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Archive for the ‘Learning Opportunities’ Category

AMERICA’S PARKS II Celebrates Parks of the Southwest

Posted in botanical art, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on July 15, 2013|

Download prospectus

AMERICA’S PARKS II is an exhibition competition open to all artists, the purpose of which is to recognize and promote excellence in original artworks depicting any park (national, state, provincial, county, city, or private) in Canada, Mexico and The United States.

Unlike the inaugural exhibition of America’s Parks Through the Beauty of Art, the primary theme of AMERICA’S PARKS II will be parks of the southwest, specifically parks of the Southwestern U.S. & Northwestern Mexico. Art depicting parks in other locations throughout North America (Canada, Mexico, The United States) will be eligible for the online exhibit of PARKS II and awards. However, the traveling exhibit will be comprised primarily if not entirely of art depicting parks in the Southwestern U.S. & Northwestern Mexico, including (in alphabetical order) Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah; and States in Northwestern Mexico, particularly, Sonora.

Also new for PARKS II will be the eligibility of sculpture.

AMERICA’S PARKS II will premiere in Bolivar, Missouri from March 16 – April 13, 2014 at the Ella Carothers Dunnegan Gallery of Art; it will also be displayed at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, AZ from September 13 – October 26, 2014. One or more additional venues may be added to the tour.

The following is a confirmed list of awards for PARKS II:

America’s Parks Sculpture Award
The Michael C. and Priscilla V. Baldwin Foundation Sonoran Desert Art Award
Susan Kathleen Black Foundation Floral Art Award
PleinAir™ Magazine Juror’s Choice Award
The Society of Animal Artists Wildlife Art Award
Wildlife Art Journal Juror’s Choice Award

Additional awards are possible pending funding.

Selections will be made by a professional jury consisting of: Pam Dean Cable, Executive Director, Susan Kathleen Black Foundation; M. Stephen Doherty, Editor, PleinAir™ Magazine; and Todd Wilkinson, Managing Editor, Wildlife Art Journal.

The early entry deadline, with reduced entry fees, is: August 31, 2013

The standard entry deadline is: October 15, 2013

Download a Prospectus (Entry Form)

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Balancing Work & Creativity

Posted in botanical art, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events on July 12, 2013|

Kellie Cox-Brady’s professional life is divided between science illustration, freelance illustration and landscape design. How does she manage all this and stay inspired to create?

Kellie: Fun question, as I have been asking myself this for the last few months! Over the last two years I’ve been working full-time as a landscape designer for a company in Ithaca, and on my free time creating my artwork and scientific illustrations. I have found in the last few months that I can no longer juggle everything into one day. As of two weeks ago, I am now working full-time as an artist – creating murals, scientific illustrations and other freelance work. I am also freelancing as a landscape designer for a few small projects, but working on my own. It is a bit scary to make that leap working as a full-time artist, but I seem to keep myself busy with projects. As for inspiration, I constantly need to create art work and illustrations; I usually have three or four projects going on at once. Ithaca is truly a beautiful place, so much inspiration including waterfalls, gorges, beautiful botanical gardens and more. I enjoy working in the garden and going on hikes, which can be also inspiring for my art! Another inspiration is working with local artists on joined projects.

Readers, how do you balance work and creativity?

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Kellie Cox-Brady Paints Murals for Her Community

Posted in botanical art, Education, gardening, Learning Opportunities, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events on July 10, 2013|

You have completed many community projects. When I saw the utility box you painted, I immediately thought of the app Foldify. Fortunately the app immediately shows you how your marks will be placed on the finished 3-D object you are creating. If you don’t like it, you simply delete it. Painting scenes on large three-dimensional objects in real life isn’t this easy. How did you think through the placement of elements on your utility box when you created your design?

What a fun app! I’ve never heard of this before, thanks for sharing. For painting on 3-D objects, I try to make the overall composition interesting and having the viewer want to see more, so for example…

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Art in the Garden with Growcology & ArtPlantae

Posted in botanical art, botanical art books, Education, gardening, general botany, Learning Opportunities, Sketching & Journaling, Special Announcements, Special Events on July 10, 2013|

Introduction to Keeping a Garden Journal, © Tania Marien

Introduction to Keeping
a Garden Journal

Growcology and ArtPlantae join forces to bring experiences in botanical illustration to the garden!

