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Archive for the ‘general botany’ Category

Weekly Wildflowers with Carol Gracie

Posted in Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities, Photography on April 11, 2012|

A few weeks ago, Carol Gracie wrote about how she has introduced people to the wonderful world of plants through her work at the New York Botanical Garden, as a guide of ecological tours and through her books.

Today Carol has a new way to teach people about plants! Together with her publisher, Princeton University Press, Carol has launched Wildflower Wednesdays. In this series, Carol brings attention to wildflowers growing in the northeastern United States. Carol will write about a different plant every Wednesday and share images from her wonderful collection of field photographs.

Learn more and read the first chapter of Carol’s new book for free on the Wildflower Wednesday website.

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Call for Entries: Plants Native to the Mid-Atlantic

Posted in botanical art, general botany, Special Announcements, Special Events on April 11, 2012|

By Bonnie S. Driggers


Botanical Artists for Education and the Environment (BAEE), a group of botanical artists primarily in the Mid-Atlantic area of the US, have undertaken a project to publish a book of paintings about native plants. Because the destruction of native plants continues at an alarming rate, we hope our book will increase the public’s knowledge and encourage use and conservation of this vital part of our natural heritage.

The working title of the book is American Botanicals: Plants Native to the Mid-Atlantic. The book will reproduce original works of art and include text focused on the importance of each plant as a native. A jury will select artwork from digital images. The book is scheduled to be published in the fall of 2013; an exhibition will follow at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, DC, in the spring of 2014. Artists will donate use of their work but retain the copyright; BAEE will retain the copyright to the book. See contact information below for more details.

Countess Clarissa Bonde, one of our Board Members and Honorary Chairman of Fund Raising, has arranged with the U.S. Botanic Garden to exhibit our paintings beginning in late spring or summer of 2014. Among the judges are Holly Shimizu, Executive Director of the USBG; Bill McLaughlin, Curator of Plants at the USBG; and Dick Rauh, Immediate Past President of the ASBA. One additional judge may be added. We are fortunate to have the support and guidance of Anne-Marie Evans of England.

Call for Entries:

    Eligibility: We are inviting all artists in the Mid-Atlantic region who are members of American Society of Botanical Artists or other botanical art organizations to participate.

    Subject: Plants native to the Mid-Atlantic defined for this project as including the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, District of Columbia, Virginia, and West Virginia.

    Media Accepted: watercolor, graphite, pen & ink, egg tempera, colored pencil

    Submission: January 1, 2013. Entry fee: $25 for up to 5 paintings (only 3 will be selected for the book). Digital files only: 360 dpi, 8″ high, TIFF files only. Portrait orientation preferred.

    Presentation: Paintings selected should not be matted or framed; BAEE will arrange to have this done for purposes of conformity. Artwork should be created 100% life-size. Very small plants may be enlarged provided a scale is given. For the book, we hope to reduce paintings by no more than 50%. Page size in the book will be 8.5″ x 11″.

    Contact: If you are interested or would like more information, such as a list of desirable native plants, more detailed project specifications, or a brochure that gives more information about the project, please contact Bonnie Driggers, BAEE President, or Esther Carpi.

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Create a Life Cycle Accordion Book About Plants

Posted in botanical art, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities on April 11, 2012|

This summer at the New York Botanical Garden, learn how to create a book about the life cycles of plants and animals with Katie Lee and learn how to layer colors onto a dark ground in Colored Pencil on Black Paper with Carol Ann Morley. These exciting classes and more have been added to the Garden’s summer schedule at
Classes Near You > New York.


New York Botanical Garden
www.nybg.org
Two certificate programs are offered through the Garden’s Continuing Education program. One certificate program emphasizes Botanical Art & Illustration and the other, Natural Science Illustration. There are several courses from which to choose. View current course schedule.

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Draw Plants All Summer Long at Hollengold Farm

Posted in botanical art, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities on April 9, 2012|

Here is the latest news at Classes Near You > New York:


Wendy Hollender at Hollengold Farm
www.drawingincolor.com
Wendy Hollender is an illustrator, author, and teacher. She teaches at the New York Botanical Garden and at Hollengold Farm, her organic vegetable farm. Wendy is the author of Botanical Drawing in Color. A new exciting schedule of classes for 2012 has been announced, as well as two new instructors:

    Botanical Drawing Basics – Fridays, twice per month (8 sessions); 2-5 PM. Could there be a nicer way to spend a summer afternoon? Botanical artists Wendy Hollender and Carol Woodin will teach this introductory course to botanical illustration throughout the summer at Hollengold Farm. Cost: $440. The dates for this class are as follows:

    June 1 – Wendy
    June 22 – Carol
    July 13 – Wendy
    July 27 – Wendy
    August 10 – Carol
    August 24 – Wendy
    Sept 7 – Carol
    Sept 28 – Wendy

    For more information, visit the webpage for Botanical Drawing Basics.


