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by Tania Norris, posted by Deb Shaw
Multi-petalled flower, watercolor work in progress. © 2014, Akiko Enokido.
Akiko Enokido will be coming to the Virginia Robinson Gardens to teach us how to work on multi-petalled flowers and how to shade. Plus, students can also bring unfinished work to finish.
For those who have taken a class from Akiko before, you know that she not only brings her wonderful artist’s talent to share but also a teacher’s understanding of how to help those of us who aspire to be better artists.
I look forward to seeing you, and if you have any questions please email me and I will try to to help.
VIRGINIA ROBINSON GARDENS
BOTANICAL ART CLASS with Master Teacher AKIKO ENOKIDO
JUNE 24 AND 25, 2014, 9.30 – 3.30 daily
Classes will be held in the Pool Pavilion, Virginia Robinson Gardens, 1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills.
Fee for the two day session is $200 for Friends of Robinson Gardens and $225 for non-members. A non-refundable deposit of $100 to hold space can be accepted but full payment must be received by June 20.
To make reservations visit http://www.RobinsonGarens.org or call Bianca at (310) 550-2068.
Mail check, made payable to:
FRIENDS OF ROBINSON GARDEN
1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills, Ca 90210
A supplies list will be sent to all participants upon registration. Coffee, tea and water will be provided, but please bring your own lunch.
Akiko Enokido is a long time award winning member of Botanical Artists organizations in America and Japan and and has been accepted in the most important exhibitions in both countries. Her beautifully rendered paintings are known for their exquisite color, detailing and composition and are prized by their owners including the Hunt Institution, curators of the most important modern botanical collection in America.
by Leslie Walker
Come to this informative class to learn an important skill needed by all good botanical artists. Plant material will be provided, but if you have a subject that is presenting you with a problem, bring it with you so Lee can help you solve it.
Dates: Saturday, June 21 and Sunday June 22
Times: 9:30 am − 3:30 pm
Cost: $210 for BAGSC members, $235 for non-members
Bring your lunch
Send your check to Leslie Walker. Please include your preferred email address with your check, so Leslie can email you the materials list. The materials list will be emailed upon receipt of your payment. Registration is limited, based on receipt of payment.
Questions? Email Leslie.
The workshop will be held in Newport Beach at the Environmental Nature Center (The ENC). The ENC is located at 1601 East 16th Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663. (Click on the address for directions.) There is ample, easy parking at the ENC, and the classroom space and surroundings are beautiful. Hopefully, the butterfly house still will be open at that time too!
by Deb Shaw
Lee McCaffree will be returning to Southern California on Saturday, June 21 and Sunday, June 22 to teach a workshop on foreshortening — a subject we could all study in perpetuity.
The workshop will be held in Newport Beach at the Environmental Nature Center (The ENC). The Environmental Nature Center is located at 1601 East 16th Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663. (Click on the address for directions.) There is ample, easy parking at the ENC, and the classroom space and surroundings are beautiful.
Watch for more details about times, costs and how to sign up, coming out soon. In the meantime, mark your calendars!
Hope to see you there!
By Julia Klein, posted by Deb Shaw
Anne-Marie Evans
Anne-Marie Evans will be teaching Workshops for Botanical Artists in March of this year:
Session 1: March 24 – March 28, 2014
Session 2: March 31 – April 4, 2014
The classes will be held in the Virginia Robinson Gardens Pool Pavilion, and costs are $595.00 per session for members, or $675.00 per session for non-members. Register by phone at 310.550.2068 or by mail. Make checks payable to Friends of Robinson Gardens, and please write “Botanical” on the memo line of your check. A supply list will be emailed to participants prior to class.
Coffee, tea and water will be provided. Please bring your own lunch. Parking is limited, so carpooling is encouraged.
