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by Deb Shaw
Back by popular demand! Last year’s BAGSC BOTANICAL ART WORKSHOP was such a great success, we’ve created a new one! Start a creative 2020 with:
BASIC BOTANICAL ART WORKSHOP
A Day of Botanical Art Skills & Techniques for All Levels
Sunday, January 26, 2020
9am to 4pm
Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden
301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007
Participants may choose from a variety hands-on sessions taught by skilled BAGSC teachers in a new, longer, 80-minute format! Choose which sessions you want to attend the day of the event.
- Color Mixing and Pigments
- Colored Pencil and Watercolor Pencil
- Drawing Leaves and Flowers
- Dry Brush Technique
- Fixing Fiddly Bits with Masking Fluid
- Graphite (Pencil) Techniques
- Nature Journaling
- Pen & Ink
- Pen, Watercolor & Colored Pencil
- Silverpoint
- Watercolor
- AND MORE!
BAGSC Artists include:
- Cristina Baltayian
- Sally Jacobs
- Kathlyn Powell
- Lesley Randall
- Olga Ryabtsova
- Mitsuko Schultz
- Gilly Shaeffer
- Deborah Shaw
$50 BAGSC Members ~ $60 Non-Members
Register online at
https://bagsc.org/classes/bagsc-botanical-art-workshop-2020
No refunds after January 17, 2020.
BAGSC Basic Botanical Art, photo © Deborah Shaw.
All basic supplies are included in the registration cost. Beginners can try new techniques while others can brush up their skills and try out new materials.
Please register early. Spaces are limited, and this workshop is open to the public. Registrations are expected to fill quickly.
Questions? Contact BAGSC’s education chair at the link on the online registration page above.
by Deb Shaw
There are still a few spots available for BAGSC’s first Basic Botanical Art Workshop: A Day of Skills and Techniques for All Levels. Join us on:
Sunday, January 27, 2019
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden
for a day of mini-workshops and fun exploring techniques and supplies.
Cost, BAGSC Members: $50
Non-Members: $60
Register online at: https://bagsc.org/classes/bagsc-basic-botanical-art-workshop
Bring your own lunch or purchase from the Arboretum Café.
This day of botanical art is designed to allow participants of all levels an opportunity to enjoy a hands-on botanical art experience in different mediums. The day starts with a presentation about botanical art. Then, each participant can choose any combination of four (4) one-hour, hands-on workshops taught by skilled BAGSC instructors. Registration is for the entire day—no pre-registration for individual workshops is required.
Participants may choose to sit down with different artists to experience techniques applied to creating botanical art. Currently scheduled are:
- Creating 3D forms by light to dark shading in graphite
- How to do a watercolor wash
- Easy color mixing in watercolor (NEW—just added!)
- Dry brush techniques (NEW—just added!)
- Using pen and ink in scientific illustration
- Drawing with silverpoint
- Color pencil techniques in botanical art
- Labeling your painting with calligraphy
- Creating 3D forms by light to dark in watercolor
- How to draw a leaf in graphite
- Using mixed media in scientific illustration
- Graphite tips and tricks
- Perspective for plants
- Watercolor pencil techniques
BAGSC teacher members will be sharing their skills, displaying some of their works and bringing information. Currently scheduled to participate are:
- Cristina Baltayian
- Diane Daly
- Akiko Enokido (NEW—just added!)
- Sally Jacobs
- Lesley Randall
- Olga Ryabtsova
- Gilly Shaeffer
- Deborah Shaw
- Ellie Yun-Hui Tu
All basic supplies, including paper and paint, are included in the price. Additionally, most artists will bring special supplies to share that can be used with their techniques. Participants are welcome to bring some of their supplies if desired. Please see the lists in the right-hand column of BAGSC’s website about the class.
Questions about the Workshop? Contact the BAGSC Education Chair.
by Deb Shaw
The American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) has announced the selected artists for Botanical Art Worldwide: America’s Flora, a groundbreaking collaboration between botanical artists, organizations, and institutions around the world.
This worldwide exhibition and its events will call attention to the importance of conserving our planet’s botanical diversity. Each participating country will provide digital slide shows of up to forty works, to be compiled with all other countries’ images and shown at each venues during the run of each exhibition. Opening events, lectures, demonstrations, webinars, workshops and other events will be held (with some shared online), so visitors can learn more about contemporary botanical art and the earth’s floristic regions and botanical wealth.
