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Archive for the ‘Education’ Category

Promote Your Class or Program

Posted in botanical art, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements on September 17, 2012|

Do you teach classes in botanical art, natural science illustration, the book arts, sketchbook journaling, or botany?

Would you like to promote your classes to our audience of artists, gardeners, naturalists, and educators?

List your botanical art workshops, botany classes, book arts classes, botanical art excursions, or sketchbook adventures here for free.

To list your workshops in the Classes Near You! section, please submit the information below to education@artplantae.com. When your information is posted, it will also be pushed out to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

  1. Your name
  2. The name of your class
  3. Location of your class
  4. Date of your class
  5. Class times
  6. A description of your class.
  7. Registration information or website where student can obtain all course details.

Kindly consider telling others about your listing in the Classes Near You! section by placing a link to ArtPlantae in the Resources section of your site. Thank you for your consideration.

To view examples of the types of classes listed at ArtPlantae, view course listings by state or country.

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Fixing Pop-Up Books, Tips for Parents & Teachers

Posted in botanical art, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Articles & Interviews on September 14, 2012|

Now for a topic I first wondered about when I was a kid…


ArtPlantae: How do you fix a pop-up book? Do you have any tips for parents or teachers? What should one be mindful of when they sit down to repair a child’s book?


Shawn: Attempting an at-home repair is a great opportunity to explore the structure of the piece, and perhaps reveal its weak points. Using thin, strong acid-free paper (kozo sheets are great and can be purchased from many online retailers) and an acid-free glue (PVA, a.k.a. book binder’s glue or Jade) is best.

Many of these books are ephemeral — they’re not meant to last forever. It’s easier and cheaper to replace most contemporary books. Torn books can be taken apart and explored to learn structure.

However, if one has a book that can’t be easily replaced, or has historical value, then I’d recommend hiring a professional to do the repair. Many home-executed repairs end up doing additional damage in the long run. Online searches for book conservators or repair specialists will yield lots of great options.


Have questions for Shawn?
Join the conversation…

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American Society of Botanical Artists Launches Annual Exhibition at The Hortcultural Society of New York

Posted in botanical art, botanical art books, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on September 14, 2012|

The American Society of Botanical Artists launches the 15th Annual International Juried Botanical Art Exhibition at The Horticultural Society of New York later today with an opening reception that begins at 6 PM.

One of the world’s premier venues for botanical art, this exhibition showcases the artwork of both established and emerging botanical artists. Artists from the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom submitted 192 works to jurors Patricia Jonas, Kathie Miranda, and Derek Norman. Forty-three artworks were selected for the exhibition and these pieces will be on view through November 21, 2012.

Visitors will be inspired by artwork created in watercolor, graphite, ink and colored pencil, as well as in media seen less often in botanical art exhibitions (hand-colored aquatint etching, silverpoint, polymer plate etching, and oil).

Workshops and painting demonstrations will be held during the exhibition.
Add these dates to your calendar!

The Gallery at The Hort is free and open to the public Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 6 PM. The Horticultural Society of New York is located at 148 West 37th Street, 13th Floor, New York, NY 10018-6909. (Map)

A color catalog about the exhibition is now available at ArtPlantae Books ($20).

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Nature Through the Eyes of a Paper Engineer

Posted in botanical art, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events on September 12, 2012|

Shawn Sheehy looks at nature a bit differently than many of us. I asked him…


ArtPlantae:
I can’t help but think that you look at the world through the eyes of a paper engineer. When you look at plants, animals and landscapes, do you think pull strips, flaps and foundation shapes?


Shawn:
You are correct, but it’s the other way around: when I look at an interesting engineering structure, I think about what sorts of plants or animals I could build and move using that structure.


Follow this conversation already in progress…

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Paper Engineering for Beginners

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Education on September 12, 2012|

Following a recommendation from Shawn, I purchased Pop-Up Design and Paper Mechanics: How to Make Folding Paper Sculptures by Duncan Birmingham so that I could learn more about how pop-up books were constructed.

When I began to read this book, I became instantly intrigued by both the simplicity and the complexity of the engineering behind pop-ups. The word “engineering” is used because it’s the only word that really fits. Don’t be intimidated by the word, however. There are only three rules to pop-ups and these are explained in Birmingham’s book.

Birmingham reveals the science behind pop-up books very clearly. His instructions are supported by visuals, so it’s easy to follow the steps he describes. He tells you exactly where each fold needs to go.

Birmingham reviews foundation shapes, the “building blocks of pop-ups”, and provides very clear descriptions of 18 foundation shapes. He also explains nine building techniques that can be used to build a three-dimensional scene. Birmingham tells you when to cut away parts, when to stick pieces on, how to add extra creases, when to create multiple folds, how to create slots, how to bend planes, how to make straps, and how to make a pop-up interactive.

Included in this book are templates for 14 projects. The templates are in color so you can print them out as-is without investing in colored paper to create the elements of each structure. This is a huge plus for those just beginning to explore paper engineering.

Birmingham’s book is an interesting and enlightening introduction to pop-up structures.

So is it easy to build a pop-up scene?

No, not even close. To immerse yourself in the process and to receive guidance along the way, consider taking one of Shawn’s upcoming classes.

Pop-Up Design and Paper Mechanics: How to Make Folding Paper Sculptures is available at ArtPlantae Books.

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Botanical Illustration at Central Oregon Community College

Posted in botanical art, drawing, Education, Learning Opportunities on September 12, 2012|

A new course in botanical illustration begins this month at Central Oregon Community College.

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


Jeanne Debons Studio, Bend
www.jeannedebons.com
Botanist and botanical illustrator, Jeanne Debons, teaches small student-focused painting workshops at her Oregon studio. Dr. Debons received her Ph.D. in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University. She graduated from the diploma course in Botanical Painting at the English Gardening School in 2005. Dr. Debons invites you to join her painting workshops this Fall.

    Botanical Illustration – Tuesdays, September 25, 2012 – October 30, 2012; 6:30 – 9:30 PM. Learn the fundamental techniques of botanical drawing and painting in straightforward steps. Be introduced art supplies used by botanical illustrators, drawing techniques, color mixing techniques and more. Art supplies are included. A materials list for additional supplies will be distributed at the first class meeting. Cost: $99. Non-credit. Limit: 8. Location: Central Oregon Community College (COCC). Go to the COCC registration page and enter the words “botanical illustration”.


    Botanical Painting     – The weekend class is for beginners and advanced students in botanical art. Beginners will learn how to begin a botanical drawing and painting. Advanced students have the option of beginning a new project or working on an existing project. Supplies will be provided for beginners. Cost: $120 for the two-day workshop; $70 for a one-day workshop. For more information and to register, contact Jeanne. This workshop will be held on the following dates:

    October 20-21, 2012 in Bend, OR
    November 304, 2012 in Portland, OR

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Turning an Idea Into a Pop-Up Book

Posted in botanical art, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Events on September 10, 2012|

My conversation with Shawn Sheehy continues…


ArtPlantae:
When planning the field guide, did you take a storyboard approach and draw your ideas out on flat sheets of paper, or did you do pop-up sketching? (Readers, pop-up sketching is creating paper models freehand without measuring.)

Shawn:

I typically think through everything in my sketchbook, though much of this is in text and not drawings. I do a number of very rough drawings for each structure to explore possible avenues of engineering, but when I get down to it I’m sketching in 3 dimensions with card and glue.


View this conversation already in progress…

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