Anne-Marie Evans welcomes beginners to experienced artists. Her class covers her unique six-step method for producing a botanically correct and beautiful portrait of a floral subject in watercolor. Anne-Marie Evans is one of the most prominent botanical art teachers in the world. She is in a large way, responsible for the renaissance of botanical art in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and has taught in many countries.
Anne-Marie was responsible for the suggestion and follow-up of the florilegium of the Prince Charles’s Highgrove Estate and whose pages include paintings by several of her students. Copies of the florilegium can be viewed in Southern California, on request, at both the Getty Research Institute and the Huntington Library, Art Collection and Botanical Gardens, San Marino.
The Virgina Robinson Gardens is located at 1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills, California 90210.
Many botanical artists come to their craft from the applied arts: textiles, jewelry, ceramics and more. BAGSC member Deb Shaw will be teaching two botanical art workshops at Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California, in conjunction with the exhibition “A Quest for Beauty: The Art of Van Cleef & Arpels.” The workshops will be held on February 4 and February 11, 2014 and will explore using graphite, colored pencil and watercolor techniques. Classes will draw from live specimens, using the original drawings of flowers and jewelry on display in the Nature Gallery of the Van Cleef & Arpels exhibition as inspiration.
Enhance your experience by attending the optional 1 PM Gallery Talk and tour of the exhibition, led by Bowers Museum staff (20 minutes) and is free with class registration. Original drawings and paintings for designs are on display in addition to the spectacular jewelry, including many paintings with botanical themes.
Session I | February 4: Graphite and Colored Pencil
Session II | February 11: Graphite and Watercolor
Fee: Individual class: Members: $15, Non-Members: $25
Series: Members $25, Non-Members: $35
One time “materials fee”, payable to instructor: $15
There are a few spots still available. For reservations: e-mail education@bowers.org or call the Education Department at 714.567.3677.
“A Quest for Beauty: The Art of Van Cleef & Arpels” is a heritage exhibition spanning more than 100 years of history. The exhibition displays jewelry, watches, and precious accessories, as well as archive drawings and documents of the Place Vendôme High Jewelry Maison. More than 200 pieces from the private collections of Van Cleef & Arpels are on display. The exhibition is built around four themes that continue to inspire the Maison: Nature, Elegance, Exoticism and Femininity. The exhibition ends on February 15, 2014.
Bowers Museum is located near the intersection of the 5 and the 22 Freeways, at: 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana, CA 92706.
by Deb Shaw
Margaret Best will be teaching a 10-day botanical art workshop in the Cotswolds, England in September, 2014. This Quench tour combines must-see botanical art destinations with a week of botanical art at the Cotswolds estate, Colesbourne Park. The Cotswolds are home turf for Margaret, and the Fall offers delightful specimens to paint from the English countryside.
Destinations include: Kew Gardens, with guided tours of the library and archives through the renowned Shirley Sherwood Gallery and the beautifully restored Marianne North Gallery, as well as an excursion to The Prince of Wales’ country estate Highgrove, home to his gardens and the Florilegium. Colesbourne Park, the estate of Lady Carolyn and Sir Henry Elwes, will provide an inspiring setting of gardens and woods The estate boasts 900 acres of private arboretum with some historical trees.
Highlights of the itinerary, from September 17 – 26, 2014 include:
- September 17: Arrive at London Heathrow airport and transfer to Kew. Settle into your hotel. Join Margaret, Kiloran, and your fellow travellers for a welcome dinner.
- September 18: Full day visit of The Royal Botanical Gardens that includes a talk and viewing of the archives/historical collection, followed by a tour, led by Margaret, in Shirley Sherwood Gallery and Marianne North Gallery. Evening at leisure.
- September 19: Late morning transfer to The Cotswolds. Stop at the charming village of Bibury for High Tea. Continue on to Colesbourne, where you can settle into the inn. Welcome drinks at Colesbourne Park with your hosts. Evening at leisure.
- September 20: Full day in studio. Lunch in studio or in village. Evening at leisure.
