BAGSC in the Desert Blown-Out-of-the-Water Due to Storms

February 26, 2010 in Member News, News Updates | by | Leave a comment

Clonard Thomas from the Aerie Art Garden has confirmed our worries: the desert is due for severe thunderstorms tomorrow, and so we need to postpone our trip until next week.

New date: March 6, 2010
Same times: arrive before noon or gates will close
Same place: Aerie Art Garden (please see the prior blog posting)

Coachella Valley Watercolor Show Invite

Coachella Valley Watercolor Show Announcement

An added bonus is that next weekend, March 6 & 7  is the big Coachella Valley Watercolor Society show in Palm Desert. Kathy Dunham will be exhibiting in the show. The hours are 10 am – 5 pm at the Palm Desert Community Center, and admission is free. BAGSC members can have a two-for-one day in the desert at the Gardens, and also stop off to view the watercolors at the Coachella Valley show.

We’ll be sending out an email blast in addition to the blog posting about the change in dates for this weekend. Please help by double checking with folks that you know might have been planning to go this Saturday. Please also RSVP if you can with Leslie if you are planning to go next weekend.

Thanks, and sorry about Mother Nature. The flowers, however, should be stunning by next weekend with this added dose of water.

Call for Entries, Newport Beach WaterMiser Event

February 21, 2010 in Exhibit Opportunities | by | Leave a comment

by Deborah Shaw

WaterMiser Event LogoBAGSC Members have the opportunity to show their work and demonstrate botanical art during the second annual, two-hour City of Newport Beach WaterMiser Workshop on March 11, 2010 at the Newport Beach Central Library, Newport Beach, CA.

The Keynote Speaker will be Ron Vanderhoff, Master Gardener of Rogers’s Gardens in Newport Beach. This free event will focus on conserving precious landscape water and demonstrating how to grow a beautiful, thriving garden with limited water resources. Participants will be able to: learn about Newport Beach conservation efforts; ask questions of Ron Vanderhoff, Master Gardener, Rogers’s Gardens and Wendy Proud, Master Gardener, Mountain States Wholesale Nursery; and find out how to transform  gardens with California Friendly® and native plants. Light refreshments will be served by Baja Fresh.

Framed originals or prints will be displayed in the presentation area during the workshop. We will also have a table in the courtyard in the vendor fair area to display additional originals and prints, and demonstrate botanical art. We are able to sell prints, cards, bookmarks, etc. at our table. Paintings and illustrations of California Friendly®, native plants, or any other drought-tolerant (i.e., Australian or South African natives) are preferred, but other plants are acceptable as well. There is no entry fee.

We will be joined by Tania Marien, who is bringing ArtPlantae. The vendor fair (so far) includes:

  • ArtPlantae
  • Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California
  • Baja Fresh (catering)
  • Bushman Water Tanks
  • Hunter Industries
  • Kellogg Garden Products
  • Lab-Clean (waterless car wash)
  • Mountain States Wholesale Nursery
  • Rogers Gardens
  • True North Landscape

To participate, please let Deb Shaw know and arrange to have your materials to her by March 8, 2010. Space may be limited. Artwork and any unsold cards, etc. will be returned at the next BAGSC meeting, on March 20th. If you would like to  demonstrate, let her know that too! Set-up is on March 11 and will begin no later than 5:30 pm.

Prizes will be raffled off at the end of the workshop. If you have any materials you are willing to donate to the raffle, please let us know.

Although this is not a formal exhibit, and artwork viewing may not be optimal, this is a wonderful opportunity to provide educational outreach.

The workshop is free to all participants. If you have friends or family who would like to attend, please RSVP at 949.644.3214, or via email.

When: March 11, 2010

Where: Newport Beach Central Library
1000 Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach, California 92660

Time: 6 pm – 8 pm

Print Announcement Postcards with Your Artwork

February 21, 2010 in Exhibit Opportunities, Feature Articles, Uncategorized | by | Leave a comment

by Deborah Shaw

Postcard front for Gloria Whea-Fun Teng's Long Beach show

For those of you who weren't able to attend the last BAGSC meeting, here's a sample from the same printer of the postcard front for Gloria Whea-Fun Teng's Long Beach show. © 2009, Gloria Whea-Fun Teng

BAGSC members have the opportunity to have their artwork printed on promotional artwork postcards at trade prices in conjunction with our show at the LA Arboretum Library. (Please see the call for entries further down on our BAGSC Blog.) The postcards are on heavy white stock, full color on the front, with a full, glossy, varnish on the color side. The back will be printed one color with the information about the LA Arboretum Library show. You may also order your postcards with a blank back, and only your artwork on the front.

