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by Nina Antze, posted by Deb Shaw
The Northern California Society of Botanical Artists (NCalSBA) is sponsoring a workshop on Egg Tempera Techniques for Botanical Painting with Carrie Di Costanzo.
Friday, July 24 – Sunday 26, 2020
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Woodhall
501 Orindawoods
Orinda, California
Cost for 3 day workshop:
$325, NCalSBA member
$350, non member
Included in cost: 3 x 5 inch and 8 x 10 inch panels and paint pigments
Class limit: 16
Sign up by clicking here. It is anticipated that this workshop will fill quickly. Sorry, NCalSBA is unable to refund cancellations unless a waitlisted person is able to take your place.
“Iris II” Egg Tempera on Panel 17” x 13”, Carrie Di Costanzo, © 2019, all rights reserved.
Learn to capture the luminosity of Egg Tempera technique with Carrie Di Costanzo. Egg Tempera is a centuries old painting medium that can be used to render the highly detailed subjects of botanical painting while also effectively creating a radiant and ethereal quality. This workshop will introduce the materials and techniques used to create botanical paintings with egg tempera.
About the instructor:
Carrie Di Costanzo earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. After graduating, she worked as a fashion illustrator before shifting her focus to botanical art in 2008. Carrie has exhibited extensively with the American Society of Botanical Artists and other group exhibitions throughout the US. Her work is held in the Botanical Collections at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, and private collections.
Questions? Contact Susan Mark-Raymond if you have questions or to be placed on a waitlist.
by Janet Parker, posted by Deb Shaw
Acclaimed botanical artist and instructor, Heeyoung Kim, will give a 3-day workshop in Portland, Oregon this spring in pen-and-ink:
Thursday-through-Saturday
April 16 thru 18
Heeyoung is the 2012 recipient of the ASBA’s highest honor, The Diane Bouchier Award for Excellence in Botanical Art. She’s also a skilled and patient teacher.
The workshop will be held at the Oregon Society of Artists.
For more information and to register, please visit the workshop page for the Oregon Society of Artists website.
To learn more about Heeyoung and her work, here’s a link to her website.
Questions? Contact Janet Parker.
The Oregon Society of Artists is located at:
2185 S.W. Park Place, Portland, Oregon 97205, 503-228-0706
The BAGSC Botanical Day of Art is almost here, and the website has been updated with more information. There are still a few spots available for:
Sunday, January 26, 2020
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden
301 N Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007
Cost, BAGSC Members: $50
Non-Members: $60
Be sure to visit the BAGSC website at https://bagsc.org/classes/bagsc-botanical-art-workshop-2020 to review updated information, including:
- A full schedule of the day;
- Instructors and subjects for each of the four sessions;
- Supplies provided;
- Supplies for sharing;
- AND the BAGSC Mercado!
Last year we sold extras from the art supplies purchased for the Day of Art, and participants were clamoring for more. We have just added a BAGSC “Mercado” to the day: in addition to the workshop sessions, BAGSC will be selling extra art supplies purchased for the “Day of Art” as well as gently-used art supplies in our very own Art Supply Mercado.
Please bring cash or check; credit cards will not be accepted for the Art Supply Mercado.
Registration is online and easy. Hope to see you there!
by Deb Shaw
Back by popular demand! Last year’s BAGSC BOTANICAL ART WORKSHOP was such a great success, we’ve created a new one! Start a creative 2020 with:
BASIC BOTANICAL ART WORKSHOP
A Day of Botanical Art Skills & Techniques for All Levels
Sunday, January 26, 2020
9am to 4pm
Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007
Participants may choose from a variety hands-on sessions taught by skilled BAGSC teachers in a new, longer, 80-minute format! Choose which sessions you want to attend the day of the event.
- Color Mixing and Pigments
- Colored Pencil and Watercolor Pencil
- Drawing Leaves and Flowers
- Dry Brush Technique
- Fixing Fiddly Bits with Masking Fluid
- Graphite (Pencil) Techniques
- Nature Journaling
- Pen & Ink
- Pen, Watercolor & Colored Pencil
- Silverpoint
- Watercolor
- AND MORE!
