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by Deb Shaw, from the Illustrators Partnership
For more than a decade, there have been periodic attempts to “bring balance” to copyright policy and law. These efforts have been promoted by large corporations and tech companies, and are a euphemism for the goal of completely upending the premise of copyright law.
As the law now stands, each of us, as artists, own the copyright to our work, even if we do not register it with the copyright office. We created it; it is ours.
Rather than protecting us, the creator and artist, the copyright “reformers” want to make public access to creators’ work the law’s main function. They would require creators to register each and every work in which we wish to retain any commercial or personal interest.
Dr. Carla Hayden, the new Librarian of Congress, suddenly fired Maria Pallante, U.S. Register of Copyrights, at the end of last October, and is now soliciting advice on the “knowledge, skills and abilities” people think the new Register should have. It has been widely reported by credible sources that Dr. Hayden favors looser copyright laws.
Artists, musicians, writers and creators have fought to maintain strong copyright laws each time this has surfaced in the past, and have been successful so far. Now it’s time to make our voices heard again.
Dr. Hayden and the Library of Congress has posted a short survey (only 3 questions). The deadline for responses to the survey is tomorrow, January 31, 2017. It is important, as artists, to respond to this survey with a strong call to retain the full protections of copyright as provided for in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. If you do not have time to write, the Illustrators’ Partnership has provided suggestions for you to copy and paste.
Here are the links:
- Library of Congress Survey: https://www.research.net/r/RegisterOfCopyrightsNR
- Suggested answers from the Illustrators’ Partnership Orphan Works Blog to use as a template for your own answers or copy and paste: http://ipaorphanworks.blogspot.com/2017/01/suggested-survey-responses-to-librarian.html
- Information and links from the Illustrators’ Partnership, along with a template for a cover letter or answer to Question 4: http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1102063090742&ca=165b62cf-8257-43bb-8faf-4c9754abe631
by Arillyn Moran-Lawrence, posted by Deb Shaw
Website for “Ko; An Ethnobotanical Guide to Hawaiian Sugarcane Varieties,” by Noa Kekuewa Lincoln, PhD., © 2016, University of Hawai’i, Manoa, all rights reserved.
Arillyn Moran-Lawrence, will have a pen and ink drawing of Hawaiian Sugar Cane in the forthcoming book Ko; An Ethnobotanical Guide to Hawaiian Sugarcane Varieties. The book will be published by University of Hawaii Press, a nonprofit scholarly publisher.
The author is Noa Kekuewa Lincoln, PhD, Assistant Professor at the University of Hawai’i, Manoa.
About the author of “Ko; An Ethnobotanical Guide to Hawaiian Sugarcane Varieties”
Dr. Noa Kekuewa Lincoln is of native Hawaiian, German, and Japanese decent, born in Kealakekua on Hawai‘i Island. He received his BS in Environmental Engineering from Yale University, and his PhD in Environment and Resources from Stanford University, where his work focused on traditional agricultural development pathways and management strategies. His postdoctoral work examined traditional values and practices of ecosystems for food in Aotearoa. Noa has worked in marine and terrestrial ecosystem restoration and conservation around the Pacific, and has coupled these efforts with cultural and environmental education and community engagement. He has worked on traditional Hawaiian ethnobotany and agriculture and has implemented projects facilitated through a variety of partnerships with community organizations. He is recognized as an emerging expert in Hawaiian crops and cropping systems. His primary interests are in combining traditional and modern knowledge of land management to evaluate social utility, rather than economic, contributions. He is currently a research fellow with Ngai Tahu Research Centre at the University of Canterbury and an Assistant Professor at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa with a focus on Indigenous Crops and Cropping Systems.
by Joan Keesey and Deb Shaw
Eschscholzia californica, California Poppies, watercolor, © Joan Keesey, 2016, all rights reserved.
Joan Keesey will be exhibiting her botanical watercolors at the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants from Saturday, January 21, through Saturday, April 22, 2017.
The exhibition will focus on California native plants blooming in and around the Theodore Payne Foundation and in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Everyone is invited to the opening reception for the exhibition, on Saturday, January 21, 2017, from 1 – 3 pm.
The Theodore Payne Foundation is located at 10459 Tuxford Street, Sun Valley, California 91352, 818.768.1802. Hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. Theodore Payne is closed Sunday and Monday each week. On-leash dogs are welcome. There is no admission fee.