Here’s how it works

1. Send your high-resolution (at least 300 dpi) color-corrected scans of your artwork to Deb on or before 2 March, 2010.

2. Include your name as you want it to appear on the postcard front, along with: the name of the painting (please check spelling carefully, what you send is what is printed); the media (if you want to list that); and, the date of the painting for the copyright line. For example, the information that might appear on the front of the card would be:
Deborah Shaw
Arisaema ringens
Watercolor, © 2009, Deborah Shaw

3. Deb will email you a PDF proof of the front and back of your card on or before 8 March. All approvals are due by noon on 9 March, and the postcards will go to the printer.

4. Postcards will be handed out at the BAGSC meeting at Deb’s house on Saturday, 20 March.

Printing specifications and pricing

Final printed size: 4″ x 6″. Your image can be printed in a horizontal or vertical format. The information about the LA Arboretum Library show will be printed in a horizontal format.

Color(s) and varnish: Full color on the front; the color can bleed off four sides of the card if desired. Printing of black-and-white artwork (graphite or pen-and-ink) will still be done on a full color press, and may have the appearance of a slight color tint. The artwork side of the postcard will have a full coating of a high gloss (UV) varnish.

Paper: 14 pt, white card stock, to meet Post Office regulations for mailing.

Optional copy on the back: All of the backs will be printed with the same information about our LA Arboretum Library show and the reception invitation. You can also elect to have no printing on the back (i.e., the back will be blank), but the cost will be the same.

Costs: The cost below includes printing and shipping to Deb’s house. Deb will set up the artwork for the printer at no charge. Orange County sales tax of 8.75% will be added to the amounts below. Checks should be made out to BAGSC, and received by Deb Shaw by 9 March.
100 quantity: $30.00
250 quantity: $35.00
500 quantity: $40.00
1,000 quantity: $45.00
2,500 quantity: $92.00
5,000 quantity: $128.00

Important Dates to Remember:

2 March, 2010: Scans and copy must be in Deb’s hands
8 March, 2010: Deb will email PDF proofs on (or before) this date
9 March, 2010: Approvals must be received by noon (or before) this date, or the postcards will go to print as is and the artist will be obligated to pay the cost
9 March, 2010: Payment must be received
20 March, 2010: Beautiful cards will be handed out at the BAGSC meeting

We’ve had a lot of interest in these postcards. If successful, we’ll repeat this offer several times each year in conjunction with events or exhibits. If you have any questions, please let Deb know.

Dick Rauh Class in March

February 9, 2010 in Learning Opportunities | by | 2 comments

by Leslie Walker

Dick Rauh, PhD Plant Sciences, and current President of the American Society of Botanical Artists will be teaching a Plant Morphology Class.

Dates and Times: March 16 & 17, 2010,  9:30 – 4:00

Place: Held at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in the Brody Teaching Lab at the Botanical Center.

Hone your observational skills and learn from a master.

Spend two days observing and learning to identify 12 plant families. Dissect flowers and learn the important characteristics needed to identify plant families. These skills are required to produce good botanical drawings & paintings. A 10x hand lens and a small dissecting kit will be needed for this class. If you do not have these items, Leslie will purchase them from ArtPlante for about $15 for the set. Let Leslie know if you would like to order the hand lens and dissecting kit, and she will order them and make them available before the start of the first class.

Cost of class for BAGSC members is $120. (Non-members $145.) Send check payable to BAGSC to Leslie Walker to hold your space in the class.

Spend a BAGSC Day in the Desert

January 31, 2010 in BAGSC Meetings, Member News | by | 1 comment

by Leslie Walker

Pool of water at the garden

Pool of water at Aerie Art Garden.

