ArtPlantae Today

Now at Classes Near You > Pennsylvania:

Joan Frain Studio
www.joanfrain.com
Joan Frain is a professional botanical illustrator and instructor. For over 30 years, Joan has taught in Pennsylvania and in Delaware. Her work can be viewed in galleries and online. Private instruction and pay-as-you-go classes are available. Upcoming classes include:

Botanical Illustration – Jenkins Arboretum, Devon, PA. Fridays, October 15 – November 19, 2010; 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Illustrate plants from the arboretum’s gardens, the arboretum greenhouse, or bring your own. Students will be able to ask a horticulturist questions at each meeting. Course emphasis will be on watercolor techniques, however other media may be used. All levels of experience welcome. Please join us!

And coming this Fall to The Delaware Center for Horticulture!

Joan Frain Solo Exhibition
Joan Frain will have a solo exhibition of her original botanical watercolors at The Delaware Center for Horticulture. Subjects range from native wildflowers and bulbs, to exotic orchids. Joan’s artwork will be in The Community Gallery during the month of October. You are invited to attend a wine and cheese reception on Friday October 1, 2010 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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Now at Mindy Lighthipe’s Studio 16 at Classes Near You > New Jersey:

Studio 16
www.studio16online.com
Custom classes, individual instruction, art tours, and self-published instructional books can be found at Studio 16, the classroom and art studio of natural science illustrator, Mindy Lighthipe. To register for classes, contact Mindy or call
(908) 769-7417.

• Painting Butterflies – Tuesday October 19 – Thursday October 21, 2010. McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Florida Museum of Natural History. A very special behind-the-scenes visit to learn about butterflies, the process of metamorphosis, and biodiversity in the order Lepidoptera. Participants will be able to draw and paint specimens from the Center’s collection. Cost: $327, includes admission to the Butterfly Rainforest for 3 days, behind-the-scenes tour, specimen access, and instructor’s fee. Limit: 15 students. Visit Studio 16 for more information and to register.
• Ten-day Adventure to Costa Rica – January 21-30, 2011. Travel to the south Pacific region of Costa Rica. Learn about chocolate production in Costa Rica, explore the mountain landscape, visit research stations and more! View full itinerary, including links to hotels, here.

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New at Classes Near You > California:

Virginia Robinson Gardens, Beverly Hills
www.robinsongardens.org
Read about the Friends of Robinson Garden Botanical Art Group and the Robinson Garden Florilegium here. Download the current class schedule here.

• Botanical Art Composition I – August 4, 5, 6, 2010.
  How to inject strong eye appeal into a botanical art painting is often challenging from subject to subject, no matter how skilled the artist. Margaret Best will lead students through exercises designed to train the eye on how to plan and create visually appealing and natural compositions. Traditional compositions and contemporary works will be studied to expand the students awareness of how to influence the viewer. The impact of color placement, areas of dark and light, positive and negative spaces will all be covered.
• How and When to Add Details – September 1-3, 2010. Margaret Best will show you how to build washes to get the right intensity and how to give value to your subject. She will also teach you how to avoid creating muddy colors and how to avoid destroying your paper through overworking.
• Botanical Art Composition and Final Flower Drawing – October 6, 7, 8, 2010. Final class in a series taught by Margaret Best. Students will apply what they have learned about form, composition, color mixing, and watercolor techniques to create a finished painting.
• Botanical Painting with Anne-Marie Evans – Session #1: February 21-24, 2011; Session #2: February 28 – March 4, 2011. Anne-Marie will teach her five-step approach to botanical painting using a subject direct from the garden. Students may attend both sessions.
• Watercolor with Elaine Searle – March 28-31 and April 1, 2011. In this five-day class, Elaine will teach students how to compose a painting and how to capture those inspiring details. Visit PaintBotanical.com to learn more about Elaine.
• Watercolor on Vellum with Elaine Searle – April 4-5, 2011. Take on the challenge of painting on vellum. Elaine is one of the few artists who teaches how to paint on vellum.

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