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by Melanie Campbell-Carter, posted by Deb Shaw
February 27, 2016 was a picture-perfect day for botanical art at Roger’s Gardens in Corona Del Mar! Featured prominently for the fourth Annual Day of Art at Roger’s Gardens, the BAGSC outreach table was well received by the public, with hardly a moment for breaks. Deborah Shaw, Diane Daly, and Clara Josephs presented a Nature Journaling workshop, delighting visitors with a chance to draw freesias, pansies, and other lovelies from the nursery.
Additional BAGSC members came as well, and there were a lot of visitors who had seen BAGSC at the Bowers Museum demonstrations and joined us at Rogers.
Theresa Marino, the Fine Art Gallery director, was thrilled with the art provided by our BAGSC artists. She can’t wait for the upcoming BAGSC exhibit, “Looking for Flora,” slated for May 21-June 5, 2016. (BAGSC members should have received the Roger’s Gardens “Call for Entries” for “Looking for Flora” in your email. If you haven’t received it, please contact Deb Shaw. Submission deadline is April 23, 2016.)
The framed art gallery on the shaded outdoor furniture pavilion was thronged with visitors most of the day, enjoying over 50 submissions in all media. Member Terri Munroe sold her lovely painting, and members Deborah Shaw and Melanie Campbell-Carter took home “Award of Excellence” blue ribbons for their submitted artworks. Thanks to all the participating members, as well as the visiting members, who helped make this another successful BAGSC outreach event.
Participating BAGSC artists included: Melanie Campbell-Carter, Clara Josephs, Suzanne Kuuskmae, Patricia Mark, Arillyn Moran-Lawrence, Terri Munroe, Diane Nelson Daly, Mitsuko Schultz, Deborah Shaw, and Ellie Yun-Hui Tu.
Click on the photo bubbles below to see the full image and caption.
Theresa Marino, Gallery Director, Roger’s Gardens, hanging blue ribbons after the judging. Photo: Linda Carpenter, © 2016, all rights reserved.
Deborah Shaw demonstrated on her painting of Opuntia with cochineal. Many of the visitors who had seen BAGSC at the Bowers Museum demonstrations commented, “Oh, you haven’t made much progress, have you?” Photo: Linda Carpenter, © 2016, all rights reserved.
The exhibition panels showcased botanical art and plein aire paintings. Photo: Linda Carpenter, © 2016, all rights reserved.
Melanie Campbell-Carter and Deborah Shaw with their blue ribbons. Photo: Linda Carpenter, © 2016, all rights reserved.
Suzanne Kuuskmae talking with visitors to the BAGSC info table about botanical art. Photo: Linda Carpenter, © 2016, all rights reserved.
Suzanne Kuuskmae’s palette and painting at her demonstration table. Photo: Linda Carpenter, © 2016, all rights reserved.
Ellie Tu and Suzanne Kuuskmae demonstrating. Photo: Linda Carpenter, © 2016, all rights reserved.
Arillyn Moran-Lawrence demonstrated graphite. Photo: Linda Carpenter, © 2016, all rights reserved.
by Leslie Walker, posted by Deb Shaw
In a wonderful surprise, I found Margaret Best’s botanical art trip in October, 2016 announced in the Sunday LA Times, March 6, 2016, Travel Section. Entitled, [click the title to read] “Capture this on canvas: Painting workshop in Italy beckons artists,” by LA Times contact reporter Anne Harnagel, the article highlights Quench’s trip and Margaret’s botanical art class.
I can recommend this venue and teacher since I went there last Spring. I am going back this Fall to experience the area in a different season. Margaret is a great botanical artist and teacher and I’m looking forward to sharpening my skills in October.
Read Jan Clouse’s article and see pictures about Margaret’s last trip to Puglia on our BAGSC News blog. Details about the Puglia trip can be found at Quench.
by Deb Shaw
Cover, “A Botanical Reader for the Curious Gardener”, James P. Folsom, © 2016, all rights reserved.
It’s here! Jim Folsom, has just published his ebook as of February 29, 2016: “A Botanical Reader for the Curious Gardener.” The Reader is a wealth of resources; Jim’s Botany for Artists is just one chapter in a line-up of content that Jim lists in his introduction:
- Introductions (Chapters 1, 2, and 3) explain the organization of the Reader, suggest places and activities of interest, and lay out overarching themes that pervade the study and cultivation of plants.
