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by Deb Shaw
Erythrina caffra, Coral Tree, original watercolor by Joan Keesey, © 2015, all rights reserved.
The Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California (BAGSC), in conjunction with Dr. Jennifer Funk and students from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Chapman University, will be opening an exhibition of botanical art entitled “An Illuminating Look at Legumes.”
Held in conjunction with the 10th Anniversary of the Chapman University Leatherby Libraries, the exhibition explores the large, economically important plant family Fabaceae or Leguminosae, commonly known as legumes, peas, or beans.
Exhibit dates:
Thursday, February 19 – Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Artists’ Reception and Demonstrations:
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
5:30 p.m.
Doy and Dee Henley Reading Room
Leatherby Libraries, 2nd Floor, Chapman University
One University Drive, Orange, California 92866
Legumes are the third largest flowering plant family on earth, after orchids (Orchidaceae) and daisies (Asteraceae). They are incredibly diverse, ranging from huge trees, twining, vigorous vines to small delicate annuals and even a few aquatic plants. They grow all over the world, except in Antarctica and the high Arctic.
Many legumes have a unique ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen through their root nodules, and, in doing so can replenish our soils and colonize barren areas.
Accompanied by interesting descriptions of the plants by Dr. Funk, her students and BAGSC members, the artists have depicted members of this family that are important agriculturally; thrive in desert and semi-arid environments; are weedy and invasive; and grow as trees.
Artists include: Cristina Baltayian, Melanie Campbell-Carter, Diane Daly, Estelle DeRidder, Cynthia F. Jackson, Clara Josephs, Joan Keesey, Suzanne Kuuskmae, Patricia A. Mark, Arillyn Moran-Lawrence, Terri Munroe, Alyse Ochniak, Robyn Reilman, Mitsuko Schultz, Janice Sharp, Deborah B. Shaw, and Jude Wiesenfeld.
This exhibition has been sponsored by BAGSC, Chapman University Leatherby Libraries, and Chapman University Schmid College of Science and Technology.
For exhibit hours please visit: www.chapman.edu/library/info/hours.html
Visitor parking near the Leatherby Libraries is available for $2.00 – $3.00 and may be purchased from the permit dispenser. For more detailed parking information, fees, maps and directions to Chapman University, please visit: www.chapman.edu/map
by Deb Shaw and Diane Daly
Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Red Bird of Paradise, or Mexican Bird of Paradise, watercolor by Diane Daly, © 2013, all rights reserved.
We’re updating our list of who is painting which Legumes for the Chapman University Exhibition in the Leatherby Libraries. [Just updated New Year’s Day — keep ’em coming and Happy New Year!]
The Legumes Exhibition follows closely on the heels of the Camellia Show at Descanso! (Each year, January seems to get busier and busier for BAGSC members!) Don’t forget that the entry forms for the Legume Exhibition are due the same day, Friday, January 16, 2015 that the Camellia Show will be staged and hung. Entry forms should be emailed or mailed, on or before that date to Diane Daly.
The list below are the Legume subjects BAGSC members have painted, are painting, or are thinking about painting. Don’t panic if you see something you’ve painted (or are thinking of painting) on the following list. This is only a preliminary list, and it’s always fun to see the same subject painted by different people. If you haven’t sent your subject to Diane Daly, please do so. We will be using our subject list to develop educational outreach materials with Dr. Jennifer Funk’s students.
- Cristina Baltayian: Coral Tree, Papago Beans, Tamarind Pods
- Melanie Campbell-Carter: Snail Vine (Viga caracalla)
- Diane Daly: Mexican Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima), Calliandra Eriophylla
- Cynthia Jackson: Knife Acacia (Acacia cultriformis)
- Clara Josephs: Desert False Indigo with Dogface Butterfly, Carob Tree
- Joan Keesey: Wisteria, Coral Tree, Lupine
- Suzanne Kuuskmae: Lupine, Wisteria, Vicia sativa
- Pat Mark: Hyacinth Bean
- Arillyn Moran-Lawrence: Shelling Pea, Green Arrow, Pisum sativum (Heirloom), plus hopefully one more
- Robyn Reilman, Acacia Stenophylla
- Mitsuko Schultz: Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus)
- Janice Sharp: Western Redbud (Cercis occidentalis), Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus), and Australian native
Wistera Hardenbergia violacea - Deborah Shaw: Castanospermum australe (if it gets done!), Acacia seed pod (Wattle Bush)
- Patty VanOsterhoudt: Desert Museum x Parkinsidium Parkinsonia x Cercidium (Palo Verde)
- Leslie Walker: Delonix regia
Need inspiration for your artwork? (There’s still time!) See some of Dr. Funk’s suggestions in our prior BAGSC News Blog article.