- September 21: Full day in studio. Lunch in studio or in village. Evening at leisure.
- September 22: Full day in studio. Lunch in studio or in village. Evening at leisure.
- September 23: Mid-morning excursion to Highgrove for garden tour and lunch. Afternoon at leisure in nearby village of Tetbury. Return to Colesbourne. Evening at leisure.
- September 24: Morning and early afternoon in studio. Lunch in studio or in village. Late afternoon excursion to Cheltenham, which includes time in the Montpellier Parade shopping district. Dinner in Cheltenham.
- September 25: Full day in studio. Lunch in studio or in village. Farewell dinner.
- September 26: Return home.
The cost is for the trip is $4,775 (Canadian dollars). Non-participant discount is $925 per person. Maximum group size is 14 people.
Margaret is an internationally recognized botanical artist and teacher offering classes and workshops in graphite, colour pencil and watercolour. She has taught workshops to all levels of experience from beginners to advanced in Canada, the UK, Italy, the US, Morocco, and Bermuda. Workshop venues have included the Huntington Library, Art Collection and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California; Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens; San Diego Natural History Museum; Filoli Gardens; Dow Learning Center in Zoo Conservatory, Calgary, Canada; and the Bermuda Art Center, Hamilton, Bermuda. Margaret’s watercolours have been widely exhibited in New York; Weisman Museum, Minneapolis; Hunt Institute of Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh; Los Angeles; Denver; Bermuda; Toronto; San Francisco; and her work is found in numerous private and corporate collections around the globe. Margaret has designed four coins with botanical themes for the Royal Canadian Mint. For the past six years Margaret has painted regularly with her mentor, Pandora Sellars who is widely regarded by experts as the leading contemporary botanical artist of our time. A professionally qualified art teacher, Margaret is known for her nurturing style and her ability to readily identify student skill level in order to steer advancement.For more information, download the PDF: Quench_Itinerary_England, call 416 366 2777, or email tripdesign@quenchtravel.com.
by Jill Berry, posted by Deb Shaw
Now that 2014 is here, the Los Angeles Arboretum & Botanic Garden classes are all beginning again! Below is the schedule for botanical art through June, 2014 of botanical art and illustration classes with Cristina Baltayian, Instructor:
All of the classes listed below meet on Tuesdays, from 10 am – 2 pm.
January 7, 14, 21, 28: Basics of color theory and color mixing
February 4, 11, 18, 25: Spring Bulbs (on February 11, this class will meet in the Bamboo Room)
March 4, 11, 18, 25: Wisteria (on March 11, this class will meet in the Bamboo Room)
April 1, 8, 15, 22: Arboretum Florilegium, subject to be decided (on April 11, this class will meet in the Bamboo Room)
May 6, 13, 20, 27: Basics of Composition
June 3, 10, 17, 24: Fruits, subject to be decided
Fee: $255 per month for Arboretum members; $275 per month for non-members
Fees includes Arboretum admission. Class participation is limited to a minimum of 5 students and a maximum of 12.
Pre-registration is required; please call the Class Registration line at 626.821.4623.
A supply list will be provided upon registration. You may bring your lunch or purchase it at the Peacock Café.
These classes will be exploring color pencil, graphite, pen and ink, and watercolor on various papers, vellum and other surfaces. The emphasis will be on plant observation, drawing, composition, color theory and matching, and medium techniques.
In addition, this year, in conjunction with the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California, students will be studying and portraying many of the Arboretum plant introductions from the last 50 years. The goal is to build a collection of paintings that will celebrate and document the invaluable contribution of the Los Angeles Arboretum to the state of California.
Cristina Baltayian has a background in drawing (graphite, charcoal, pen and ink), two-dimensional design, watercolor, and colored pencils. Her work has been shown at Filoli, the Los Angeles County Arboretum, and Chapman University. She is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists, and The Botanical Guild of Southern California.
