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Archive for the ‘Learning Opportunities’ Category

Learn botanical art online

Posted in Education, EE Week, Learning Opportunities on April 21, 2015|

Technology has enabled botanical art instructors to connect with new students through online classes. So many online classes have been announced that this type of class now has its own page in the Classes Near You section.

Discover natural science illustration and botanical art during EE Week 2015!

Do you teach botanical art, natural science illustration or nature journaling online? If you do, please send your information to ArtPlantae.

Cornell University
View Cornell’s Distance Learning Program

Botanical Illustration I: Basic Drawing Techniques
Botanical Illustration II: Working with Watercolor
Botanical Illustration III: Advanced Techniques

Each class costs $600. The next session for each begins May 4, 2015. The Spring session ends June 20, 2015. Click on the link above to register and to be notified about upcoming sessions.

Learn More

Gretchen Kai Halpert
www.gretchenhalpert.com
Gretchen Kai Halpert is the owner and the instructor of a new online program in scientific illustration. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, Gretchen has many years of experience working as a scientific illustrator and teaching programs about natural science illustration.

Scientific Illustration Distance Learning Program

Session I includes basic drawing skills that are the background to any and all illustration. We cover lighting, scientific conventions, proportion, perspective and value, working from life and from We a variety of natural history objects. This class is appropriate for both beginners and intermediate students. Advanced students should talk with me before enrolling. Students work with graphite, with an introduction to crow quill and ink at week 9.

Session II advances to more complex drawings, using crow quill and ink, and scratchboard.

Contact Gretchen at ghalpert@stny.rr.com for more information Contact Gretchen Halpert for information.

A Conversation with Gretchen Kai Halpert

Jane LaFazio
janelafazio.com/
Jane is a mixed media artist and a member of the San Diego Sketchcrawl group. Jane teaches at conferences across the U.S. and leads classes in Italy and Greece too. In addition to sketching classes, Jane teaches workshops in collage, mixed media, and quilting. There are always many, many opportunities to learn from Jane in-person. Below is a short list of classes that may be of interest to you. To view all of Jane’s upcoming classes, see her teaching schedule online.

Also see this interview with Jane and her Ask The Artist Q&A with readers.

Mindy Lighthipe
www.mindylighthipe.com
Mindy Lighthipe is an award-winning natural science illustrator and the author of the children’s book Mother Monarch. She leads tours to Costa Rica and teaches scientific illustration at the University of Florida.

Foundation Drawing 101 – Working in Graphite

Mindy Lighthipe

Foundation Drawing 101 – Working in Graphite

Assignments and classroom conversation are hosted in private areas online. Instructional material can be viewed on a desktop computer or iPad. Beginning and advanced artists are welcome.

Study drawing and discover natural science illustration!

Drawing the Beauty of Plants
A new eight-week online course begins May 13, 2015. Subjects to be covered include: leaf anatomy and taxonomy, measuring and dissection, atmospheric perspective, scientific lighting, composition, root systems, nature journaling and accurate note taking.

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Anna Mason
www.WatercolorsWithWOW.com
Learn how to paint botanical subjects with great detail. Online classes include step-by-step tutorials, access to the Knowledge Base of Anna’s School of Watercolor, sketchbook exercises, practice exercises and a supportive community of artists from which to learn. Need help getting started? Sign up to receive Anna’s free Pick Up Your Brush class.

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Billy Showell
www.billyshowell.com
Subscribe to receive a new tutorial every two weeks. Artists of all abilities are welcome. Choose from one of three plans:

FREE – Access to a selection of basic lessons.
Monthly Plan – Access to current projects. New projects uploaded every two weeks. Subscribers at this level also receive access to the previous two months of projects and tutorials.
Six-Month Plan – Six-month membership with access to all current and new projects. Access to projects, courses and tutorials from previous six months.

Learn More

Val Webb
The Illustrated Garden, A Studio Blog
www.valwebb.com

Val Webb is an illustrator and teacher who teaches both live and online workshops. Be sure to watch Val’s online tutorial, Botanical Drawing with Pencil and Watercolor. Connect with The Illustrated Garden on Facebook.