by Diane Daly, Dr. Jennifer Funk, and Deb Shaw
Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Red Bird of Paradise, or Mexican Bird of Paradise, watercolor by Diane Daly, © 2013, all rights reserved.
If you’re looking for additional “legume” inspiration during the holidays, we have two lists for you. The first was developed for us by Dr. Jennifer Funk, Associate Professor in the Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University. This is a brief list of just a few representative legumes, showing the wide variety of plants in this fascinating family:
Agricultural legumes
- Glycine max (soybean)
- Medicago sativa (alfalfa)
- Phaseolus vulgaris (common bean)
- Pisum sativum (pea)
Legumes in desert and semi-arid ecosystems
- Acmispon – dozens of species including Acmispon glaber (deerweed) which is an early colonizer following fire, and the very beautiful Acmispon wrangelianus, which can tolerate harsh serpentine soils
- Astragalus – dozens of beautiful milkvetch species, including rare natives like Astragalus claranus, Astragalus clevelandii, and Astragalus funereus
- Caesalpinia pulcherrima
- Calliandra eriophylla
- Dalea mollissima
- Hosackia – many species with spectacular flowers including Hosackia stipularis
- Lathyrus – many species including the lovely beach-goer Lathyrus littoralis
- Lupinus – many species with yellow or purple flowers, and slender herbs to large shrubs
- Pediomelum californicum
- Pickeringia montana (chaparral pea)
- Psorothamnus – several species with spectacular flowering stalks
- Trifolium – a diverse genus of clovers including my favorite Trifolium depauperatum (cowbag clover)
Weedy and invasive legumes
- Acacia dealbata
- Genista monspessulana (French broom)
- Medicago polymorpha (burclover)
- Melilotus officinalis
- Spartium junceum (Spanish broom)
- Trifolium hirtum
- Vicia sativa
Leguminous trees
- Acacia dealbata
- Acacia koa, Hawaiian tree used for beautiful reddish wood
- Bauhinia species (can be found at arboretums)
- Cercis occidentalis (western redbud)
- Erythrina – many species can be found at arborteums
- Olneya tesota (ironwood)
- Prosopis glandulosa (mesquite)
- Sophora chrysophylla (mamane), a Hawaiian tree that provides food for the endangered Palila bird
The second list is of “Artist’s Choices,” legume subjects BAGSC members have painted, are painting, or are thinking about painting. Don’t panic if you see something you’ve painted (or are thinking of painting) on the following list. This is only a preliminary list, and it’s always fun to see the same subject painted by different people. If you haven’t sent your subject to Diane Daly, please do so. We will be using our subject lists to develop educational outreach materials with Jennifer’s students.
- Melanie Campbell-Carter: Snail vine (Viga caracalla)
- Diane Daly: Pink trumpet tree (Tabebuia impetiginosa), Mexican Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)
- Clara Josephs: Desert false indigo with dogface butterfly, Carob tree
- Joan Keesey: Wisteria, Coral Tree, Lupine
- Suzanne Kuuskmae: Lupine, wisteria
- Pat Mark: Hyacinth bean
- Mitsuko Schultz: Sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus)
- Deborah Shaw: Castanospermum australe, Papago Bean/seeds, Acacia (wattle bush)
- Patty VanOsterhoudt: Desert Museum x Parkinsidium Parkinsonia x Cercidium (Palo Verde)
- Leslie Walker: Delonix regia
Happy painting!
By Diane Daly and Deb Shaw
The plans for the BAGSC/Chapman University Leatherby Library Legume Exhibition are coming together! Once again, January 2015 will be a busy month for BAGSC members, with exhibition deadlines and shows all arriving at the same time.