- The Literature Review presents some commonly available texts and resources, suggesting which might be most useful for different readers.
- In Botanical Terms is a series of short essays dedicated to highlights that showcase topics fundamental to plant science and eliminate barriers presented by useful but arcane botanical terminology.
- Conversational Botany is a Primer that tells the story of plants in textbook-style.
- Issues – Plants, Politics, & Practice includes background and discussion of topics that are part of today’s public discourse as well as transcriptions of presentations I give on current topics.
- An annotated Plant Trivia Timeline gives snippets of plant-related stories and discoveries in chronological sequence, so as to provide historical context to plant use and cultivation.”
- Hands-on Discovery suggests particular plants and instructive techniques that will help students make their own observations and learn-through-doing, which is the most effective and delightful method.
Excerpt From: James P, Folsom. “A Botanical Reader.” James P. Folsom, 2016. iBooks. https://itun.es/us/XDT5ab.l
Chapter from “A Botanical Reader”, listing “Botany for Artists” as one of the sections. James P. Folsom, © 2016.
Easy to read, this is a book of RESOURCES. In addition botany, horticulture, gardening, food, and the secret world of plants, Jim introduces his readers to his favorite Plant Destinations (where we can see the “wonders of the plant world”) and compiles a list with descriptions of the books we should have on our shelves and the websites we need to have bookmarked in our browsers.
ASBA and BAGSC members will be treated to a three-part series, starting in the March issue of The Botanical Artist, excerpted from Jim’s chapter, Botany for Artists.
The ebook is downloadable for free from iBooks, at https://itun.es/us/XDT5ab.l It’s listed in the category of Life Sciences, and is a
Jim Folsom lecturing during the “Weird, Wild & Wonderful Symposium.” Photo by Clara Josephs, © 2015, all rights reserved.
About Jim Folsom, Telleen/Jorgensen Director of the Botanical Gardens, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
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 Diane Daly, Alyse Ochniak, and Deb Shaw
We’ve added a new category to our BAGSC Blog; if you look in the left column, you will see a CALENDAR category. If you ever need a quick reference to a date, click the word “CALENDAR” and you will be taken directly to the listing below of important upcoming dates.
We will be updating the calendar constantly as we learn about new information. Something not there that should be? Email Deb Shaw. Corrections, edits, changes? Email Deb about those, too.
March:
1: Submissions can be sent for BAGSC Exhibition at Roger’s Gardens, “Looking for Flora”. Final submission deadline is April 23.
3: LA Arboretum Library walk-through with Susan Eubank (not a BAGSC event)
6: BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at UC Riverside Botanic Garden CANCELLED due to Rain (hooray for rain!) Watch the blog and email blasts to learn about rescheduling.
16: Deadline for submissions to “Focus on Nature: Natural and Cultural History Illustration Exhibition”. Visit the FON website for information and entry form.
19 and 20: Lee McCaffree Classes (two classes, one day each): A Painting! What Do You See? and Completing a Painting
April:
1: Submissions due for California Islands Symposium, “Island Art Exhibition”. (not a BAGSC event) Details for submission can be found at http://www.californiaislands.net/island-art-exhibition/
3: Submissions due for ASBA Exhibition: “The Beauty of Botanicals”, at the OA Gallery in St. Louis, Missouri. See information on the ASBA website, https://www.asba-art.org/calls-for-entries/beauty-botanicals
5: Opening of Filoli Exhibition, which runs from April 5 – June 12. (not a BAGSC event)
17: Submissions due to Beth Stone: BAGSC Exhibition, “Everything is Coming Up Roses”, Descanso Gardens
23: Submission deadline for BAGSC Exhibition, “Looking for Flora”, Roger’s Gardens
23: Silverpoint at Destination: Art! with Morgan Kari (not a BAGSC event), 9:30 – 3:30
29: Deliver artwork for BAGSC Descanso Exhibition “Everything is Coming Up Roses” (on or before April 29).
29 – May 1: Christina Baltayian’s class has a Botanical Art show at the LA Arboretum (not a BAGSC event)
May:
6: Submissions due for 19th Annual International ASBA and Horticultural Society of New York exhibition. See information on ASBA’s website, http://asba-art.org
7: Opening reception for BAGSC member Estelle DeRidder’s exhibition at Theodore Payne Foundation, “Scientific Illustrations of California Native Plants and Pollinators”. (not a BAGSC event)
14 – 15: BAGSC Exhibition, Descanso Gardens, “Everything is Coming Up Roses”. Demonstrations at Descanso Gardens.