For the US exhibition, the jurors were: Susan T. Fisher, Botanical Artist and Educator; Patricia Jonas, Author and Editor; William McLaughlin, Plant Curator, US Botanic Garden; and, Susan Pell, Ph.D, Science and Public Programs Manager, US Botanic Garden. The jurors selected 46 artworks from more than 200 submissions, including artwork by BAGSC members Mitsuko Schultz, Gilly Shaeffer, and Deborah Shaw. A complete list of artists can be seen on the ASBA website. All artworks feature native plants of the US, and images will be available on the ASBA website once the exhibition opens.
The ASBA, in collaboration with the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C., will present the juried exhibition of plants from around the United States, staged in the U.S. Botanic Garden’s gallery space. After remaining on view at the U.S. Botanic Garden through October 2018, the exhibition will then travel through the end of 2019. Similar exhibitions will be held in more than twenty other countries.
A Worldwide Day of Botanical Art will be held on May 18, 2018, with events held for 24 hours, following the sun from venue to venue.
Participating countries include: Australia, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Scotland, South Africa, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Several other countries are in the planning stages and will be announced.
Some goals of the exhibition include:
- Presenting a unified message about the ability to link people with plants through botanical art.
- Acknowledging and building upon the increasing connections between botanical artists worldwide.
- Increasing appreciation and understanding of the world’s plant diversity and its interconnectedness.
- Raising awareness about the worldwide movement in botanical art.
- To engage in a project to document some of the wild plant species of the world.
Click here for Botanical Art Worldwide Exhibition Info and Participating Countries Be sure to return to the ASBA website to see updates about the artists and the exhibitions.
Congrats to all the participating artists, organizations, and institutions from around the world!
Click any of the images below to see an enlarged image with artwork information.
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- Matilija Poppy, Gilly Shaeffer, watercolor on paper, © 2017.
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- Platanus racemosa, California sycamore, © Mitsuko Schultz, 2017, watercolor on paper.
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- Brodiaea filifolia S. Watson, Thread-leaved Brodiaea, Deborah B. Shaw, © 2012, watercolor on Kelmscott Vellum. Image protected by Digimarc.
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 Gilly Shaeffer, posted by Deb Shaw
Cork Oak Tree, watercolor on paper, Gilly Shaeffer, © 2017, all rights reserved.
I am participating in the Arroyo Arts Collective 25th Annual Discovery Tour on Sunday, November 19, 2017. This is a self-guided tour of artists homes and studios in Northeast Los Angeles. It is a one day event that goes from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. I will have my botanical paintings and prints on display and my long time friend, Bob Layport, landscape oil painter, will be showing his paintings at my home. We would love to have you stop by to see our display. Hope you will come.
To find out more about this free art tour, please go to ArroyoArtsCollective.org or if you would just like to come to see the display at my home, just email me.
About the Arroyo Arts Collective Annual Discovery Tour
The Arroyo Arts Collective is a grassroots, community-based organization of artists, poets, musicians, performers, craftspersons and supporters of the creative community in Northeast Los Angeles. After twenty five years, the ground breaking Arroyo Arts Collective Annual Discovery Tour is going out with a bang. Our last Tour will be Sunday, November 19, 2017 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and admission is free.
The Arroyo Arts Collective (AAC) invites the entire Northeast Los Angeles (NELA) community to visit the homes and studios of the artists who make up the 2017 Discovery Tour!
More information can be found on the Arroyo Arts Collective website.
by Gilly Shaeffer, posted by Deb Shaw
Save-the-date postcard, designed by Jan and Chas Clouse, featuring Gilly Shaeffer’s watercolor of a California native walnut, © 2017.
The Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California (BAGSC) is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year. Mark your calendars–on August 26, 2017, the Guild will be having a gala celebration in honor of our Anniversary.
Since its inception in 1997, our group has grown, changed and keeps getting better. So, we have good reason to celebrate. Members continue to develop their botanical art skills through classes and workshops, and, as a result of this dedication and hard work, we have more and more opportunities to show our art. Through outreach, exhibition and educational activities, BAGSC has increased southern Californian’s awareness and appreciation for this art form.