Theodore Payne will be hosting their annual native Winter Plant Sale Thursday – Saturday, January 26 – 28, from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm all three days. Everyone will receive discounts for all three days, plus receive expert advice from Theodore Payne staff and volunteers. Members receive 15 percent off plants, seed and Theodore Payne wear all day. Non-members receive 10 percent off plants, seed and Theodore Payne wear after 11:00 am. Not yet a member? Join at the door! Shop early for best selection.
Bring your own boxes and wagons, see the art exhibition and purchase native California plants.
by Deb Shaw
Plant: Exploring the Botanical World is a beautifully illustrated coffee table book featuring 300 watercolors, drawings, paintings, prints, photographs and micrograph scans of botanical subjects. The book was on display during the portfolio-sharing session at the 2016 American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) conference in Pittsburgh, and had lines of admirers thumbing through the sample copies.
Many of our ASBA colleagues are featured in Plant: the artwork was selected by a panel of international experts including Dr. James Compton, botanist and plant collector; Charlotte Tancin of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation; and Patricia Jonas, of ASBA.
Hailed as “a dazzling collection…that brings the evolution of botanical art right into the 21st century” (Gardens Illustrated), Plant is a wonderful resource for artists, horticulturists, and anyone who appreciates the breathtaking variety of the natural world.
Phaidon, is eager to share Plant with botanical artists and the natural science illustrators. They are extending a limited time special offer: 30% off the purchase price plus free shipping in the United States for arrival in six to seven days. Plant normally retails for $59.95; the special price is $39.95 USD (Amazon is offering the book at a 16% discount, for $50.62).
Use this link to purchase the book and receive the special offer on Phaidon’s website: http://www.phaidon.com/plantoffer/
SPECIFICATIONS:
Format: Hardback
Size: 290 x 250 mm (11-3/8 x 9-7/8 in)
Pages: 352 pp
Illustrations: 300 Illustrations
ISBN: 9780714871486
Please contact Ellie Levine, Phaidon Executive Marketing Manager, North America if you know of an institution or organization who would like to receive a complimentary copy of Plant for their library, or if you are interested in purchasing multiple copies of the book.
Thank you to Britt Griswold, Guild of Natural Science Illustrators for letting us know about this wonderful offer!
About Phaidon (from their website):
Phaidon is the premier global publisher of the creative arts with over 1,500 titles in print. We work with the world’s most influential artists, chefs, writers and thinkers to produce innovative books on art, photography, design, architecture, fashion, food and travel, and illustrated books for children. Phaidon is headquartered in London and New York City.
by Ted Tegart, Education Manager, LA Arboretum, and Deb Shaw
Jerry Turney is back for his final Tree ID class of the Fall at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden with a new set of 20 trees.
Tree Identification
Dr. Jerrold Turney, Instructor
Saturday: December 3, 2016
10 am – 12 noon
$25 Members / $35 Non-Members (includes Arboretum admission)
To Register please call the Education Department at 626.821.4623 or pay at the class
Do you know the trees of Southern California? We have one of the most diverse urban forests in the USA. This final two hour lecture will cover 15-20 tree species followed by a walk in the Arboretum to see the trees that were covered during the lecture.
Dr. Jerrold Turney, plant pathologist and certified arborist, will teach you to identify trees, their growth habit, their native country, how they should be cared for, any common diseases or insect pests that attack them, and the best place in your garden to plant them.
The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden is located at: 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007.
About the instructor
Dr. Turney has served as the curator of the camellia gardens at the Huntington Library and Botanic Gardens, a research horticulturist at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, and is currently the plant pathologist for the Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures for the County of Los Angeles.
by Ted Tegart, posted by Deb Shaw
Trees at the LA Arboretum. © 2016, LA Arboretum.
Dr. Jerrold Turney is back at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden for his second Tree Identification class of the Fall. Dr. Turney has a completely new set of 20 trees to cover this
Saturday, November 5, 2016
10 am – 12 noon
$25 Members / $35 Non-Members (includes Arboretum admission)
To Register please call the Education Department at 626.821.4623 or pay at the class.
Southern California has one of the most diverse urban forests in the United States. This class will cover about 20 different trees on each of three Saturdays for a total of 60 trees. Each two hour lecture will cover 15-20 tree species followed by a walk in the Arboretum to see the trees that were covered during the lecture. Register for one or both remaining classes.