16: Drop off accepted artwork to Roger’s Gardens.
21: Roger’s Gardens Opening of BAGSC Exhibition, “Looking for Flora”. Demonstrations at Roger’s Gardens.
21 – June 5: Roger’s Gardens BAGSC Exhibition , “Looking for Flora”will run from May 21 – June 5, 2016
June:
3: Opening reception for ASBA “The Beauty of Botanicals” at the OA Gallery in St. Louis, Missouri.
3 – 30: Exhibition dates for ASBA “The Beauty of Botanicals” at the OA Gallery in St. Louis, Missouri.
4: BAGSC Quarterly Meeting: Special garden tour at a private Pasadena-area home garden. The meeting will follow at noon in the Bamboo Room at the Los Angeles County Arboretum.
6: Pick up artwork from Roger’s Gardens.
5 and 19: Deborah Shaw is teaching at The Getty, “Drawing from the Masters: Nature Journaling”. (not a BAGSC event)
12: Filoli Exhibition closes.
15: Submissions due for BAGSC’s LA Arboretum Library Exhibition, “Capturing the Arboretum: The Art of Botanical Illustration.”
July:
3-9: GNSI Conference in Santa Cruz, Ca. All are encouraged to come. Information and registration web address will be posted as soon as it is available. Advance information is available at: http://gnsi.org
6: Last day to submit images and entry forms for California Islands Symposium, “Island Art Exhibition”. (not a BAGSC event) Details for submission can be found at http://www.californiaislands.net/island-art-exhibition/
16: Opening reception for BAGSC’s LA Arboretum Library Exhibition, “Capturing the Arboretum: The Art of Botanical Illustration,” 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm.
16 – December 29, 2016: Exhibition dates for BAGSC’s LA Arboretum Library Exhibition, “Capturing the Arboretum: The Art of Botanical Illustration.”
17: Deborah Shaw is teaching at The Getty, in conjunction with The Getty’s exhibition “Unruly Nature: The Landscapes of Théodore Rousseau”, “Drawing from the Masters: Drawing Trees”. (not a BAGSC event)
30: Lesley Randall is teaching a workshop entitled “Mixed Media Botanical Art” at the San Diego Botanic Garden. (not a BAGSC event)
August:
12: Submission Deadline for BAGSC San Diego Botanic Garden “Cornucopia” Exhibition.
September:
11: BAGSC Quarterly Meeting
23: BAGSC San Diego Botanic Garden, “Cornucopia” Exhibition. Install and opening reception. BAGSC demonstrations.
23 – November 18: BAGSC San Diego Botanic Garden, “Cornucopia” Exhibition.
October:
3 – November 6: California Islands Symposium, “Island Art Exhibition” open to the public in Ventura, California (until October 7) and then in Santa Barbara, California (from October 9 – November 6). (not a BAGSC event)
13 – 15: ASBA Annual Conference, Pittsburgh
November:
1: Submissions can be sent for “Out of the Woods: Celebrating Trees in Public Gardens”, the Third New York Botanical Garden Triennial. Submissions will be accepted through April 28, 2017. See information on ASBA’s website, http://asba-art.org
November 6: Closing date for California Islands Symposium, “Island Art Exhibition”, Santa Barbara, California (from October 9 – November 6). (not a BAGSC event)
7 – 11: Anne-Marie Evans workshop at Virginia Robinson Gardens (not a BAGSC event)
18: “Incredible Edibles” exhibition closes at San Diego Botanic Gardens.
December:
3: BAGSC Quarterly Meeting and Party
Important 2017 Dates to Track:
January, 2107
BAGSC Outreach Program to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Laguna Woods Garden Club in Orange County. An anticipated 100 Laguna Woods members will be participating.
October, 2017:
ASBA Annual Conference, San Francisco
2018:
BAGSC Exhibition at Chapman University, Leatherby Libraries. Theme is invasive plants.
by Deb Shaw
Diane Daly demonstrating at last year’s “Day of Art” at Roger’s Gardens. Photo by Deborah Shaw, © 2015, all rights reserved.
Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California (BAGSC) artists will be participating again in Roger’s Gardens 4th Annual Day of Art this coming Saturday, February 27, 2016 from 10 am – 4 pm. The event is free, and open to the public. In case of rain (a lovely thought, but, unfortunately for our water shortage, unlikely!) the event will be rescheduled.
BAGSC artists have participated each year since its inception; 50 botanical and plein air artists paint and draw in the Gardens for the day. Each of the participating artists will have an original painting on display (available for purchase). Judges will present awards and recognition for paintings in the exhibition.
Participating BAGSC artists include: Melanie Campbell-Carter, Clara Josephs, Suzanne Kuuskmae, Patricia Mark, Arillyn Moran-Lawrence, Terri Munroe, Diane Nelson Daly, Alyse Ochniak, Mitsuko Schultz, Deborah Shaw, and Ellie Yun-Hui Tu. BAGSC also will have a table available with information about BAGSC, American Society of Botanical Art (ASBA), and botanical art.
Schedule
Free workshops are open to the public and BAGSC members:
Printmaking Workshop: Printing Posies and Plants, 10 am – 1 pm, in the Amphitheater
Local artists Sheryl Seltzer and Carol Kreider will teach participants how to draw and transfer to a small relief plate, and “pull” their own monoprint. All skill levels and ages welcome.
Awards Ceremony, 12 pm, in the Outdoor Living area
Ten awards of excellence will be presented to artists participating in the exhibition. This year’s Judge is Gil Dellinger, a retired professor of art of the University of the Pacific, Signature Member of The Pastel Society of America, California Art Club, and PAPA, Plein Air Painters of America. [Last year BAGSC members Diane Daly and Deborah Shaw received awards of excellence.]
Drawing Workshop: Journal your Garden through Art / Drawing Leaves and Flowers in the Garden, 2 pm – 3:30 pm, in the Amphitheater
Learn to draw leaves and flowers and create a garden journal from BAGSC members Deborah Shaw, Clara Josephs, and Diane Daly. This is a great workshop for the whole family, as no art experience is required.
Hope to see you there!
by Tania Marien, Clara Josephs and Deb Shaw
The first Guild meeting of the new year will be held at the UC Riverside Botanic Gardens, a 40-acre garden and nature preserve in the Inland Empire. The program and tour has been expanded, and the RSVP deadline has been extended.
These lush 40 acres on the campus of UC Riverside were established as a teaching garden and were originally called the “Life Sciences Experimental Area”. Today the 52-year old garden is open to the public everyday except holidays.
The Guild’s meeting on Sunday, March 6, 2016 includes a tour of the Garden and an opportunity to learn more about trees in preparation for Out of the Woods: Celebrating Trees in Public Gardens, The Third New York Botanical Garden Triennial.
Tour (Part I) and Quarterly Meeting
The first BAGSC garden tour will occur before the meeting, and will cover the history of the garden and explore the formal parts of this little known gem.
Guild members should gather at the Garden’s entrance at 9:45 a.m. The garden tour will begin promptly at 10 a.m. Guild members should wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a hat, water and sunscreen. Cost is $8.00/person, payable at the meeting. Parking is additional (see below) and carpooling is encouraged (see below for that information too!). Guests, family and friends are welcome!
The business portion of the meeting will be held in the conference room from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Lunch will be eaten during the meeting. Please bring a sack lunch.
Tour (Part II)
After the BAGSC meeting and lunch, enjoy an optional, additional tour of the Garden from 1pm – 2pm. While you may be accustomed to visiting other botanical gardens, be prepared to explore the botanic gardens at UCR in the “Part II” tour. Hilly terrain and footpaths promise to turn your visit into an expedition. See additional tree specimens and parts of the garden that the casual visitor will miss. Don’t feel like going on an expedition? Bring your sketchbook and camera and spend the afternoon recording your finds.
What can you do at UCRBG?
Here are some suggestions… [click a photo to see a larger image and captions]
Meet at the entrance at 9:45 am. UC Riverside Botanic Garden. Photo: Garden entrance, Tania Marien, © 2016.
Enjoy a stroll through Alder Canyon. UC Riverside Botanic Garden. Photo: Alder Canyon lawn, Tania Marien, © 2016.
Explore the South African Garden. UC Riverside Botanic Garden. Photo: Aloe, Tania Marien, © 2016.
