ArtPlantae Today

See what’s new at Classes Near You > Tennessee:

Mary Gwyn Bowen
www.marygwynbowen.com
Mary has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree with Honors from The Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington, D.C. and is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists. She is currently working on a research project she designed that employs the use of art in the cardiac rehabilitation process. Mary works in oil and watercolor.

• The Magic of Flowers – Tuesdays (2nd & 3rd Tuesdays of the month); 6:30 – 8:30 PM. Love flowers? Learn an easy way to keep them forever! In this class students will learn how to capture the beauty of live flowers using simple watercolor techniques. NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! Contact instructor for more information. Cost: $25, plus $5 materials fee (optional palette fee, payable to instructor or supply list provided at registration). Williamson County Parks and Recreation, Franklin, TN.
  More Info & Register. (615) 790-5719

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Lifelong learning is their specialty!

Below is a list of botanical art classes at Farncombe. Many of their other drawing and painting classes may be of interest to botanical artists. Be sure to click on the last link to see the complete schedule.

Now at Classes Near You > England:

Farncombe Estate, Cotswolds
www.farncombeestate.co.uk
A 300-acre privately-owned parkland in the Cotswolds. Host to weekend classes in a wide variety of subjects. There is even a bed-and-breakfast option! Follow their blog or become a fan of their Facebook page to learn more about this unique learning opportunity.

• Botanical Illustration for Beginners & Improvers – June 3-5, 2011. A fun and relaxing course for people who like to record plants and flowers. No previous experience in art or botany necessary. View details
• Botanical Basics (painting) – July 22-24, 2011. Learn how to break down a painting project into manageable pieces. The basics of botanical painting will be learned. Take a sketch from drawing to painting. View details
• Botanical Illustration – Drawing and Painting Autumn Fruit & Fungi – October 7-9, 2011. Learn to capture the colors of autumn! This course about fruit & fungi is for anyone who likes to create detailed observations in pencil and watercolor. View details
• Capturing the Natural World in Graphite Pencil, Colored Pencil or Pastel – November 12, 2011; 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM. Choose the medium that interests you the most and learn how to produce realistic depictions from the natural world. View details
• Tonal drawing, sketchbooks and more! – View all classes

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New classes announced at Val Webb’s Illustrated Garden!

The Illustrated Garden, A Studio Blog
http://valwebb.wordpress.com
See Val Webb’s online tutorial, Botanical Drawing with Pencil and Watercolor. Connect with The Illustrated Garden on Facebook!

