You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘botanical illustration’ tag.
by Melanie Campbell-Carter, posted by Deb Shaw
Aloe broomii hybrid, Melanie Campbell-Carter, watercolor on paper, © 2018. Image protected by Digimarc.
BAGSC member Melanie Campbell-Carter is returning to Texas wearing her Botanical Artist hat! As fellow members know, in 2014 Melanie relocated to Southern California from Texas to study botanical art.
Melanie was thrilled to see an article in the March 2018 issue of The Botanical Artist about a new ASBA Circle in north Texas. The Circle’s first juried exhibition, Botanical Art: Flowers, Fruit and Fungi, will take place June 14 – August 9, 2018, at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) in Fort Worth.
Now living and painting full-time in Tucson, Melanie will be exhibiting two new paintings in Fort Worth, Aloe broomii hybrid and Caesalpinia pulcherrima.
Contact Denis Benjamin for more information about the Botanical Art Collective (BAC) in Texas, or if you would like to join. BAC also has a public Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1502598476445397/.
Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Melanie Campbell-Carter, watercolor on paper, © 2018. Image protected by Digimarc.
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 Susan Eubank, Arboretum Librarian, Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden, and Deb Shaw
Party in the Stacks!
Please join The Arboretum library and other plant and garden aficionados for a beautiful evening celebrating the Arboretum Library. The Arboretum Library is distinct among libraries as a comprehensive and very special collection of more than 20,000 books on botany, botanical illustration, gardening, California native plants, landscape design, gardens around the world, agriculture, and more.
For one night only, there will be merriment in the Arboretum Library stacks, twilight music in the Arboretum, outside viewing of mid-century travel slides, and inside viewing of mid-century library landscape materials, various nerdy library things, a little nosh and a no host bar. View a wonderful art exhibit, with personal artist tours of the exhibit “The naturalist’s desk: language and landscape” And of course a book sale too!
Consider spending an evening with your fellow BAGSC colleagues supporting the Arboretum Library. All proceeds from the event support Arboretum Library programs.
For one night only, there will be revelry in the Arboretum Library stacks and music in the Arboretum twilight!
Arboretum Library Benefit and Book Sale
Proceeds fund Arboretum Library programs
Friday, May 4, 2017, 6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
There will also be…
- Light refreshments and a No Host bar featuring wine, beer, and literary spirits,
- Projections of Sunset magazine’s photographer, William Aplin’s mid-century travel slides,
- Displays of mid-century modern gardening and landscape architecture books,
- Pamela Burgess will give tours of her exhibit the naturalist’s desk: landscape + language, and
- First chance to purchase at the used book sale. Specialty books ready for their new owners.
You are invited!
Advanced Tickets: General Public $20, Members $15. Call 626-821-4623.
At the Door: General Public $25, Members $20
Members include:
BAGSC Members
Members of the Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation
All plant, garden and landscape societies, all library organizations, and all botanic gardens and arboreta.
Questions? Contact Susan Eubank, 626-821-3213.
The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden is located at: 301 North Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007
arboretum.org
by Teri Kuwahara and Deb Shaw
BAGSC gathered at the Madrona Marsh Nature Preserve in Torrance for the January meeting to feature the ongoing mural project of BAGSC member Estelle DeRidder.
The interior of the meeting room walls in the Madrona Marsh Interpretive Center have been filled with Estelle’s paintings of the plants, animals and insects found in Marsh. She has spent countless hours capturing each plant in its native environment. The meeting was highlighted by featuring Estelle as our guest speaker, adding her wit and wisdom in starting and continuing this ambitious project. In addition to discussing her process and goals, Estelle also spoke about the challenges of creating such a large work, including determining scale, practical techniques, and interesting visitors (of the human, insect and avian varieties).
Estelle was recently honored by the Cultural Arts Commission in Torrance for her work on this mural. [See BAGSC News blog article about the award here.] The Marsh staff and volunteers from the Friends of the Marsh group were also present to support Estelle, a true indication of how much she is respected and admired. A video was made to highlight Estelle’s mural project for the Cultural Arts Awards ceremony and we were fortunate to view it. It has now been posted on YouTube so members unable to attend the meeting can enjoy it, and can be found here: https://youtu.be/zExN3JWTcMY
Our sincere thanks go out to Estelle for bringing BAGSC to the attention of Madrona Marsh. Estelle’s mural can be viewed in the Interpretive Center, Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Additional thanks goes to Tracy Drake, Park Services Manager, Community Services Department, City of Torrance; Hilary and Dave Jamieson; and, Lance Hill for his wonderful photographs of the meeting.