The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden is located at 301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91007-2697, Phone: 626.821.4624, Fax: 626.821.4642
by Patricia Van Osterhoudt
(left to right) Lori Fields, Arillyn Moran-Lawrence, Cristina Baltayian, and Gayle Uyehara gather around Lee McCaffree (seated) while she demonstrates a masking fluid technique. Photo by Clara Josephs, © 2013.
Hairs, dots, indentations! It’s enough to make the hairs on your neck stand up and salute! Who can count the hairs on a lime green Icelandic Poppy stem or the odd shaped rectangles on a peanut shell, and more importantly, why would one want to? This is the question all botanical artists wrestle with in the process of drawing and painting from nature, and it is one Lee McCaffree skillfully guided fourteen artists through in a two-day workshop on November 9 – 10, 2013 at the Environmental Nature Center (ENC) in Newport Beach. The classroom is in a LEED Platinum building at the ENC; the space is light and airy, perfect for botanical painting.
Through Lee’s expertise as an artist and teacher, we were encouraged to experiment with several specimens including peanuts, dry grasses, pussy willows, and various types of bumpy leaves. We began with careful observations and then did tracings for form, shape, and texture. From these we did graphite drawings as a reference point to come back to often during the actual painting. Lee continually stressed the importance of an accurate drawing for a successful painting. In the painting process we mixed color and did washes staying within the lines of the pencil lead, which all built up to texture. Many of the artists used color pencils as well. Most importantly, Lee encouraged everyone to move along rather than dally over any one particular part so we could “get the feel” for various types of texture. That nudge kept us all going!
Throughout the workshop, Lee consistently demonstrated the techniques she wished us to attempt. During the demos, she made comments such as the “importance of letting each layer of paint dry so that after several layers the light from other colors could shine through.” Later as we painted and drew, she consistently came around to each student giving constructive and creative comments that helped us move to a new and improved place. As she circled back to see our progress, she made very encouraging comments such as, “Great, see how much better that shading looks now!” As we worked side-by-side with our attention focused completely on the subject at hand (peanuts in the shell), Cristina Baltayian looked up and quietly stated, “We are the Peanut Gallery!”
In our final critique, as each artist laid her many paintings and drawings on the end of each table, Lee asked, “What did you like and not like about creating your art?” Overall, we had a general feeling that we were encouraged to try new and more challenging subjects having learned the techniques for how to get there. I always think of the botanical workshops as “a booster shot,” and I certainly got that from Lee!
A special thank you goes out to Leslie Walker, Deb Shaw, Clara Josephs, and Diane Daly for organizing this fantastic workshop!!
by Deb Shaw
BAGSC member Akiko Enokido is returning in December, 2013, and will teach two, three-day watercolor classes. BAGSC is experimenting with having the same teacher in two different locations for added convenience. Sign up for one or for both!
The first three-day session will be at the Los Angeles Arboretum:
Tuesday, December 10 – Thursday, December 12
9:30 am – 3 pm
Subject: Forced Bulbs
Cost: $200.00 BAGSC members
$225.00 non-members
Start forcing your choice of bulbs in November or sooner to bring to class, or you can even bring sprouting garlic or onions from the pantry; your subject matter is your choice. If you would like to have your drawing already prepared before class, that would be wonderful.
A $50.00 non-refundable deposit can be sent to Leslie, check made out to BAGSC, with “Akiko, Arboretum” in the memo line. Maximum class size is 16 people, first come, first served. The total amount is due by Friday, November 8. You can also send the total amount and skip the deposit step. Your check won’t be deposited until the start of class in December.
Bring your usual supplies for drawing and watercolor painting. If any special art supplies are needed, a supply list will be sent to participants upon registration.
Bring your own lunch, or you may purchase it at the Peacock Café at the Arboretum.
Quercus agrifolia, Coast Live Oak, watercolor by Akiko Enokido, © 2010, all rights reserved.