Jerry Turney, plant pathologist and certified arborist, will teach tree identification, their growth habit, their native country, how they should be cared for, any common diseases or insect pests that attack them, and the best place in the garden to plant them.
The last class will be held Saturday, December 3, 2016.
Questions? Contact LA Arboretum Education Manager Ted Tegart via email or by calling 626.821.4624. The LA Arboretum is located at: 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007, 626.821.3222.
Dr. Turney has served as the curator of the camellia gardens at the Huntington Library and Botanic Gardens, a research horticulturist at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, and is currently the plant pathologist for the Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures for the County of Los Angeles.
by Veronica Raymond and Deb Shaw
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens has created an internal online resource for staff and volunteers for What’s In Bloom! [Click on the title to be connected to the link.]
Although this in-house resource is not generally available to the public, Jim Folsom, the Marge & Sherm Telleen/Earle & Marion Jorgensen Director of the Botanical Gardens, has shared the link to this fabulous site for use by botanical artists.
Thank you to Jim and his team for producing this valuable resource!
by Janice Sharp
Eucalyptus forrestiana, photo courtesy of Australian Native Plants, © 2016.
Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, the Australian Native Plants Fall Plant Yard Sale has been cancelled. Australian Native Plants is still open by appointment, however, and they have a wonderful selection of Australian and South African native plants, from ground covers to trees and everything in between. They also have a great selection of pots, furniture and gifts.
Australian Native Plants is located at 9040 North Ventura Avenue, Casitas Springs, CA 93001. (The nursery entrance is off of Nye Road.) Make an appointment via email, or by calling 805.649.3362.
by Janice Sharp
Poster for California Native Plant Society Plant Sale.
The San Gabriel Mountain chapter of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) is having its annual plant sale in time for fall planting:
Saturday, November 5, 9 am – 2pm
Eaton Canyon Nature Center
If you are interested in drawing and painting California native plants and growing them in your garden, the San Gabriel Mountain chapter of CNPS has a variety of plants and wildflower seeds that grow in the Los Angeles basin. The 1,900 plants available for sale include plants that attract birds and butterflies.
Download an 8-1/2 x 11 poster advertising the plant sale (shown at left): cnps-plant-sale.
Download a preview of the plant list: cnpssgm_preview_160710.
The plant sale is located at the Eaton Canyon Nature Center, at 1750 North Altadena Drive, Pasadena 91107-1046.
by Janice Sharp
Save The Date postcard for the Fall Plant Sale at Australian Native Plants.
Jo O’Connel’s Australian Native Plants is having a sale of a collection of fabulous, exotic plants, as well as pots and furniture:
Saturday, October 8, 9 am – 5 pm, and
Sunday, October 9, 9 am – 4 pm
Eucalyptus forrestiana, photo courtesy of Australian Native Plants, © 2016.
Be sure to look at their website to view photographs of the extraordinary plants that are available. Australian Native Plants is located at 9040 North Ventura Avenue, Casitas Springs, CA 93001. Phone is toll Free: (800) 701 6517, or local: (805) 649 3362. Although the address is on North Ventura, you have to go in through the back from Nye Road.
Questions? Jo can be reached by her email form on their website.
by Deb Shaw
A New Blue
Blue pigment discovered at Professor Subramanian’s lab at Oregon Stste University. Photo from Oregon State University.
Professor Mas Subramanian is a professor of materials science at Oregon State University, researching new materials that could be used in electronics. In 2009, one of his grad students, Andrew E. Smith took a mixture out of the furnace that had been heated to more than 2,000 Fahrenheit and found it had turned a brilliant, clear blue color. They had accidentally, serendipitously discovered a new blue pigment; the first new blue in more than 200 years. The last “new inorganic blue” to be manufactured was Cobalt Blue in the early 1800’s. Cobalt, however, was not lightfast and was toxic to boot.
Considered a “complex inorganic pigment,” the new blue is currently called YInMn blue, named for its chemical makeup of yttrium, indium and manganese oxides.
Subramanian, Smith and Oregon State University chemistry professor Arthur Sleight patented the YInMn material; Shepherd Color, an industrial pigment distributor is testing out the pigment’s application. Once the Environmental Protection Agency approves the color for commercial manufacturing, Shepherd is licensed to sell the pigment. So far, YInMn has proven to reflect heat more than Cobalt Blue and has proven to be remarkably stable; holding up against oil, water and sunlight better than other available blues. In addition to being light safe, none of the ingredients are toxic.
