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If you have always wanted to enroll in a certificate program in botanical art, but live too far away from existing programs, here is a new option to consider. The Denver Botanic Gardens has created a distance learning program that combines in-class instruction with weekly sessions taught over the Internet.
Students are still required to put in some on-site class time for the program, however the classes are not spread out over several weeks like they are in the traditional certificate program. The new program is comprised of weekend classes during which students receive intensive instruction, learn new techniques, and receive one-on-one tutoring.
The following on-site courses are required and are taught entirely in the classroom (Friday through Sunday):
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Botanical Illustration in Pencil I
Botany for the Botanical Illustrator
Composition for Botanical Illustration
Perfecting Perspective
Color Layering for Colored Pencil
The courses below are also required and are taught both on-site and online (two days of in-class instruction followed by three weekly Internet sessions):
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Botanical Illustration in Pencil II
Botanical Illustration in Colored Pencil I
Botanical Illustration in Colored Pencil II
Color Mixing for Artists
Botanical Illustration in Pen and Ink I
Botanical Illustration in Pen and Ink II
Botanical Illustration in Watercolor I
Botanical Illustration in Watercolor II
When completing a course with an online component, students must use a scanner or digital camera to record their work. All correspondence between student and instructor occurs by e-mail. To receive credit for an online course, a student must send a Giclée print of final artwork to their instructor and to the program’s manager within 30 days of the conclusion of the on-site portion of a class in order to receive credit for a course. The completion of a final piece marks the end of each distance learning course.
Students accepted into this new program must live more than 150 miles away from Denver Botanic Gardens.
There is much more to learn about this new option in distance learning. Please download the Spring 2011 catalog to read descriptions of all required courses.
Information about this program has been added to
Classes Near You > Colorado.
Do you have a question about this new program?
You are invited to write your question in the comment box below. Please submit your questions by Friday. Program Manager, Mervi Hjelmroos-Koski, has offered to stop by to answer your questions.
Note:
You only need to use your first name (or a screen name). Last names are not necessary.
ArtPlantae Today 
I believe the course would be much more professionally acceptable if all the assignments, regardless of how many, required all original materials to be mailed by U.S. Post, perhaps using one quarter of a sheet of drawing paper. even though this would increase the mailing expenses by students and the time needed by instructors to grade the work. The instructors could then use overlay sheets for individual corrections to complement the general text of the course. If the course where conducted in this manner, I would be very interested in taking the course by correspondence, and I would expect professional notations and color sketches by the instructors. A sample lesson could be designed, to be paid by each student, to show the quality of the instruction and the ability of each student. Each assignment would be graded individually. Also a payment by each lesson-by-lesson might be considered, this would make the course very attractive to students, though the complete curriculum should be printed in advance, so students would know what they are getting. I hope you consider these suggerstions. William.
A reader is interested in the program, however traveling to the in-class portions of the program is not possible. Do you think the program might be conducted entirely online in the future?
Hello,
I have several questions about the logistics of the course:
1. Distance students will need to come to Denver 13 separate times to participate in the required 2-day workshops/on-site portions?
2. Are there plans to consolidate the on-site coursework into a 1- or 2-week intensive workshop series so that distance students could complete the in-residency requirements as a unit, or perhaps a couple of units over the certificate-course period?
3. Is there a time limit allotted for completion of the distance certificate?
4. Is there a total enrollment price for the distance certificate course, or are fees assessed for each class individually?
5. The elective courses offered in the distance learning catalog seem to be all on-site. Are there plans to offer online/distance-learning elective classes?
Thank you for all your comments and questions. Regarding the assignments for the online courses, if a student prefers to mail in the assignment she/he is certainly welcome to do so. The corrections and suggestions need to done, and will be done for each assignment whether it is a mailed-in contribution or a digital scan. This is very critical for the success of each individual student. The digital tools allow us to go quite far.
The curriculum for the required courses in the certificate program is available by request.
The elective courses vary from semester to semester, some of them will be regularly repeated, some thematic ones are more unique. The elective courses are meant to increase the knowledge and experience not only of the art technique but also of art history, botany, culture, tradition etc.
We value the classroom experience, teacher student contact and the lateral learning in the classroom so much that we will most likely always include an on-site component to our distance learning program.
At the moment our curriculum is planned so that you can theoretically go through all the requirements in 6-7 months. We currently have students from several states and from abroad. Some students select to take a sabbatical and spend an intense learning period here in Colorado, other out-of state students prefer taking week-end workshops or week-long workshops. Classes can be taken in any order but each of the courses has prerequisites which need to be completed ahead of time. The prerequisites often determine in which order each of the students decide to take the classes. We do organize week long intense workshops, however the participants often can not do any homework and there is not enough time between the sessions to practice the newly leaned steps. Typically the certificate program should be completed within a period of five years.
All our classes are limited for 12 students and we have eight core teachers – the fee for our on-site, core teacher courses is $12.80/hr. Courses with a visiting or overseas instructor can be slightly more expensive, up to $15/hr. The on-site/online classes are $35/classroom hour (the online part is very difficult to approximate and can vary) We are expecting that the registration number for each online class is low and we are running the courses with e.g., only 1-2 participants. Typically the Botanical Illustration students take closer to 200 elective hours or more before submitting their portfolio.
We are planning to have on-site/online elective classes also. This time all the weekend workshops are listed in the catalog as they are convenient for long distance students.
You are always welcome to contact me by email or phone if you would like more specific answers.
Hello Mervi, my name is Ray Lee, I live in Queensland, Australia. I have been reading your Botanic Gardens web site. I am very interested in the Botanical Illustration course delivered onsite/online. The Illustration Course being delivered by the Botanic Gardens Denver, is unique, because the Students are able to use Colour Pencil. I have been searching the Internet World wide, for an Illustration course, totally online or by distance learning, and there are only three Establishments, two in the U.K., and one in the U.S.A., offering the full course online. There are other Colleges and Universities, and some Private Providers, all with different outcomes and course structures. Most are not suitable for my situation in Australia. If however, Denver Botanical Gardens sometime in the future, decide to offer an Illustration Course, totally online catering for the Student population in the U.S.A., and other potential International Students, I realise, that there has to be a demand for the course. Thank you for your interest. Regards Ray Lee.