We have many activities planned in honor of our 20-year milestone.
The Los Angeles Arboretum Library, one of our earliest supporters, will be hosting a BAGSC exhibition, entitled “Illustrating the Urban Forest: 20 Years of Botanical Art”. The exhibition will feature trees that grow in Mediterranean climates. Opening in early July, 2017, the exhibition will run until the end of September.
On August 26 we will hold a 20th Anniversary Celebration at the Los Angeles Arboretum:
4:00 – Artists will lead a tour of the exhibition and discuss the art.
5:00 – A special presentation will be given by Matt Ritter, author of A Californian’s Guide to Trees Among Us. Matt is a professor at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, a tree expert and a photographer. This promises to be a delightful and informative presentation.
6:00 – The Anniversary Dinner will be held at the Peacock Café Patio at sunset. Olga Eysymontt, long time botanical art instructor, will share memories of BAGSC beginnings and how botanical art got started in Los Angeles. And there will be opportunities for all to connect with old friends and meet new ones.
Invitations to this special event will be available soon. The suggested donation for attending is $60.
Keep your eyes open for invitations and more information. Entries for the exhibition at the LA Arboretum Library, “Illustrating the Urban Forest: 20 Years of Botanical Art” are due May 12, 2017. The “Call for Entries” can be found on the BAGSC website Exhibitions page and in the Members Only section. Questions on the exhibition? Please contact Janice Sharp. Questions about the 20th Anniversary Celebration? Please contact Gilly Shaeffer.
We are looking forward to sharing a beautiful afternoon and evening with members, friends, family, special guests from the Los Angeles botanical gardens community and more. We hope all will join us for this magical anniversary celebration.
by Deb Shaw
BAGSC News previously posted Gilly Shaeffer’s acceptance into “Celebrating Flora of the National Parks“, the new exhibition by the United States Botanic Garden (USBG) and the National Park Service (NPS) showcasing plants and ecological communities found throughout the more than 400 national parks.
Dudleya greenei, watercolor by Ellie Tu, © 2016, all rights reserved. This plant grows in the Channel Islands National Park.
BAGSC member Ellie Tu also was accepted into “Celebrating Flora”. Ellie’s cousin visited the exhibition at the US Botanic Garden at the end of March, and sent these photos of his visit.
The exhibition, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the NPS and the diversity of our national park’s flora, will run from February 18 – October 2, 2016 in the USBG Conservatory in Washington, D.C. Artworks in a wide variety of media by 78 artists from across the country are on display, along with living specimens from the USBG and graphics representing each of the National Parks represented. Programs will include botanical illustration and photography workshops, meet-the-artist sessions, and lectures by national parks rangers and other experts.
The U.S. Botanic Garden is the oldest public garden in the United States, and is open to the public, free of charge, every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Conservatory is located at 100 Maryland Ave. SW, on the southwest side of the U.S. Capitol. More information about the exhibit, programs, and visiting the USBG is available on the website.
Gallery wall showing Dudleya greenei by Ellie Tu; and California Poppy and Toyon Berries by Gilly Shaeffer. © 2016 by the artists, all rights reserved. Photo by Keith Fisher, © 2016.
Congratulations to Ellie and Gilly, and Happy 100th birthday to the US Botanic Garden!
Entry to “Flora of the National Parks”. Photo by Keith Fisher, © 2016, all rights reserved.
by Gilly Shaeffer, posted by Deb Shaw
California Poppy, watercolor by Gilly Shaeffer, © 2016, all rights reserved.
Gilly Shaeffer recently had two paintings accepted for the exhibit at the United States Botanic Gardens, Washington, D.C.: her paintings of Toyon Berries and California Poppies. These plants can be found at the Channel Islands National Park in California.
Entitled “Celebrating Flora of the U.S. National Parks,” this exhibition is in collaboration with the National Park Service, celebrating their 100th anniversary, and will showcase the diversity of the plant life throughout the U.S. National Parks.
The exhibit will be open from February through October, 2016.
Congratulations Gilly! A great way to start the New Year!