The second three-day session will be at the Santiago Creek Wildlife & Watershed Center, Santiago Park Nature Reserve, Santa Ana, right across from Main Street Plaza: Monday, December 16 – Wednesday, December 18
9:30 am – 3 pm
Subject: Acorns and Oak Leaves
Cost: $200.00 BAGSC members
$225.00 non-members
California native acorns and oak leaves will be provided; if you have other acorns and oak leaves you’ve collected and would like to paint, please feel free to bring them. If you have lots you want to share, please bring those as well! A $50.00 non-refundable deposit can be sent to Leslie, check made out to BAGSC, with “Akiko, Santiago” in the memo line.
Maximum class size is 16 people, first come, first served. The total amount is due by, Friday, November 8. You can also send the total amount and skip the deposit step. Your check won’t be deposited until the start of class in December.
Bring your usual supplies for drawing and watercolor painting. If any special art supplies are needed, a supply list will be sent to participants upon registration.
Detailed directions will be provided to class registrants. The Santiago Park Nature Reserve is not hard to find, and is easily accessible from the 5 and the 22 Freeways. It is highly recommended you bring your own lunch; There are large shopping centers across the street in two directions, but the lunch places are busy with business people, and it would take quite a bit of time away from class.
See you there!
by Cristina Baltayian, posted by Deb Shaw
Thumbnail of colored pencil artwork by Cristina Baltayian, © 2013, all rights reserved.
Cristina Baltayian will teach a five-day class in colored pencil techniques with botanical art, including colored pencil washes, layering colors, burnishing, blending, the basics of color mixing, and more. Drawing and composition skills will be emphasized, and students will do some quick sketching to capture the characteristics and rhythm of the plant.
The class will be held at the Virginia Robinson Gardens in the Pool Pavilion
1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills, California 90210
Monday, October 28 – Friday, November 1
10 am – 3 pm
Cost is $400 for Friends of Robinson Gardens members; $475 for non-members. Register online, or by phone, 310.550.2068, or by mail at the address above: Friends of Robinson Gardens, memo “October Botanical.”
Cristina has a background in drawing (graphite, charcoal, pen and ink), two-dimensional design, watercolor and colored pencils. Her work has been exhibited at Filoli, the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, Chapman University Leatherby Libraries, and the Robinson Gardens Florileguim. She is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists, the Colored Pencil Society of America and the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California. Cristina also currently teaches botanical illustration classes at the Los Angeles Arboretum.
By Leslie Walker, posted by Deb Shaw
Trichostema by Lee McCaffree, © 2013, all rights reserved.
BAGSC is bringing Lee McCaffree to Southern California to teach this November. The subject of this class will be textures. We will explore patterns, textures, and other plant surfaces through color, light and shadow, and negative space. The balance between texture and form will be continually evaluated.
All media are welcome. Graphite will be used to establish a reference subject. Watercolor dry brush techniques will provide a method to represent many different surfaces while maintaining the subject’s form. Colored pencil techniques can be used the same way, but students using colored pencils will be responsible for their own color mixing. This class will develop artist’s confidence to attempt more complex subjects.
The class will be Saturday, November 9 and Sunday, November 10 from 9:30 am – 4:00 pm with a half hour to eat lunch in the classroom. Participants will bring their own lunch; coffee and tea will be provided and will be available all day. The cost for this 2-day class for BAGSC members is $200.00; the cost for non-members is $250.00.
A $50.00 non-refundable, down-payment is required to hold your place, with the final payment due October 12, 2013. All payments should be made by check, made out to BAGSC, with “McCaffree Class” noted in the memo line. Checks should be sent to Janice Sharp (email Janice if you need her address).
The class will be held in the LEED Platinum certified learning center at the Environmental Nature Center, (ENC), 1601 East 16th Street, Newport Beach, CA 92663. The beautiful ENC learning center has plenty of on site and street parking, and is nestled in a 3.5 acre landscape featuring 15 California native plant communities, wildlife habitats, and walking trails. For the past 40 years, the ENC has been a hidden gem in Orange County.
