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by Michael Best, posted by Deb Shaw
Fiji flower.
This botanical art retreat ticks all the right boxes . . . tropical location, abundance of exotic flowers and fruit, acclaimed teacher, great accommodation, all meals, great facilities dedicated to the arts, lots to see and do — and all at a great price!
Getting there couldn’t be easier with Fiji Airways flying directly from LAX.
Imagine seven days in this tropical paradise where the biggest challenge is going to be selecting a specimen from among the exotic native orchids, colorful ginger plants and fascinating tropical fruit. Work in water color or colored pencil for three hours each morning and then relax or sight-see in the afternoon. Or, if you prefer, paint all day — your choice.
Take a non-painting partner if you wish. There is more than enough for them to see and do while you paint.
One of many beautiful beaches on Fiji.
This 19th to 26th September, 2015 retreat is being organized by Paradise Courses of Sydney. All the details, including the schedule and reservation information, can be found on their website.
Find out more about Margaret’s art and teaching at www.bestbotanical.com and the retreat at www.dakuresort.com. A PDF brochure about the resort can be downloaded here: Daku Resort Savusavu eBrochure.
Imagine . . .
One view from the Daku Resort in Fiji.
by Deb Shaw
Our dear Jill Berry at the Los Angeles Arboretum will be retiring shortly. BAGSC sends out a BIG THANK YOU to Jill for all your years of help, service, and support.
Many of us got our start in botanical art at the LA Arboretum, in classes taught by Olga Eysymontt. Jill was a big part of our experience there, and we will miss her. Jill, congratulations on your retirement, and we wish you all the happiness and fulfillment in the years ahead. Thank you!
Our collaboration and support of the Arboretum will continue, of course. The schedule for Cristina Baltayian’s classes has been announced for January – June, 2015 at the Arboretum. 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.
Tuesdays, 2015 (10 am – 2 pm)
January: 6, 13, 20, 27
February: 3, 10, 17, 24
March: 3, 10, 17, 24
April: 7, 14, 21, 28
May: 5, 12, 19, 26
June: 2, 9, 16, 23
Cost: $275 Arboretum members per month; $295 non-members per month (includes Arboretum admission)
To register: Pre-registration required; please call the Class Registration line at 626.821.4623. Class participation is limited to a minimum of five students and a maximum of 12. A supply list will be provided upon registration. You may bring your lunch or purchase it at the Peacock Café.
Additionally, this year continues the “Arboretum Plant Introduction Project.” Cristina’s students, along with BAGSC members 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.
About the Instructor
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 Leatherby Libraries. She is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists, and The Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California.
by Deb Shaw
We’re pleased to confirm the locations for Eileen Sorg’s BAGSC-sponsored workshop, “COLORED PENCIL STEW.”
“A Bug In Your Ear,” mixed media by Eileen Sorg, © 2014, all rights reserved.
The workshop on Monday, March 9–Tuesday, March 10, 2015 will be held at the Los Angeles Arboretum.
The workshop on Thursday, March 12–Friday, March 13, 2015 will be held at the Santiago Nature Center, in the Santiago Park Nature Reserve, freeway-close off of Memory Lane in Santa Ana, Orange County (near the Main Place mall).
Leslie Walker reports a good number of deposits have already come in, so for those of you who were waiting to see which location matched which dates, it’s time to send in your deposit. Maps, times and materials lists will be emailed once full payment has been received.
For convenience, here’s the “save-your-place” deposit information:
Costs will be $250.00 for a two-day workshop for BAGSC and Colored Pencil Society members, $275.00 for non-members. Please send a $50.00 non-refundable deposit, made out to BAGSC, to Leslie Walker and be sure to indicate whether you would prefer the March 9 − 10 dates at the Los Angeles Arboretum, OR the March 12 − 13 dates in Orange County at the Santiago Nature Center.
Want to take both workshops? Please send a $100.00 non-refundable deposit and let Leslie know that as well.
by Anita Walsmit Sachs and Deb Shaw
Anita Walsmit Sachs will be offering a 5-day botanical drawing and painting workshop, “Hortus atelier” in cooperation with The Hortus botanicus, Leiden, in 2015.
About the Hortus
The Hortus botanicus Leiden is a green oasis in the center of Leiden.
