You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘American Society of Botanical Artists’ tag.
by Olga Ryabstova, posted by Deb Shaw
The Special Auction Preview for the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) 6th Annual Online Auction has opened today!
This event supports both our artists and the ASBA in our dedication to educating the world about this exquisite art form.
Showcasing the amazing botanical artwork created by some of our most talented members, this online auction is open to the public and features works available for purchase to a worldwide online audience.
The auction preview week will feature new artwork every day from now on, with the Auction opening March 15 – April 5, 2020.
Register to bid, come back often and bid on some amazing art!
Click here for the ASBA Online Auction.
Click here to learn more about ASBA and botanical art.
ASBA 6th Annual Online Auction
by Janice Hoiberg
The American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) is celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. The celebration is being commemorated with a “Special Exhibition,” a catalog of member’s artwork to be published in October 2019, based on the theme “Celebrating Silver.” Each original features a plant with ‘silver’ in the common or scientific name, or is a plant that has a ‘silvery’ element or appearance. The catalog also will document ASBA’s history, and include articles about its pioneers.
One wall of “Celebrating Silver.” Photo by Janice Hoiberg.
Some of the original artworks created by BAGSC members as part of “Celebrating Silver” is now on display in the Brody Botanical Center at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens. The exhibition opened on July 10 and will run until September 4, 2019.
Participating BAGSC artists in The Huntington exhibition include: Nina Antze, Nancy Beckham, Melanie Campbell-Carter, Jan Clouse, Diane Nelson Daly, Yulia Feldman, Janice Hoiberg, Sue Jackson, Mary Jansen, Laurel Tucker Krishock, Patricia A. Mark, Arillyn Moran-Lawrence, Kathy I. Morgan, Terri Munroe, Marilyn Parrino, Kathlyn Powell, Patricia Savage, Gilly Shaeffer, Beth Stone, and Leslie Walker.
Additional artwork in “Celebrating Silver.” Photo by Janice Hoiberg.
Once the exhibition closes at The Huntington, it will then move to Mt. San Antonio Gardens in Pomona, California, where it will be displayed from October 1 to November 26, 2019. An opening reception will be held at the Mt. San Antonio Gardens’ gallery on October 3, 2019. Everyone is invited!
by Janice Hoiberg
Dudleya greenei, Greene’s Live-Forever, Watercolor on paper by Ellie Yun-Hui Tu, © 2015.
This year ASBA celebrates its 25th Anniversary! Founded 1994, with 200 original members, it has grown to the vibrant organization of over 1700 botanical artists from around the world.
As part of the celebration a special ASBA 25th Anniversary art catalog, “Celebrating Silver,” will be published. Each ASBA member in good standing is eligible to submit a scanned image of an artwork on the ‘silver’ theme. You may use the media of your choice, including Silverpoint, but all subjects must be of a plant with silver in its scientific or common name, or have a silvery appearance. Examples are Silver Birch (name) and Dusty Miller (appearance). For further information, see the Call for Entries page on the ASBA website. The catalog will not be juried. Submission deadline is June 10, 2019. The catalog is to be published October, 2019.
In addition to the Catalog each of the Chapters and Circles have been asked to plan an event as part of a rolling series of celebrations held across the country on the theme of “Celebrating Silver.” BAGSC members are encouraged to submit a scan to be included in the catalog. Plans are in the works for a BAGSC art show of “Celebrating Silver.” Stay tuned!
by Deb Shaw
Midnight (Eastern Daylight Time), August 31, 2018 is the last day to register for the American Society of Botanical Artists 24th Annual Meeting & Conference in St. Louis!!
Come spend time with fellow botanical artists, take workshops, and attend lectures. Spend quality time at the Missouri Botanical Garden, one of the world’s top botanical gardens. Founded in 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden is the nation’s oldest continuously-operating botanical garden and a National Historic Landmark.
The Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles, Missouri will host “Out of the Woods: Celebrating Trees in Public Gardens, the Third New York Botanical Garden Triennial” exhibition of botanical art along with a companion, adjunct exhibition “Out on a Limb.” A reception for conference attendees will be held Thursday, October 11, and will also feature the slideshow of artwork from the 25-country Botanical Art Worldwide exhibitions.
