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by Deb Shaw
The San Diego Botanic Garden will be hosting a BAGSC exhibition of botanical art titled Artist’s Favorites. This juried show will feature botanical works near and dear to each artist’s heart. A work might be a favorite because of a particular plant specimen, because of a specific technique, or because it evokes a treasured memory of a place or time.
This exhibition is not only “artists’ choice” for artwork, but “artist’s choice” for framing too! If you would like to stick to the ASBA standards of a light wood, simple, L-shape frame, feel free to do so. If you have artwork framed in other styles, this is your chance to submit them in the frames you’ve chosen.
- Submission deadline: August 15, 2014
- Exhibition Dates: September 21, 2014 – mid-November 2014
Consider volunteering to help with the “Artist’s Favorite” SDBG exhibition—we have a good time. Photo of BAGSC members Joan Keesey (left) and Janice Sharp (right) enjoying a laugh during the hanging of the 2013 BAGSC exhibition at the SDBG.
Some of the nitty gritty details:
All BAGSC members in good standing (dues paid) are eligible to enter up to 4 (four) pieces, which may consist of original, two-dimensional botanical art and illustration in any media, or archival giclée prints of original artwork. No photography or digital art. Work may have been shown in previous BAGSC, ASBA, Filoli or other exhibitions. THIS IS A JURIED SHOW. It is possible that multiple entries may not be accepted, depending on space availability and the number of submissions. Artwork or prints may be for sale if desired. The San Diego Botanic Garden will take a commission of ten percent of all sales.
A submission fee of $35.00 must be made out to BAGSC and sent with the submission form to BAGSC Treasurer and Exhibit Chair, Lesley Randall. Please write “Artist’s Favorite” on the subject line of your check. Your check must be received by Lesley Randall on or before August 15, 2014. If you would like to bring your submission check (and CD) to the BAGSC Pen and Ink class on August 9 and 10, 2014, OR to the July 20, 2014 BAGCS Quarterly meeting, please bring them then.
Files should be labeled with your name and artwork title. You can email your digital artwork with the entry form to Lesley Randall or mail it on a CD with a hard copy of the entry form. Your artwork, entry form and check must also be accompanied by a digital file with a written description of why each painting you’ve submitted is a “favorite.”
An email blast also will be sent out to BAGSC members with the submission form and additional information. Details about artwork delivery and pick-up will be sent out to all accepted artists at a later date.
Volunteering:
BAGSC members are needed to help set up and break down the exhibition.
Volunteers also are needed:
- for hanging the exhibition;
- at the opening reception to talk with guests and answer questions;
- for signing in and signing out the artwork for the exhibition;
- for breaking down the exhibition;
- for collection and transport of artwork to and/or from SDBG;
- and other show-related activities as needed.
To volunteer for the activities above (or any other help you can provide) please contact Lesley Randall.
Important Dates:
- August 15, 2014: Entry deadline
- September 2: Acceptance Notification
- September 21: Installation of exhibit
- September 21: Reception
- Mid-November: Show Closes And Paintings Removed
Questions about the show?
Please contact Lesley Randall.
Happy painting!
by Deb Shaw
Lupinus succulentus, or Foothill Lupine, watercolor by Joan Keesey, © 2013.
The Irvine Fine Arts Center is holding an opening reception for “Paper Farm: Works on Paper” this Saturday, June 14, from 1–3 pm. Admission is free.
The exhibition runs from Saturday, June 14 through July 12, 2014, and features 47 artists’ works in ink, paint, pencil and watercolor of Southern California farm life and regional plants and animals.
BAGSC members Diane Daly, Clara Josephs, Joan Keesey, Terri Munroe, Mitsuko Schultz, Janice Sharp, and Deborah Shaw have artwork in the exhibition. Joan Keesey’s painting of Lupinus succulentus (Foothill Lupine) was used for the promotional materials for the show.
The Irvine Fine Arts Center is located at:
Heritage Park
14321 Yale Avenue
Irvine, CA 92604
Hours are Monday – Thursday, 10 am – 9 pm, Friday from 10 am – 5 pm, and Saturday from 9 am – 5 pm. The Center is closed on Sundays. Admission and parking are free to the public.