The Marsh is located at: 3201 Plaza del Amo, Torrance, CA 90503.
Click on any image below to see larger images in a slide show format with full captions for each photo.
BAGSC members chatting as they arrive to the meeting. In the photo are: Tania Marien, Tania Norris, Jude Wiesenfeld, Cynthia Jackson, Estelle DeRidder, Terri Munroe, Mary Sinclair, Bonnie Born Ash, Kathlyn Powell, Leslie Walker and Deborah Shaw. BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Kat Powell at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Tania Norris at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Veronica Raymond at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
BAGSC President Janice Sharp at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Kathlyn Powell (front) and Tania Marien at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Hilary Jamieson (Madrona Marsh staff member) at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Tracy Drake, Park Services Manager, Community Services Department, City of Torrance gave a presentation and introduced Estelle at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Front to back: Leslie Walker, Deborah Shaw, Tania Norris at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Hilary Jamieson (Madrona Marsh staff member) and her father Dave Jamison, a Marsh volunteer, at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
BAGSC President Janice Sharp presiding over the meeting at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Jude Wiesenfeld, BAGSC Education Chair, presenting information about upcoming workshops at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Olga Ryabstova, BAGSC Exhibitions Chair, presenting information about upcoming exhibition opportunities at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
(L to R) BAGSC Vice President Diane Daly, Mary Sinclair and Terri Munroe at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Andrea Lofthouse-Quesada at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Incoming BAGSC Education Chair, Teri Kuwahara at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Janice Sharp (L) and Jude Wiesenfeld (R) at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Estelle DeRidder and Tracy Drake at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Diane Daly (L) and Leslie Walker (R) at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Estelle DeRidder (L) and Olga Ryabstova (R) at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Terri Munroe (L) and Tracy Drake (R) at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Kat Powell (L) and Janice Sharp (R) at the BAGSC Quarterly Meeting at Madrona Marsh Nature Center. © 2018, Lance Hill. Editorial or promotional use permitted for electronic or printed media by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the Friends of Madrona Marsh. Please provide photo credit to Lance Hill.
Estelle has pulled the outdoors “in” and the windows frame the view outside as artwork. Photo by Tania Marien, © 2018.
Estelle discussing the challenges of painting the mural. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
Detail of the mural, showing Estelle’s work in progress. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
Detail of the mural, showing Estelle’s work in progress. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
Detail of the mural, showing Estelle’s work in progress. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
Detail of the mural, showing Estelle’s work in progress. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
Detail of the mural, showing Estelle’s work in progress. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
Detail of the mural, showing Estelle’s work in progress. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
Detail of the mural, showing Estelle’s work in progress. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
After the presentation, BAGSC members enjoyed a tour of the Marsh. Photo by Tania Marien, © 2018.
Signage along the Marsh tour. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
Signage along the Marsh tour. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
After the presentation, BAGSC members enjoyed a tour of the Marsh. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
After the presentation, BAGSC members enjoyed a tour of the Marsh. Photo by Tania Marien, © 2018.
After the presentation, BAGSC members enjoyed a tour of the Marsh. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
After the presentation, BAGSC members enjoyed a tour of the Marsh. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
After the presentation, BAGSC members enjoyed a tour of the Marsh. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
After the presentation, BAGSC members enjoyed a tour of the Marsh. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
After the presentation, BAGSC members enjoyed a tour of the Marsh. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
After the presentation, BAGSC members enjoyed a tour of the Marsh. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
After the presentation, BAGSC members enjoyed a tour of the Marsh. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
After the presentation, BAGSC members enjoyed a tour of the Marsh. BAGSC President Janice Sharp points out (?). Photo by Tania Marien, © 2018.
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.
by Deb Shaw
Every three years, the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) Conservation Conference brings together California’s conservation community for scientific sessions and lectures, field trips, workshops, special events and networking. Each conference also has a native plant botanical art and photo contest. This year included a California native plant tattoo contest as well!
BAGSC members Olga Ryabstova and Gilly Shaeffer taught botanical art workshops at the Conference.
