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Botanical Studies at the Limelight Gallery in London

Posted in botanical art, Education, Special Announcements, Special Events on February 8, 2012|

Botanical & Natural Studies 2010-2011
Limelight Gallery
Lewisham Library
Catford, London
February 28 – April 6, 2012

This exhibition features the watercolor paintings and pencil drawings of artist Alison Day. Native plants, cultivated plants and seashells are the subjects the artist has chosen to depict the textures, forms and intricate details seen in nature.

Through her work, Day brings attention to the “ordinary and (the) everyday” and encourages viewers to see familiar items in a new way. She explains:

For to be lost in an image is to be temporarily suspended from the miserable realities of the everyday world. Happiness, to home into to a pertinent contemporary concern, lies not in material wealth but looking beyond the veil that covers the visual world, to a place of imagination and dreams. These images of flowers and shells offer an opportunity to escape and to dream.

Meet Alison Day at the Limelight Gallery’s opening reception on
Sunday, March 4, 2012 (2-4 PM).

Exhibit Hours:
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (9-8)
Wednesday and Friday (9-6)
Saturday (9-5)
Sunday (1-4)

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The Symbolic Language of Plants

Posted in botanical art, Education, History, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on January 30, 2012|

Inspired by artists’ use of plants as symbols across cultures and throughout history, the botanical artists of Studio 155 have created an exhibition dedicated to symbolic subjects in nature. The exhibition Beyond Words: The Symbolic Language of Plants includes works in watercolor, oil, tempera, and colored pencil. This exhibition opens Saturday at the Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington, Delaware.

In the ancient world, Roman artists used roses to represent Venus, the goddess of love; Egyptian art connected the lily to Isis, the goddess of fertility; and Asian art included lotus flowers to convey beauty. Plant symbolism reached a high point in Medieval Christian art when religious craftsmen and artists used plants to explain the meaning of church parables and doctrine to a largely illiterate population.

In keeping with this tradition, the seventeen artists of Studio 155 created drawings and paintings that bring attention to symbolic themes represented by flowers, trees, fruit, vegetables, herbs and vines. For example, museum visitors will see the whimsical watercolor painting by Wendy Cortesi of a pumpkin that recalls Dia de los Muertos, the Hispanic tradition “Day of the Dead”. They will also see Neena Birch’s rose painting symbolizing ancient spiritual contemplation and centering, as well as Michael Rawson’s painting of a white oak representing strength and endurance.

The artists of Studio 155 have also published a fold-out book called Small Works. This handmade book created by Elizabeth W. Carter features 4″ x 4″ plant idioms painted by each artist. Idioms include “Shrinking Violet” and “Apple of His Eye.” When viewing Beyond Words, museum visitors will be encouraged to match the idioms on the gallery’s list to a corresponding painting in the exhibition.

Studio 155 created the fun exhibition postcard at right by painting 10″ x 8″ letters in oil, watercolor or colored pencil and then mounting the letters on a panel. Learn more about the artists behind these letters on the Beyond Words website. The Small Works book is also available for viewing on this site, so be sure to visit and try your hand at matching idioms to their paintings!

Beyond Words: The Symbolic Language of Plants
Delaware Art Museum
Wilmington, DE
February 4 – April 8, 2012

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Botanical Artists Illustrate White House Christmas Tour Book

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Chocolate & Botanical Art at Arizona SciTech Festival

Posted in botanical art, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on January 30, 2012|

Art and chocolate go together.

This weekend, they are paired yet again at the Arizona SciTech Festival.

The Arizona SciTech festival is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see, hear, taste, and experience first-hand, the best Arizona offers in science, technology, innovation. There is something for everyone from three-years to 103!

In historic downtown Glendale, botanical art and chocolate will reign as the West Valley Arts Council welcomes visitors to their first annual exhibition of botanical art and Arizona candy maker Cerreta hosts the Glendale Chocolate Affaire.

Artists, naturalists, gardeners and families are invited to the Gaslight Inn to view the botanical artwork of regional artists.

Just down the street from the Gaslight Inn, visitors can attend the Glendale Chocolate Affaire where they can learn about the science of chocolate and learn about chocolate’s medicinal properties. They will also have the opportunity to speak with chocolatiers, go on a factory tour at Cerreta Fine Chocolates, listen to music, eat, shop and take part in many activities.

