ArtPlantae Today

Wilna Eloff is a South African botanical artist whose specialty is indigenous trees and shrubs.

This weekend Wilna will open a solo exhibition at Gallery 91 in Somerset West. You are invited to attend the opening reception on Saturday, November 1, 2014.

Wilna is an award-winning artist who has earned several medals at the Kirstenbosch Biennale Awards (Gold Medals 2013, 2008, 2006; Silver 2010; Bronze 2004). Her work is in the collection at The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation at Carnegie Mellon University (USA), the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (UK), and in the First Rand Corporate Art Gallery (South Africa).

Her artwork was commissioned for publication in Field Guide to the Orchids of Northern S.A. and Swaziland by Douglas McMurtry, Lourens Grobler, Jolisa Grobler and Shane Burns (2008). ISBN: 1-919766-46-4

Join Wilna this weekend at Gallery 91 to learn about rare and endangered indigenous plants. Here is a flyer you can download, print and share with friends.

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Susan Minton, horticulturalist, retired professor and member of the Philadelphia Society of Botanical Illustrators, will give a gallery talk at Drawn to the Details, the botanical art exhibition at Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens. Susan will explore some of the fascinating characteristics of plants that inspire both artists and horticulturalists.

Here is a sneak peek at Susan’s presentation Captivating Colors, Fabulous Forms:

A common thread that binds gardeners and botanical artists is a fascination with plants: how they look, how they grow, what makes each species unique. For all of us, but perhaps especially for artists, it is often easy to be so entranced with their colors and shapes and textures, that we forget how amazing they are from a botanist’s perspective. Scientists are continually uncovering new and wondrous details about how plants function, what purposes their particular (and often peculiar!) characteristics serve, and the many ways they interact with their environment.

Plants have inspired artists and gardeners for centuries. Learning about them will enhance your work and enrich your experience, both in the studio and in the garden.

You are invited to attend this special presentation.

Captivating Colors, Fabulous Forms
Jenkins Arboretum & Gardens
October 12, 2014
2-4 PM

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In 2012 California artist and educator Estelle De Ridder was awarded an education grant from the American Society of Botanical Artists to create plant identification cards about the plants at the Madrona Marsh Preserve
in Torrance, CA. This project is now complete and will be presented in conjunction with an exhibition of Estelle’s original paintings.

The Madrona Marsh Preserve, in collaboration with the American Society of Botanical Artists, invites you to The Flora of the Madrona Marsh, an exhibition of botanical art by Estelle DeRidder, November 18, 2014 – January 9, 2015.
An opening reception will be held on Sunday, December 7, 2014 from 2-5 pm.

During the month of December, visitors to Madrona Marsh will have three opportunities to meet Estelle and to learn about the role botanical illustration plays in our understanding of plants.

Residents of inland southern California will have the opportunity to view this exhibition when it travels to the La Crescenta Public Library in La Crescenta, CA (January 24 – February 28, 2015).

Visit the Madrona Marsh Preserve

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