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by Janice Sharp, Leslie Walker and Deb Shaw

BAGSC members are invited, with their significant others, to join BAGSC for a night of eating, drinking and merrymaking(!) on:
Saturday, December 8th
Janice’s house
5:00 pm – whenever

Janice is sending out a paperless invitation via email (you should have already received it). R.S.V.P to Janice via the paperless invite by December 1st, or via email.

As always, our BAGSC holiday event will be a POTLUCK DINNER. Please indicate if you will bring an appetizer, side dish (to accompany ham and  turkey) or dessert on your R.S.V.P.

We will hold a very brief meeting, and a silent auction of art materials and books (so bring money). If you have something you would like to contribute to the auction, please contact Leslie.

Please also bring any artwork (or any other creative endeavors) you’ve been working on for the past year to show in our “mini-sharing show” again — it was a lot of fun to see everyone’s work last year.

See you there!

by Janice Sharp, posted by Deb Shaw

Google map of the locations of Arboretum introductions

When you first click on the link in the story to the Google map of the locations of Arboretum introductions, this is what you’ll see; a list of all the plants with their locations as dots on the map. Click on “Satellite” view in the upper right corner of the map to see the information displayed over a photographic map.

For all of us who are painting the plants introduced by the Los Angeles Arboretum (or even those of us who want to find those plants from the list), we have a link to a Google map of the locations of Arboretum introductions throughout the grounds (thank you Frank!).

This this data is about five years old, so some plants from our list may be missing from the map, but it’s a great start.  When you open the site, click on “satellite” view and zoom in.  Then you’ll be able to see the paths and roads in the Arboretum, which will make it easier to find things and find your way around.

Questions? Contact Janice Sharp.

Happy painting!

"Satellite" view of Google map of the locations of Arboretum introductions.

In the “Satellite” view, zoom in to see the roads, paths and familiar landmarks of the Arboretum grounds.

"Satellite" view of the Google map of the locations of Arboretum introductions with plant information.

Click on the red pin marker next to a plant name you’re interested in, and the plant information will pop up on the map where the plant is located. Or, click on any red marker pin on the map, and the plant information will pop up there, too.

By Janice Sharp and Deborah Shaw

Akiko Enokido painted this Chorisia speciosa, Floss Silk Tree, at the Los Angeles County Arboretum. The LA Arboretum has introduced four varieties of Chorisia speciosa. © Akiko Enokido, 2009, all rights reserved

Akiko Enokido painted this watercolor of Chorisia speciosa, Floss Silk Tree, at the Los Angeles County Arboretum. The LA Arboretum has introduced four varieties of Chorisia speciosa. © Akiko Enokido, 2009, all rights reserved.

Starting in 1957 and continuing to the present, The Arboretum has been responsible for the introduction of plants to Southern California from around the world  (click here to download a list of the plants: LaArboretumPlantIntros). Many of these plants are now indispensible elements in our Southern California Gardens.

Recently, BAGSC members donated cards to make boxed collections for Richard Schulhof  (Arboretum CEO) to take as gifts for officials he met on a trip to South Korea. Most of the images used on these cards were of Arboretum Introductions. At the end of the trip a few remaining boxes were placed in the Arboretum Gift Shop for sale. The Gift Shop, Arboretum staff and Foundation Board members, as well as the general public, are very interested in having “Arboretum Plant” note cards stocked in the Gift Shop.

The Arboretum is a good friend of BAGSC, providing class space at very reasonable rates and access to a huge selection of plants. As a result, our members have already painted many plants on the Introduction list or will paint them in the future.

BAGSC is asking its Members to “donate” the use of images they may have, or will create, to be included in an “Arboretum Introduction” card collection. Deborah Shaw is setting up a project area for BAGSC members to upload their high-resolution images, or they can be mailed to her on disc. Each finished card will include:

  • the Name of the Artist with the appropriate copyright notice;
  • the plant name and the year it was introduced;
  • a description of the Arboretum;
  • and a description of BAGSC.

Images “donated” will be used ONLY for the purpose of this “Arboretum Introduction” card collection. BAGSC will produce and box the cards. They will be sold to the Arboretum Gift Shop at a modest markup over our costs of production. The profit will go to BAGSC’s general funds.

In addition, the Arboretum Library is to undergo an extensive facelift in the near future. When the work is completed we hope to have an art show featuring the Arboretum Introduction artwork.

If you are interested in participating in this project contact Janice Sharp or Deborah Shaw. Deb will email instructions for uploading images to the web project area.

By Joan Keesey

Thread-leaved Brodiaea, Second Place by Deborah Shaw

Thread-leaved Brodiaea, Second Place, by Deborah Shaw, watercolor on Kelmscott Vellum © 2012

It was very gratifying to see the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California (BAGSC) so well represented at the Botanical Art Exhibit at the CNPS Conservation Conference 2012 in San Diego at the Town and Country Resort. There were thirteen pictures by seven BAGSC members: Diane Daly, Estelle DeRidder, Clara Josephs, Joan Keesey, Janice Sharp, Deborah Shaw, and Dorthea Yellot. Members of our group won some prizes as well: Deborah Shaw received a second place ribbon for her watercolor on vellum of Thread-leaved Brodiaea; Joan Keesey won a third place ribbon for her watercolor of Snake Lilies and Elegant Madia; Estelle DeRidder won an honorable mention for her colored pencil of Hummingbird Sage.

Snake Lily & Elegant Madia, Third Place, by Joan Keesey, watercolor © 2012

Snake Lily & Elegant Madia, Third Place, by Joan Keesey, watercolor © 2012

My husband and I visited the exhibit twice—once on Thursday evening and again on Saturday afternoon. On both visits there were 12-15 enthusiastic conference attendees who had taken the trouble to make the trip to the ninth floor of the Regency Towers to see the botanical art and photography.  Generally the conference attendees were biologists, botanists, geologists, environmentalists and land managers—a different crowd from the usual botanical art group. The focus at most botanical art exhibits is on the artistic aspects of a work—composition, values, and technique. While this group was very appreciative of the skill displayed in the compositions, they were equally if not more interested in and enthusiastic about the actual subject matter. You overheard people say things like: “Oh, that is my favorite plant”;  “Have you ever seen that beautiful sage.”; or “This is such and interesting plant. I saw it for the first time on that hike along the Merced.”

Hummingbird Sage, Honorable Mention, by Estelle DeRidder, colored pencil © 2012

Hummingbird Sage, Honorable Mention, by Estelle DeRidder, colored pencil © 2012

This is the second CNPS exhibit that I have participated in, and I thought that the pictures were better displayed and of a higher quality. I am particularly interested in California Native Plants, so I find a show like this a real treat. I also like botanical exhibits where there is a focus or theme. I find the juxtaposition of “Turnips & Tulips”, “Corn and Camellias”, “Radishes & Roses”, jarring and difficult to evaluate.   I hope BAGSC will consider sponsoring exhibits that are more focused—a plant family such as the mustard, pea, rose or lily family, plants of a particular region, trees, succulents, etc. The options are endless, but I think it makes a more interesting and informative exhibit.

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