Spend a leisurely summer morning in the Growcology garden learning about the history of botanical illustration and learning techniques you can use to create your own garden journal.

Participants will learn how to observe plants, how to assess a plant’s morphological features and how to record what they see in their journal.

View the schedule below to learn more.

To register, contact Selena at Art Growcology. Download flier

Itinerary for Saturday, August 3, 2013:

10:30-10:45
Participants introduce themselves, Q & A, workshop overview

10:45-12:30
Drawing in the Garden

12:30-1:00
Return to the barn for refreshments, lunch and the sharing of journals. Learn how you can take part in Growcology’s Fall Eco Art Show.

What to Bring:
Pencils, erasers, pen, any other art supplies, water, sack lunch, a smile and the desire to learn some art techniques while learning about plants!

Cost: $25
Age: 12 and older

More Learning Opportunities
Visit ArtPlantae’s listing at Classes Near You > Southern California.

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Customer Appreciation Week at Aurea Vista

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, botanical art, botanical art books, Education, gardening, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on July 10, 2013|

It’s Customer Appreciation Week at Aurea Vista!

This week Aurea Vista and its merchants celebrate the enthusiastic customers of this new marketplace. Come into the store for cookies and take advantage of discounts from merchants such as:

Beyond the Olive – 10% off
Eyantia – 10% off
Trizzio – 10% off
All That Glitters – 10% off
CHOPT – 10% off
Vanity Haus – Buy One Get One Half Off
ArtPlantae – Up to 40% off books for the studio and classroom, sketchbooks, activity books for the garden

While at Aurea Vista, accomplish items on your To Do list. Visit the children’s boutique area for that next baby shower gift or child’s birthday gift. Browse the beautiful selection of yarn and how-to books at Raincross Fiber Art. Search for that perfect vintage piece of jewelry at Spirit Trail Studio or a stylish summer blouse at All That Glitters.

In need of stationery for a special occasion? Delights & Invites, a full-service stationery store, can help you plan your next celebration.

There is much to see and enjoy at Aurea Vista. Visit ArtPlantae
July 10-12 from 12:00 – 3:00 PM to make a bookmark for summer reading. Bring the kids, take a break from the heat and experience all Aurea Vista has to offer.

See you there!

Directions
Aurea Vista is located at 3498 University Avenue in Riverside on the corner of Lemon and University. Hours: Closed Monday, Tuesday-Saturday (11-7), Sunday (11-5). Store hours are extended for Riverside’s monthly ArtsWalk and other special events.

Parking: Free customer parking is available across the street in the parking lot with the ballet mural. Aurea Vista customers can park in spaces #1-8 that face University Avenue. Street parking is free after 5 PM Monday-Friday. Street parking is free on Saturday and Sunday. Street metered parking is $1 per hour before 5 PM.

Directions to Aurea Vista

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Self-expression in Botanical Art

Posted in botanical art, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events on July 8, 2013|

Is there room for the expressive arts in the disciplined world of botanical art?

I asked Kellie Cox-Brady how she balanced technical botanical illustration with Cornell University’s semi-expressive approach to botanical illustration when she wrote the advanced course for them.

When creating the advanced course, I felt it was important to have those two avenues of self-expression and technical illustration as that is something I am constantly doing in my own work and I’m so glad you asked about it. That is one of the reasons I call myself a natural scientific artist…

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Kellie Cox-Brady Creates Curriculum to Teach Advanced Botanical Illustration Online

Posted in botanical art, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events on July 3, 2013|

How does one create an online course for advanced botanical illustration students?

Kellie Cox-Brady shares how she created the Advanced Botanical Illustration course at Cornell University.

Creating the Advanced Botanical Illustration course was a very wonderful and interesting experience. How I created the class was first keeping the same organization as the other two courses such as introductions, journals, homework and more. Once I had the overall layout of how the course would read, I filled in the details of the class including specific assignments, tutorials, techniques…

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