The Hortus botanicus Leiden is the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands and one of the oldest in the world. It is located in the historical centre of Leiden. Sitting behind the academy building of the Leiden University, the garden is a green oasis with a large collection of plants native to Southeast and East Asia, Southern Europe and South Africa. The Hortus is a haven within the city centre, a historical monument and a meeting place full of character.
People go to the Hortus to relax, enjoy the seasons or to learn more about the diversity of the plant kingdom.
In 1590 the Hortus was founded by the University of Leiden. In 1594 Carolus Clusius (1526-1609) turned it into a medicinal herb garden. But Clusius introduced the tulip and many other plants like tobacco and potato to the Hortus. These flowers and plants became known throughout Western Europe.
The Hortus botanicus Leiden is the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands, and one of the oldest in the world.
Many famous international scientists such as Clusius, Boerhaave, Linnaeus and Einstein were connected to the Hortus botanicus in Leiden.
In the 19th century, the German physician Philipp Franz von Siebold (1796-1866) brought hundreds of plant species with him from Japan to the Netherlands and 15 of these original introductions can still be found in the Hortus today.
The Hortus atelier program
The purpose of a botanical illustration is primarily a scientifically accurate drawing. The artistic input is reflected in the sensitivity in which the subject is displayed and in the composition.
PROGRAM: from April 12 to April 16, 2015
First day, the class starts at 10, with coffee and presentation, who is who and info, followed by a guided walk through the garden.
Lunch 12.00 – 12.30
Afternoon 12.30 – 15.45 Instruction about the subject to draw. Pencil drawing, including light and dark values.
Second day, instruction about material, paper, paint and colour mixing and composition.
Third day, transferring the drawing to the watercolour paper and painting.
Fourth and fifth days, continuing the process. Every day there will be a discussion about the progress of the drawing. The education is individually focused to gain an optimal result.
Gloriosa, watercolor by Anita Walsmit Sachs, 2014, all rights reserved.
Costs
The fee will be € 375,00 including morning coffee, brasserie lunch and afternoon drinks. Information about payment will follow after subscription as well as information about lodging possibilities. A small optional assignment will be given before the course starts. Sign ups for the class are through Anita directly via email.
About the Artist
Anita Walsmit Sachs in her studio.
Anita initially trained in fashion design at the Royal Academy of fine Arts in The Hague. Fifteen years ago she became a scientific illustator at the National Herbarium of Leiden University, now Museum Naturalis. She has won two RHS Gold medals and a second prize medal at the RBG show in Sydney, Australia. Anita has participated in the Highgrove Florilegium of HRH Prince Charles. She is passionate about painting and teaching.
by Suzanne Kuuskmae, posted by Deb Shaw
Botanical colored pencil artist and sought-after teacher, Wendy Hollender will be here for a two-day workshop:
April 1 – 2, 2015
She will be stopping in Torrance at Destination: Art on her way back from her two-week class in Kauai. The cost will be $200 for the two days, and as space is going to be limited so that we can really get her full attention, please send a deposit check of $100 made out to Destination: Art to Suzanne Kuuskmae.
This will hold your spot with the balance due 30 days before the workshop. Her last class here a few years back was a sellout and very popular.
by Deb Shaw
Cristina Baltayian will be teaching Botanical Art & Illustration at the Los Angeles County Arboretum:
Tuesdays, November 4, 11, 18, 25, 2014
10am-2pm; Oak Room
$275 members; $295 non-members
These classes will explore 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. All levels of experience are welcome, and participants will find a very high degree of personalized attention. Class participation is limited to a minimum of 5 students and a maximum of 12.
The class fee is for four (4) Tuesdays each month. The next session will be: December 2, 9, 16, 23, 2014. You may bring your lunch or purchase it at the Peacock Café. A Materials List will be provided upon registration.
In addition, an exciting project has begun, in which, 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.
Class fees include admission to the LA Arboretum. For more information, visit the class website page. Pre-registration is required; call 626.821.4623. The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden is located at: 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007.
And one more for all you photography buffs out there…
The LA Arboretum will also hold a workshop on “Night Photography in the Garden”
Saturday, November 22; 7-9pm
Instructor: Frank McDonough
$30 members; $35 non-members
Photographers don’t miss this opportunity to photograph the Arboretum when it’s at its most interesting and unusual; at night. Bring your cameras, LED lights, lasers and specialty light sources and go on the hunt for unique, unusual, and beautiful nighttime picture-taking opportunities. Note: Headlamp required; tripod and DSLR recommended. Please call the class register line at 626-821-4623 to register.
by Deb Shaw
“A Bug In Your Ear,” mixed media by Eileen Sorg, © 2014, all rights reserved.