To register, look at the descriptions and information on the ASBA website. Then go to the Conference Registration website to register. Scroll down on the registration site to see openings remaining in various workshops and presentations. There are a lot of openings left in wonderful workshops!
If you’ve already registered but would like to add a class, contact the conference registrar to request the additions to your registration.
by Deb Shaw
Signage with artwork by Esmée Winkel, Leiden’s 300-Year-Old Tulip Tree in Autumn (2016), Liriodendron tulipifera. Hortus Botanicus Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands. Watercolor on paper. © Esmée Winkel. Courtesy of the American Society of Botanical Artists and the New York Botanical Garden.
The Los Angeles Times joined The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens and BAGSC in letting everyone know that the “Out of the Woods” exhibition will be coming to a close soon. See the article: http://www.latimes.com/home/la-hm-out-of-the-woods-20180822-story.html?outputType=amp
Make it a day at The Huntington: see “Out of the Woods,” organized by The New York Botanical Garden and the American Society of Botanical Artists, and “Amazing Trees,” the adjunct exhibition by BAGSC members in the Brody Botanical Center, Flora Legium Gallery. Then pop next door to the Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science to see the blooming Corpse Flowers!
The exhibition closes Monday, August 27, 2018. The traveling exhibition will then go to the Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles, MO where it will be on display October 5 – December 28, 2018, including during the American Society of Botanical Artists annual meeting and conference.
In the beginning of next year, the exhibit will travel to the Tucson Botanical Gardens, Tucson, AZ, January 25 – April 13, 2019, and then on to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska, MN, May 9 – August 13, 2019.
by Deb Shaw
Li’l Stinky decided not to bloom after all, but provided a wonderful dissection opportunity! The Huntington team and the public got to see what’s inside!
We were all disappointed when Li’l Stinker, Amorphophallus titanum, or “Corpse Flower” failed to bloom last week at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. The failed bloom, however, gave Jim Folsom, John Trager, and Brandon Tam the opportunity to dissect the bloom on Facebook Live to create an herbarium sheet (watch the dissection here on Facebook Live.
Then, lo and behold, not one but THREE more Corpse Flowers stepped up to the plate. Quickly dubbed the #TitanTriplets! All three plants, “Stink,” “Stank,” and “Stunk,” #CorpseFlowers can be seen in the Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science at The Huntington, along with a corm and a plant with a leaf. Daily updates, photos, and FAQs are being shared on The Huntington’s website.
“Stink” suddenly decided to bloom today! See it during public hours: 10 am – 5 pm. The two other #CorpseFlowers, “Stank,” and “Stunk” look like they have a few more days to go. But who knows…they might change their minds and bloom any time.
For more stinky resources (from The Huntington) #StinkyatTheH:
- Watch: the Botanical team dissect the last Corpse Flower, Li’l Stinker on Facebook Live
- Read: The Secret Life of Stinky
- Read: A Stinky Family Tree
- Watch: Corpse Flower’s 2014 bloom Timelapse
The Corpse Flower inspires creativity. Lindsay Brennan made (delicious!) Corpse Flower Cake Pops and brought them to Jim Folsom’s Orchid Lecture for BAGSC members.
The bloom (and smell) only lasts a day or so. If you’re coming to The Huntington this weekend to see and smell, be sure to stop by the Brody Botanical Center, Flora-Legium Gallery to see “Out of the Woods: Celebrating Trees in Public Gardens,” The Third New York Botanical Garden Triennial, American Society of Botanical Artists, and “Amazing Trees,” the adjunct exhibition by the Botanical Artist Guild of Southern California (BAGSC). BAGSC artists will be on hand all weekend with drop in family activities and botanical art demonstrations. The exhibitions go through to August 27, 2018.
Another view of the chocolate Corpse Flower Cake Pops.
Deborah Shaw (L) and Tania Norris (R) took a few minutes to sketch Li’l Stinky.