• Every Picture Tells a Story: Illustrating Children’s Books
  Wednesdays, May 18 – July 6, 2011; 6:30 – 8:30 PM (eight weeks). 
  This lively, relaxed and encouraging course will cover character design, creative page layouts, how to draw for publication and how to use pictures to move a story forward. Have questions about submissions, copyright or publishing markets? We’ll cover those topics, too. Our drawing work will focus on depicting children and animals in action settings. ALL levels of art experience are welcome.  Class size is limited. Early registration required. Cost: $125 includes art supplies. Contact Val Webb if you plan to participate. Location: Val’s studio in Fairhope, AL.
• Botanical Drawing: Tropical Summer (daytime class in Mobile) Thursdays, May 19, 2011; 2-5 PM (six weeks). It’s the season of brilliant colors and unusual forms — we’ll use watercolor and colored pencil to create realistic renderings of summer plants including palms, succulents and tropical flowers. We’ll also paint butterflies and other insects associated with summer blooms. In addition to our regular class meetings, we’ll plan one weekend field drawing day for anyone who wishes to attend. No experience necessary, and all art supplies are provided. Cost: $140 includes all art supplies.
• Botanical Drawing: Tropical Summer (evening class in Mobile) Thursdays, May 19, 2011; 6:30-8:30 PM (eight weeks). The same subjects as the daytime class, but scheduled for those who need a class with evening hours. Cost: $140 includes all art supplies.
• Old and New: The Lost Art of Hand Lettering… and a New Way to Make “Vintage” Photo Transfers – Saturday, May 21, 2011;
  10 AM – 3 PM. This is not calligraphy, but the “drawn letters” used by old-fashioned sign painters and type designers. Learn to adapt this method to label your botanical artwork or write beautifully in your sketchbook or art journal. Learn how to letter on curves, how to use perspective in your lettering, and how to design your own personal lettering style. After lunch in a nearby cafe, learn how to transfer photos. Val will show you how to transfer a vintage-looking image to paper, cloth or wood using butcher’s paper and acrylic medium. The original photo is not affected in any way, and the final product has a hauntingly ephemeral look that is quite beautiful. Plus, you will learn how to tint your transfer with watercolor for a more impressionistic result. This works especially well with old family photos and garden subjects.  Embellish a journal or family album, make truly lovely greeting cards, frame them as keepsakes or gifts — the possibilities go on and on.  Class size is limited. Early registration required. Cost: $60 includes refreshments and all art supplies, plus illustrated tutorial pages to take home. Contact Val Webb if you plan to participate.
• Botanical Drawing in Pencil and Watercolor – Saturday,
  May 28, 2011; 9 AM – 3 PM. Join Val for an intensive day of botanical drawing and watercolor at the New Orleans Botanical Garden, New Orleans, LA. With more than 2,000 varieties of plants from around the world to choose from, participants will create plant portraits using layers of graphite pencil and watercolor. This class will be held in the historic Garden Studies Center, a charming renovated 1930s potting shed that would look right at home in a Beatrix Potter story.  The day will begin with a detailed demonstration and some guided practice time before heading out into the gardens to draw and paint. This workshop is appropriate for ALL levels of art experience, and there is no supply list — all art supplies and materials (plus admission to the gardens) will be provided. Morning refreshments will be provided. Participants must bring their own lunch. Class size is limited. Early registration required. Cost: $120, includes refreshments and all art supplies. Contact Val Webb if you plan to participate. A detailed itinerary and information about a very reasonable and dog-friendly hotel in New Orleans is available upon request.
• Old and New: The Lost Art of Hand Lettering… and a New Way to Make “Vintage” Photo Transfers. Saturday, June 4, 2011;
  10 AM – 3 PM. Val’s home/studio in Fairhope, AL. This is not calligraphy, but the “drawn letters” used by old-fashioned sign painters and type designers. Learn to adapt this method to label your botanical artwork or write beautifully in your sketchbook or art journal. We’ll cover how to letter on curves, how to use perspective in your lettering, and how to design your own personal lettering style. After lunch in a nearby cafe, we’ll turn our attention to photo transfers for the afternoon. I’ll show you how to transfer a vintage-looking image to paper, cloth or wood using butcher’s paper and acrylic medium. The original photo is not affected in any way, and the final product has a hauntingly ephemeral look that is quite beautiful. Plus, you can tint your transfer with watercolor for a more impressionistic result. This works especially well with old family photos and garden subjects. Embellish a journal or family album, make truly lovely greeting cards, frame them as keepsakes or gifts — the possibilities go on and on. This is a limited, small-group workshop and may fill quickly. Cost: $60 includes refreshments and all art supplies, plus illustrated tutorial pages to take home.
• Drawing Birds (daytime class in Fairhope) – Tuesdays, June 7, 2011; 2-5 PM (six weeks). Use traditional illustration methods to accurately see and draw migratory birds in pencil, ink, colored pencil and watercolor. Also draw realistic nests, wild bird eggs and feathers. No experience necessary, and all supplies are provided. In addition to classroom sessions, there will be one Saturday field trip for anyone who wishes to attend. Cost: $140 includes all art supplies.
• Drawing Small Mammals of the Gulf Coast – Saturday, June 11, 2011; 10 AM – 3 PM. Working in one of the most beautiful natural settings in our region, learn to draw fur textures, lifelike eyes and realistically rendered gray squirrels, rabbits, opossum and other small creatures that inhabit our coastal fields and forests. No experience necessary! Bring a sack lunch. All art supplies provided. Location: 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center (on the Causeway). Cost: $45 includes all art supplies.
• Quick and Easy: Watercolor Pencil Workshop – Saturday,
  July 9, 2011; 10 AM – 4 PM. Versatile and easy to use, watercolor pencils are perfect for drawing outdoors or adding color to your sketchbook pages. Learn three techniques for getting a wide range of effects from your watercolor pencils, plus tips on using them to capturing light and texture. Bring your favorite set of watercolor pencils, and your other supplies will be provided. We’ll break for lunch at a nearby cafe. Location: Val’s studio cottage in Mobile. Cost: $50 includes some art supplies.
• Drawing Birds (daytime class in Mobile) – Thursdays, July 14, 2011; 2-5 PM (six weeks). Use traditional illustration methods to accurately see and draw migratory birds in pencil, ink, colored pencil and watercolor. Draw realistic nests, wild bird eggs and feathers. No experience necessary, and all supplies are provided. In addition to classroom sessions, there will be one Saturday field trip for anyone who wishes to attend. Cost: $140 includes all art supplies.
• Drawing Birds (evening class in Mobile) – Thursdays, July 14, 2011; 6:30 – 8:30 PM (eight weeks). Same as the day classes, but designed for those who need a class with evening hours. In addition to classroom sessions, there will be one daytime Saturday field trip for anyone who wishes to attend. Cost: $140 includes all art supplies.

This information has also been posted at Classes Near You > Alabama.

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Now this is summer school!

Good company, open space, and a farm fresh lunch.

Hollengold Farm
www.hollengoldfarm.com
Wendy Hollender is an illustrator, author, and teacher. She teaches at the New York Botanical Garden, Hollengold Farm, and the National Tropical Botanical Garden. See what’s new at Wendy’s Hollengold Farm. View Wendy’s scarves, instructional books, and free art lesson at www.drawingincolor.com.

Afternoon Workshops at Hollengold Farm – Saturdays (see below). Workshops are held 1 pm – 4 pm. Cost per workshop: $35 per session ($65 for two sessions). Arrive early and enjoy a farm fresh lunch for $12.
Course details/Registration

• May 21, 2011
• June 18, 2011
• July 30, 2011
• August 20, 2011
• September 24, 2011
• October 22, 2011

This information can also be found at Classes Near You > New York.

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