BAGSC Artists include:
- Cristina Baltayian
- Sally Jacobs
- Kathlyn Powell
- Lesley Randall
- Olga Ryabtsova
- Mitsuko Schultz
- Gilly Shaeffer
- Deborah Shaw
$50 BAGSC Members ~ $60 Non-Members
Register online at
https://bagsc.org/classes/bagsc-botanical-art-workshop-2020
No refunds after January 17, 2020.
BAGSC Basic Botanical Art, photo © Deborah Shaw.
All basic supplies are included in the registration cost. Beginners can try new techniques while others can brush up their skills and try out new materials.
Please register early. Spaces are limited, and this workshop is open to the public. Registrations are expected to fill quickly.
Questions? Contact BAGSC’s education chair at the link on the online registration page above.
by Deb Shaw
There are still a few spots available for BAGSC’s first Basic Botanical Art Workshop: A Day of Skills and Techniques for All Levels. Join us on:
Sunday, January 27, 2019
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden
for a day of mini-workshops and fun exploring techniques and supplies.
Cost, BAGSC Members: $50
Non-Members: $60
Register online at: https://bagsc.org/classes/bagsc-basic-botanical-art-workshop
Bring your own lunch or purchase from the Arboretum Café.
This day of botanical art is designed to allow participants of all levels an opportunity to enjoy a hands-on botanical art experience in different mediums. The day starts with a presentation about botanical art. Then, each participant can choose any combination of four (4) one-hour, hands-on workshops taught by skilled BAGSC instructors. Registration is for the entire day—no pre-registration for individual workshops is required.
Participants may choose to sit down with different artists to experience techniques applied to creating botanical art. Currently scheduled are:
- Creating 3D forms by light to dark shading in graphite
- How to do a watercolor wash
- Easy color mixing in watercolor (NEW—just added!)
- Dry brush techniques (NEW—just added!)
- Using pen and ink in scientific illustration
- Drawing with silverpoint
- Color pencil techniques in botanical art
- Labeling your painting with calligraphy
- Creating 3D forms by light to dark in watercolor
- How to draw a leaf in graphite
- Using mixed media in scientific illustration
- Graphite tips and tricks
- Perspective for plants
- Watercolor pencil techniques
BAGSC teacher members will be sharing their skills, displaying some of their works and bringing information. Currently scheduled to participate are:
- Cristina Baltayian
- Diane Daly
- Akiko Enokido (NEW—just added!)
- Sally Jacobs
- Lesley Randall
- Olga Ryabtsova
- Gilly Shaeffer
- Deborah Shaw
- Ellie Yun-Hui Tu
All basic supplies, including paper and paint, are included in the price. Additionally, most artists will bring special supplies to share that can be used with their techniques. Participants are welcome to bring some of their supplies if desired. Please see the lists in the right-hand column of BAGSC’s website about the class.
Questions about the Workshop? Contact the BAGSC Education Chair.
by Kirsten Rindal, posted by Deb Shaw
“Using Light to Create Realism in Botanicals”, taught by Robert McNeill at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, October 3-5, 2018 was an amazing 3-day workshop!
Robert began with a thought-provoking quote by Leonardo da Vinci: “A painter should begin every painting with a wash of black, because all things in nature are dark except where it is exposed to light.” We were all inspired by the meticulous approach and techniques, and how he used light to reveal the drama, depth, form, transparency and detail of the subject.
Snapshot’s from Robert McNeil’s workshop.
He discussed the importance of capturing the effect of light, how it requires controlled tone/value to describe the relative lightness or darkness of color, creating an illusion of form. When we perceive tones/values, they are always relative to each other and never seen in isolation. Therefore, simultaneous contrast is always at work. Being able to create and control tonal/value gradation in watercolor is an important skill to acquire, along with the ability to see them and record them accurately. This controlled effective tone/value can take your work to a higher level by creating “enhanced relations through convincing volume”. Robert’s painting of the Cardiocrinum gigantum was a perfect example of how a painting encourages the viewer to look closer by revealing detail that has been made more apparent by light.
During the workshop, Robert shared examples of his work to illustrate the process and techniques of using light to create realism. He stressed the importance of constantly analyzing the process as one worked. Generous with information, patient in answering every question, his enthusiasm, interest and support were always encouraging.