BAGSC member Tania Norris with her Li’l Stinky sketch.
by Deb Shaw
The wonderful botanical art exhibitions at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens Brody Botanical Center are in their final month of display.
Out of the Woods: Celebrating Trees in Public Gardens, The Third New York Botanical Garden Triennial and American Society of Botanical Artists will be on display until August 27, 2018, along with BAGSC’s adjunct exhibition “Amazing Trees.” BAGSC members will continue to have drop-in family botanical art activities and botanical art demonstrations every Saturday and Sunday through that time as well.
These exhibitions have been a whirlwind of wonderful opportunities. A few highlights have included:
, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Read the article here.
Deborah Friedman was interviewed and videotaped by Aric Allen, Video Producer, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens about her development of her painting of the California Sycamore, Platanus racemosa in “Out of the Woods.” See the insightful video interview on YouTube here.
Steve Hindle, Interim President of The Huntington, “President’s Message: The Gentle Giants Among Us,” July/August “Calendar.” Read a PDF of the Message: huntington-pres-ltr-OOTW
“Out of the Woods” has been featured in all kinds of publicity and outreach from The Huntington, including the “President’s Message: The Gentle Giants Among Us,” by Interim President Steve Hindle in the July/August issue of The Huntington’s “Calendar.”
BAGSC participated in a Huntington open house and reception for The Huntington Fellows on Tuesday evening, May 22, 2018. BAGSC members Catherine Dellor, Estelle DeRidder, Suz Landay, Patricia Mark, Veronica Raymond, Olga Ryabstova, Gilly Shaeffer, Deborah Shaw, and Jude Wiesenfeld demonstrated at the well-attended reception. BAGSC members Susan Bartow, Teri Kuwahara, Tania Norris, Mitsuko Schultz, Beth Stone, and Leslie Walker attended too. Concurrent with the botanical art demonstrations that evening in the Ahmanson at the Brody Botanical Center, the ASBA Worldwide exhibitions were on display on the large screen, including the US exhibition (currently on display at the US Botanic Gardens) and exhibitions from 24 other countries. (See information about the ASBA Worldwide exhibition here. Information about the participating countries in the botanical art Worldwide Exhibition can be found here. Be sure to see the gallery slideshows and instructions on ordering exhibition catalogs from the US and other countries.)
Click on any of the images below to see in slide show with captions.
Some of the signage for The Huntington’s Fellows reception and open house, with Esmée Winkel’s Leiden’s 300-year-old Liriodendron tulipifera in Autumn Liriodendron tulipifera Hortus Botanicus, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Phaleonopsis from The Huntington’s collections in luxurious display.
The open house/reception flowed from the demonstrations in the Ahmanson through the courtyard into the Brody Botanical Center.
Seating area just outside the Flora-Legium gallery, where “Out of the Woods” was on display.
L to R: Jim Folsom with BAGSC members Jude Wiesenfeld, Teri Kuwahara, Beth Stone.
Guests enjoying the “Out of the Woods” exhibition.
Guests enjoying the “Out of the Woods” exhibition.
Jim Folsom remarks.
Robert Hori remarks.
Tania Norris remarks.
Andrew Mitchell who hung “Out of the Woods” and “Amazing Trees”, with BAGSC member Leslie Walker.
Mitsuko Schultz, with her artwork in “Out of the Woods,” Sweet Gum Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Burgundy’ Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Arcadia, California.
Jim Folsom, always on the move.
The open house included displays with microscopes for guests to view specimens, as well as tours of the Herbarium, labs, and other research and library spaces in the Brody.
Kathy Musial, curator of living collections at The Huntington found a fruit of the Sausage Tree on The Huntington grounds. The tree was painted by Melanie Campbell-Carter for the “Amazing Trees” exhibition. As in every office, but especially necessary at The Huntington, it’s important to label what is food and “not food.”
Signage for the BAGSC artists who demonstrated botanical art during the evening.
Patricia Mark setting up for the botanical art demonstration, with Leslie Walker.
BAGSC members setting up for the botanical art demonstrations. L to R (seated): Estelle DeRidder, Jude Wiesenfeld, Olga Ryabstova; (standing) Teri Kuwahara.