Visit the butterfly garden. UC Riverside Botanic Garden. Photo: Asclepias sp., Tania Marien, © 2016.
Visit the geodesic dome. UC Riverside Botanic Garden. Photo: Geodesic dome entrance, Tania Marien, © 2016.
Find a staircase when you least expect it. UC Riverside Botanic Garden. Photo: View from top of stairs, looking down at conference room, Tania Marien, © 2016.
Explore the Ficus grove. UC Riverside Botanic Garden. Photo: Ficus Trees, Tania Marien, © 2016.
Marvel at Riverside’s natural landscape. UC Riverside Botanic Garden. Photo: Box Springs Mountain, Tania Marien, © 2016.
Enjoy expansive views of UCR. UC Riverside Botanic Garden. Photo: Hilltop view of UCR, Tania Marien, © 2016.
Explore parts of a 40-acre oasis. UC Riverside Botanic Garden. Photo: Footpath, Tania Marien, © 2016.
Directions, reservations, and other nitty-gritty information
RSVP: To reserve a spot on the Garden tour and to RSVP for the Guild meeting, please contact Tania Marien by February 19, 2016. Won’t be able to commit until the last minute? Never fear! We will be reserving a few additional spots for those who discover they can come at the last minute. Please let Tania Marien know, however, as soon as possible.
Directions and parking: To help you navigate your way through campus, here are written directions:
- From L.A. or Orange County:
- Take the 60 Freeway east.
- Exit at Martin Luther King Blvd.
- Turn right at the end of the off-ramp.
- Turn right at first stoplight (Canyon Crest Drive).
- Enter campus and continue to West Campus Drive.
- Turn right on West Campus Drive.
- Follow West Campus Drive past Entomology, the Herbarium and the greenhouses. The road descends as it passes the greenhouses. The bottom of the hill is Botanic Garden Drive. Turn right at the stop sign onto Botanic Garden Drive.
- You will see Lot 10 on your right. Parking here is limited to 2 hours ($1.25/hr on weekends). You do not want to park here if you will be at the Garden all day.
- To park in the UCRBG parking lot, look beyond Lot 10 and you will see Botanic Garden Drive continue up a gradual hill to your right. Follow this road to the Garden. If space is available, park in the Garden’s lot. Purchase a permit at the permit dispenser located just inside the main gate. Parking in this lot costs .25¢ per hour.
If parking in the Garden’s lot is full, do this:
- Drive down Botanic Garden Drive. At the bottom of this short road, turn right.
- Park in Lot 13. Look for Tania’s white Suburban.
- It will have on it a large magnetic sign from the WWW Symposium. Once again, look for Asuka’s tomato. This way you will know you are in the correct parking lot.
- Purchase a permit at the permit dispenser. Parking in Lot 13 is $5.50/day on weekends.
- Walk back to the Garden.
- For more information about visitor parking and permit dispensers, please go to http://parking.ucr.edu/visitor.
Download a color-coded map, supporting the written directions above.
To learn more about the Garden, please see http://gardens.ucr.edu.
Attached to this message is a map_UCR_campus supporting the written directions above. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Tania Marien.
Carpooling: We are coordinating carpooling locations to make the drive fun and parking easier.
Pasadena area: There is limited parking available at the LA Arboretum. They are expecting a large crowd later that morning for a rock (not music) show. We can park at the outer edges of the LA Arboretum parking lot, OR we can arrange to meet just south of the Arboretum, in the Westfield mall parking lot.
San Dimas meeting place: Meet at the juncture of the 210 and 57 in the Costco parking lot in San Dimas at 520 N. Lone Hill Ave. An easy meeting spot is near to the Costco gas station.
Orange County meeting area: members should arrive at Clara Josephs’ house in North Tustin in time to depart by 8 am.
Want to set up a carpool location in your area? Join a carpool at one of the locations above? Contact Clara Josephs. If you have room in your car, and will take another member, let Clara know so she can help someone who needs a ride.
We look forward to welcoming you to the UC Riverside Botanic Gardens (UCRBG) on Sunday, March 6, 2016.
by Diane Daly and Deb Shaw
The Opuntia cactus in the courtyard at the entrance to Bowers Museum. Another beautiful Fall day in Southern California. Photo © Deborah Shaw, 2015.
