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Botanical Art Tour to Tuscany, Rome & Siena

Posted in botanical art, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on September 29, 2011|

Click to download itinerary

Experience Italy in 2012!

Imagine yourself in Tuscany in Spring 2012, in a restored medieval village, drawing or painting the seasonal displays of flowers such as red poppies, azaleas, wisteria or the native blue iris. Or if you prefer, depicting the local fruit and vegetable offerings such as asparagus, strawberries, fennel or peas found in the market place.

Imagine also your artistic endeavors being guided by a renowned teacher in a stunning historical indoor/outdoor studio setting. Join Margaret Best, botanical artist and teacher, and an expert Italian-speaking cultural guide, on a memorable 8-night visit to Italy.

Outside the studio you will visit an organic kitchen garden and join the owner for a sumptuous gourmet meal. And there is more…you will be able to experience truly authentic Chianti region by mingling with the local residents and visiting a boutique wine estate to sip their vintages. You will also savor the culture of Rome and Siena.

Your Instructor
Margaret Best is an internationally recognized botanical artist and teacher offering tuition in graphite, color pencil and watercolor. She has taught workshops to all levels of experience from rank beginners, intermediates to advanced levels in Canada, UK, USA and Bermuda. These workshop venues include respected botanical gardens and institutions such as The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, San Marino, CA; Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens; San Diego Natural History Museum; Filoli, San Francisco, CA; Dow Learning Center, Calgary Zoo Conservatory, Calgary; Bermuda Art Center, Hamilton, Bermuda.

Margaret’s watercolors have been exhibited globally in New York; Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis; Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh; Los Angeles, Denver, Bermuda, Toronto, and San Francisco. Her work is found in many private and corporate collections around the globe. Recently the Royal Canadian Mint released a wild rose coin designed by Margaret.

For the past six years, Margaret has painted regularly with her mentor Pandora Sellars who is widely regarded by experts as the leading contemporary botanical artist of our time. She has also completed master classes with Katie Lee, Lizzie Sanders and Anne Marie Evans.

A professionally qualified art teacher, Margaret is known for her nurturing style and her ability to readily identify student skill level in order to steer advancement. This is what her students have to say:

That was a wonderful, wonderful workshop. Margaret creates a level playing ground where everyone could learn regardless of their skills. Thank you for helping to get me launched and I look forward to another workshop.”

Diana Platt, Santa Barbara, USA

Not only does Margaret have her own amazing works of art and technical skill beyond anything I have ever experienced, she is also an inspiration. Her classes are always supportive, informative, challenging, and stimulating. Margaret holds nothing back and shares her skills and life experiences freely. By the end of each class Margaret has successfully instilled the desire and provided the tools to create, not only art, but to become our best selves. I aim to take as many classes from Margaret that I am able and would recommend to anybody that she offers an opportunity that should not be missed.

Nancy Berreth, Calgary,Canada

Painting Tour of Italy with Margaret Best
April 26 – May 4, 2012
Cost: Euro 3,190 (convert currency)

Please direct all travel questions to Quench Travel Design, Ltd., a Toronto-based travel design group.

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Margaret Best Discusses Color in Botanical Art, Provides Tips for Informal Science Educators

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‘Golden Natives’ Exhibition at Theodore Payne Art Gallery

Posted in botanical art, Education, gardening, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on September 28, 2011|

Gene Bauer: The Golden Natives, 1972-1974
Theodore Payne Art Gallery
www.theodorepayne.org

Gene Bauer, the first chair of the California Garden Clubs’ Native Flora Committee, created a remarkable series of 27 screen-printed booklets from 1972-1974. As the first Chairman of California Native Flora for the California Garden Clubs, Inc., she launched this project to educate and stimulate an interest in native plants among the club’s membership. Ultimately, she created 27 unique booklets, each profiling a California native plant. Thirty nine years later, these booklets are being recognized for their creativity.

Beginning October 1, 2011, the Theodore Payne Art Gallery will host Gene Bauer: The Golden Natives 1972-1974, a three-month exhibition of Bauer’s work.

“The complexity and artistic quality of Gene Bauer’s work cannot be overstated,” said Pamela Burgess, board member of the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers and Native Plants and the Theodore Payne Arts Council. “When you consider that it was created by hand without the advantage of today’s technology, it makes you appreciate her work all the more.”