Lighting:
Robert reviewed ways to light your subject, explaining that correct intensity and direction of light for the subject is important to reveal aspects crucial to capturing its essence. He usually uses overhead lighting that is controlled. He noted that it is not always helpful to place subjects in strong light, as extreme contrasts can create more problems than it solves. His painting of Abies koreana ‘Carron’ beautifully illustrates how studying the play of light across all aspects of his subject creates a sense of drama. We were encouraged to think about lighting in the subject’s natural habitat, and what would be typical of natural lighting. It was suggested that we avoid overhead lights in a room, and also light from windows, keeping light consistent on the subject you are painting.
Documenting Stage:
Thorough and objective observation of the subject is key. Observe the subject from all angles to ascertain which angle would convey the most convincing nature of the subject. Carefully look for overlapping and foreshortening. (Taking photos as a reference is OK, but best not to rely on photos.) For details use eyes, and measure subject for 1:1 scale, carefully documenting information, as subject will change by growing, wilting or drying out. Observe the difference that the angle of light source makes upon subject for revealing visual strengths. Fifteen minutes were given to make three quick loose, linear drawings of our subject, the rose. Fifteen more minutes were given to make three more quick, linear/tonal drawings. Color matching was made at this part of the documenting process. He asked us to be mindful of the way colors are affected by the color next to it. Robert uses Winsor Newton transparent paints only, and always mixes his own greens and oranges.
Development Stage:
We began this part of the process by producing a full size 1:1 scale drawing, referring to documenting stage material to ensure accuracy. Robert shared examples of his work showing meticulous detail to be used as a reference for final painting. Next we were to make an accurate tracing from the drawing of our rose. The tracing was placed in a variety of positions before making a final decision and transferring it to watercolor paper. After transfer, it was advised to always re-work to produce more accurate drawing. He cautioned us about erasures on watercolor paper that can cause paper’s surface to breakdown. Robert also gave a tip about using a piece of silk and an agate to smooth a ruffled paper surface.
Demonstrations:
Lifting Preparation.
- Winsor Newton Lifting Preparation may be used for ease in lifting paint for veins, etc.
- Use 3 layers of lifting prep, allowing 2 hours of drying time in between each layer.
- You may use lifting prep over layer of wash.
- Best to only use in small areas, and be extremely careful not to go over pencil lines.
Ox Gall Liquid.
- Mix 3 drops of Winsor Newton Ox Gall in ¼ cup water. Keep small marked water jar with this mixture separate from other water.
- This mixture helps paint to flow easily.
- You may use Ox Gall and water wash on paper first, and when slightly damp, add paint wash. Or, you may use Ox Gall and water and paint all at the same time.
- Never use paint with Ox Gall for dry brush work. Keep paints and brushes used for dry brush separate.
Dry Brush Technique.
- Using a Spotter, WN 000, Robert demonstrated stipples and tiny fine lines.
- Robert used a separate plate with tiny dots of dry paint, moistening his brush with a damp sponge.
- For texture, only hit the high points of the paper.
- Can use damp brush on top of stipples very carefully.
- It is important to avoid using one technique, rather use a combination of wash and dry brush. Continually analyze the process you are using.
- Indian Yellow may also be used as a light glaze over finished painting…very carefully.
During the three days, we all talked about Robert’s useful ideas and techniques that made an impression on us. At the end of the class, works in progress were placed on a table for sharing. Robert emphasized the importance of seeing all work within the group as a valuable learning experience. Following are ideas and techniques that resonated with members of the class:
“I very much enjoyed learning how to make fast, free sketches while not looking for details, but instead seeing the overall shape.”
“Learning how to focus on the contrasts, especially the dark and light.”
“Watching Robert using a scalpel to release bits of dried paint from the paper surface.”
“Experimenting with Ox Gall as a wetting agent in the water jar, and learning how to use WN lifting preparation was very interesting and highly useful information.”
“Hearing the words: ’Slow down, think, organize and plan’ was a reminder to always approach work with pre-planned thought.”
“Importance of continually analyzing the process.”
“Reactivate the line after a trace to create depth as a reminder while painting.”
“Remembering to soften outside edges while keeping them sharp, yet light.”
