ArtPlantae Today

New at Classes Near You > Maine:

The Humboldt Field Research Institute / Eaglehill Foundation
Steuben, ME
www.eaglehill.us
The Humboldt Field Research Institute is a field research station providing field experiences for natural history professionals. The Eaglehill Foundation creates interdisciplinary learning experiences in natural history, including workshops and retreats for artists.

• Botanical Illustration: Sketching and Painting Wildflowers in Their Natural Environment – July 24 – July 30, 2011
  This workshop will focus on sketching and painting wildflowers in the field with watercolors, with an emphasis on depicting them in their natural environment. With the inclusion of a plant’s surroundings in a painting, not only is the plant captured, but also the immediate habitat which supports it. This brings a new and intriguing dimension to one’s paintings. One can add just a simple suggestion of surrounding vegetation or a more detailed study of it, or even incorporate a larger-scale landscape, as in the orchid paintings by Martin Johnson Heade from the 19th century. The objective of field trips will be to gather inspiration and information which is essential in understanding and capturing the plant, its growth habit, and its interconnection with the natural world. Through close observation, participants will record what they see with pencil sketches, watercolor studies, and field notes. When possible, participants will be able to collect specimens from the field to continue working on them in the classroom. There will be daily sessions in the classroom during which participants can integrate their gathered information and observations and work towards one or more final paintings. The workshop will also focus on the importance of overall design, i.e., how to create the most effective composition to which the plant and its habitat lend themselves. There will be discussions of the importance of values in a painting, and of light tones, mid tones, and darks. There will be demonstrations on color mixing, brush strokes, and a wealth of other watercolor painting techniques. Through books and slides, there will be an opportunity to study and discuss the work of successful artists over generations who have depicted plants in their habitats, all within the context of works by contemporary artists. Participants of any level are welcome and will receive individual instruction and critiques as part of the workshop.

  Angela Mirro studied art and illustration at Parsons School of Design, while also developing a career as a textile designer. Over the past 20 years, her focus has been on botanical watercolor paintings of orchids, with a continued interest in landscape painting. When possible, she has combined the two in various degrees, painting orchids in situ as they grow in nature. Her work has been widely exhibited at such venues as: Losing Paradise? Endangered Plants Here and Around the World at the National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC (2010); The American Orchid Society, Delray Beach, FL (2008); the Brooklyn Florilegium Society, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, NY (2003, 2005, 2007-2008, 2010); Orchids in Contemporary Botanical Art, Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA (2006); and the Ashmolean Museum, A New Flowering: 1000 Years of Botanical Art, the Shirley Sherwood Collection, Oxford, England (2005). Her work is also contained in many private collections. In addition to painting orchids and landscapes, she also creates textile designs at Polo Ralph Lauren for the home furnishing market. Registration Information

• Scientific Illustration of Butterflies, Moths, and Other Insects
  June 26 – July 2, 2011
  This workshop focuses on scientific illustration of butterflies, moths and other insects from the instructor’s collection. Participants may work in the media of their choice. Preliminary sketching will be done in graphite. Instruction will stress drawing skills, accuracy, and technique, with instruction tailored to individual student needs, in order to produce exacting images of the chosen subject. Field exploration will include observing the surrounding beauty of the Humboldt Institute with the goal of discovering interesting insects in their natural habitat. Participants will be encouraged to explore mixed media options during the week’s studies. Microscopes will be available for up close observation of subjects in order to fully see the complexity of these delicate creatures. The instructor will provide hands-on demonstrations. Instruction is geared to all levels, beginner to advanced, and all participants will receive individualized attention throughout the week.

  Dolores R. Santoliquido is a freelance illustrator, an adjunct professor of illustration and drawing at Manhattanville College, Purchase, NY and an instructor in the Botanical Illustration Certificate Program at the New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY. She has a thirty-four year career in commercial art and her work has been exhibited extensively, including group shows at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. and the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Pittsburgh, PA. She has illustrated over one hundred books including several in the National Audubon Society Field Guide Series and produced numerous illustrations for Fine Gardening Magazine. Her work has also been published on the May 2006 cover of Orchids Magazine. Registration Information