Save the dates for the week of March 9, 2015, when Eileen Sorg comes to teach a BAGSC-sponsored workshop, “COLORED PENCIL STEW” in Southern California.
This two-day workshop will teach you how to use pen and ink, watercolor, and colored pencil together to create richly detailed pieces of art. This mixed media approach allows for a quick build up of color and value while still leaving room for the beautiful detail and control of colored pencil. You will learn watercolor and colored pencil application tips, and how to extract the best qualities of each medium in this fun and informative workshop.
We are anticipating a high demand for Eileen’s workshop, and so may offer two, two-day classes back-to-back if the numbers are there. Member fee rates will be offered to BAGSC members and members of the Colored Pencil Society.
Watch this blog for updates on how to register (coming soon)!
About the Instructor
Eileen Sorg’s work is collected internationally and is known for its complexity and vibrancy. Her students appreciate her “full disclosure” method of teaching, where no information is held back. Eileen is a Signature member of the Colored Pencil Society, the Society of Animal Artists, and the International Guild of Realism.
by Deb Shaw
The American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA), The Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California (BAGSC) and The Huntington Botanical Gardens present:
A Weird, Wild & Wonderful Symposium
July 23 (Thursday) – 26 (Sunday), 2015
in conjunction with
Weird, Wild & Wonderful
The Second New York Botanical Garden Triennial Exhibition of 46 captivating paintings and illustrations of exotic specimens by invited members of the American Society of Botanical Artists at
The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Garden
San Marino, California
Solanum lycopersicum, Heirloom Tomato, Watercolor on paper, © Asuka Hishiki
Information about the Symposium is available on the ASBA website, and registration opens in May, 2015. Save the dates and watch this blog for exciting learning and volunteering opportunities.
About Weird, Wild & Wonderful:
Botanical art has traditionally depicted conventionally beautiful plants, such as sunflowers, irises, and roses. Weird, Wild, & Wonderful features plants not always thought of as beautiful but rather strange, eccentric, intriguing, and mysterious. Join us in Southern California as we explore the plants and their depictions during a special Weird, Wild & Wonderful Symposium on July 23 – 26, 2015, with additional classes, workshops, displays and lectures throughout the summer.
Only 46 works were selected from nearly 240 entries, hailing from the United States, Australia, Canada, India, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The selection jury consisted of Lugene Bruno, Curator of Art at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation; Jean Emmons, award-winning botanical artist; and Marc Hachadourian, Manager of the Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections at The NewYork Botanical Garden.
About The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Garden:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens is a collections-based research and educational institution established in 1919 by Henry E. and Arabella Huntington. Henry Huntington was a man of vision—with a special interest in books, art, and gardens. During his lifetime, he amassed the core of one of the finest research libraries in the world, established a splendid art collection, and created an array of botanical gardens with plants from a geographic range spanning the globe.These three distinct facets ofThe Huntington are linked by a devotion to research, education, and beauty. For more information, visit: http://www.huntington.org
About American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA):
ASBA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting public awareness of contemporary botanical art, to honoring its traditions and to furthering its development. In its 20th year, ASBA has 1,300 members from more than 20 countries around the world. For more information, visit: ASBA-art.org.
About The Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California (BAGSC):
A chapter of the American Society of Botanical Artists, BAGSC members actively promote development and awareness of this artistic tradition. Guild members are committed to improving their artistry and technical abilities.The Guild supports and sponsors workshops with local experts and visiting lecturers in areas such as drawing and painting botanical subjects, botany, resources, and botanical art history. For more information, visit: bagscblog.com.
by Deb Shaw
Tired of spending endless time and paint trying to find the right color? Learn to mix colors through color theory. This fun, no-stress overview workshop is for beginners through advanced participants and goes beyond what is typically taught in botanical color mixing classes. Although this watercolor workshop will focus on botanical subjects, the theory and exercises apply to all art forms and media, including: plein air, still life, and portraits; whether they’re created in watercolor, oil, acrylic, colored pencil, or pastel. Learn about:
- The hidden values in color, and color mixing basics.