The theme of this Chapman exhibition will focus on botanical specimens of plants in the Legume Family (Leguminosae or Fabaceae). The third largest of all the vascular, flowering plants, legumes have approximately 630 genera and 18,000 species. Legumes are herbs, vines, shrubs and trees—all highly diverse and spread throughout most of the world.
Jennifer Funk‘s research students will be contributing to the educational outreach for this exhibition, writing descriptions of:
- The family characteristics (what makes a legume a legume);
- Their importance to agriculture and soils;
- The legumes of the desert and survival adaptations in dry conditions;
- The legumes that are nasty weeds in our yards;
- The legumes that grow to be trees; and more.
Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Red Bird of Paradise, or Mexican Bird of Paradise, watercolor by Diane Daly, © 2013, all rights reserved.
We are hoping to show the widest variety possible of this fascinating and massive botanical plant family, and are coordinating our paintings with the research and educational outreach. Towards that goal, we would like to hear what plants BAGSC members are painting (or have painted) and are planning to submit. We will publish the list, along with any “gaps” and suggestions for plants that would fill those gaps if members are interested in adding those to their submissions. Please send information about your artwork (or artwork you are thinking about) to Diane Daly.
This exhibition will coincide with the Tenth Anniversary of the Leatherby Libraries. In conjunction with the Leatherby Libraries staff, we are planning invitations, brochure handouts, signage and a reception, as well as other possible educational and botanical art programs. We will need lots of volunteers; please let Diane know if you can help.
Important dates to remember:
Submission deadline: January 16, 2015
Acceptance notification: January 23, 2015
Artwork delivery: On or before February 17, 2015
Exhibition set-up: February 17, 2015
Tentative reception date: February 25, 2015, Leatherby Library, 2nd Floor, 5:30 pm
Exhibition end (and take down): March 26, 2015
Download the Entry Form by clicking this link: bagscChapmanLegume15. Have some ideas for a title? Send those to Diane too! (And yes, you may also send poems and lyrics along the lines of the children’s tune “Beans, beans, the musical fruit…”)
Happy painting!
by Lesley Randall/Leslie Walker, posted by Deb Shaw
Asclepias speciosa, Lesley Randall, pen and ink on illustration board, © 2014.
BAGSC member Lesley Randal will be teaching a two-day workshop on Pen and Ink for Botanical Illustration at the San Diego Botanic Garden:
Saturday & Sunday, August 9 and 10, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm
San Diego Botanic Garden
Ecke Building
230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas, California 92024
Pen and ink is an elegant art form and the traditional method used in botanical illustration. This class will cover the different techniques used to convey shading, the importance of using different line weights and choosing the appropriate paper.
The class will focus on the legume family with a short lecture of the diagnostic characters given by instructor Lesley Randall. Students are not required to draw a plant from this family, however. Students must provide their own plant specimen to draw, with flower, fruit or seed pod if possible. Students are encouraged to have some pencil sketches completed of their subject to bring to the class. This will allow maximum time for working in pen and ink. All levels of experience are welcome.
Coffee, tea and water will be provided, but please bring your lunch. A materials list will be provided upon registration. There is ample parking at the SDBG, but of course, we always encourage carpooling.
The class is presented by San Diego Botanic Garden and the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California. Registration is on a first come, first served basis, maximum class size is 20 people. Please register online (the online registration will be available starting June 9) at the garden’s website, or mail checks “Payable to San Diego Botanic Garden” to:
Sam Beukema
San Diego Botanic Garden
PO Box 230005
Encinitas, California 92023
Cost: SDBG and BAGSC members $200, non-members $220. A materials list will be sent upon registration.
Questions? Email Lesley Randall.
Lesley began her career in Davis California where she prepared illustrations for scientific publications. Her work has appeared in numerous journals as well as a few floras, including the Jepson Manual and An Illustrated Flora of Yosemite National Park. In recent years she has exhibited her work in international juried botanical art shows in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. While she works primarily in pen and ink, Lesley also enjoys working in color pencil and graphite. In addition to botanical art, Lesley makes leather masks and mosaics out of glass. She is currently employed at San Diego Botanic Garden as curator of plant collections where she finds many different plants to draw.
BAGSC News 