Visitors will be able to view the booklets themselves and see the different elements that make up each booklet. Elements such as a cover with a serigraph of a plant printed on heavy paper, a tissue paper insert printed with a slightly different version of the cover serigraph, a written description with scientific and folkloric information, and a map showing where a plant grows. The custom-designed envelopes used to mail the booklets to Garden Club members will also be on exhibit.

In 2010, ESRI Press published Botanical Serigraphs: The Gene Bauer Collection, a book containing all of Bauer’s serigraphs. A reception and book signing with Ms. Bauer will occur Saturday, October 8, 2011 from 2:30 – 4:30 PM during the Foundation’s annual plant sale and Fall festival.

Related
Book review, Botanical Serigraphs: The Gene Bauer Collection

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Sketch the Tropical Flora & Fauna of Guatemala

Posted in botanical art, Learning Opportunities, Sketching & Journaling, Special Announcements, Special Events on September 26, 2011|

Details about Cynthia Padilla’s new trip to Guatemala can be found below and at Classes Near You > Texas and Classes Near You > Guatemala:

Cynthia Padilla, Dallas
http://fruitflowerinsect.blogspot.com
Cynthia Padilla teaches painting and drawing classes at prestigious universities, major museums, arboreta, art societies across the US, Canada, Central America and internationally. She curates exhibitions, serves as a juror of exhibitions, lectures and conducts demonstrations, and leads painting retreats worldwide. Cynthia is also the founder of the Botanical Art & Naturalist Illustration group on Yahoo!

Botanical Arts/ Nature Sketching the Tropical Flora and Fauna of Guatemala with Cynthia Padilla

Class will be based in lovely Antigua, a delightful bougainvillea-draped town with an international ambiance of internet cafes, art galleries, artisan crafts and warmhearted, welcoming people.

Participants will also head into the highlands where volcanoes rise out of early morning mist and spend 3 days on Lake Atitlan.

Begin a lifelong habit of journaling in nature and return home with a collection of sketches, tiny vignettes, notes & notations, measurements and musings, and works of art ready to frame. All media and all levels welcome.

Registration/Information: Liza Fourré, Director, Art Workshops in Guatemala, call 612-825-0747 or contact Liza Fourré, Director.

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Nature Artists Gather for International Festival

Posted in Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on September 21, 2011|

Artists for Conservation, the world’s leading group of artists supporting the environment, will host its first annual Artists for Conservation Festival in Vancouver, Canada from November 5-13, 2011. Renowned nature artist, Robert Bateman, will give the opening address. Nature and wildlife artists from around the world will be in attendance. Festival visitors will be able to participate in workshops, view nature and wildlife art, watch painting demonstrations and learn about conservation issues.

For detailed festival information, visit the festival webpage.

Artists for Conservation Festival 2011
Grouse Mountain
North Vancouver, Canada
November 5-13, 2011

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Plants & People Tour for Kids, Honeybees Speak at the UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley

Posted in botanical art, Cookbooks, Learning Opportunities on September 21, 2011|

The UC Botanical Garden at Berkeley has added new events to their Fall schedule. You are all invited to attend!

See what’s new here and at Classes Near You > California.

University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley
http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu
This 34-acre garden was established in 1890 and is now a non-profit research garden and museum. The botanical art classes below are taught by Lee McCaffree and Catherine Watters. View a detailed schedule and register on the Garden’s website.

