Special Announcements | ArtPlantae Today

Archive for the ‘Special Announcements’ Category

Plants Portrayed in Beeswax & Resin at Arnold Arboretum

Posted in botanical art, general botany, herbarium, Special Announcements, Special Events on July 2, 2012|

Artwork © Susan Brown Hardy. Image courtesy of Greg Bolosky.

Artist Susan Hardy Brown brings a fresh perspective to the important work performed in herbaria throughout the world. Using materials gathered from her work as a curatorial assistant at the Herbarium of the Arnold Arboretum, Brown captures plants and their diversity in paintings created using beeswax and resin — a technique called encaustic painting.

An exhibition of Brown’s work, Ex Herbario:
Recent Works by Susan Hardy Brown, will be on view in the Hunnewell Building Lecture Hall at the Arnold Arboretum from July 14 – September 16, 2012.

Brown will discuss her work during Artist Talk: Susan Hardy Brown, a free lecture to be held on Thursday, September 13, 2012 from 7:00 – 8:30 PM. To attend this event, please register here.

The public will have another opportunity to meet Susan Hardy Brown during a special reception scheduled for Saturday, September 15 from 1-3 PM.

Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum is a 265-acre living collection of trees, shrubs and woody vines. It is the oldest public arboretum in North America and is free and open to the public everyday. The Hunnewell Building Lecture Hall is in continuous use for classes and other events. Please check the current visiting hours of the Hunnewell Building and call (617) 384-5209 to confirm the exhibition will be available for viewing.

Related
Learn more about encaustic art. Visit International Encaustic Artists online.

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Paint Postcards of the Colorado Landscape

Posted in botanical art, Education, Learning Opportunities, Sketching & Journaling, Special Announcements, Special Events, Watercolor on June 28, 2012|

Here’s Your Chance!

A seat in the next Postcards from… workshop created by natural science illustrator, Marjorie Leggitt, has become available. The next installment of this popular workshop series will be held in Salida, Colorado from
September 12-16, 2012.

Marjorie Leggitt and Leon Loughridge will provide step-by-step instruction that artists of all levels can use to capture painted snapshots of the Colorado landscape.

Act now if you would like to attend. Click the image to download the details.

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Sketchbook Challenge Blog Hop

Posted in botanical art, drawing, Education, Learning Opportunities, Sketching & Journaling, Special Announcements, Special Events on June 27, 2012| 10 Comments »

Yesterday an exciting thing happened for the team at The Sketchbook Challenge. A book based on their wildly popular website was published by Potter Craft.

Written by Sketchbook Challenge founder, Sue Bleiweiss, the book The Sketchbook Challenge: Techniques, Prompts, and Inspiration for Achieving Your Creative Goals is a collection of themes, techniques, and art that will inspire first-time artists and experienced artists alike.

Bleiweiss’ introduction to paper, sketchbook formats, mark-making tools, paints, adhesives, and loosening-up exercises is followed by twelve chapters of themes and specific instruction about thirteen techniques. The techniques receiving special attention by Bleiweiss are: screen printing, stenciling, digital printing, thread sketching, painted papers for collage, hand-carved stamps, hand-dyed fabric, soy wax resist, image transfers, foiling, silk fusion, moldable foam stamps, and a 4-step drawing technique.

While these techniques are presented in a special “spotlight” feature, this book is really about several techniques and features a rich selection of examples of how these techniques are used by the 21 artists who have contributed their knowledge and artwork to this mixed media guide for sketchbooks.

The Sketchbook Challenge is a wonderful resource for anyone who lets a blank sketchbook, with its white pages, suppress their creative urges. If this is you, then I encourage you to browse through several pages of this book online.

Join the Celebration!
To celebrate the publication of their new book, the artists at The Sketchbook Challenge website are hosting a blog hop and giving away over $1,200 worth of prizes. Learn more about this 10-day event and how you can win one of the prizes at The Sketchbook Challenge Blog Hop.

Did You Know…

That Jane La Fazio, ArtPlantae’s Featured Artist for January 2011, is a regular contributor to The Sketchbook Challenge?
Artists from all over the world share pages from their sketchbook on the Sketchbook Challenge Flickr page?

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Botanical Art Studio Opens to the Public

Posted in botanical art, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on June 27, 2012|

Botanical artist, Jeni Neale, will take part in the Warwickshire Open Studios event and open her studio to the public June 30 – July 15, 2012. Each day her studio is open to the public, Jeni will demonstration botanical painting techniques and have original paintings, prints and cards for sale.

Jeni is a member of the Birmingham Society of Botanical Artists (BSBA) in England. In October 2011, the BSBA was the featured group at ArtPlantae.

Learn more about the Birmingham Society of Botanical Artists and see their
Ask the Artist session with readers.

Exhibition of Contemporary Botanical Art
Warwickshire Open Studios 2012
Jeni Neale Studio
Southam, England
June 30 – July 15, 2012
View studio hours

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Focus on Foilage with RHS Medalist Angeline de Meester

Posted in botanical art, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on June 21, 2012|

Click to enlarge

NEW
Focus on Foliage
September 10-14, 2012
10:30 – 4:00 PM
Five-day workshop for experienced botanical artists led by RHS Gold medal winner, Angeline de Meester. Includes instruction from guest tutors Liz Leech and Martin J. Allen. Participants will visit the Shirley Sherwood Gallery at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and the Natural History Museum. Cost: £625 (incl. VAT), inclusive of lunch, transportation to gallery and museum, and entry fees.

Download color flyer

View Details/Register

About The English Gardening School
www.englishgardeningschool.co.uk
Located in London, England, the English Garden School offers professional and amateur courses in garden design, practical horticulture, plants and planstmanship, and botanical painting.

This information can also be viewed at Classes Near You > England.

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Valerie Littlewood Reaches Out to the Public About Britain’s Wild Bees

Posted in botanical art, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on June 19, 2012|

Valerie Littlewood created the traveling exhibition, BUZZ… A Celebration of British Bees & Their Flowers, to bring her message to the public. Her exhibition has been on view at wonderful venues.

Today Valerie talks about her outreach efforts.

Join this conversation already in progress…

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Welcome to Pollinator Week at ArtPlantae!

Posted in botanical art, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on June 18, 2012| 10 Comments »

Click to find a Pollinator Week event near you.

Welcome to National Pollinator Week at ArtPlantae.

This week featured guest
Valerie Littlewood will discuss her work documenting wild British bees and how she teaches the public about the bees and their plants.

As you know, one way Valerie informs the public about plants and pollinators is through her book series, BUZZ. In Volume I of this series, Valerie pairs exquisite drawings and paintings with information about 14 bee species. Each two-page spread features a detailed painting of a bee and a graceful pencil drawing of a plant the featured bee pollinates. In her description of each species, Valerie includes interesting information about a bee’s identifying characteristics, its behavior, and its conservation status. She includes with her text thumbnail sketches of work-in-progress revealing how her finished drawings were completed.

Volume II of BUZZ is in preparation and will highlight 14 additional species of British bees. Overall, there are over 250 species of bees in Britain.

Thank you again for joining us Pollinator Week. You are invited to ask Valerie questions or post comments as our conversation progresses. Simply post your question in the Comment box below.