For more information, visit the website by clicking on the link above, or call 949-724-6880.
by Deb Shaw
Joan and John Keesey took the Great Park Hot Air Balloon Ride the day they dropped off Joan’s artwork. This is their report and picture from the Hot Air Balloon. Honorary BAGSC member John wrote, “The art galleries are just above the balloon shadow with the palms in between. I think your show is going to be in the one closest to the balloon shadow, but what do I know?”
The Orange County Great Park is pleased to announce the opening reception for “Paper Farm: Works on Paper” to be held:
Sunday, May 4, 2014
12:00pm—3:00pm
Great Park Artists Studios
The exhibition will continue from May 4 until June 8, 2014.
ARTISTS STUDIOS HOURS
Saturdays & Sundays
10:00am—4:00pm
“Paper Farm: Works on Paper” is an exhibition illustrating Southern California farm life and detailing regional plants and animals using ink, paint, pencil, and watercolor. BAGSC members Diane Daly, Clara Josephs, Joan Keesey, Terri Munroe, Mitsuko Schultz, Janice Sharp, and Deborah Shaw have artwork in the exhibition.
A lot will be happening at The Great Park on that same day, May 4, including The Groves Antique Market and the Certified Farmers Market.
The Groves Antique Market has antiques, fine art and collectibles for sale, and is located on the runways behind the Great Park.
The Certified Farmers Market features fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables, handcrafted artisan products, live music and entertainment, car shows, and a selection of gourmet food trucks. You can also explore the Farm + Food Lab and talk to UCCE Master Gardeners about home gardening tips. The Farmers Market will be open early May 4, at 8 am, and is dog and pet-friendly, too.
The Living Room Talks program will also take place in the Gallery at 1:00pm on that Sunday. The Living Room Talks at the Great Park Gallery provide a community gathering place for engaging conversations with local artists. Sunday’s artists include Bianca Barragan, a writer and one of five co-founders of the LA Zine Fest, and Yumi Sakugawa, a comic book artist.
Field trips for 1st grade students have been ongoing since March, and have included the art exhibition. The students have enjoyed the show and are inspired by the creativity.
Directions can be found on the website, and on each of the linked pages listed above. Parking and admission are free. And yes, there will be balloon rides, soaring 400 feet above the park. Availability to fly is on a first-come, first-serve basis and dependent on wind and weather conditions. Prices for balloon rides are: Adults (19 and older), $10.00; Children (18 and younger with paid adult), free; Children (12 – 18 years old, without paid adult), $5.00.
by Deb Shaw
The New York Botanical Garden/ASBA Second Triennial Exhibition entitled “Weird, Wild & Wonderful” announced the medal winners for the show. The Gold medal went to Asuka Hishiki for her watercolor of Eutrema japonica (Wasabi Root); silver was awarded to Beverly Allen for Taca integrifolia (White Bat Flower); and Julia Trickey took the bronze for her Polystichum sp. (Fern Crozier).
The awards jury included: Shirley Sherwood, D. Phil, Caroline A. Wamsler, Ph.D., and Jean Emmons, who met on April 16 to select the medal recipients.
See the ASBA website and The New York Botanical Garden website for more about the exhibition. Catalogs can be ordered through ArtPlantae. Be sure to include your ASBA member discount code at checkout.
Congratulations to all!
by Deb Shaw
The American Society of Botanical Artist’s (ASBA) contemporary botanical art show, entitled “Weird, Wild, & Wonderful” will open on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 in the Arthur and Janet Ross Gallery at The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG). The exhibition will be on display to the public from April 19 – September 21, 2014, and admission is included in any all-garden pass.
The Second New York Botanical Garden Triennial invited artists to seek visually unusual plants and create works of art that celebrate the bizarre, yet beautiful flora of the world.
Jurors Lugene Bruno, Curator of Art, Hunt Institute; Jean Emmons, Botanical Artist; and Marc Hachadourian, Manager of the Nolen Greenhouses, NYBG, pored over the 240 entries, selecting 46 artworks by 45 artists from the United States, Australia, Canada, India, Japan and the United Kingdom. Shirley Sherwood, D. Phil, Caroline A. Wamsler, Ph.D., and Jean Emmons form the Awards Jury, which will meet on April 16 to select recipients of The New York Botanical Garden Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals. Recipients of The New York Botanical Garden Medals will be presented by NYBG CEO Gregory Long at the opening reception.