BAGSC members Diane Daly, Deb Shaw, and new BAGSC member Linda Carpenter spent a gorgeous Fall day at the Bowers Museum on November 22, demonstrating botanical art and talking with visitors to the Museum. BAGSC members are demonstrating in conjunction with the Bowers exhibition “The Red that Colored the World,” on display through February 21, 2016.
Cochineal (Dactylopius coccus) is a scale insect that lives on Opuntia cacti. The insect produces carminic acid, from which carmine dye is derived. The females and their nymphs secrete a waxy, white web to protect them from the sun and predators. Photo © Deborah Shaw, 2015.
There is a huge Optuntia (Prickly Pear) growing in the courtyard at the entrance to the Bowers, serendipitously covered with Cochineal. We were lucky to have a large pad that had fallen to the ground, and, in addition to botanical art, we were able to show visitors the Cochineal scale insect, the color, and even some Mealybug Ladybird (ladybug) larvae who were feasting on the Cochineal. It was a whole world on one cactus pad. Visitors to the museum were fascinated (as were we!).
Live Cochineal (under the white on the Opuntia cactus paddle); dried Cochineal; and paint from the crushed insects. Photo by Diane Daly, © 2015, all rights reserved.
Diane Daly teaches at the Bowers Museum Treasures Program, which reaches out to senior centers, community centers, libraries, social service agencies and residential communities, engaging older adults who may be feeling isolated through art. The Thursday program focused on Cochineal as well, complete with demonstrations of crushing the bugs and using them to make paint. The seniors then painted an Aztec design using the paint. They could add lemon juice to some of the paint, which made it a lighter, warmer red.
Deborah Shaw will be teaching a a two-day color mixing class, “What’s Cool (and Warm) about Red” (with paint from the art supply store) on Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13 at Bowers. Registration is through the Bowers website.
Additional BAGSC demonstration days in conjunction with the exhibition will be held in January and February. Come join us and learn about a color that changed the history of the world, that’s still in use today. (You’ll be amazed at how much Cochineal is still used in food, make-up and clothing dyes.) Email Deb to sign up!
by Melanie Campbell-Carter, posted by Deb Shaw
It’s time to renew your membership in ASBA and BAGSC!
Member Renewals
An email reminder will be distributed at the first of the year, but the sooner the better for renewing your membership! All renewals are handled through the ASBA website, and the Membership Chair is notified of renewals only after they are processed by the ASBA. Therefore, it is conceivable that some delay may occur between a member’s online transaction and BAGSC’s awareness of that renewal. Please notify the ASBA or Melanie (BAGSC Membership Chair) if you feel your renewal may have gotten “lost” in cyberspace.
How to Renew:
The ASBA website renewal has been revised, and it’s much clearer and easier!
- Go to the ASBA Home Page
- Click on Membership, then
- Join/Renew Now (or simply click “Join/Renew Now on this line and get taken directly there)
- (Make membership selections)
Most of us will go through the following drill:
Select:
- Myself >
- Renewing >
- United States >
- Join a chapter >
- BAGSC
- Checkout – $100 for one US membership plus BAGSC; international membership is $125 (US) for one US membership plus BAGSC
Once you go through the process, you will be given the opportunity to join multiple chapters if you would like, and make donations to ASBA and to the chapters you join.
In case of confusion or problems:
- If you joined ASBA but forgot to join BAGSC, it is easy to fix. From the Home Page, go through Membership to Join/Renew Now. Toward the bottom, there is a link for those who have already paid their 2016 ASBA dues but failed to join a chapter. Click there and proceed.
- If you have difficulty with the website, please email Melanie or contact ASBA directly. Help is available!
BAGSC had seventeen renewals for 2016 in November. These “early birds” are setting a great example for us all. Please get your renewal done as soon as you can. We have a great calendar for 2016 with lots of great member events and opportunities!
by Clara Josephs, posted by Deb Shaw
University of California, Riverside, Botanic Garden. Photo by Tania Marien, © 2015, all rights reserved.
Mark your calendars: the first BAGSC Quarterly meeting of 2016 will be Sunday, March 6, 2016, at 9:30 am at the University of California, Riverside Botanic Gardens.
A guided tour of the Gardens begins promptly at 9:45 am.
Sack lunch and quarterly meeting immediately following at 11 in the conference room.
Cost: $8 for tour (payable at the meeting) plus parking fee.