On Saturday, February 27, 2010, BAGSC members (and their guests) have been invited to spend the day at a private garden in Palm Desert. The “Aerie Art Garden” is 2.5 acres of cultivated native desert flora on a 20-acre piece of land. On this property can be seen many desert dwellers with legs and wings. We will have free run of the 2.5 acres for the day to wander, sketch, paint or what-have-you. There are shaded areas where we can have our usual potluck lunch, paint, and hang out. The garden also includes art galleries, sculptures and palms.

Blooming cactus

One of the many flowers blooming at Aerie Art Garden.

Bring your cameras, sketching and painting gear along with binoculars, stools or chairs and umbrellas to sit in the garden and draw if that is what interests you. Bring food for a pot-luck lunch and prepare to enjoy the day. The gate will close by noon, so it’s best to arrive early (between 10:00 am and noon). Carpooling is encouraged, of course!

Go to the website to learn more about the place.  The map on the site will lead your way to join us. See you there!

Exhibiting at the Hunt

January 26, 2010 in Feature Articles, Member News | by | 2 comments

by Akiko Enokido

The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation at Carnegie Mellon University has an International Exhibition every three years, the opening reception coinciding with the ASBA conference.

They seek fine artists and illustrators who are not  represented in their collection. The exhibition for Fall 2010 is the 13th since the Institute was established in 1964.

Sadly, the curator of art, Mr James White has stepped down from his position due to health reasons. His assistant,  Ms. Lugene Bruno has taken over his position. I know her only via telephone, but she seems to be a wonderful person.

They requested I send six slides from my works painted within the last two years (they accept up to dozen slides or transparencies), a letter and a resume.

Camellia Japonica, © 2009, Akiko Enokido

Camellia Japonica, watercolor, © 2009, Akiko Enokido

A week later, I received an e-mail from Ms. Bruno informing me that that they had accepted my Camellia Japonica painting.

I painted this piece last spring. I had painted camellias before, but this time I tried to focus on creating the texture of the shiny leaves in watercolor. I showed my work to Jenny Phillips when I took her class at the Huntington Library. She gave me some advice which was very helpful. Thank you, Jenny.

I’m not perfectly happy yet with this piece but I’m glad my effort was acknowledged.

The opening will be held on September  23 at Hunt Institute Gallery, 5th floor, Hunt Libarary, 4909 Frew Street, Carnegie Mellon University. The artwork will be on display until December 21st. I hope you can come and see the exhibition. The ASBA Annual Conference will be held September 23-25.

Illustrating Native Desert Flora at UCR

January 26, 2010 in Learning Opportunities | by | Leave a comment

As much a course in “art for botanists” as “botany for artists!”, this weekend workshop at the height of the desert blooming period, will provide some very exciting plein-aire drawing and watercolor painting. Pen & ink and watercolor rendering, focus/perception skills as they relate to plant identification. Detailed dissection and field work.

April 9, through April 11, 2010
Botanical Illustration of Native Desert Flora Weekend Workshop
Art X454.5 (1 unit), REG # 094-SCF-F60, (credit & non-credit)

Desert Studies Center, University of California-Riverside (UCR), Mojave National Preserve

Instructor: Donald Davidson

Fee: $325 individuals/ $305 each couples, family members / $295 with PINE discount. Includes room and board. To register, contact UCR extension, or call 951-827-4105.

Correction to LA Arboretum “Call for Entries”

January 19, 2010 in Exhibit Opportunities | by | Leave a comment

Scans are not required for judging, only for publicity and/or custom postcards if you would like them. Judging will be done from the original artwork, which is due March 14, 2010 (entry forms are due February 27, 2010).

Additional details about where to drop your artwork for judging will follow to those who have entered.

Sorry for the miscommunication on judging. Deb tried to be smart, but was outfoxed by the Prez  🙂
(easily done!)

BAGSC “Call for Entries” for LA Arboretum Library Show

January 18, 2010 in Exhibit Opportunities | by | Leave a comment

by Leslie Walker

Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California Botanical Art Show at the Arboretum Library, April 1 to June 30, 2010.

Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
301 No. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia CA 91007

Jurors: Olga Eysymontt, Susan Eubank, and Jim Henrich

Eligibility: Open to all BAGSC members.