“Using a damp sponge for moisture control when using dry brush techniques.”
The time flew by far too quickly! We are all grateful to Robert McNeill, both as a brilliant artist and as an excellent teacher. His meticulous attention to detail and thorough observation of his subjects are reflected in the light and form he achieves in his paintings. He inspired us to see the subtleties and nuances of light as we create art. Thank you also to the Education Committee for bringing him here, to Tania Norris for supplying the subjects, and treats, to The Huntington for hosting us, and to BAGSC.
by Jude Wiesenfeld, posted by Deb Shaw
Tacoma stans ‘Yellow elder’, watercolor by Jude Wiesenfeld on 140 lb. Arches 11” x 14”, © 2018. Completed July 2018.
It’s not too early to start planning for next year!
Join BAGSC member Jude Wiesenfeld for her three-day Botanical Art Workshop: Watercolor on Paper, at the Desert Art Center in Palm Springs, California, January 25, 26, and 27, 2019. The cost for the three-day workshop is $200US.
This workshop will be an introduction to botanical art for everyone with some prior experience with watercolor. All participants will begin a painting while learning about the history of botanical art, basic plant and leaf shapes, creating studies and notes about a subject, and masking and composition.
Nandina domestica, Sacred Bamboo, by Jude Wiesenfeld. Watercolor on 140 lb. Arches, 18.5″ X 15”, © 2017.
This is not a BAGSC-sponsored workshop—enrollment is directly through the instructor. To enroll: email Jude Wiesenfeld and send a $50 non-refundable deposit (address will be supplied upon sign-up) by January 18, 2019 to reserve your spot. Payment balance will be collected the first day of the workshop.
Caesalpinia pulcherrima ‘Pride of Barbados’ by Jude Wiesenfeld. Watercolor on Kelmscott Vellum, 9″ X 12″, Completed March 2018.
The materials list is available on the workshop flyer, downloadable here.
The Desert Art Center is located at: 550 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, CA 92262, 760 323-7973. Directions and hours can be found on their website.
by Cristina Baltayian, posted by Deb Shaw
Cristina Baltayian’s botanical art workshops at the Los Angeles Arboretum & Botanic Garden begin again October 2, 2018. These classes will explore colored pencils, watercolors, watercolor pencils, graphite, and some of us are exploring gouache, colored backgrounds, and more.
Regular classes will meet on Tuesdays. Registration is available on a monthly basis. Additional month-long sessions will meet in November and December, although there will be only three classes in December due to the holidays.
10am-2pm (includes lunch break) / Oak Room
$275 Arboretum members per month / $295 non-members per month (includes Arboretum Admission)
October 2, 9, 16, 23
November 6, 13, 20, 27
December 4, 11, 18 (only 3 classes – $205/$225)
Register online on the Arboretum website (scroll down to find “Botanical Art & Illustration” with links to the monthly registration).
Questions? Please call the Arboretum Education Department at 626.821.4623.
The Arboretum is located at: 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007.
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 Patricia A. Mark and Deb Shaw
Olga Eysymontt will be teaching two botanical art workshops this summer at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Gardens (LA Arboretum) through the Extension Program at Otis College of Art and Design.
The first is a two-day drawing and painting workshop, “Heirloom Tomatoes in Watercolor/Colored Pencil.“ The focus for this workshop will be techniques for conveying the perception of light and shadow, mixing color and continuous tone. Prior experience in drawing botanical subject matter is helpful. A supply list is on the Otis workshop registration site (included on the link below):
Heirloom Tomatoes in Watercolor/Colored Pencil
Saturday, July 7, and Sunday, July 8, 2018
9:30 am – 3:30 pm
Science Lab Classroom
Cost: $185
LA Arboretum & Botanic Garden (link to map)
The second two-day drawing and painting workshop, “Eggplants in Watercolor/Colored Pencil,” will be held in August. This workshop also will cover the techniques for conveying light and shadow, mixing color, and continuous tone. Changing the subject matter from tomatoes to a variety of eggplants allows exploration of different techniques and effects. A supply list is on the Otis workshop registration site (included on the link below):
Eggplants in Watercolor/Colored Pencil
Saturday, August 18, and Sunday, August 19, 2018
9:30 am – 3:30 pm
Oak Room
Cost: $185
LA Arboretum & Botanic Garden (link to map)
Both workshops will be held indoors at the LA Arboretum. Class details will be sent to registrants. There are still a few seats remaining. Take one or both classes!