More information about the exhibition, including the complete list of accepted artists can be found on the ASBA website. The exhibition catalog is available in The New York Botanical Garden’s shop in the garden, or online from ArtPlantae. ASBA members receive a discount on the catalog.
Five BAGSC members had works accepted into the “Weird, Wild, & Wonderful” exhibition: Margaret Best, Akiko Enokio, Joan Keesey, Lisa Pompelli, and Deborah Shaw.
Margaret Best had her watercolor of Tillandsia bulbosa accepted. Margaret wrote that she wanted to send thanks to Leslie Walker, Debbie Friedman and Deborah Shaw for helping her access Jeffrey Kent’s incredible Bromeliad collection near San Diego, where she discovered this remarkable specimen. This was one of the few paintings of Margaret’s that was not destroyed in the Calgary flood last June, which makes the painting as weird, wild, and wonderful as the subject matter.
Akiko Enokido, Tacca chantrieri, watercolor. © 2014, all rights reserved.
Akiko Enokido painted Tacca chantrieri, also known as “Cat Whiskers” or the “Bat Flower” in watercolor. She writes that it is named after the long bracts that emanate from the flower scape. This flowering plant is part of the yam family, Dioscoreaceae, which grows in the tropical forest of Yunnan Province, China, India, and East Asia. In such places, the roots are used as food. She found this mysterious plant at The Kyoto Uji-city Botanical Garden in Japan, blooming inside the green house in mid-June. She says, “I was just fascinated by the shape and the process in which the “cat” developed.”
Joan Keesey, Sarcodes sanguinea, watercolor. © 2014, all rights reserved.
Joan Keesey painted a watercolor of Sarcodes sanguinea, the Snow Plant. The Snow Plant, native to Western North America, and found from Oregon through California into Baja California, and is one of the first plants to appear in the Sierra Nevada in early spring just after the snow has melted. Because the landscape is still wintery and bleak, the Snow Plant is a real treat to find. The brilliant red color is quite shocking and unexpected. The botanical name, Sarcodes sanguinea, means bloody flesh. A really good fresh plant can look almost manufactured like a toy made out of bright red, red-orange, or rose-colored plastic.
Joan writes that the Snow Plant is a member of the Heath Family (Ericaceae) and a mycotrophic (fungus eating) plant. It is unable to photosynthesize and is a parasitic plant that derives sustenance from mycorrhizal fungi that attach to the roots of trees. The Snow Plant does not, however, kill the fungi. They have a symbiotic relationship; the Snow Plant provides fixed carbon to the fungus, and in return the fungus provides mineral nutrients, water, and protection from pathogens. The Snow Plant takes advantage of this mutualism by tapping into the network and stealing sugars from the tree, the photosynthetic partner, by way of the fungus.
Lisa Pompelli, Scadoxus puniceus, watercolor, © 2014, all rights reserved.
Lisa Pompelli painted Scadoxus puniceus, an African Blood Lily, in watercolor. She stated, “I look forward to seeing this strange flower appear in my garden each year and I hope to get seeds from it someday. This is the first time I have entered one of my botanicals in an ASBA show, and I am thrilled to be included.”
Deborah Shaw, Pisolithus tinctorius, watercolor. © 2014, all rights reserved.
Deborah Shaw painted a watercolor of Pisolithus tinctorius, also know as the Dog Turd Fungus, Dead Man’s Foot, or Dyemaker’s Puffball. Pisolithus tinctorius is frequently described in the literature as the least attractive of all fungi. P. tinctorius starts out as a ball shape when young, but then grows into bizarre monstrous shapes like stumps or giant molars. It is an ectomycorrhizal fungus that gets its nutrition in a mutualistic association with tree roots—an association that helps trees access scarce nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphate. It inhabits poor and disturbed soils, can withstand drought, high temperatures in the summer, acidic soils and soils contaminated with heavy metals and mine tailings. It is so beneficial to tree growth it is widely used in reforestation projects.
Congratulations to all! Weird, Wild & Wonderful promises to be an exciting show!
by Deb Shaw
Pinus ponderosa, Ponderosa Pine by Carrie DiConstanzo. Winner of the 2013 Roth Award for distinction with an emphasis on traditional botanical art presentation. © 2014, all rights reserved.