Subject: Botanical specimens.

Media: Two-dimensional original botanical art or illustration.

Submissions: Up to 3 works of art that are the sole creation of the exhibiting artist. All media must be hand applied by the artist.

Submission Deadlines:
Entry form: February 27, 2010.

Download entry form: ArbLibShowEntryForm (Word document). Contact Deborah Shaw if you have problems downloading or opening the entry form file.

Artwork: March 14, 2010.

Fees: $35.00, for all entries (1 – 3 originals)

Presentation: Artwork no larger than 36″ x 30″, framed with white or off-white matting and no liners. Plexiglas (acrylic) glazing only. Light to medium brown, simple “L” (gallery frame) profile framing, wired for hanging with D-ring wire hangers, no sawtooth.

Sale of Works: Works may be for sale but may not be removed until the close of the exhibition. 35 percent of the sale price will be retained by The Arboretum.  All participating artists may also have prints, note cards, etc. for sale with 35 percent of the sale price retained by The Arboretum. Accepted artwork must be delivered to The Arboretum by March 14, 2010; all additional sale items (prints, note cards, etc.) must be delivered to The Arboretum by March 31, 2010.

Publicity: Scans are requested for judging, which may be used for publicity purposes. Artists may also be interested in ordering postcards with their own artwork advertising the show at a cost of  $30 per 100 cards. Scans must be sent to Deborah Shaw and received by her February 27, 2010. These postcards will be delivered at the March 20, 2010 BAGSC meeting. Call or email Deb for questions about custom postcards.

Framing Artwork

January 18, 2010 in Member News, Uncategorized | by | Leave a comment

by Leslie Walker

I have been using American Frame for all my framing needs for more than ten years along with members of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, Southern California Chapter.

Whether ordering online, or by phone, at 1-800-537-0944, it is very easy to obtain a catalog, or  a frame, complete with acid free mat and mounting boards, and acrylic (plexi) glazing. The complete kit is shipped to your home within a week. When you place your order, be sure to tell American Frame you are a member of The Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California. They will then credit BAGSC with a 5 percent rebate on each purchase.

The Basics style frame, AF106 natural & AF112 pecan meet the ASBA standard frame requirements and will also meet the framing requirements for The Arboretum Library Show. To put the artwork and frame together, follow the framing videos on the American Frame site. Use only the two D-ring wire hangers and framing wire; do not use sawtooth hangers. Framing this way is a very simple process and will save you money and take very little time. I suggest you all try it.

California Natives Planting Workshop

January 15, 2010 in Learning Opportunities, Member News | by | Leave a comment

FREE California Native Plant Landscaping Workshop
January 24, 2010, 9 am – 2 pm
Join Back to Natives for a free native plant landscaping workshop at Deborah Shaw’s house. Participants will learn how and why planting native plants is beneficial, and learn how to plant natives (although participating in planting is not required).

The landscape will consist of drought-tolerant locally native plants in mulched beds, with no water-hungry turf grass. The design also incorporates a dry creek bed that will harvest rainwater, allowing it to percolate through the soil to the aquifer below reducing run-off and preventing pollution.

Native vegetation requires less water and maintenance, and no fertilizer or pesticides. Many native butterfly and bird species are dependent on the habitat provided by native vegetation, and the plant selection has been chosen for butterfly and bird habitat, and for future illustration purposes. Three endangered species are part of the habitat. Come learn about the process of designing and installing a native plant landscape from start to finish! To RSVP, call Back to Natives at 949-509-4787 or send an email to info@backtonatives.org. All are welcome.

Roast Pumpkin with Cheese Fondue From Gourmet

January 2, 2010 in Recipes | by | Leave a comment

This is the recipe for the pumpkin that I brought to the BAGSC holiday party. Although by no means low cal, it’s very easy to do and is a dramatic presentation. I’ve also made it with acorn squash and different types of cheeses. It’s on the Gourmet website, and is here as our tribute to Gourmet! Enjoy.