Questions? Call Otis Extension at 310-665-6850, or email extension@otis.edu
by Jude Wiesenfeld, posted by Deb Shaw
Magnolia grandiflora, gouache on paper, © Carrie Di Costanzo
Carrie Di Constanzo will be teaching a BAGSC-sponsored workshop, entitled Creating Botanical Paintings with Impact Using Gouache.
Participants in this workshop will learn how gouache is used to create realistic and detailed botanical paintings. Explore the benefits of using gouache and the similarities and differences between gouache and watercolor. Demonstrations will include using light washes of gouache, layering of colors with a dry brush, mixing of colors, glazing, and using semi-transparent and semi-opaque gouache. The class will be encouraged to experiment with gouache using small botanical subjects.
This workshop is suitable for artists who have previous experience with gouache, as well as those who have always wanted to try this wonderful opaque medium. Gouache will be supplied by the instructor, and a small fee will be charged to participants to share in the cost of the supplies. The workshop will be held at:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens,
Botanical Education Center, Allied Technical Lab
Wednesday – Friday, April 11 – 13, 2018
9:30 am – 4:00 pm
The Huntington is located at: 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108.
The cost for BAGSC Members is $300; non-members may also attend for $350. Maximum Registration: 16 students.
To register: Send a check in the full amount, made out to BAGSC, with Carrie Di Constanzo on the subject line. Please mail the check to: BAGSC, PO Box 50166, Pasadena, California 91115.
Bring your lunch, or purchase lunch at any of the cafés on The Huntington grounds.
Questions about the Workshop? Contact the BAGSC Education Chair.
More information, materials list and map are available on the BAGSC website.
About the instructor
Carrie Di Costanzo worked as a fashion illustrator before shifting her focus to botanical art. Group exhibitions include the 14th Annual International through the 20th Annual International with the ASBA/HSNY (receiving the Ursus Award in\2013); “Following in the Bartrams’ Footsteps” and “Weird, Wild, and Wonderful” and the 14th through 19th Annual Botanical Art Exhibit at Filoli (receiving the Roth Award in 2013 and the Jurors’ Award in 2014). Her work is held in the Botanical Collections at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, and private collections.
from the Los Angeles County Arboretum Education Dept., posted by Deb Shaw
Cristina Baltayian will resume classes in botanical art starting in January, 2108. 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.
Four (4) Tuesdays per session per month
10:00am-2:00pm (including lunch break) / Oak Room
January 9, 16, 23, 30
February 6, 13, 20, 27
March 6, 13, 20, 27
April 3, 10, 17, 24
May 1, 8, 15, 22
June 5, 12, 19, 26
$275 Arboretum members per month / $295 non-members per month (includes Arboretum Admission)
To Register please call the Education Department at 626.821.4623.
The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden is located at 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007.
by Jude Wiesenfeld, posted by Deb Shaw
If you were looking forward to taking botanical art classes in 2018, here is the preliminary line up:
Denise Walser-Kolar, Roots and Leaves on Vellum or Watercolor Paper
February 7 – 9, 2018
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
$300 members/$350 non-members
Carrie DiCostanzo, Introduction to Creating Botanical Paintings with Impact using Gouache
Dates to be decided: April 11 –13 OR April 18 – 20, 2018
Location to be decided
$300 members/$350 non-members
Lesley Randall, Pen and Ink Drawing of the Aristolochiaceae including a Botanical Talk
May 10 – 12, 2018
Oak Room, Los Angeles County Arboretum
$300 members/$350 non-members
Robert McNeil, subject to be announced
October 3 – 5, 2018
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
$300 members/$350 non-members
The workshops above have been posted on the BAGSC website under ‘Classes’; and on the calendar on the BAGSC ‘Members Only’ website page. Stay tuned for more information on the website, on this blog, and in email blasts to BAGSC members. Additional workshops, lectures, field trips and meeting programs will be announced soon.
by Gilly Shaeffer, posted by Deb Shaw
There are many workshops to be held before the California Native Plant Society 2018 conference begins on Tuesday, January 30, through Wednesday, January 31, at the LAX Marriott.