BAGSC members Nina Antze, Joan Keesey, Patricia Mark, Mitsuko Schultz, Gilly Shaeffer, and Deborah Shaw have been accepted into the 16th Annual Botanical Art Exhibition at Folili in Woodside, California. There were 167 entries submitted this year from 68 artists and the jurors selected 65 for this exhibition.
The Exhibit will be on display from Tuesday, April 8 through Sunday, June 8, 2014. In addition to the 65 contemporary works displayed in the Visitor and Education Center, select pieces from Filoli’s three major florilegia collections, the Filoli, the Banks’ and the Highgrove will be on display in the historic House during the same period.
The Artists’ Reception is scheduled for Thursday, April 10 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Artists will be on hand to share their expertise and experiences. Prints, matted originals and note cards will be for sale. An after-hours Garden visit will be available that evening as well. The reception is free, but reservations are required by Friday, April 4. Register online or by calling Member Services at 650-364-8300 x 508.
Additionally, a lecture titled Plant Portraits: The California Legacy of A.R. Valentein will be presented Thursday, April 10, 2014, 3:00 pm–4:30 pm by Margaret Dykens, Director of Research at the San Diego Natural History Museum. A nominal fee of $25.00 for Filoli members; $30.00 for non-members will be charged. A book sale of the 212-page catalog by the same name and book signing will follow the presentation.
Register online for the lecture, or for both the lecture and the reception, or by calling Member Services at 650-364-8300 x 508.
Congratulations to all! From the list of participating artists and works, it promises to be a wonderful exhibition.
Posted by Deb Shaw
Artist Reception invitation from Porch.
Jan Clouse has had one of her paintings juried into the annual Valentine’s show at Porch. The artist reception is Saturday, February 8th, from 4 – 7 pm. If you can’t make the reception, stop by anytime in February to see the show. Jan had a fun time with her painting.
Porch is located at 3823 Santa Claus Lane in Carpinteria, California. Phone number is 805.684.0300. Hours: Monday – Saturday, 9:30 – 5:30, Sunday 11 – 4.
Congrats Jan!
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 Leslie Walker and Deb Shaw
Salvia spathacea, Hummingbird Sage, watercolor by Joan Keesey, © 2013, all rights reserved.
The Theodore Payne Foundation will be hosting an opening reception for the exhibition “The Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California, The Art and Science of Native Plants” on
January 11, 2014
2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
The exhibition is open for viewing from January 11 – March 15.
This juried exhibition was created by the Theodore Payne Foundation (TPF) in recognition of the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California (BAGSC) and the continuing importance of botanical art in the service of both science and art, knowledge and beauty. Jurors were: Olga Eysymott: Artist and teacher; founder of BAGSC; Bart O’Brien: Director Special Projects, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden; Co-author of “California Native Plants for the Garden”; and John Wickham: Past president of the board, Theodore Payne Foundation; native plant gardener.
The exhibition consists of 23 artworks by 14 BAGSC artists, including: Nina Antze, Diane Daly, Estelle DeRidder, Clara Josephs, Joan Keesey, Patricia A. Mark, Arillyn Moran-Lawrence, Lesley Randall, Mitsuko Schultz, Gilly Shaeffer, Janice Sharp, Deborah Shaw, Gayle Uyehara, and Jude Wiesenfeld.
The show encompasses a range of styles and media: from scientific illustration to plant portraits. Works effectively use pen and ink, watercolor on paper and vellum, colored pencil on paper and film, and mixed media to depict California native plants — many with their pollinators.
The Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers & Native Plants is located at 10459 Tuxford Street, Sun Vally, CA 91352. Hours are Tuesday – Saturday. 8:30 – 4:30. The Theodore Payne Foundation is closed Sundays and Mondays. For information, call (818) 768-1802 during business hours.
by Deb Shaw
Cover art: American Botanical Paintings: Native Plants of the Mid Atlantic.
The Botanical Artists for Education and the Environment (BAEE) is pleased to announce that their book, American Botanical Paintings: Native Plants of the Mid Atlantic is now available to pre-order.