- Where colors fall on the color wheel, and how that affects mixing.
- Transparency, lightfastness, granulation.
- Basic color theories and changing color through the ages (how did Van Gogh get those sad violets?).
- Color mixing and painting methods.
- How to avoid mixing mud, AND how to (purposefully) mix the appropriate mud, shadows and other nasty colors.
- Mixing beyond the basics, including a handout containing the ultimate color mixing exercise.
Monday, October 27, 2014, and Tuesday, October 28, 2104, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm
Cost: $225 for Virginia Robinson Gardens members and Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California (BAGSC) members; $275 for non-members.
$50 deposit is non-refundable.
Tea, coffee and water provided. Bring your own lunch. A materials list will be supplied. Paint samples will be supplied.
Suz Landay and Kerstin Royce look over Deb Shaw’s shoulder during a demonstration.
Classes will be held in the Pool Pavilion, Virginia Robinson Gardens, 1008 Elden Way, Beverly Hills. To make reservations, visit Virginia Robinson Gardens; call (310) 550-2068; or mail a check, made payable to: FRIENDS OF ROBINSON GARDENS.
Instructor biography:
Deborah Shaw has a degree in fine art from Pomona College, The Claremont Colleges, where she also studied botany and native California flora. Ms. Shaw is an active member of the American Society of Botanical Artists, the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California, and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators. She has taught art and botanical art at numerous venues, including The Getty; The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens; Virginia Robinson Gardens; and Bowers Museum. She taught illustration, digital design and information design at the University of California, Irvine, Extension where she was the recipient of the “Distinguished Instructor” award.
Deborah’s work has been displayed in juried and non-juried exhibitions, and is in private collections. Her work is in the permanent collection at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation at Carnegie Mellon University. She has received numerous awards for art, illustration, design, product design and advertising. Her preferred media include graphite, watercolor, colored pencil, scratchboard, Illustrator and Photoshop.
by Jill Berry, posted by Deb Shaw
Cristina Baltayian will be teaching “Botanical Art & Illustration” at the Los Angeles Arboretum, four Tuesdays in November:
November 4, 11, 18, 25
10 am–2 pm; Oak Room
$275 members; $295 non-members (includes admission)
Explore colored pencil, graphite, pen and ink, and watercolor on various papers, vellum and other surfaces. Class emphasis will include: plant observation, drawing, composition, color theory and matching, and medium techniques. All levels are welcome. Participants will enjoy personalized attention.
In conjunction with a project by BAGSC members, students may focus on portrayal of many of the last 50 years of LA Arboretum plant introductions in order to build a collection of paintings that will celebrate and document the invaluable contribution of the Los Angeles Arboretum to the state of California.
Pre-registration is required. To register, call the Registration Line at 626.821.4623.
Garden admission is included when you register for a class.
Class participation is limited to a minimum of 5 students and a maximum of 12.
by Diane Daly, posted by Deb Shaw
Treasurers’ student working on a beautiful watercolor of a sunflower. Photo courtesy of Bowers Museum/Council on Aging Orange County © 2014.
The James Irvine Foundation generously provides grants to the Bowers Museum Treasures Program. Bowers, in turn, uses the grants to reach out to the senior community. One way to engage older adults who may be feeling isolated is through art. The Treasures program reaches out to senior centers, community centers, libraries, social service agencies and residential communities by offering lectures, films, classes and tours.
The Council on Aging of Orange County is one of those agencies that works with the Bowers Treasures program. Since 1973, their mission has been to promote independence, health and dignity of older adults through compassion, education and advocacy. I have had the most rewarding experience and opportunity to teach a botanical drawing and painting class to the seniors at the Council on Aging. They provide translators since some of the seniors speak minimal English. I went home after the first class and brushed up on my Spanish and learned a greeting in Korean. The language differences seem to disappear when we are all involved in the art process of observing and drawing a fruit or plant. For eight sessions, we had a variety of specimens, starting with an apple and pear, a single tulip, a zinnia, a variety of peppers and chilis, a rose and finishing with a sunflower. It was pure joy to see the delight on their faces as they walked in and saw what the subject would be for the day.
Students who are completely blind (but formerly sighted) were able to produce beautiful drawings. Photo courtesy of Bowers Museum/Council on Aging Orange County © 2014.