There will be two botanical art workshops given by BAGSC members:
Gilly Shaeffer will teach “Introduction to Botanical Art Techniques”
Tuesday, January 30, from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm.
Olga Ryabtsova will teach “Black & White Drawing Techniques in Botanical Illustration”
Wednesday, January 31, from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
See complete information about these two workshops below.
Deadline to register January 14, 2018. To Register, go to https://conference.cnps.org/registration/
Introduction to Botanical Art Techniques
Tuesday, January 30, 1:00 PM-4:30 PM
Instructor: Gilly Shaeffer, Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California, American Society of Botanical Artists
Registration: $50 Attending the Conference / $70 Not Attending the Conference
Matilija Poppy, Gilly Shaeffer, watercolor on paper, © 2017.
Botanical art starts with a good drawing. Through demonstrations and hands-on practice, participants will learn ways to create line drawings of plants. We will focus on the need for close observation when creating botanical art. Class will begin with an overview of the materials used to create botanical art and how they are used, including pencils, drawing paper, erasers, magnifiers, watercolor brushes, paints, and watercolor paper. Next participants will be introduced to shading from light to dark to create three dimensional forms. Exercises will further participants’ understanding of form through creation of their own three dimensional forms. An introduction to the importance of a light source in drawing plant forms will be included. Class will conclude with time to sketch from natural forms so that class participants can apply the concepts presented during the class to their actual plant drawings.
This workshop is designed for people who have an interest in learning more about how to draw and eventually paint plants, and will be taught at a beginner level.
Participants will receive a list of reference books for the beginning study of drawing. Handouts will be provided covering basic points made in the class which will include exercises that can be done at home. A variety of books that are highly recommended in the study of botanical illustration and watercolor will be available to look at during class, as well as recent exhibition catalogues.
Please plan to bring (more details will be provided to registered participants—the cost for these materials should be around $15 for those who do not yet own them):
- Strathmore drawing paper pad 400 Series
- Graphite drawing pencils 2H, HB, and 2B
- Cretacolor brand kneaded eraser
Gilly Shaeffer’ s lifelong interest in art and love of nature drew her to the study of botanical art. Her work has been selected to appear in juried exhibitions at museums, galleries, and gardens throughout the United States. She has taught Botanical Illustration and Watercolor at Virginia Robinson Gardens and Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles. She also teaches Botanical Art Techniques at her home studio on Mount Washlngton in Los Angeles.
Black & White Drawing Techniques in Botanical Illustration
Wednesday, January 31, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Instructor: Olga Ryabtsova, Botanical Artist; Exhibition Chair of the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California, American Society of Botanical Artists
Registration: $95 Attending the Conference / $125 Not Attending the Conference
Matilija Poppy seed pod, Olga Ryabtsova, watercolor on paper, © 2017.
This workshop will focus on black and white drawing techniques. We will review the materials required, and participants will learn about the perception of light, shadow, and contrast in drawing with a graphite pencil, metalpoint, pen and ink. Drawing with all mentioned materials will be demonstrated. Patricipants will draw a sketch from a living plant or fruit or a provided photo with graphite, and start an original work with matalpoint.
This worshop is open to anyone interested in botanical art and drawing techniques. All skill levels are welcome (beginner, intermediate, advanced artists who are interested in metalpoint).
Preliminary list of supplies that participants will need to bring (more details will be provided before the workshop):
- Graphite pencils 2H, HB, 2B, 4B
- Sharpener
- Sketch paper
- Tracing paper
- Drawing paper
- Eraser
- Board to support paper and tape to hold it
- Metalpoint wire and holder
- Portable light lamp (optional)
Olga Ryabtsova was born in Russia, in the town of Dubna about 80 miles north of Moscow. After school, she moved to Moscow to study graphic design and illustration at the Moscow University of Graphic Arts, where she obtained a Master’s Degree. She worked as an Art Director for advertising agencies, and as a photojournalist and commercial photographer. After moving to California in 2015, Olga became fascinated with the native plants of Southern California, the botanical gardens in the area, and botanical art. She works in many different techniques, including watercolor, oil, etching, silverpoint and ceramic. Additionally, Olga teaches drawing to children and conducts workshops for adults.
by Deb Shaw
Artwork from the “Visual Voyages” exhibition at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens.