Once large manufacturers are using a pigment, the material trickles down to our art supplies. Keep your eyes open in the next few years for a brand new blue, which will most likely receive a sexier name for marketing purposes. And the team of “new blue” researchers are already working to create new colors by altering the mixture. They have created a purple by adding titanium and zinc and are expecting additional bright, vivid colors to follow.
National Public Radio (NPR) has an article online with interesting links about the new blue from July 16, 2016. Oregon State University has an in depth article about it as well.
Late Summer “Reads”: Links to Books and Online Articles and Podcasts about Color
Now that we’re hitting the dog days of summer, here are some interesting books, links and podcasts about color:
NPR has a series of free podcasts about color, called Color Decoded: Stories that Span the Spectrum. Read the articles, or listen or download them all from the link, or individually from any of the links below. Many of the following (in reverse order) are only a few minutes long, so queue them all up. Some of them have been featured on our BAGSC News blog previously. They’re fun listening while painting or drawing:
- For One Artist, Colorblindness Opened Up A World Of Black And White
- The Color Of Politics: How Did Red And Blue States Come To Be?
- How Kodak’s Shirley Cards Set Photography’s Skin-Tone Standard
- Sacred, Sad And Salacious: With Many Meanings, What Is True Blue?
- How Animals Hacked The Rainbow And Got Stumped On Blue
- These X’s Are The Same Shade, So What Does That Say About Color?
- Is It Time To Reappropriate Pink?
- Whether Green With Envy Or Tickled Pink, We Live In A Color-Coded World
- #ColorFacts: A Weird Little Lesson, In Rainbow Order
- Girls Are Taught To ‘Think Pink,’ But That Wasn’t Always So
- The Golden Gate Bridge’s Accidental Color
- Celebrating Green: As Color, As Concept, As Cause
- The Color Red: A History in Textiles
Each of the individual articles have links to other resources and stories about color: TED Talks, podcasts and news articles. It’s easy to journey deep into online color discoveries.
For those who prefer spending the end of summer curled up with a good book, here are a very few great reads about colors:
- A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire, Amy Butler Greenfield, ISBN-10: 0060522763
- A Red Like No Other: How Cochineal Colored the World, Carmella Padilla and Barbara Anderson, ISBN-10: 0847846431
- Mauve: How One Man Invented a Color That Changed the World, Simon Garfield, ISBN-10: 0393323137
- Color: A Natural History of the Palette, Victoria Finlay, ISBN-10: 0812971426
- The Brilliant History of Color in Art, Victoria Finlay, ISBN-10: 1606064290
- Rarest Blue: The Remarkable Story of an Ancient Color Lost to History and Rediscovered, Baruch Sterman, ISBN-10: 0762782226
Have a favorite book about the history of a color? Let us know in the “Comments” section.
Enjoy!
by Deb Shaw
Not too long after Jim Folsom, published his free ebook, “A Botanical Reader for the Curious Gardener,” in February 2016, it mysteriously disappeared from iBooks, much to the disappointment of those who hadn’t yet had a chance to download it. The problem turned out to be some technical glitches.
Cover, “A Botanical Reader for the Curious Gardener”, James P. Folsom, © 2016, all rights reserved.
Jim used the opportunity to issue version 1.2 of “A Botanical Reader” as they got the ebook back online. The new version includes edits, expansion of the Botanical Calendar, and an enlarged Plant Trivia TimeLine.
BAGSC News covered the initial launch of “A Botanical Reader” [read the full article at: https://bagscblog.com/2016/03/04/a-botanical-reader-by-jim-folsom-now-available-in-ibooks/]
The ebook is downloadable for free through iTunes/iBooks, at https://itun.es/us/XDT5ab.l It’s listed in the category of Life Sciences, and is a
About the Author
James P. (Jim) Folsom, PhD., rides the demographic peak of baby boomers, having been born in southeastern Alabama in 1950. His lifelong love of plants is reflected in a BS in Botany from Auburn University, an MA in Biology from Vanderbilt University, and a PhD in research botany from The University of Texas at Austin. Though his research has centered on the orchid family, with much of the research time spent in Tropical America (including a year in Colombia on a Fulbright Pre-Doctoral Fellowship), Jim’s botanical interests are wide-ranging. As Curator of the Botanical Gardens at The Huntington in San Marino, CA, he dedicates much of his effort to educational programs that increase public interest and understanding of the science, culture, and history of plants and gardens. He lives at The Huntington with his wife, Debra (also a botanist) and children Molly and Jimmy. Jim was recognized as a Friend of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America in 1996, a Member-at-Large of the Garden Club of America in 1998, and presented a Professional Citation by the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta in 1999. The Garden Club of America awarded him their Medal of Honor in 2007.