Learn from Val this summer. Here is what’s on the schedule:

Draw and Paint Six Culinary Herbs – Begins June 2, 2015
Drawn and Decorated Watercolor Lettering – Begins June 2, 2015
Drawing Dogs & Cats – Begins June 2, 2015
Botanical Notebook Paintings – Begins July 6, 2015

Learn More

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Healing Herbs, Gardens for Health

Posted in Education, History, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on April 16, 2015|

Dr. Alain Touwaide from the Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions will be in the Los Angeles area to discuss the healing herbs of antiquity and to explore the therapeutic benefits of nature. Presentations will be held at UCLA and at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino.

The Healing Herbs of Antiquity

Dr. Alain Touwaide is the Scientific Director of the Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions and a Research Associate at the Smithsonian Institution.

Believing that ancient cultures would not have invested time and energy into medical formulas if they were not effective, Touwaide researches medical traditions from the ancient world through today.

This special lecture will start from the observation that the medicinal plants and diet of ancient Greece are relevant to present-day medicine. Touwaide will explore sources for the discovery of the therapeutic and dietetic legacy of Ancient Greece, and ask “What do we actually know about the healing herbs of Antiquity?”

Please RSVP to Yarell Castellanos by April 21, 2015
(310) 825-0913

This lecture will be presented by David Schaberg, the Dean of Humanities at UCLA. A reception will follow. Parking in Lot 4 for $12 (cash only).
Directions

Gardens for Health: A Walk Through History
Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens
Rothenburg Hall
Saturday, May 2, 2015
2:30 PM

For centuries people have recognized the therapeutic benefits of nature and gardens. Alain Touwaide will explore the relationship between humans and nature. Learn about Pompeii, Constantinople, Baghdad, Cordoba, Granada, and Padua, as well as early manuscripts illustrating the relationship between humans and nature.

FREE
No reservations required
More Information

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Paint the Produce Section with Kathleen McKeehen

Posted in botanical art, Education, Learning Opportunities, travel on April 9, 2015|

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Kathleen McKeehen, Scientific Illustrator
www.florawithfauna.com
Kathleen is a teacher and freelance illustrator. Her work has appeared in Organic Gardening Magazine and The Herb Companion. View Kathleen’s artwork in the ASBA Members’ Gallery or at the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators’
Science-Art.com. Kathleen welcomes both beginners and advanced students to her classes.

Painting the Produce Section

In this two-day workshop with illustrator Kathleen McKeehen participants will learn about washes and dry-brush techniques botanical illustrators use to paint realistic fruit and vegetables. Beginning artists are welcome and encouraged to attend. Participants with experience in watercolor painting will have the opportunity to work with challenging subjects.

Kathleen McKeehen is a freelance scientific illustrator who teaches botanical drawing and painting at her studio in Indianola, WA, at Gage Academy of the Arts in Seattle and at The Center for Urban Horticulture in Seattle, WA. Kathleen’s painting of Arbutus menziesii (Pacific Madrone) is featured in Today’s Botanical Artists by Cora B. Marcus and Libby Kyer (2007).

Cost:
2-day workshop without lodging $225
2-day workshop with lodging $540

Lodging option includes two nights lodging at the Methow Valley Inn with continental breakfast. Contact the Confluence Gallery to register.
(509) 997-ARTS

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This information has been posted to Classes Near You > Washington.

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Online courses in science illustration, scratchboard

Posted in Education, Learning Opportunities on March 20, 2015|

Scientific illustrator Gretchen Kai Halpert will begin two new sessions of the Scientific Illustration Distance Learning Program she created. She introduced her new program to readers earlier this year.

Here is what’s new at Classes Near You > New York:

Scientific Illustration Distance Learning Program

Session II advances to more complex drawings, using crow quill and ink, and scratchboard.

Contact Gretchen at ghalpert@stny.rr.com for more information Contact Gretchen Halpert for information.

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Wellesley Botanic Gardens Welcomes Director of Chelsea School of Botanical Art

Posted in Education, Learning Opportunities on March 20, 2015|

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Helen Allen is coming to Wellesley!

Helen is the Principal and Diploma Course Director at the Chelsea School of Botanical Art in England. She will visit the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens this summer to teach three courses for artists of all experience levels.