    Saturday Workshops at Hollengold Farm     – Saturdays. Workshops are held 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM. Six one-day workshops are planned through October 2012. Workshops will be taught by Paul Harwood, Carol Woodin and Wendy Hollender. Each workshop will focus on a specific topic. Topics include botanical field sketching, drawing trees in charcoal and chalk, drawing fresh produce, drawing still lifes, heirloom fruits in watercolor, and drawing dahlias.
    Cost per workshop: $105, includes a farm-fresh lunch.
    View complete workshop schedule

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Naturalist Creates Historic Herbal of lndonesia

Posted in botanical art, botany, Education, general botany on April 1, 2012|

Georg Eberhard Rumpf was born in Germany to August Rumph and Anna Elisabeth Keller in 1627. The eldest of three children, he would grow up to create the first herbal of Indonesian plants and of Wallacea, an island region in eastern Indonesia that includes the Spice Islands.

The story behind the Ambonese Herbal is a long one and includes tales of many unfortunate events. The only reason we are fortunate enough to know about it today is because of the actions a few key people took many centuries ago and because of the incredible research by E.M. Beekman (1938-2008), a scholar of Dutch colonial literature at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst who translated the Ambonese Herbal into English from its original Dutch and Latin text. It is from Beekman’s English translation and other resources that we will come to understand Rumphius’ life and contributions.

When we think about Georgius Everhardus Rumphius (1627-1702), this is the Latinized version of his name, we need to think of him as a soldier first and a naturalist second because he was really a botanist trapped in a soldier’s body. Born in a region of Germany devastated by the Thirty Years’ War, Rumphius knew war all of this life. To escape the devastation, he exercised the only option he had to get away from home — he joined the military to see the world. During his lifetime, Rumphius experienced three wars: the Thirty Years’ War, the Portuguese-Spanish War and the Ambonese War. He spent his military service fighting for Portugal and the Dutch East Indies Company. Rumphius’ military contract with the Dutch East Indies Company ended in 1657. At this time, he applied to work for the civil branch of the same company. Fluent in many languages (Dutch, German, Malay, Portuguese, the local Ambonese dialect plus a working knowledge of many other languages), Rumphius was an invaluable asset. Rumphius was assigned to the island of Ambon in 1657 and it was during this time that he began to write about the flora and fauna of this island.

Insights into Rumphius’ story will be shared this month here on this website, for he is our Feature Botanist for April. Welcome Rumphius!

For the first time, our featured guest is not living. I hope to bring him to life this month so that he becomes more than just one of those old names one encounters every so often when reading about natural history.

For an in-depth look at the Ambonese Herbal, you are invited to join me at the Southern California Spring Garden Show on April 27 (7-8 PM) where I will discuss Rumphius’ herbal and have all six volumes available for you to review.


Other Viewing Opportunities

The Ambonese Herbal can also be viewed at:

    26th Annual Avocado Festival, Fallbrook, CA
    Sunday, April 15, 2012
    Visit ArtPlantae on the “Avenue of the Arts” at the wildly popular Avocado Festival. The herbal will be available for you to view. Stop by to see this special collection, plus other resources related to plants and botanical art. And don’t forget about the unlimited supplies of guacamole and avocado ice cream! Festival Hours: 9 AM – 5 PM. Location: Alvarado Street between Main & Vine (map)

    GROW! A Garden Festival, Arcadia, CA
    May 4-6, 2012
    ArtPlantae will be in the Marketplace at this brand new venue. Stop by to say hello and to view The Ambonese Herbal in person. While at the festival, don’t miss the guest speakers, landscape designs, gardening activities for families and kids, plant sale, and many other activities planned for this fun weekend. Hours: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM. (details)


UPDATE (5/1/12)
View All April Posts About Rumphius

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Exhibition Honors Australia’s First Professional Artist

Posted in botanical art, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on March 28, 2012|

Born in London, John William Lewin (1770-1819) had a passion for natural history. He left England to travel to Australia to document the country’s plants and animals. Lewin was a printmaker, a natural history artist and author. He had the thrill of painting koalas when they were first described in 1803.

This exhibition is a collaborative effort between the State Library of New South Wales, the National Library of Australia and others who have loaned items to the show. Their joint effort has created an exhibition featuring over 150 works created by John Lewin. Exhibition items can be viewed online at the Lewin: Wild Art website. Also available on the website are an exhibition brochure, educational kits for teachers, and a short PowerPoint presentation teachers can use to introduce students to Lewin and his work.

During this special event, artists Paula Church, Sally Gibbs, Beverly Allen, Deirdre Bean, Rebecca Holmes, and Susannah Blaxill will conduct botanical art demonstrations. Each artist will work in a studio setting four hours at a time. Special presentations and a 2-day botanical art workshop with Beverly Allen are also scheduled.


Lewin: Wild Art
Library of New South Wales
Sydney, Australia
March 3 – May 27, 2012

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Draw Plants Quickly & Easily at the New York Botanical Garden

Posted in botanical art, botany, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities on March 26, 2012|

The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) has a long history of offering classes in botanical art and natural science illustration. The number of courses they offer and their faculty roster is impressive. Upcoming learning opportunities include classes unique to NYBG. Classes such as Botanical Art Through the Centuries and several courses related to an exhibition about Monet’s Garden opening May 19 and continuing through October 21, 2012.

Below is a list of open classes at NYBG. These classes can also be found at Classes Near You > New York:


New York Botanical Garden
www.nybg.org
Two certificate programs are offered through the Garden’s Continuing Education program. One certificate program emphasizes Botanical Art & Illustration and the other, Natural Science Illustration. There are several courses from which to choose. View current course schedule.

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