by Deb Shaw, with permission from David Reynolds
Melbourne-based botanical artist and filmmaker David Reynolds has created a one-hour documentary about six of Australia’s botanical and natural history artists. Titled Studio Sessions: Seen through the eyes of the artist, the documentary features interviews with Celia Rosser, Jenny Phillips, Dianne Emery, Terry Napier, Mali Moir, and John Pastoriza-Piñol.
Written and directed by Reynolds, the documentary offers insight into the artists’ approach. Each interview is filmed in the artist’s studio, giving the viewer an intimate look at the setting in which the artists create their detailed, accurate works.
Studio Sessions: Seen through the eyes of the artist. Written and directed by David Reynolds. © 2016, all rights reserved.
The DVD is available for pre-order through Reynolds’ website: http://www.davidreynoldsart.com.au/ Cost is $30 AUD (there is a convenient currency converter on the site) with an additional $10 AUD for postage and handling outside Australia. The DVD will be available world-wide in both PAL and NTSC format and will be Region Free. (Here in the US, NTSC is the most common format.)
Shipping is planned to begin in early September, 2016. Once the DVD is released, pre-order customers will be contacted to arrange payment and delivery. After release, the DVD will be able to be ordered through an online store on the website.
by Deb Shaw
Buzzfeed’s finished DIY pencil holder, open. © 2016 Buzzfeed Nifty.
I don’t know about you, but I have a collection of palettes and pencil holders and pen holders and brush holders to rival the inventory in any art store. Some I’ve made, most I’ve purchased, and some have been gifts. They all look perfect at first glance, but then there is always something that looks better about the newest version, and, well…
Thank you to Amanda Krauss Nguyen for sharing Nifty’s Do-It-Yourself instructions on Buzzfeed for this easy and fabulous holder with the facebook group The Nature Journal Club. Full instructions are on the Nifty page: http://bzfd.it/2b8n2UB
by Janice Sharp, posted by Deb Shaw
Download a PDF of plant introductions by the Los Angeles Arboretum, beginning in 1957 by clicking the link in the article.
Starting in 1957 and continuing through to the present, The Arboretum has been responsible for the introduction of plants from around the world to Southern California. Many of these plants are now indispensable elements in our Southern California Gardens.
Download a list of 116 plants that have been introduced by The Arboretum by clicking this link: Arboretum Plant Introductions. Of course, this list of plant introductions doesn’t even come close to identifying all the plants in the Garden, but BAGSC members may find it useful for creating artwork for the upcoming exhibition at The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens newly renovated library, “Capturing the Arboretum: The Art of Botanical Illustration”
This list was originally posted in our blog article some years ago about the Arboretum note card project. It contains the currant names of the introduced plants, the year of introduction, and the accession number. The form also includes whether the plant is from a cutting (“C”), a seed (“S”), a graft (“G”) or a scion (“Scion”). Plants in bold type and underlined happen to be favorites of Richard Schulhof, CEO of the Arboretum.
In addition to the plant listing is a list of botanical names, common names and where the plants are found around the world.
When you first click on the link in the story to the Google map of the locations of Arboretum introductions, this is what you’ll see; a list of all the plants with their locations as dots on the map. Click on “Satellite” view in the upper right corner of the map to see the information displayed over a photographic map.
If you want to find any of these plants while at the Arboretum, we have a link to a Google map of the locations of Arboretum introductions throughout the Arboretum grounds (thank you Frank!) which also was previously published on the BAGSC Blog in conjunction with the note card project.
This data is about nine years old, so some plants from the list may be missing from the maps, and vice versa, but it’s a start to the treasure hunt. When you open the site, click on “satellite” view and zoom in to see the paths and roads in the Arboretum to use as landmarks, and to find your way around.
“Satellite” view of the Google map of the locations of Arboretum introductions. Keep zooming in to see the paths, roads and landmarks in the Arboretum grounds.
Questions? Contact Janice Sharp.
Happy painting!
Click on the red pin marker next to a plant name you’re interested in, and the plant information will pop up on the map where the plant is located. Or, click on any red marker pin on the map, and the plant information will pop up there, too.
BAGSC News 