement of a plant on the paper.
- Using abundant masking fluid to keep the areas between washes pristine.
- Using many layers of pale colors to build to unique darker colors.
- 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.
“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.
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 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.
BAGSC News 