Toyon Berries, watercolor by Gilly Shaeffer, © 2016, all rights reserved.
by Gilly Shaeffer, posted by Deb Shaw
Gilly Shaeffer, “Camellia,” watercolor on paper, 2015, all rights reserved.
Gilly Shaeffer, long time member of BAGSC, will be holding four Wednesday morning classes in January, 2016 at her home studio in “Botanical Drawing and Watercolor Basics.” This is a great opportunity for beginners and intermediates to perfect their drawing skills and also a preparation for doing botanical watercolor painting. It is perfect for those who like a small group experience with a lot of individualized attention. It will consist of a cumulative series of exercises to improve observational and drawing skills, as well as, preparing students to create three dimensional form through light to dark shading. Those who complete the drawing exercises with Gilly will move on to the study of botanical watercolor painting. The understanding and skills gained through these classes can be applied when doing all types of drawing and painting.
Visit Gilly Shaeffer’s website to see samples of her work and read her “Bio” to learn about her educational background, teaching experiences and accomplishments in botanical art.
Four Wednesdays in January, 2016: January 6, 13, 20, 27
10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Fee:$160
Locations: Gilly’s Home Studio
For address, directions, and answers to any questions, please Gilly’s email address.
by Gilly Shaeffer, posted by Deb Shaw
Heteromeles arbutifolia, Toyon by Gilly Shaeffer, © 2015, all rights reserved.
BAGSC members are invited to this Art Show and Sale at Gilly Shaeffer’s home, studio and garden this Sunday, November 22nd.
It will go from 9:30 to 5:00 p.m. Gilly’s show is part of the Arroyo Arts Collective Tour which takes place around northeast Los Angeles area every year. Gilly will have many years of her botanical painting work on display. Robert Layport-landscape oil painter, Cecile Decigaran-jewelry designer, Carol Yin and Kylie Ruan- potters will also be showing their work at Gilly’s during this event.
If you would like to buy a ticket to attend other art sites on this tour, you can do so online at http://arroyoartscollective.org. You do not need a ticket to come to Gilly’s—all BAGSC members are welcome!
The show is located at Gilly’s: 825 Elyria Dr., Los Angeles, California 90065
by Gilly Shaeffer, posted by Deb Shaw
Asuka Hishiki demonstrating during the “Weird, Wild & Wonderful” Symposium at The Huntington, July 2015. Photo by Gilly Shaeffer, © 2015.
During the recent “Weird, Wild & Wonderful” Symposium at The Huntington, I watched Asuka Hishiki as she demonstrated how she would paint a segment of an heirloom tomato skin. Here are my impressions of the way she went about developing this small sample of the tomato skin with paint.
- Asuka says every time she approaches her subject it is new for her.
- Asuka starts sketches on tracing paper.
- She uses a wood pencil in a pencil holder which she sharpens with a box cutter.
- She goes over her pencil lines with a lighter color paint or yellow ochre. So she will have thin lines in watercolor for her drawing.
- At this point she erases any pencil lines.
- She covers the entire form with a Chinese white wash. (The Chinese white that she likes is the Holbein brand.) She says one should stay very light when applying the first layer of this white paint. This Chinese white wash acts as a protection for the paper. Much of it gets taken off during the removal of the masking fluid (to be mentioned later).
- Asuka will add more Chinese white paint on the places where she wants the paint to bleed to create soft color transitions. She also mentions the importance of keeping harmony in the colors used as the form develops.
Asuka Hishiki masking fluid technique. Photo by Gilly Shaeffer, © 2015.
- She mixes three colors together in a small amount to be used to develop the form using the dry brush technique. She uses Interlon brand brush #3/0 for her dry brush work.
- In preparing to use masking fluid to prevent certain areas of the paper from getting painted, she would prime the brush to be used with liquid soap. The soap helps to keep the masking fluid brush in good shape for future use. This brush is used exclusively for masking fluid.
- She will use the masking fluid to hold the places that she does not want to get painted—in this case the place where a leaf would be (which looks like a skinny wiggly line in the photos), where the highlights would be and where imperfections would be found on the tomato skin.
Asuka Hishiki masking fluid technique. Photo by Gilly Shaeffer, © 2015.
- Asuka stipples on the masking fluid with a very skinny brush on the section that she has begun to paint.
- She uses tissue to blot any extra paint from her paper.