The book, which was more than three years in the making, contains 60 reproductions of original paintings and drawings of plants and 40 original paintings of butterflies, moths, and other pollinators. Each plant is briefly described with its habitat, and includes relevant information about the plant family and ways in which Native Americans or early settlers used the plants. For plants unsuitable for home gardens, their environmental importance is mentioned, such as food and habitat for birds and animals.
Proceeds from the sale of the book will be used to support native plant education, conservation, and horticulture. Publication costs are covered by donations, including a grant from the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA), for which BAEE is most grateful. For additional information about BAEE, please visit the website at www.baeecorp.org.
Pre-Sale Special Offer – Free Shipping. Scheduled for release February 2014. A limited number will be published, selling for only $39.95 plus shipping. Shipping is free on orders received by December 31, 2013 (US only). ORDER your copy today at www.starbooks.biz
An exhibition of the artwork will be held at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., February 15 through June 15, 2014. Learn more from the USBG website: www.usbg.gov. See the BAEE website for complete details about the project at www.baeecorp.org
Geared toward a broad audience, the book has been well received, and is endorsed by respected authorities in the fields of both art and science, including the following:
This is a delightfully illustrated book, beautifully designed and with lots of variety in the choice of plant subjects. I admired the standard of painting and the fresh, appealing studies that will be attractive to both naturalists and gardeners.
— Dr. Shirley Sherwood, OBE, Botanical art collector
The U.S. Botanic Garden was thrilled to be a part of this book as it embodies what we know to be vital—our world is better and richer with fine botanical art, and the plants in our backyards, in our woods, and along the roadsides are amazing!
— Holly H. Shimizu, Executive Director, U.S. Botanic Garden
Like the exquisitely illustrated floras from past centuries, this volume carries on a rich tradition of detailed and deftly created botanical artistry. Each painting portrays the abundance and diverse beauty of the natural world around us, from early spring ephemerals to the towering monarchs of our deciduous forests.
— Peggy Cornett, Curator of Plants at Monticello
Botanical Artists for Education and the Environment (BAEE) is an incorporated 501(c)(3) Federal tax-exempt nonprofit in Virginia. The book is funded solely through donations. Any profits generated by the sale of the book will benefit nonprofit organizations that support native plant education and conservation.
If you have questions, please contact Judy Rodgers.
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
Getty signage and flyer announcing the “Artist-at-Work Demonstration: Botanical Drawing,” © 2013 J. Paul Getty. Used with permission.
BAGSC members will be participating in a wonderful opportunity at the Getty this summer. To complement the Getty‘s “Gardens of the Renaissance,” BAGSC members will be demonstrating botanical art in a variety of media at the Artist-at-Work Demonstration: Botanical Drawing.
Join us in the Central Garden as we demonstrate the materials and techniques used to render plants and flowers. Learn about the botany of fruits, vegetables, and spices, and how explorations in the New World changed dinner tables around Europe. See the “Gardens of the Renaissance” exhibition, and explore Renaissance gardens and their stories (from scandalous to virtuous) in this beautiful exhibition of illuminated manuscripts. Meet botanical artists, ask questions, and get close to the action as you learn about materials and techniques seen in works of art on display at the Getty Center.
This is a free, drop-in program:
Sunday, July 7 & 21, and
August 4 & 11, 2013
12:30–2:30 p.m.
Participating BAGSC artists (on various days) include: Tania Marien, Deborah Shaw, Linda Erickson, Cristina Baltayian, Patty Van Ousterhoudt, Suzanne Kuuskmae, Jan Clouse, Arillyn Moran-Lawrence, Akiko Enokido, Lori Vreeke, Estelle DeRidder, Tania Norris, Alyse Ochniak, Leslie Walker, and Patricia Mark.
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 Deb Shaw
Coast Live Oak, Quercus agrifolia, Jan Clouse, © 2013, all rights reserved.
BAGSC member Jan Clouse has had two paintings accepted into the Palm Loft Gallery open invitation juried show, “Make Hay While the Sun Shines.”
The exhibition runs from June 22 through August 11, 2013. The Palm Loft Gallery focuses on original works of art by established and emerging artists, and is located at 410 Palm Avenue, Loft A-1, Carpinteria, California, 93013. The Gallery is open Friday to Sunday, 11 to 6, also by appointment by calling (805) 684-9700.
Rose Hips, Jan Clouse, © 2013, 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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