José María Carbonell, Loranthus, Royal Botanical Expedition to the New Kingdom of Granada led by José Celestino Mutis (1783–1816), tempera on paper, approx. 21¼ × 15 in. Archivo del Real Jardín Botánico- CSIC (Madrid).
Join BAGSC and The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens for an innovative seminar, held in conjunction with The Huntington’s exhibition “Visual Voyages,” part of the Getty’s Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA initiative.
BAGSC and The Huntington are co-sponsoring this exciting weekend in November, and are experimenting with a new seminar format. Participants can register for one or more (or all) of the seminar components. BAGSC members have first options on spaces. Each of the seminar components are open to BAGSC Members, their guest(s), and the public. Individual prices are listed with each description; the price for the complete seminar package is listed below.
See full details about the seminar on BAGSC’s website, along with information about how to register for some or all of the events described below.
Friday, November 3
Wine and cheese reception: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Join us for a private exhibition tour and discussion of “Visual Voyages” led by Lugene Bruno and Alice Tangerini: 5:00 pm – 7 pm. This seminar will be a discussion of the artwork of images of Latin American Nature in the exhibition and will compare and contrast the works to contemporary botanical art.
BAGSC Members: $50/person
Non-members: $60/person
Limited to a maximum of 30 participants
Saturday, November 4
Round Table Discussion and Tour of “In Pursuit of Flora: 18th-Century: Botanical Drawings from The Huntington’s Art Collections.” Go from Latin America in the Boone Gallery Friday evening to British artists in the Huntington Art Gallery — Works on Paper room. “In Pursuit of Flora” pulls work from The Huntington’s collection to reveal 18th-century European appreciation for the beauty of the natural world. Lugene Bruno and Alice Tangerini will lead a tour of this exhibition and discussion of the artwork, as it compares to the “Visual Voyages” exhibition and contemporary botanical art.
9:30 am – noon
BAGSC Members: $30/person
Non-members: $35/person
Limited to a maximum of 30 participants
A practical (and fun!) demonstration of pressing and preserving plants for future drawing and painting, and secret recipes for “restoring” preserved samples to use for drawing and painting. Learn how to press plants to preserve specimens for future drawing and painting, as well as how to “bring them back” to view for drawing and painting.
Alice Tangerini: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm.
BAGSC Members: $30/person
Non-members: $35/person
Limited to a maximum of 30 participants
Individual Portfolio Reviews. Lugene Bruno will provide private portfolio critiques by appointment, one-half hour each: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Reviews will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis for the best time possible for your schedule, and for Lugene’s.
BAGSC Members: $50/person (not available to non-members)
Gymnanthemum koekemoerae, © 2017 Alice Tangerini.
Sunday, November 5
Botanical Scientific Illustration Workshop. Pencil and watercolor on film, Alice Tangerini: 10:00 am – 2:15 pm. A hands-on workshop using pressed, “revived” and live specimens. Workshop will break for lunch. Lunch will not be provided; please bring your own, or feel free to purchase lunch at one of The Huntington’s cafés. Please be advised that the cafés can be crowded on the weekends.
BAGSC Members: $30/person
Non-members: $35/person
Limited to a maximum of 16 participants
Please note: the workshop costs above do not include materials. BAGSC will purchase some of the materials in bulk to save money for participants; we will post materials costs as soon as possible.
Individual Portfolio Reviews. Lugene Bruno will provide private portfolio critiques by appointment, one-half hour each: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Reviews will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis for the best time possible for your schedule, and for Lugene’s. Please only request an appointment within the allotted time frame; we may not be able to accommodate other times due to other scheduled seminar activities.
BAGSC Members: $50/person, (not available to non-members)
Dudleya rigida Rose, Crassulaceae, watercolor on paper by Frederick A. Walpole (1861–1904), 1897, 35.5 x 25.5 cm, on indefinite loan from the Smithsonian Institution, Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation accession no. 4304.