Save these dates on your calendar:

Let’s Get Started

Monday, June 22, 2015
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
BAC 15 150X
WCBG Friends Members $135 / Non-Members $170

Dare to Be Different! … and achieve the perfect flower portrait composition
Work through the logical stages of a flower portrait to create the best composition and drawing which should then be a JOY to paint. With Helen Allen as your guide, begin with a review of the drawings you have brought in and a discussion of various ways of recomposing the elements to reach a stunning layout – including how to use aerial perspective effectively. Work on quick tonal drawings to evaluate your composition’s balance of line, form and color. Color notes and checks are essential to really know your combinations work and you won’t be left with MUD! Helen’s demos of techniques and how to maximize the drama in your painting help you to finish the painting with confidence.

Please note: In preparation for this course please bring with you drawings on tracing paper (vellum style) of your chosen plants and the plant you are depicting. We shall be working on a small composition with the constraints of a margin. The finished size should fit into a 12” square small works frame, with or without a mat.

Tuesday, June 23 – Thursday, June 25, 2015
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
BAC 15 150/BAC 15 250
WCBG Friends Members $395 / Non-Members $495

Arthur Harry Church: the Man, the Magnification & the Magic
Arthur Harry Church was an English artist and science teacher who made botanical plates showing enlarged sections of flowers to illustrate floral mechanisms. His use of floral diagrams was integral to his work. Study his methods and finished work with Helen Allen as your guide. Although there will be an opportunity to draw using a microscope, Helen will also have some pre-drawn examples that you may like to trace onto watercolor paper. Precision in drawing is key to this exacting and exciting way of creating an interesting piece that is botanically accurate and aesthetically pleasing. (CBA: half elective) Plan your piece within the constraints of a 12” square small works frame, with or without a mat. Your color work will involve working with watercolor in a flat way but showing detail.

Saturday, June 27 – Sunday, June 28, 2015
9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
BAC 15 151i
WCBG Friends Members $265 / Non-Members $330

To register for a class, contact wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu or call (781) 283-3094

This information has been added to Classes Near You > Massachusetts.

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Foundations of Botanical Watercolor with Hillary Parker

Posted in Education, Learning Opportunities, Watercolor on March 13, 2015|

Now at Classes Near You > Georgia!

Glynn Visual Arts, St. Simons Island
www.glynnart.org
Established in 1953, Glynn Visual Arts offers classes for artists of all ages, in all media. Its mission is to promote creative expression within the Glynn Art community.

Watercolor Botanicals

Join Hillary Parker for an exciting and informative 2-day workshop exploring the foundations of botanical watercolors. Whether you are a novice looking to get started or an experienced artist looking for a unique and different approach, this fun and innovative course uses the abundant resources of plant life here on the Golden Isles for endless inspiration. Students are challenged to strengthen and reinforce their keen observation and drawing skills as they focus on developing and refining painting techniques that include washes, glazes, textures, and fine line detail work.

Cost: $200 members, $225 nonmembers

View Details/Register

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Orchid Chandeliers at New York Botanical Garden

Posted in Education, gardening, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on March 3, 2015|

The New York Botanical Garden opened its annual orchid show this weekend. This year the theme is The Orchid Show – Chandeliers. This year emphasis is on the aerial beauty of orchids. Orchids are presented in hanging baskets, living columns and a huge star-shaped chandelier filled with hundreds of plants.

Planned events include orchid care demonstrations, classes, poetry readings, ballroom dancing, music, cocktails, and a screening of the film, “Vanilla: The Sacred Orchid”.

The New York Botanical Garden is once again extending a 20% discount to readers. Use code 7111 when you purchase an All Garden Pass online.

An All Garden Pass includes the following benefits:

Admission to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, Everett Children’s Adventure Garden, Rock Garden (April-October), Tram Tour, Garden grounds, and all exhibitions and public programs on the day of your visit.

View video from The Orchid Show – Chandeliers

Offer valid only when code 7111 is used online at nybg.org. Valid for visits made February 28, 2015 through April 19, 2015. Offer subject to availability. Discount cannot be combined with any other promotional offer or previously purchased tickets. Discount may be modified or withdrawn with prior notice. Tickets are not refundable or exchangeable.