BAGSC members (L to R) Veronica Raymond and Suz Landay, demonstrating botanical art.
BAGSC member Deborah Shaw demonstrating botanical art.
Jude Wiesenfeld demonstrating botanical art.
Guests viewing the botanical art demonstrations, with images from the ASBA Worldwide exhibition in the background.
The calm before the crowds: (L) BAGSC member Tania Norris and Robert Hori ready the tables for the drop-in family botanical art activities.
BAGSC members have provided drop-in family botanical art activities every weekend throughout the summer, including leaf-rubbings; botanical art demonstrations; a segment in cooperation with The Huntington’s education department for their “avocado day,” and lots more! Additionally, BAGSC members have been on hand to answer questions from the public about botanical art and artworks in the exhibitions. It has been wonderful (and inspiring) to find many visitors to the exhibitions who have not only returned to see them multiple times, but have brought others to see them as well.
BAGSC members also used the weekend demonstration opportunities to paint orchids generously supplied from The Huntington’s collection by Brandon Tam, orchid collection specialist at The Huntington. Look for these paintings and drawings in our next exhibition at The Huntington in the fall, entitled “Diversity of Orchids.”
In early June, BAGSC members had the good fortune to be able to have Carol Woodin, ASBA Exhibition Chair at our quarterly meeting. Carol was in Southern California presenting at the American Public Gardens Association Conference with Devin Dotson from the US Botanic Gardens. Carol spoke to BAGSC members about painting orchids, followed by an audience-requested tour through the “Out of the Woods” exhibition. Click on any of the images below to see an enlarged slide show of the images with captions.
BAGSC’s quarterly meeting at The Huntington was filled to capacity. BAGSC President, Janice Sharp, got the meeting started.
BAGSC members and guests at the meeting.
BAGSC members and guests at the meeting.
Carol Woodin reviewing her notes before her presentation about orchids. Carol discussed what she looked for in an orchid subject, as well as composition issues that orchids may present.
BAGSC Treasurer Beth Stone giving her report.
Jim Folsom documenting the meeting.
Tania Norris reporting about the BAGSC drop-in activities each weekend in conjunction with “Out of the Woods” and “Amazing Trees.”
“Out of the Woods” didactic inside the exhibition.
Carol graciously gave an impromptu tour of the “Out of the Woods” exhibition.
BAGSC members and guests attending the meeting had time to spend with the artworks.
Carol Woodin talking about the artwork in the “Out of the Woods” exhibition.
Carol Woodin talking about the artwork in the “Out of the Woods” exhibition.
Carol Woodin talking about the artwork in the “Out of the Woods” exhibition.
Mitsuko Schultz spoke about her artwork, Sweet Gum Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Burgundy’ Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Arcadia, California.
Olga Ryabstova spoke about the print-making process, as well as her piece in “Out of the Woods,” Roxburgh Fig Ficus auriculata San Diego Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California.
On Sunday, July 29, 2018, The Huntington hosted a stellar reception for the exhibitions for around 70 BAGSC members, family, friends and guests. Click on any of the images below to see a slideshow and read the captions.
BAGSC members and guests enjoyed “Out of the Woods” and “Amazing Trees.”
A few words from Jim Folsom.
L to R: BAGSC members Bonnie Born Ash and Tania Norris.
“Amazing Trees” is placed throughout the Brody atrium walls in a delightful display.
Time to visit with members and guests.
Time to visit with members and guests.
Lee and Chuck McAffree came down from Northern California.
Jim Folsom, cooked up an amazing reception spread. Jim, Robert Hori, Danielle Rudeen, and Melanie Thorpe staged an awesome reception.
Jim Folsom, cooked up an amazing reception spread. Jim, Robert Hori, Danielle Rudeen, and Melanie Thorpe staged an awesome reception.
Esmee van Winkel’s painting of Leiden’s 300-Year-Old Tulip Tree in Autumn, Liriodendron tulipifera, Hortus Botanicus Leiden, Leiden, The Netherlands has graced all the signage, large and small, and the printed marketing materials produced by The Huntington. The signage is everywhere throughout the campus. Click on any of the images below for a small sampling, and to read the captions.