Lee McCaffree is a botanical artist specializing in watercolor. She has studied in London with Christabel King and Capel Manor Environmental College. She has received medals for her “Pinus” and “Plants in Peril” paintings at the Royal Horticultural Society exhibitions in London. Her work is included in the permanent collections of Kew Gardens, the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation and in the Filoli Florilegium, in addition to private collections. Previous exhibitions include: Longwood Gardens, the Horticultural Society of New York, the Denver Botanic Gardens, Strybing Arboretum, the New York State Museum, Oakland Museum, Filoli, and other venues. She teaches botanical art at Filoli and to private groups. She also has served on the Board of Directors for the American Society of Botanical Artists.
by Deb Shaw
Insect, Tulip, Caterpillar, Spider, Pear, Joris Hoefnagel, Illuminator; Georg Bocskay, scribe. From the “Gardens of the Renaissance” exhibition. © 2013, The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.
BAGSC members Tania Marien and Deborah Shaw will be teaching an introductory botanical art class, in conjunction with the current exhibition, Gardens of the Renaissance, Wednesday, July 24, 2013 from 10:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m at the Getty Center, in the Museum studios and galleries.
Explore techniques of botanical illustration in this daylong drawing workshop. Learn how paintings and drawings of plants and gardens during the Renaissance contributed to scientific understanding and captured the beauty, luxury, and status of flowers. The class includes a trip and lecture in the gallery to see the exhibition, and drawing from live specimens in the Getty studio classroom.
Course fee of $125 includes materials, lunch, and parking. Open to 23 participants. Complements the exhibition Gardens of the Renaissance. Register for the class on the Getty website: use the “Get Tickets” button at the class description on the web page.
by Lori Vreeke, posted by Deb Shaw
Beech Leaves, coloured pencil by Ann Swan. © 2013, all rights reserved.
Ann Swan will come across the pond to teach a four-day coloured pencil workshop: Wednesday, September 25 – Saturday, September 28, 2013, in the Oak Room at the Los Angeles Arboretum. The class will meet from 9:30 am – 3:30 pm, and is limited to 16 students. The cost is $440.00.
This workshop will focus on techniques used in Botanical Art Illustrations working in Color Pencil. Workshop will include lecture, demonstrations, and one-on-one critiques. All skill levels are welcome, though some colored pencil experience is recommended as is drawing and sketching of botanicals.
Students need to bring their own materials (list will be supplied). Supplies also can be pre-ordered, and a limited number of supplies will be for sale at the workshop.
Complementary tea, coffee and light snacks will be available in the classroom; food is available in the Peacock Cafe for purchase.
Ann works primarily in graphite and coloured pencil and is well known for her exquisitely fine detail, vibrant colours and strong contemporary style She is passionate about coloured pencils, believing they are easy to master, forgiving and accessible so that even a complete beginner can quite quickly produce work of quality.
Ann’s many exhibitions include: The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, Hunt Institute’s 8th International Exhibition, Society of Botanical Artists, Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower Shows. Her work is represented in the prestigious Shirley Sherwood Collection and features in many private collections around the world.
- RHS Silver Gilt Medal
- RHS Gold Medal 4X
- Silver Medal 14th World Orchid
- SBA President’s Award
- SBA Suzanne Lucas Memorial Award
- UKCPS 3rd Best in Show
- UKCPS People’s Choice Coloured Pencil
- UKCPS People’s Choice Mixed Media (shared) for ‘Merlot’
A deposit of $150.00 holds a place in the class; the final amount is due by September 1, 2013. Questions? Contact Lori Vreeke via email.