1 (15-inch) piece of baguette, cut into 1/2-inch slices (7 oz total)
1 (7-lb) orange pumpkin (make sure it’s a “sugar” pumpkin for eating, not the jack-o-lantern kind for carving)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
2 1/2 cups coarsely grated Gruyère (6 oz)
2 1/2 cups coarsely grated Emmental (6 oz)
1 Tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 450F with rack in lower third.

Toast baguette slices in 1 layer on a baking sheet in oven until tops are crisp (bread will still be pale), about 7 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Remove top of pumpkin by cutting a circle (3 inches in diameter) around stem with a small sharp knife. Scrape out seeds and any loose fibers from inside pumpkin with a spoon (including top of pumpkin; reserve seeds for another use if desired). Season inside of pumpkin with 1/2 tsp salt.

Whisk together cream, broth, nutmeg, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper in a bowl. Mix together cheeses in another bowl.

Put a layer of toasted bread in bottom of pumpkin, then cover with about 1 cup cheese and about 1/2 cup cream mixture. Continue layering bread, cheese, and cream mixture until pumpkin is filled to about 1/2 inch from top, using all of cream mixture. (You may have some bread and cheese left over.)

Cover pumpkin with top and put in an oiled small roasting pan. Brush outside of pumpkin all over with olive oil. Bake until pumpkin is tender and filling is puffed, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.

Happy holidays to all BAGSC members from Elaine Searle

December 27, 2009 in Member News | by | 1 comment

Season's Greetings from Elaine Searle

Season's Greetings from Elaine Searle, © 2009 E. Searle

These Sicilian Clementines have a great festive significance as when I was a little girl (a thousand years ago!) my mother used to put these and walnuts into the foot of the stocking of presents we received at the end of our beds on Christmas morning. I guess this will seem strange to all you Californians who grew up with citrus trees all around, but in mid 1950’s Britain they were still a fairly rare commodity!
Wishing you great painting for 2010.

Thanks,
Elaine

Sally Jacobs in TAG Group Show

December 23, 2009 in Member News | by | 2 comments

Sally Jacobs will be part of a group show “Best of TAG 2010”, hosted by her co-op gallery, TAG. This will be their first show at the new location at Bergamont Station.

TAG show invitation

TAG Gallery Show Invitation

Opening Reception, Saturday, January 9
5-8 pm
TAG Gallery
Bergamont Station, Gallery D-3
2525 Michigan Avenue
Santa Monica, CA

The show runs from January 5 to January 30.

Update on Pasadena Home Tour Show

December 20, 2009 in Feature Articles, News Updates | by | Leave a comment

by Janice Sharp

Home Tour Program and Ticket

Home Tour Program and Ticket

The 42nd Annual Holiday Look In 2009 Home Tour benefiting The Pasadena Symphony Association ran Saturday and Sunday, December 5 and 6 from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm each day in Pasadena. The tour was attended by 2,300 people. BAGSC was invited by Jane Herrmann to hang members’ works in her back stairwell (see initial story below in the BAGSC News blog).  Four paintings were sold as a result of the Tour, for a total of just under $3,000.00, including: Gilly Shaeffer’s, Three Hibiscus; Arillyn Moran-Lawrence’s, “White Satin” Still Life of Arum 6 lilies; Cynthia Jackson’s, “Bark”; and Patricia Mark’s, “Persimmon Pair”.

Unfortunately, as sometimes happens in a house built in 1917, a fuse blew and the power was out for a few hours on Sunday. The tour went on without light, but, eventually, the docents at the house were able to set up substitute lamps for the stairwell.

BAGSC Home Tour Catalog: Sample Pages

BAGSC Home Tour Catalog: Sample Pages

For the first time, BAGSC printed a catalog with thumbnail images of the artwork, and contact information for each of the artists. Catalogs were handed out to all of the tour participants, so that they would be reminded of the works they had seen. One painting sold after the tour was over, so the concept appears to be successful. We’ll explore more ideas about printing “take-away” pieces for future exhibitions.

The BAGSC show will remain up through the holiday season at Jane’s house, on exhibit during her holiday gatherings. Jane is very supportive of botanical art, with a wonderful collection throughout her lovely home, including antique and modern botanical paintings, including some Martha Kemp pieces.

Thank you to Jane & Carl Herrmann for opening their home. And best wishes to all for a happy holiday season.

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