Congratulations to the CNPS Botanical Art Contest winners (including BAGSC members):
-
- First Place and Conference Choice , Burned Manzanita, © Marie Brennan.
-
- Second Place, Matjila Poppy Seedpod, © Olga Ryabtsova, www.olgaryabtsova.com
-
- Third Place, Greene’s Dudleya, © Ellie Yun-Hui Tu , http://www.asba-art.org/member-gallery/ellie-yun-hui-tu
-
- Honorable Mention , Acorn Sprouts, © Maria Cecilia Freeman , mcf-art.com
-
- Honorable Mention, Fremontia with Yellow warbler, © Estelle DeRidder
-
- Honorable Mention, Asclepias fascicularis with Danaus, Estelle DeRidder
-
- Honorable Mention , Upper Bidwell Wildflowers, © Erin E. Hunter, http://www.eehunter.com
-
- Honorable Mention , From cotyledons to true leaves, © Susan Jackson
These images and more from the exhibition can be viewed at: https://www.facebook.com/pg/CaliforniaNativePlantSociety/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1587978757905901 Participating BAGSC members included: Ellie Yun-Hui Tu, Kim Garrison Means, Nina Antze, Donald Davidson, Estelle DeRidder, Susan Jackson, Joan Keesey, Lee McCaffree, Olga Ryabtsova, Mitsuko Schultz, Gilly Shaeffer, Janice Sharp, Deborah Shaw, and Jude Wiesenfeld.
Kudos to all who participated, and a special thank you to Elizabeth Kubey, CNPS Conference Assistant and the CNPS art panel: Tina Curiel, Wendell Pascual, Lesley Randall, and Nancy Elizabeth Saltsman.
by Tania Norris, posted by Deb Shaw
BAGSC handouts for “Portraits of Bonsai from The Huntington Collection.” Cover image, Ficus retusa, watercolor on paper, © 2018 Anna Suprunenko. Brochure and photo by Olga Ryabtsova, © 2018.
The Botanical Center at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, is the location for the BAGSC exhibition ‘“Portraits of Bonsai from The Huntington Collection.” The paintings received many admiring comments from the public and participants at The Huntington’s Bonsai-a-Thon held the weekend of February 24 – 25, 2018.
Demonstrations during the two-day event were given by Olga Ryabtsova, Mitsuko Schultz and Tania Norris. The questions and comments from the viewers were many and varied. They ranged from ‘how do you?’, ‘I could never do that’, ‘are they for sale?’ and ‘where do I find classes?’ etc. People were really interested and appreciative of our participation.
Amazing Bonsais everywhere! Photo by Olga Ryabtsova, © 2018.
The wonderful and patient Bonsai master, Ted Matson, gave a long plug for BAGSC before he started the auction of bonsai for the attendees. He mentioned how BAGSC members had come weekly to paint The Huntington Collection. Ted also mentioned the upcoming ASBA “Out of the Woods” art show at the Brody Center (May 18, 2018 to August 27, 2018) and was most complimentary about the BAGSC paintings.
Olga Ryabtsova (L) and Mitsuko Schultz (R) demonstrate in front of the BAGSC wall of Bonsai Portraits. Photo by Jude Wiesenfeld, © 2018.
It was also wonderful to see many BAGSC members attending the event. A few additional BAGSC demonstrators or BAGSC members who could answer questions would have been appreciated. Don’t be shy — all levels of expertise are appreciated at our outreach events, and seasoned BAGSC participants are always on hand to lend a hand.
Jude Wiesenfeld with her painting Juniperus californica, © 2018. Photo by Mitsuko Schultz, © 2018.
Thank you to Ted Matson and The Huntington for this wonderful opportunity; and kudos to all BAGSC papticipants!
by Janice Sharp, posted by Deb Shaw
This weekend, (February 24 and 25) is the Bonsai-a-thon at the Brody Botanical Center, The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, California, from 10 am – 5 pm each day.
Andrew Mitchell, The Huntington, hangs the final painting in the ““Portraits of Bonsai from The Huntington Collection” in the Brody Botanical Center. Photo © 2018, Olga Ryabstova.