Signage at the front entrance of The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.
Digital signage in the front entrance courtyard area.
Digital signage above the ticket booths at the front entrance.
Table-top advertisements in the Café.
Large banner on the corner of the Brody Botanical Center.
Graphic just outside the Flora-Legium gallery where “Out of the Woods” is on display.
One of many free-standing signs in the Conservatory.
“Out of Woods” catalogs on display in The Huntington Store, along with a selection of notecards by BAGSC members in the “Out of the Woods” exhibition. Five of the six cards are shown here; The Huntington Store sometimes has them all together, other times they are grouped with like subject areas in the store.
“Out of the Woods” exhibition catalogs are on sale in The Huntington Store for $12.00 US. The Store also is carrying a limited edition of notecards with artwork by BAGSC members in the “Out of the Woods” exhibition, including Margaret Best (Screw-Pine, Pandanus utilis, Bermuda Arboretum, Bermuda), Akiko Enokido (Swamp Cypress, Taxodium distichum, Kobe Municipal Arboretum, Kobe, Japan), Deborah Friedman (California Sycamore, Platanus racemosa, detail from original, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, California), Asuka Hishiki (Black Pine Half-cascade Style Bonsai, Pinus nigra, The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, Saitama, Japan), Olga Ryabstova (Roxburgh Fig, Ficus auriculata, The San Diego Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California), and Mitsuko Schultz (Sweet Gum, Liquidambar styraciflua, ‘Burgundy’, Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Arcadia, California).
Asuka Hishiki’s notecard in The Huntington Store on display in the Bonsai area of the Store.
A heartfelt thank you is due to too many to list here, but a special thank you to The Huntington’s Jim Folsom, Robert Hori, Danielle Rudeen, Melanie Thorpe and Andrew Mitchell, along with The Huntington’s Exhibition, Communications, Video, Education, Store and Graphics departments. Another special thank you to the BAGSC artists in “Out of the Woods,” who generously supported our test into The Huntington Store, and to all the other members who worked to make these exhibitions a success. And, last but not least, a heartfelt thank you to Tania Norris for all her work on the exhibition and coordinating the weekend botanical art activities.
by Melanie Campbell-Carter, posted by Deb Shaw
Aloe broomii hybrid, Melanie Campbell-Carter, watercolor on paper, © 2018. Image protected by Digimarc.
BAGSC member Melanie Campbell-Carter is returning to Texas wearing her Botanical Artist hat! As fellow members know, in 2014 Melanie relocated to Southern California from Texas to study botanical art.
Melanie was thrilled to see an article in the March 2018 issue of The Botanical Artist about a new ASBA Circle in north Texas. The Circle’s first juried exhibition, Botanical Art: Flowers, Fruit and Fungi, will take place June 14 – August 9, 2018, at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) in Fort Worth.
Now living and painting full-time in Tucson, Melanie will be exhibiting two new paintings in Fort Worth, Aloe broomii hybrid and Caesalpinia pulcherrima.
Contact Denis Benjamin for more information about the Botanical Art Collective (BAC) in Texas, or if you would like to join. BAC also has a public Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1502598476445397/.
Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Melanie Campbell-Carter, watercolor on paper, © 2018. Image protected by Digimarc.
by Deb Shaw
Botanical Art Worldwide is listed on the American Express Essentials Culture site as one of 15 Art Exhibitions to see this spring at this link: https://www.amexessentials.com/top-art-exhibitions-events-spring-2018/
Congratulations to Akiko Enokido, her Camellia japonica var. decumbens is included (number 14 of 15 in the slide show). Thank you to the ASBA facebook page for the notification!
BAGSC and ASBA member Akiko Enokido’s, Camellia japonica var. decumbens.
by Deb Shaw
The American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) has announced the selected artists for Botanical Art Worldwide: America’s Flora, a groundbreaking collaboration between botanical artists, organizations, and institutions around the world.