- Then she adds a second layer of masking fluid. So, this layer of masking fluid dots will have more tone than the first layer of dots that she applied that prevent any paint from getting through to the paper.
- She always makes sure that the paint and the masking fluid that she has applied are absolutely dry before proceeding.
- She says that you can lift paint more easily when you have first applied a Chinese white wash to the paper.
- She applies a layer of Yellow Ochre wash.
- She continues to develop the form through her dry brush technique. At this point the masking fluid remains on the painted area.
Asuka Hishiki masking fluid technique. Photo by Gilly Shaeffer, © 2015.
- Asuka uses Winsor Newton Series 7 brushes, #5 and #3 for the colored washes.
- She adds a third layer of masking fluid dots.
- With WN Series 7 #5 brush, she puts a colored wash on the section that she had previously dry brushed. This makes any lines from dry brushing disappear.
- Now she lifts the masking fluid dots. When she does this she is also lifting the Chinese white paint that was applied to the paper at the very start. The white of the paper now shows through in the places that had masking fluid on them.
- She decides that she wants to apply another layer (this would be the fourth layer) of masking fluid dots. This will make the dots appear lighter and less visible than the layers applied earlier.
- Next more dry brushing with a deeper color paint. Some stippling is used. Then some more wet strokes (colored washes) to further the development of the form.
- When she removes the fourth layer of masking fluid, it is easy to see the section of the heirloom tomato skin developing on the paper with its highlights, its shiny smooth skin, its roundness, its imperfections and its rich colors of orange, red, and purple.
by Gilly Shaeffer, posted by Deb Shaw
Gilly Shaeffer, “Camellia,” watercolor on paper, 2015, all rights reserved.
Gilly Shaeffer, long time member of BAGSC, will be holding four Thursday morning classes in July at her home studio entitled “Drawing Basics.” This is a great opportunity for beginners and intermediates to perfect their drawing skills and also a preparation for doing botanical watercolor painting. It is perfect for those who like a small group experience with a lot of individualized attention. It will consist of a cumulative series of exercises to improve observational and drawing skills, as well as, preparing students to create three dimensional form through light to dark shading. Those who complete the drawing exercises with Gilly will move on to the study of botanical watercolor painting. The understanding and skills gained through these classes can be applied when doing all types of drawing and painting.
Visit Gilly Shaeffer’s website to see samples of her work and read her “Bio” to learn about her educational background, teaching experiences and accomplishments in botanical art.
Four Thursdays in July: July 2; July 9; July 16; July 23
Fee:$160
Locations: Gilly’s Home Studio
For address, directions, and answers to any questions, please Gilly’s email address.
by Janice Sharp and Beth Stone
Gilly Shaeffer demonstrating her watercolor technique. Gilly Shaeffer demonstrating her watercolor technique. Photo credit: Brad King (SCCS President).
In January of 2015 BAGSC staged a show entitled A Passion for Camellias in Van de Kamp Hall at Descanso Gardens. The exhibit was an exciting addition to the first Camellia flower show of the 2015 show season. BAGSC members were on hand all that weekend to answer questions and to provide demonstrations.
At the request of Descanso Gardens, 11 art works from the initial display of 20 have been re-hung in the historic and beautifully restored Boddy House where they are expected to remain well into 2016. Art works were selected to represent as many contributing artists as possible. The area where the botanicals are hanging invites close observation, along the interior hallway leading to and spilling into the kitchen.
You’ll want to set aside some time to bring friends and family to visit Descanso Gardens and see this lovely display in person. For an orientation to the Boddy House, please refer to the Descanso Gardens web site: https://www.descansogardens.org/explore/boddy-house
Artist Tania Norris chatting with Camellia enthusiast Hiromi Sato.
While you’re there, be sure to stop into the Sturt Haaga Gallery to see California Light opening May 3rd:
https://www.descansogardens.org/explore/upcoming-exhibition/
Many thanks to David Brown, Susan Armstrong and Cris Martinez of Descanso Gardens for welcoming BAGSC’s Passion for Camellias to the Boddy House.
Watercolor of C. japonica ‘Berenice Boddy’ by Clara Josephs, © 2015, all rights reserved.
Camellia Botanicals in Descanso’s Boddy House.
BAGSC News 