At first, when I was briefed on what the class should entail, I was told that there would be a few adults who were totally blind or had some sight impairment. Now, after all these years of trying to get as much detail in a botanical painting, I was truly baffled on how a blind person would be able to draw and how would I be able to teach them anything about drawing a flower. But, I was the one to learn a few things about drawing. They were able to feel the fruit or flower with their hands, emboss the paper with firm pressure on the pencil, use circle templates for guidance, and feel where to fill in the shape with color, with the aid of an assistant. I was amazed at the results. It is not botanical art as we know it, but is art that helps bring people together and give them pleasure and satisfaction. I made simple portfolios for them to take their drawings and paintings home on the last day.
Treasures’ student drawing a radish in graphite. Photo courtesy of Bowers Museum/Council on Aging Orange County © 2014.
I had another opportunity through the Treasures program to teach a class on painting Asian flowers on parasols. Since there were 90 adults coming to this program, we used markers instead of paint. With 90 parasols opened and everyone drawing flowers on them, it was quite a challenge to move around to all the tables. Once again, I was delighted at the results; beautiful, original designs on all the parasols. The parasols were used for a display in the museum that weekend for a cultural event. They were able to take home the parasols, as well as all the other art projects that they created.
Diane Daly giving feedback to Treasures’ student. Photo courtesy of Bowers Museum/Council on Aging Orange County © 2014.
by Quench Travel, posted by Deb Shaw
Quench has put together a new eight-night botanical painting workshop with Margaret Best in Puglia, April 12 – 20, 2015.
Puglia is absolutely dreamy, in part because somehow it remains relatively undiscovered. Its staggeringly rugged coastline stretches along the Adriatic Sea with deserted beaches, rocky coves and crystal water. White-washed towns dot the shores with a smattering of colourful marinas and the bustle of fishing boat traffic. The landscape rolls up from the water in waves of green; centuries-old olive groves as far as the eye can see are interrupted occasionally by world-class vineyards and in April, a blanket of poppies. Flowering fruit and almond trees scent the air with a heavenly aroma. Join renowned artist and teacher Margaret Best here in this idyllic setting for an 8-day Botanical Painting Workshop. Under her expert guidance you can make meticulous study the local flora, spending your days painting in the airy garden studio that overlooks the sea. Visit the nearby Baroque towns and feel a part of this warm and welcoming Puglian culture.
An overview of the itinerary:
April 12: Arrive into Monopoli and check-in at Palazzo Indelli in the historical centre. Welcome cocktail and dinner in the evening.
April 13: Morning visit to the Botanical Gardens in Monopoli with picnic lunch. Transfer to Masseria Montenapoleone and explore gardens. Afternoon to pick your specimen and set up in studio. Welcome dinner at the Masseria.
April 14: Full day in studio. Light lunch in studio. Return shuttle to Polignano a Mare for dinner at leisure.
April 15: Full day in studio. Light lunch in studio. Return shuttle to Ostuni for dinner at leisure.
April 16: Morning visit to the private Giardini Pomona with the owner. Lunch at leisure in Locorotondo followed by a half day in studio. Dinner at the Masseria.
April 17: Explore the local markets before visiting a local home and enjoying a Cooking class and lunch. Return for studio time in the afternoon. Dinner independently at Masseria.
April 18: Full day in studio. Light lunch in studio. Return shuttle to Cisternino for dinner at leisure.
April 19: Full day in studio. Light lunch in studio. Gala evening exhibition with buffet meal.
April 20: Independent departures.
Costs start from €3,555. There is an early booking discount of €125 for bookings confirmed before October 10, 2014.
Margaret Best is an internationally recognized botanical artist and teacher offering tuition in graphite, colour pencil and watercolour. She has taught workshops to all levels of experience from rank beginners, intermediates to advanced levels in Canada, UK, Italy, USA and Bermuda. These workshop venues include respected botanical gardens and institutions such as Huntington Gardens, Pasadena; Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens; San Diego Natural History Museum; Filoli near San Francisco; Dow Learning Center in Zoo Conservatory, Calgary; Bermuda Art Center, Hamilton Bermuda. Margaret’s watercolours have been widely exhibited – 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 six coins with botanical themes for the Royal Canadian Mint, with 2 to be released in 2015. For the past 6 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.