Tania Marien has arranged a guided tour just for BAGSC members of the spectacular botanic garden at UC Riverside. This world renowned garden and research facility has a unique collection of plants and trees from all over the world, including rare and bizarre plants from Baja, California and unique specimens from the Sierra Foothills. Ongoing research projects include the development of dwarf, low winter-chill lilacs and a breeding project focused on developing heat resistance in Cantua (Magic Flower of the Incas).
The tour will last approximately 1-1/4 hours. There is bench seating along the route. Please bring $8 to cover the cost of the guided tour, money for parking, a sack lunch and drink. Our quarterly meeting and lunch will begin at 11. You will want to bring your camera or sketchbook! Plan to arrive in the parking lot by 9:30. Restroom facilities are at the entry to the garden. We plan to begin the tour promptly at 9:45 am.
Carpool meeting locations will be established in various Southern California locations to make travel to Riverside easier. More to come later on carpooling. Please note that parking in lots other than the small lot at the botanic garden is subject to University parking fees. Carpooling is encouraged.
Visit the UCR Botanic Gardens online. You’ll be impressed by what you see!
BAGSC Meeting Dates for 2016
- March 6
- June 4
- September 11
- December 3
Parking Information for UC Riverside Botanic Gardens
Weekend parking at the botanic gardens is .25¢/hour. Parking is limited. Weekend parking in UCR Lot 10 is $1.25/hour, 2-hour maximum.
by Alyse Ochniak, posted by Deb Shaw
Leaves of the Quercus ruber (English Oak) outside the Botanical Ed Center. Photo credit: © 2015 Alyse Ochniak, all rights reserved.
On October 24, 2015, BAGSC members enjoyed an informative class taught by Dr. Jim Folsom, Telleen/Jorgensen Director of the Botanical Gardens at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.
The class focused on the growth and structure of trees. Students looked at branches from the Quercus ruber (English Oak), from outside the Botanical Ed Center, studying leaves and growth buds. Dissection and compound microscopes were used to bring tiny cell structures of oak leaves and bark into focus.
After studying the different cells and structures students enjoyed a walk with Jim looking at different growth habits, bark, leaves and acorns of different oak trees in the gardens.
Quercus suber, Cork oak tree, from looking at trees with Jim Folsom. Photo credit: © 2015, Alyse Ochniak, all rights reserved.
The class ended with refreshments and discussion of the next workshop on January 17, 2016.
Hurry space is limited, if you want to sign up for the next workshop! The January 17, 2016 workshop is limited to 20 students, and will be held in the Engemann Applied Tech Lab, from 8:30 am – 12:00 pm. Cost is $10.00, payable at the workshop. Reservations are required, however; please RSVP to Alyse Ochniak. Reservations are first come, first served.
For more information about the New York Botanical Garden Triennial “Out of the Woods, Celebrating Trees in Public Places” visit the ASBA website.
Quercus suber, Cork oak tree, close up of bark. Photo credit: © 2015, Alyse Ochniak, all rights reserved.
The Huntington is located at: 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, California, 91108.
About the instructor:
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 Beth Stone
A wonderful series of weekly classes has just concluded at the LA Arboretum and Botanic Garden. This Otis College course was taught by Olga Eysymontt. Each class in the series built upon the preceding progressing from contour drawing to shading exercises then on to visualizing basic forms as they apply to increasingly complex botanical subjects. Artistic composition was also a theme throughout.
For some students the material was brand new, for others it was review, for myself it certainly filled in some gaps. Without question, all the subject matter and techniques which Olga covered are foundational to botanical art.
Olga makes great use of a combination of demonstration, class discussion and one-on-one guidance. Each class included at least one opportunity to share our progress with and learn from one another. Each session concluded with a homework assignment. I found this particularly valuable and just the right level of effort to keep me engaged between classes. Practicing the concepts on my own really helped to reinforce each lesson.
By the end, each of us had several completed works…and one more work in progress to keep that momentum going.
Watch for Olga’s next series coming up in January 2016. I highly recommend it!
by Deb Shaw
Icon for the “Weird, Wild & Wonderful” Symposium keynotes, available for free from iTunes U > The Huntington.