Sick Plant Clinic – First Saturday of Each Month, 9 AM – 12 PM. Free. No reservations required.
Monthly Butterfly Walks – Fourth Tuesday of each month (March – October); 3 – 4 PM. Garden volunteer, docent, and caterpillar lady, Sally Levinson, will lead walks through the garden in search of butterflies. Space is limited. Children welcome. Free with admission.
Garden Strollers – Second Wednesday of Each Month,
11 AM – 11:45 PM. A 45-minute tour of the garden for adults with young children (3 and under). Tour will end on the lawn for play and snacks (bring your own). Children must be in a stroller or carrier during the tour. FREE with garden admission. Meet in front of the Garden Ship. For more information, call (510) 642-7082 or email garden@berkeley.edu.
Native Bees with Dr. Gordon Frankie – Sunday, October 2, 2011;
11 AM – 1 PM. Dr. Frankie is a UC Berkeley professor, research entomologist and a native bee expert. His specialty is the behavioral ecology of solitary bees in wild lands and urban environments of California and Costa Rica. Dr. Frankie will discuss some of the more common species of native bees, as well as, the plants and gardening practices, that will encourage them to take up residence in your garden. He will talk about current projects and share stories from the field. Pre-registration required; $25, $20 members.
Foods of the Americas Exhibit Docent-led Tours – October 6 – 20, 2011, 9:30 AM & 11:30 AM. Pre-pre-registration required by September 15. Feast your eyes on the vibrant textures and colors of the fall harvest in our Foods of the Americas exhibit. Visit our marketplace filled with produce from ancient Indian cultures, from the well-known corn, tomatoes, potatoes, and chocolate to the less familiar amaranth, quinoa and oca. See them growing in our Crops of the World Garden, Tropical House, and the Mexico/ Central American and South American collections. Free with Garden admission. Schools may schedule a special 75 minute program for their classes.
Bamboo Workshop with Stalk Bicycles – Saturday, October 8, 2011;
11:00 AM – 1:30 PM. Stalk Bicycles of Oakland will be on-site to show you how they hand-craft custom bicycle frames from bamboo and other sustainable materials. They will demonstrate how bamboo is a sustainable, versatile and sculptural material – perfect for bike construction and many other design projects. Join us as we learn about bamboo, sustainable manufacturing, bamboo construction, and see their one-of-a-kind, custom artisanal bikes. $15, $10 members; registration required.
Film Screening: Queen of the Sun – Wednesday, October 12, 2011;
6:00 – 8:00 PM. Queen Of The Sun: What Are The Bees Telling Us? is a profound, alternative look at the global bee crisis from Taggart Siegel, director of The Real Dirt On Farmer John. Taking us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, this engaging and ultimately uplifting film weaves an unusual and dramatic story of the heartfelt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world including Michael Pollan, Gunther Hauk and Vandana Shiva. Together they reveal both the problems and the solutions in renewing a culture in balance with nature. Pre-registration required; $12, $10 members.
Foods of the Americas Family Day! – Sunday, October 16, 2011;
10:00 AM & 1:00 PM. Spanish and English Docent Led Tours of the Exhibit; 2 PM Native Food Tastings & Crafts. Free with Garden Admission.
NEW! Stalk It! with Karen Soloman – Sunday, October 16, 2011;
11 AM. In celebration of Food of the Americas Family Day, Karen Soloman (Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It) will discuss how to prepare your favorite food of the Americas as she teaches from her new book, Can It, Bottle It, Smoke It. Soloman’s books will be available for purchase. Cost: $20 members, $25 nonmembers.

Live hundreds of miles from UC Berkeley? Take a look inside Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It and Can It, Bottle It, Smoke It.
Fall Bird Walk – Saturday, October 29, 2011; 9:00 – 10:30 AM. Observe resident, migrant and vagrant birds in the Garden’s many bird-friendly microhabitats with birding expert Phila Rogers and Associate Director of Collections & Horticulture Chris Carmichael. Pre-registration required; $20, $17 members.
NEW! 5th Annual Spooky Tales in the Redwood Grove – Sunday, October 30, 2011; 2-3 PM. Join the Stagebridge storytellers in the Redwood Grove as they tell bewitching and playful stories in celebration of Halloween. Join in the costume parade through the redwoods. Cost: $12 for one adult and child; $8 members; $3 each additional person.
Botanical Art: Autumn Leaves with Lee McCaffree – Sunday, November 13, 2011; 10 AM – 4 PM. Fall foliage offers a brilliant color palette to catch our eye, but a graphite drawing or green leaf can be just as fascinating. Expert Lee McCaffree will instruct students on the structure of leaves as students to draw and paint them. The class will consider many types of leaves from the Garden before drawing them and closely examine structure and detail. Students may use pencils or watercolor to create an original work using the colors and/or patterns of fall leaves. All levels are welcome. Pre-registration required; $80, $75 members
California Natives: Plants and People Tour for Kids – Saturday, November 19, 2011; 1:00 – 2:30 PM. How could people get everything they need from the natural environment without stores? Learn about the plants used by California Indians for food, shelter, clothing, tools, medicine, games, and music. Explore the varied customs and skills of California’s earliest inhabitants. Create your very own take-home project inspired by early Californian crafts. Pre-registration recommended; $15 for each adult and child, $12 members; $5 each additional person.