Download the PDF flyer Quench_Itinerary_Puglia to read more about the trip, or contact Quench at 416.366.2777 or email tripdesign@quenchtravel.com.
by Deb Shaw
The Greenhouse Complex at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Photography © Scott Dressel-Martin
If you haven’t registered for the 2014 ASBA Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado yet, there’s still time. The last day of registration is September 12, 2014. After the 12th, registration will be closed, and no registrations will be accepted.
The Rocky Mountain Society of Botanical Artists is hosting the ASBA’s 20th Annual Meeting and Conference this year. The Conference will be held at the Westin Denver Downtown. Book your room directly with the Westin (information is on the “Lodging” page). If you would like a roommate, email Marilyn Garber.
The Westin is located one block from the famous 16th Street Mall, and within walking distance of the Denver Art Museum, the American Museum of Western Art – The Anschutz Collection, the Clyfford Still Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, the Molly Brown House Museum, Denver Public Library’s Western History and Genealogy Department, the historic Brown Palace Hotel and shopping destination Larimer Square.
In addition to the three-day core conference, there are pre- and post-conference workshops. Conference activities will be held at the Westin Hotel and the Denver Botanic Garden.
The ASBA Silent Auction
If you would like to support the ASBA’s “Artist & Education Grants,” publication of The Botanical Artist journal, and ASBA exhibitions, consider donating to the Silent Auction/Market Place to be held the last night of the conference. Money raised during the Silent Auction directly supports these efforts.
The volunteers for the Silent Auction are always on the lookout for unique items with some sort of botanical theme. You can find donation ideas listed in the Request for Donations in the June issue of The Botanical Artist journal. Bidding starts at 50 percent of the value of the item in
the Silent Auction. This year the ASBA is adding a Market Place component for less expensive items. No bidding is required in the Market Place. You want it? Just simply purchase it.
Donation information is required by September 27. Shipped items must be received by October 13. If you’re going to the conference, you may bring your Silent Auction/Market Place items with you.
Donation information may be submitted on the ASBA Web Site Annual Meeting – Denver 2014, or emailed to Lynne Railsback.
If you’re going to Denver…
Please let other BAGSC members know so we can try to coordinate transportation, shuttles, and other activities. Email Deb Shaw, and let her know when you’ll be arriving and leaving.
Need supplies?
If you need to buy supplies before you go, consider going to the ASBA’s “Shop > Sponsors” page first, and clicking on the link to Dick Blick from there. The ASBA will receive a portion of your purchase price.
Some more important information
Denver’s altitude is 5,280 feet, one mile above sea level. While in Denver, drinking plenty of water is the number one way to adjust to the higher altitude. October temperatures average 37 to 65 degrees F.
If you’re planning to leave the conference on Sunday, October 19, please note that there will be a marathon run in the morning and it may be more difficult to get from the hotel to the airport. Various streets will be closed for the run, and you may need to allow extra time.
See information about the conference, instructors, pre- and post-conference workshops, lodging and more on the ASBA website!
by Lesley Randall/Leslie Walker, posted by Deb Shaw
Asclepias speciosa, Lesley Randall, pen and ink on illustration board, © 2014.
BAGSC member Lesley Randal will be teaching a two-day workshop on Pen and Ink for Botanical Illustration at the San Diego Botanic Garden:
Saturday & Sunday, August 9 and 10, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
San Diego Botanic Garden
Ecke Building
230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas, California 92024
Pen and ink is an elegant art form and the traditional method used in botanical illustration. This class will cover the different techniques used to convey shading, the importance of using different line weights and choosing the appropriate paper.
The class will focus on the legume family with a short lecture of the diagnostic characters given by instructor Lesley Randall. Students are not required to draw a plant from this family, however. Students must provide their own plant specimen to draw, with flower, fruit or seed pod if possible. Students are encouraged to have some pencil sketches completed of their subject to bring to the class. This will allow maximum time for working in pen and ink. All levels of experience are welcome.
Coffee, tea and water will be provided, but please bring your lunch. A materials list will be provided upon registration. There is ample parking at the SDBG, but of course, we always encourage carpooling.