BAGSC’s “Portraits of Bonsai from The Huntington Collection” exhibition is on display in the Brody Botanical Center in conjunction with this event. The exhibition includes 12 artworks by ten BAGSC artists in a variety of media, including watercolor, graphite, ink, etching, colored pencil and oil on paper. Participating BAGSC artists include: Terri Munroe, Tania Norris, Veronica Raymond, Olga Ryabtsova, Mitsuko Schultz, Gilly Shaeffer, Janice Sharp, Deborah Shaw, Anna Suprunenko, and Jude Wiesenfeld.
BAGSC members have been invited to participate in the Bonsai-a-thon weekend, demonstrating art/drawing of Bonsais. If you are interested in participating contact Olga Ryabtsova to coordinate your participation. Artists should be prepared to be demonstrate from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm Saturday February 24 and/or Sunday February 25.
Bring friends and family and come soak in the world of Bonsai. Southern California Bonsai masters will be there, sharing their knowledge and passion for the art form in this annual event that includes exhibits, demonstrations, prize drawings, a “Bonsai Bazaar,” and a live auction at 3 p.m. each day. Proceeds from the event support the Golden State Bonsai Collection at The Huntington.
The Huntington is located at: 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108. Parking is free, and the Bonsai-a-thon event is free; however, general admission is required. The Bonsai-a-thon and “Portraits of Bonsai from The Huntington Collection” exhibition take place in the Brody Botanical Center.
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 Gilly Shaeffer, posted by Deb Shaw
The Califfornia Native Plant Society (CNPS) 2018 Conservation Conference will take place February 1 – 3, 2018 at the LAX Marriott in Los Angeles. This event, which takes place once every three years, is an important opportunity to bring together the best minds in the field to share research, gather inspiration, and collaborate on new ways to protect California’s precious natural resources.
This year, CNPS expects more than 1,000 attendees, including consulting biologists, agency staff, researchers, students, conservationists, and environmental professionals. The Conference will feature inspiring keynote speakers, two days of pre-conference workshops and field trips, more than 300 presenters across 24 sessions, a special student session, networking events, and art, poetry, music and photography exhibits!
To attend the conference and see the exhibits, register online by January 14.
BAGSC members in the CNPS exhibition include:
Ellie Yun-Hui Tu
Kim Garrison Means
Nina Antze
Donald Davidson
Estelle DeRidder
Susan Jackson
Joan Keesey
Lee McCaffree
Olga Ryabtsova
Mitsuko Schultz
Gilly Shaeffer
Janice Sharp
Deborah Shaw
Jude Wiesenfeld
Additional artists include:
Aaron Arthur
Marie Brennan
Valerie Cohen
Erica Cordero
Tamren Dong
Justina Freel
Maria Cecilia Freeman
Lesley Goren
Nicole Hempel
Erin E. Hunter
Asisa Madian
Mark Nunez
Melissa Orozco
Patricia M. Palavecino
Rita Sabbagh
Diego Tamayo
Cara Wilco
Additionally, BAGSC Members Olga Ryabtsova and Gilly Shaeffer will be teaching two botanical art workshops, open to conference attendees and the public. Read more about the workshops in a previous story on the blog.
Congratulations to all the participating artists!
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 Caitlin Thompson, sent by Nina Antze, posted by Deb Shaw
El Dorado Arts Council, located in Placerville, is currently seeking artists for a gallery exhibition entitled Native Roots, which will open Friday, March 16, 2018, and run through Sunday, May 20, 2018.
El Dorado County is located in the Sierra foothills, between South Lake Tahoe and Sacramento.
The exhibition will feature botanical artworks representing plants that are native to El Dorado County, with a special focus on the rare and federally listed plants in the Pine Hill Ecological Preserve. A full color catalogue will also be created depicting all artworks in the show.
The only requirement for artwork is that the plant(s) depicted must be native to El Dorado County, and preferably be a rare species or variety found within the Pine Hill Preserve. Pine Hill Preserve’s rare plants are a collection of eight species, three of which are endemic to the Pine Hill region and found nowhere else in the world. Another two species are nearly endemic, with only a few small colonies of the plants found elsewhere.