The keynote lectures from the “Weird, Wild & Wonderful” Symposium have been made available in audio format by The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens for free, via iTunes U > The Huntington. To listen, go to: https://itunes.apple.com/us/institution/the-huntington/id416672109. This link will take you to the iTunes U where you can hear all of the keynote talks from the symposium unedited, including:
- Jim Folsom’s opening remarks
- Dr. Jodie Holt, “Do you ‘see’ plants? Using Art and Technology to Teach Science”
- Mieko Ishikawa, “Painting the Wonder Plants of Borneo”
- Dr. Phillip Cribb, “The Art of Orchids”
- Dr. Alain Touwaide, “Plants, Artists, Languages: A Sense of Time and Places”
If you are having trouble connecting with the link above, go to The Huntington’s website, scroll down to the bottom of the page to the social media icons on the lower right side, and click on the iTunes U icon (the music notes). While there, take a look around at all of the free lectures offered by The Huntington.
The “Weird, Wild & Wonderful” Symposium was held this summer in conjunction with the southern California showing of Weird, Wild & Wonderful: The New York Botanical Garden Second Triennial Exhibition, Botanical Illustrations of Remarkable Plants, a traveling exhibition curated by the American Society of Botanical Artists.
by Deb Shaw
Pincushion Protea, watercolor and colored pencil on paper, © 2015 Estelle DeRidder, all rights reserved.
The American Society of Botanical Artists and The Horticultural Society of New York announce the opening of the 18th Annual International at a new venue: the New York Design Center at a new venue. The ASBA’s longest-running collaboration, this prestigious exhibition will be held for the first time in mid-town Manhattan.
The opening reception will be on Wednesday, November 4, 2105 from 6 pm – 8 pm. Awards will be announced at 7 pm.
The evening’s events will begin with a book talk by author Amy Goldman at 5 pm. Limited seating is available. To attend Amy Goldman’s talk, an RSVP is required: scourtade@thehort.org. No RSVP is required to attend the opening reception.
As always, the catalog of the exhibition is available through ArtPlantae, starting November 4th.
BAGSC artists accepted into the exhibition include: Margaret Best, Melanie Campbell-Carter, Estelle DeRidder, Akiko Enokido, Asuka Hishiki, Joan Keesey, and Lesley Randall. Jurors for the exhibition were: Susan Fraser, Director, Mertz Library, The New York Botanical Garden; David Horak, Curator of Orchids and Aquatic House, Brooklyn Botanic Garden; Catherine Watters; Botanical Artist and ASBA Board Member.
The New York Design Center is located at: 200 Lexington Ave. New York 10016, (212) 679-9500.
by Clara Josephs, posted by Deb Shaw
Jim Henrich, Curator of Living Collections, Los Angeles Arboretum, lectures about their tree collection. Photo by Clara Josephs, © 2015, all rights reserved.
On Saturday October 11, 14 BAGSC members were treated to an hour and a half walking tour of a portion of the exquisite tree collection of the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. Our gracious guide, Jim Henrich, Curator of Living Collections, enthralled attendees with detailed descriptions of the life cycle and history of about 30 unique or rare trees in the Arboretum’s extensive collection.
The tree collection was begun in the 1950s, and includes some specimens that are grown outdoors in the US only at the Arboretum. BAGSC members used Jim’s handout of significant trees to take detailed notes and reminders about tree locations. After a great morning, the group enjoyed lunch on the patio of the Peacock Café.
Other Tree Walks are planned to help members prepare paintings for submission to the New York Botanic Garden’s Triennial, “Out of the Woods.” Read the call for entries on ASBA’s website.
A beautiful day at the Arboretum. Photo by Beth Stone, © 2015, all rights reserved.
by Estelle DeRidder, posted by Deb Shaw
Nevin’s Barberry with Bluebird, by Estelle DeRidder, © 2015, all rights reserved.
As an extension of the ‘Flashcard Project’ which was started through a grant from the ASBA to illustrate the plants of the Madrona Marsh in Torrance, California, Estelle DeRidder has illustrated twelve more species, which are now on exhibit.
The exhibit is open to the public until December 3, 2015, with an opening reception on Sunday, November 15 from 1:00 – 3:00pm. Dessert and coffee will be served.
The Madrona Marsh is located at 3201 Plaza Del Amo, Torrance, California 90503, (310-782-3989) and is open Tuesday through Thursday 10:00am – 5:00pm.
Congrats Estelle!
BAGSC News 