The class is presented by San Diego Botanic Garden and the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California. Registration is on a first come, first served basis, maximum class size is 20 people. Please register online (the online registration will be available starting June 9) at the garden’s website, or mail checks “Payable to San Diego Botanic Garden” to:
Sam Beukema
San Diego Botanic Garden
PO Box 230005
Encinitas, California 92023
Cost: SDBG and BAGSC members $200, non-members $220. A materials list will be sent upon registration.
Questions? Email Lesley Randall.
Lesley began her career in Davis California where she prepared illustrations for scientific publications. Her work has appeared in numerous journals as well as a few floras, including the Jepson Manual and An Illustrated Flora of Yosemite National Park. In recent years she has exhibited her work in international juried botanical art shows in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. While she works primarily in pen and ink, Lesley also enjoys working in color pencil and graphite. In addition to botanical art, Lesley makes leather masks and mosaics out of glass. She is currently employed at San Diego Botanic Garden as curator of plant collections where she finds many different plants to draw.
by Deb Shaw
Poster for the GNSI 2014 Conference, © 2014, GNSI
Many BAGSC and ASBA members also belong to The Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI). If you’ve wanted to attend a GNSI Conference, or learn more about this wonderful organization, this is a great year to do so. The GNSI Conference will be held in Boulder, Colorado this year in July and will include a field trip to the Denver Botanical Gardens, as well as presentations, workshops and field trips important to botanical artists.
GNSI 2014 Conference Registration Is Open and Early Bird Discounts go until the end of May!
Join the GNSI in Boulder, where the mountains meet the plains!
Come and enjoy a one of a kind experience and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow illustrators in a beautiful setting. The Conference is filled with presentations, workshops and field trips designed to inspire. Some concentrate on technique, with experts in drawing, painting, scratchboard, block printing, Photoshop, Illustrator, and digital devices sharing their expertise. Others focus on the gritty details of making a living in this challenging, but exciting career. With so many choices, participants can customize their learning experience under the inspirational setting of Boulder’s Flatirons and modern Colorado University campus.
Register before May 30th and SAVE $50 on Full Registration!
Review the offerings on the conference website:
- Live Animal Drawing
- Building Backgrounds for Animal Subjects
- Sculpting Insects in Polymer and Wire
- Beginning Photoshop
- Make Your Own Sketchbook, Then Use It!
- Sketch A Storybook
- Discovering Scratchboard Techniques
- Colored Pencil Possibilities
- Painting Small Animals
- Osteology Sketching
- From Sketch to Print
- Intermediate Photoshop
- Modeling in 3DS Max
- Adobe Illustrator for Science Illust: Symbols
- Sculpting Fossils, 2-day workshop
- Watercolor, 2-day workshop
- Social Media for Artists
- Personal productivity with your iPad
- Contract and Copyright
- Shanahan Ridge
- Dinosaur Ridge
- Eldorado/Fowler Hike
- CU Extravaganza
- Wild Animal Sanctuary
- NOAA Tour
- Celestial/Dushanbe Teahouse
- Avery Brew Pub
- Denver Botanic Gardens/Natural History Museum
- Rocky Mountain National Park, 2-day trip
- Birth of the Beehive’s Mesoamerica Resiste Illustration
- Create Your Own Jobs and Get Paid to Travel
- Using illustration to Teach ‘Critical Looking’ in a Zoology Lab
- Making Photos and Art Press Ready
- Hand-Painted Linoleum Block Prints
- (Not Always) Funny Pages: Science Through Sequential Art
- Marvelous Mucus: Learning about the Little-Known World of Land Snails
- Tactile Graphics: Images for the Blind
- Gyotaku -What your Third Grade Art teacher didn’t tell you
- Japan and its Fish Markets – a look at the fish art and culture of Japan
- Saving a Tropical Jewel in the Heart of Vancouver
- Nature Based Sculpture
- iPad Tips and Tricks
- How to Work Faster Photoshop: Shortcuts and File Setups
- Ready, Set, Sell! Proactive Marketing Strategies
- Teaching Illustration as a Biology Course
- The case of the Missing Beak: Kati the Kea
- Saving the Kakapo from extinction–Expedition to New Zealand
- Creating backgrounds combining traditional and digital techniques
- Art Creation From the Client’s Point of View
- Lighting and Textures: Optimizing Your Renders
- Botanical Illustration–Then and Now
- Illustrating Nature: Stylized Realism for Children’s Books
- An Exploration in Public Health Communication
Hope to see you in Boulder in July!
BAGSC News 