Each year, the chocolate festival is held the weekend before Valentine’s Day. Over the years, it has become the largest gathering of romance novelists in the Southwest. Festival goers who enjoy romance novels have the opportunity to meet their favorite authors. Aspiring writers will have the opportunity to take writing workshops about a variety of topics including self-promotion, e-publishing, ghostwriting, and writing books for young adults. A complete schedule of writing workshops can be viewed here.

The Arizona SciTech Festival continues through March 14, 2012. Visit the festival’s website to view upcoming events, resources for teachers and to read their blog.

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Seminar to Address Evolution & Scientific Illustration

Posted in Education, Learning Opportunities, scientific illustration, Special Announcements, Special Events on January 25, 2012|

The second session of the lecture series, Images in the Service of Science, will be held this week at the University of Burgundy. Presenting will be Richard Somerset from the University of Nancy 2 (France). Somerset focuses on the relationships between science and literature and the history of ideas in the 19th century. On Friday, he will discuss the work of Arabella Buckley in Telling the Story of Evolution in Images: The Popularising Work of Arabella Buckley.

An article written by Somerset about this topic can be read online at
Scientific Illustration Dijon, the informative new website created specifically for this lecture series by project coordinator, Marie-Odile Bernez. Please note that Somerset’s article is written in French. Fortunately, reading his article is easy thanks to the wonderful tools that help us translate text online.

While his paper may be in French, Somerset’s presentation will be given in English. As will the presentation by Marie-Odile Bernez about Richard Bradley’s
A Philosophical Account of the Works of Nature (1721).

Event Information
Images in the Service of Science
Maison des Sciences de l’Homme (Room 3)
University of Burgundy
January 27, 2012
10:15 AM – 12:30 PM

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Exhbition of Edible Botanicals Opens Tomorrow

Posted in botanical art, gardening, Learning Opportunities, Sketching & Journaling, Special Announcements, Special Events on January 25, 2012|

Colored pencil paintings and drawings of edible plants, both wild and cultivated, are the focus of Botanical Edibles…Wild and Cultivated, a new exhibition featuring the work of SUNY ULSTER Artist-in-Residence, Wendy Hollender. Tomorrow’s opening festivities will include a special slide presentation by Wendy that will be followed by an opening reception in the Muroff Kotler Gallery.

Wendy Hollender is a botanical artist, teacher, author and organic farmer living in New York. Learn more about the exhibition and the programs Wendy will conduct during her residency on her website at Drawing in Color.

Botanical Edibles…Wild and Cultivated
January 26 – February 17, 2012
Ulster County Community College
Stone Ridge, NY 12484
View map

Opening Reception
Slide presentation by Wendy Hollender, 7 PM (Student Lounge VAN 203)
Gallery Reception in Muroff Kotler Gallery begins after Wendy’s presentation

Related

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Winter Exhibition Features Portraits in Bloom

Posted in botanical art, gardening, Special Announcements, Special Events on January 23, 2012|

Portraits in Bloom
January 3 – March 28, 2012
Westport Public Library
McManus Room

Forty-one floral portraits by Connecticut artist, Mary Ann Neilson, are now on view at the Westport Public Library in Westport, CT. Mary Ann’s work has been featured in publications about art and illustration, including the Splash series of books published by Northlight Books. Her paintings are included in the collection at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, a garden where Mary Ann taught for nine years.

Mary Ann says that plants “convey a sense of place“. She continues to say:

Flowers in a still life highlight the “set-up”. Botanical and floral paintings are in their essence portraits of plants. To me, portraits of plants and people hold in common the dual challenge of creating a likeness and expressing their spirit in being alive.

The Westport Public Library is located at Westport Public Library, 20 Jesup Green, Westport CT 06880. View map

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It’s All About Mushrooms at the LA Arboretum

Posted in botanical art, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events on January 23, 2012|

First, learn about mushrooms…

Mushroom Identification
Saturday, February 4, 2012
10 AM – 12 PM

Learn how to identify mushrooms and which mushrooms are safe to eat with mycologist and plant pathologist, Dr. Jerrold Turney. Participants will also look for mushrooms on the grounds of the Arboretum. Cost: $25 members, $30 non-members. View Details/Register

Then, go to the Wild Mushroom Fair!

Wild Mushroom Fair
Sunday, February 12, 2012
10 AM – 4 PM
Cooking demonstrations, mushroom growing demonstrations, books, art, activities and more at the annual mushroom fair hosted by the Los Angeles Mycological Society. The fair will be held in Ayres Hall. Click on the poster to learn about keynote speaker, mycologist and author, Gary Lincoff and how to purchase tickets for his presentation.