Oriental Poppies, coloured pencil by Ann Swan, 36 x 75 cms. © 2013, all rights reserved.
by Tania Norris, posted by Deb Shaw
Akiko Enokido, Chrysanthemum morifolium “Kokka Seija”
© 2013
Watercolor, 11″ x 16″
Akiko Enokido is a long time member of the Botanical Artists organizations in America and Japan and has been accepted in major exhibitions. Her beautifully rendered paintings are known for their exquisite color, detailing and composition and are prized by their owners. Akiko has shown her work in the United States and Japan, including the ASBA/Horticultural Society of New York exhibitions, and the 13th Annual Exhibition of Botanical Art and Illustration from the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation.
In Akikoʼs words her class:
“will observe the shapes and shadows of leaves. You may be surprised to realize how often you are drawing from your own assumptions and not from how the object is actually expressing itself. I will demonstrate the approach of placing multiple layers of color, putting emphasis on capturing reflection of light and to show depth of the objectʼs dimensions.”
Classes will be held at Virginia Robinson Gardens, August 5, 6, and 7, 2013, from 9.30 am – 3.30 pm daily. A supplies list will be sent to all participants.
Coffee, tea and water will be provided, but please bring your own lunch. Fees for the three day session will be $375. for members and $450. for non-members. A deposit of $100. to hold space can be accepted but is non-refundable. Full payment must be made by August 1, 2013.
To make reservations, visit the Virginia Robinson Gardens website, or call (310) 550-2068.
Mail check to:
Friends of Robinson Gardens
1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
If you have any questions, please contact Tania Norris.
Camellia japonica ‘Chandleri Elegans’, Variegated Camellia, by Akiko Enokido, watercolor on vellum, © 2012, all rights reserved.
by Joan Keesey
Common Poppy, photo by John Keesey, © 2013
Consider the “campi fiori,”
Arrayed in their natural glory.
Their existence is brief
Unless an artistic thief
Memorializes their story.
John Keesey, June 2013
Preci, Umbria, photo by John Keesey, © 2013
John and I just returned from Umbria, Italy, where I took Elaine Searle’s Botanical Art Class. We stayed for eight days at a resort, Il Collaccio, in the mountains near the walled hill town of Preci and adjacent to the Monti Sibillini National Park. The views of the mountains and valleys were beautiful; the fields were filled with wildflowers: red poppies, small wild orchids, fringed hyacinths, buttercups, and many flowers that I had never seen before.
The Studio, photo J. Keesey, © 2013
We were a group of 13 including Elaine: four Americans including Deborah Friedman and myself from BAGSC, six women from Britain, three ladies from Finland, Japan, and Trinidad respectively. We stayed in a lovely stone building in which the studio was also located. Il Collaccio provided all of our meals. They were very good, especially the lunches which were interesting, varied and served outside if the weather permitted.
Lunch at Il Collaccio, photo by J. Keesey, © 2013
There was no assigned subject. We could paint wildflowers, vegetables from the local market, or roses growing on the wall of our building. I chose to paint the poppies and a small orchid called the Bee Orchid.
Elaine gave a demonstration every morning on one of the selected subjects. We worked from 9:30 am until 1:00 pm when lunch was served. After lunch Elaine was available in the studio if we wished to continue painting, or we could take the afternoon off for a hike in the hills or a visit to one of the many Umbrian hill towns.
On one of the days we had a group outing to Spello, another beautiful walled town, and Fabriano where we were given a tour of the Fabriano Museum. Fabriano not only makes high quality art paper, they also make the paper for the Euro. We were shown how paper was originally made by hand in the 16th century and their extensive collection of watermarks. At the end of the tour we all made a piece of paper.
Making Paper at the Fabriano Museum, photo by J. Keesey, © 2013
It was a great trip—an opportunity to see a really beautiful part of Italy, to meet new and interesting people, and to concentrate on drawing and painting without the many distractions and obligations of daily life.
Bee Orchid, Ophrys apifera, watercolor by Joan Keesey, © 2013, all rights reserved.
Common Poppy, Papaver rhoras, watercolor by Joan Keesey, © 2013, all rights reserved.
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