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Botanical Art Exhibition Opens This Week at The Horticultural Society of New York

Posted in botanical art, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on September 19, 2011| 1 Comment »

The 14th Annual International Juried Botanical Art Exhibition opens this week at The Horticultural Society of New York. This exhibition is a collaborative effort between The Horticultural Society of New York and the American Society of Botanical Artists.

This exhibition featuring paintings and drawings of trees, fungi, vines, fruit, vegetables, and flowers will be on view September 21 – November 23, 2011. The Gallery at The Hort is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 12 – 6 PM.

Botanical art workshops will be taught by botanical artists Dr. Dick Rauh, John Pastoriza-Piñol, and Wendy Hollender during the exhibition. Information about these workshops is available below. Workshop information has also been posted to Classes Near You > New York.

Horticultural Society of New York
www.hsny.org
These workshops will be offered during the 14th Annual International Juried Exhibition of Botanical Art that will be on view from September 21 – November 23, 2011 in The Gallery at The Hort.

Exploring the Science of Botanical Art – Monday, October 17, 2011. Explore the botany and the art of plants with botanical artist and botanist, Dr. Dick Rauh. Learn about the life cycles of flowering plants and use a magnifying glass to study their unique characteristics. Choose from two sessions: morning session (10 AM – 1 PM), afternoon session (2-5 PM). HSNY Hort Members $115, nonmembers $150.
Register online/Get materials list
Prickly Subjects – Thursday, November 3, 2011. Have you always wanted to capture the complex details of plants? Do stick-me-outs leave you baffled? Learn how to capture the most intricate details of the plant world with Australian botanical artist, John Pastoriza-Piñol. Choose from two sessions: morning session (10 AM – 1 PM), afternoon session (2-5 PM). HSNY Hort Members $115, nonmembers $150.
Register online/Get materials list
Grisaille Technique in Botanical Painting – Monday, November 21, 2011. Artist and author, Wendy Hollender, will teach students how to create three-dimensional botanical forms using the grisaille technique to create tonal values. She will then show students how to apply color over these tones to create finished colored pencil paintings of botanical subjects. Choose from two sessions: morning session (10 AM – 1 PM), afternoon session (2-5 PM). HSNY Hort Members $115, nonmembers $150. Register online/Get materials list

The American Society of Botanical Artists has a membership of over 1,100 from the United States and 25 other countries. Its mission is to promote public awareness of botanical art, honoring its traditions and furthering its development.

The Horticultural Society of New York provides programs that sustain the vital connection between people and plants, growing a community of New Yorkers that values horticulture and giving even those with limited resources the knowledge and opportunity to cultivate plants, benefiting the environment, their neighborhoods, and their own lives.

The catalog for this exhibition can be purchased at the show and can also be purchased at ArtPlantae Books.

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Botanical Painting Today Launches New Website

Posted in botanical art, Learning Opportunities, Watercolor on September 19, 2011|

Marianne McPhie of Botanical Painting Today, has launched a new website and has announced her class schedule through January 2012. Here is what’s new at Classes Near You > England:

Marianne McPhie, Nottinghamshire
www.botanicalpaintingtoday.com
A full-time botanical artist and instructor, Marianne teaches throughout the UK and abroad. Both current and past issues of her newsletter are now available online.

An Introduction to Botanical Painting – October 4-6, 2011. Learn the skills of observation, drawing, and painting. This class is for beginners or those who need a refresher course.
NEW! October Painting Days – October 10-14, 2011. Looking for the opportunity to immerse yourself in painting while having the luxury of asking for one-on-one instruction and feedback from your peers? Are you curious about botanical art and want try it for yourself? This week of special painting days are for you! Cost: £65 per day.
Drawing & Composition – November 1-3, 2011. Learn how to measure, how to create perspective using scale and tone, and how to compose a plant portrait.
NEW! Botanical Painting – January 17-19, 2012. Students choose their own subjects and what they would like to learn. Students have the option of completing this course as a 2-day or 3-day course.