This worldwide exhibition and its events will call attention to the importance of conserving our planet’s botanical diversity. Each participating country will provide digital slide shows of up to forty works, to be compiled with all other countries’ images and shown at each venues during the run of each exhibition. Opening events, lectures, demonstrations, webinars, workshops and other events will be held (with some shared online), so visitors can learn more about contemporary botanical art and the earth’s floristic regions and botanical wealth.
For the US exhibition, the jurors were: Susan T. Fisher, Botanical Artist and Educator; Patricia Jonas, Author and Editor; William McLaughlin, Plant Curator, US Botanic Garden; and, Susan Pell, Ph.D, Science and Public Programs Manager, US Botanic Garden. The jurors selected 46 artworks from more than 200 submissions, including artwork by BAGSC members Mitsuko Schultz, Gilly Shaeffer, and Deborah Shaw. A complete list of artists can be seen on the ASBA website. All artworks feature native plants of the US, and images will be available on the ASBA website once the exhibition opens.
The ASBA, in collaboration with the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., will present the juried exhibition of plants from around the United States, staged in the U.S. Botanic Garden’s gallery space. After remaining on view at the U.S. Botanic Garden through October 2018, the exhibition will then travel through the end of 2019. Similar exhibitions will be held in more than twenty other countries.
A Worldwide Day of Botanical Art will be held on May 18, 2018, with events held for 24 hours, following the sun from venue to venue.
Participating countries include: Australia, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Scotland, South Africa, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Several other countries are in the planning stages and will be announced.
Some goals of the exhibition include:
- Presenting a unified message about the ability to link people with plants through botanical art.
- Acknowledging and building upon the increasing connections between botanical artists worldwide.
- Increasing appreciation and understanding of the world’s plant diversity and its interconnectedness.
- Raising awareness about the worldwide movement in botanical art.
- To engage in a project to document some of the wild plant species of the world.
Click here for Botanical Art Worldwide Exhibition Info and Participating Countries Be sure to return to the ASBA website to see updates about the artists and the exhibitions.
Congrats to all the participating artists, organizations, and institutions from around the world!
Click any of the images below to see an enlarged image with artwork information.
-
- Matilija Poppy, Gilly Shaeffer, watercolor on paper, © 2017.
-
- Platanus racemosa, California sycamore, © Mitsuko Schultz, 2017, watercolor on paper.
-
- Brodiaea filifolia S. Watson, Thread-leaved Brodiaea, Deborah B. Shaw, © 2012, watercolor on Kelmscott Vellum. Image protected by Digimarc.
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!
-
- © 2015 Asuka Hishiki Children’s Choir Solanum lycopersicum Watercolor on paper 8″ x 13 1/2″
-
- © 2014 Joan Keesey Dancing Ladies Odontoglossum cv. x Oncidium cv. Watercolor on paper 15″ x 11″
-
- © 2017 Lesley Randall ‘Ihi Portulaca molokiniensis pen and ink on board 12″ x 9-3/4″
-
- © 2017 Olga Ryabtsova Bird of Paradise Strelitzia reginae Watercolor on paper 22″ x 29″
-
- © 2017 Mitsuko Schultz Pink Peony Paeonia lactiflora Watercolor on paper 16″ x 12″
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.)
-
- After the awards ceremony, BAGSC members went over to look at the mural. Photos by Beth Stone, © 2017.
-
- Mural by Estelle DeRidder. Photo by Beth Stone, © 2017.
-
- 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!
-
- City of Torrance Arts Commission with Estelle DeRidder (second from right). Photo by Leslie Walker,
-
- Estelle’s family came to the award ceremony. Photo by Leslie Walker, © 2017.
-
- Estelle’s family came to the award ceremony. Photo by Leslie Walker, © 2017.
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.)
-
- Cactus, Irina Stolyarova, © 2017, all rights reserved.
-
- Hydrangea, Irina Stolyarova, © 2017, all rights reserved.
-
- 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.)
-
- Rose Hips, Natasha Zueva, © 2017, all rights reserved.
-
- Peonies, Natasha Zueva, © 2017, all rights reserved.
-
- Cotton, Natasha Zueva, © 2017, all rights reserved.
A warm welcome to BAGSC and ASBA!
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.
BAGSC News 