“Hidden Treasures: The rediscovery of art treasures in our collections” Public Lecture with Alice Tangerini, Smithsonian Institution and Lugene Bruno, Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mellon: 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm in Rothenberg Hall.
Lugene Bruno and Alice Tangerini will present an illustrated lecture on missing artworks that were rediscovered in and curated for their museum collections. These art pieces represent historical events and important discoveries or were created for publications in the realm of science and art. They may have been stored in places where their presence was not easily detected; sometimes amongst old boxes of artifacts, in the files of herbarium specimens or even catalogued as another kind of object. Artists such as Frederick Walpole (1861–1904), Paulus Roetter (1806–1894), Isaac Sprague (1811–1895) and Mary Emily Eaton (1873–1961) portrayed each plant subject with aesthetic beauty and scientific accuracy. Walpole divided his time between Washington D.C. for the USDA and field trips to the Northwest as far as Alaska, during which time he made field drawings, watercolors and exquisite ink drawings that resemble fine line engravings. His talent was extinguished at 43 when he died of typhoid while working in California. Isaac Sprague, a self-taught artist, and one-time assistant to John James Audubon, was one of the most prolific illustrators of the 19th century and, from his home in Massachusetts, he drew in pencil and ink illustrations for published descriptions of native floras and plants collected during exploring expeditions and railroad surveys by some of the most important botanists of the period. Paulus Roetter, an émigré from Germany went on to create some of the finest drawings of the cactus family while accompanying the botanist George Engelmann on one of the government boundary surveys in the Southwest from 1853–1854. Engelmann named the cactus Cereus roetteri in honor of this artist’s skill. Mary Emily Eaton contributed drawings and watercolors for a four-volume opus, Britton’s The Cactaceae (1919–1923), while working as a scientific illustrator for the New York Botanical Garden. She lost her job during the depression and returned to England where she exhibited her work over the years. Each artwork has a storied past, and the history and the images of the artist’s field studies and finished drawings and paintings that were rediscovered in the collections will be featured in this presentation. By curating, cataloging and imaging these art works the Smithsonian Institution and the Hunt Institute preserve for the future a part of American history.
BAGSC Members: FREE
Non-members: FREE
Maximum of 250 participants
The Works
Want to participate in the entire weekend? Sign up for “The Works!” Complete Seminar Cost (everything included, except individual portfolio reviews)
BAGSC Members: $150
Non-Members: $175
Questions? Contact the BAGSC Education Chair.
About the Instructors
Lugene Bruno, Curator of Art & Senior Research Scholar at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.
Lugene Bruno, Curator of Art & Senior Research Scholar at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA. Since 1996, Lugene Bruno has held a position at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation where she has immersed herself in the collection. She is responsible for all activities of the Art Department, including the curation of the art collection and twice-yearly exhibitions in the Institute’s gallery (most notably the triennial International Exhibition of Botanical Art & Illustration). She designs the exhibitions and companion catalogues; provides talks and tours related to collection items on site and at botanical conferences; responds to research requests; and makes available for study selections of the art collection to visiting scholars, students and artists. She is an honorary member of several botanical art and florilegia societies in the United States and abroad. Bruno is also a practicing artist working with the concepts of gestural abstraction and employing the mediums of photography and graphite drawing.
Alice Tangerini, Staff Illustrator and Curator of the Botanical Art Collection at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
Alice Tangerini, Staff Illustrator and Curator of the Botanical Art Collection at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. As a Staff Illustrator for the Botany Department at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Alice Tangerini has been specializing in drawing plants in pen and ink and graphite since 1972 and now her illustration media includes digital color.She has illustrated at least 1000 species of plants appearing in scientific periodicals, floras, and botanical and nature books. Most of her subjects are based on the Department’s extensive collection of over 4 million herbarium specimens.Alice also teaches classes in illustration techniques, presents lectures on botanical illustration and juries shows in botanical gardens and in academic institutions.She has exhibited her botanical artwork in numerous shows connected with the botanical and scientific illustration societies of which she is also a member. Her responsibilities in the department also include managing and curating an extensive collection of botanical illustrations, both historical and contemporary, which are available for viewing on the Department of Botany website.
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