El Dorado County has more than 7,000 native plant species:
- http://calflora.org/cgi-bin/specieslist.cgi?namesoup=&countylist=ELD&plantcomm=any&format=photos&orderby=taxon
- https://www.inaturalist.org/places/1795#taxon=47126
- https://www.eldoradocnps.org/
More information on the ecology of El Dorado County:
- https://www.eldoradocnps.org/plants/ecology
- Information on Pine Hill: http://www.pinehillpreserve.org/
Pine Hill Preserve and the El Dorado chapter of the California Native Plant Society are enthusiastic about this project and have committed to partnering with us. Both organizations would be able to help guide the artists towards images and names of plants within the preserve, or the county as a whole.
Deadlines for participating in this exhibition:
Intent to enter artwork: Thursday, December 21, 2017
- On or before this date, email Caitlin Thompson at caitlin@eldoradoartscouncil.org, with “Native Roots Artist” in the subject line.
- Include your name (first and last), phone number, the best method to contact you, and the number of artworks you anticipate entering. If possible also include the sizes of the pieces.
Deadline for artwork submission: Monday, February 5, 2018
- High resolution digital images of your artwork must be provided to the El Dorado Arts Council to be included in the catalogue.
- Not all pieces are guaranteed to be accepted.
Notification of acceptance for the exhibition: Friday, February 9, 2018
Deadline for artwork drop off: Tuesday, March 13, 2018
- If you have questions or concerns regarding getting your artwork to the gallery do not hesitate to send an e-mail.
At the end of the exhibition, individual arrangements will be made for artwork pickup.
If you wish to be part of Native Roots or have any questions, contact Caitlin Thompson at caitlin@eldoradoartscouncil.org or call (530) 295-3496.
For more information about El Dorado Arts Council, visit www.eldoradoartscouncil.org
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.
by Leslie Walker, posted by Deb Shaw
BAGSC member Estelle DeRidder continues to work on her murals at the Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center in Torrance, California. And as promised, we’re bringing you updates.
Estelle DeRidder adding details to the mural. Photo by Leslie Walker, © 2017.
Estelle is adding more plants and details to the murals, bringing the outdoors garden inside.
You can visit Estelle and the mural at the Madrona Marsh Preserve and Nature Center in Torrance, California. The Madrona Marsh is located at 3201 Plaza del Amo, Torrance, CA 90503, 310-782-3989.
The Madrona Marsh is open free to the public, Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, excluding holidays. Because most of the Marsh is staffed by volunteers, and because weather can be a factor, the times the Marsh and Nature Center is open is subject to change. Please call (310) 782-3989 before visiting to make sure the Marsh is open.
If you missed the first post about Estelle’s mural, you can read it here on our BAGSC News blog.
Andrew Mitchell (left) and Janice Sharp (right) mark the wall for hanging the paintings.
by Janice Sharp and Deb Shaw
The first art exhibition by the Botanical Artist Guild of Southern California in the Brody Botanical Center at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens has been hung… and it is beautiful!
This show, Inspired by California, features plants that are both indigenous to California as well as plants that have become synonymous with California.
Janice Sharp hanging one of the selected artworks.
Thirteen of the entrants were selected for hanging. We congratulate Diane Nelson Daly, Estelle DeRidder, Patricia Mark, Terri Munroe, Gilly Schaffer, Deborah Shaw, Mitsuko Schultz, Janice Sharp, Beth Stone, Ellie Tu and Jude Wiesenfeld on their outstanding submissions.
We thank The Huntington for the exhibit space, Jim Folsom for the inspiration that resulted in the exhibition, Robert Hori for the inception and logistics, Andrew Mitchell for the designing and hanging of the exhibit and Melanie Thorpe for all the details.
Andrew Mitchell with final exhibition display.
Inspired by California will run from June 1, 2017 to August 15, 2017. Current and future exhibitions in the Brody Botanical Center will coincide with events and seasons at The Huntington.
In September, Inspired by Latin America will take the place of the current exhibition. Inspired by Latin America will shown from September 1, 2017 to January 15, 2018. BAGSC member entries will be due no later than August 1, 2017. See the “Call for Entries” page in the “Members Only” section of the BAGSC website for further details.
Inspired by California can be seen with admission to The Huntington during regular business hours. There are no additional charges. The exhibition is in the main lobby area of the Brody Botanical Center. The Huntington is located at: 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108.
“Inspired by California” by the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California, in the Brody Botanical Center at The Huntington. Signage about the paintings and information about BAGSC was added after this photo was taken.
BAGSC News 