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Create a Life Cycle Accordion Book About Plants

April 11, 2012 by Tania Marien

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.

Posted in botanical art, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities |

The Philadelphia Society of Botanical Illustrators Exhibit at the Station Gallery

April 9, 2012 by Tania Marien

Arisaema triphyllum © Ann Biggs. All Rights Reserved

Spring Show for The Philadelphia Society of Botanical Illustrators
The Station Gallery
Greenville, DE
April 9-28, 2012

The Philadelphia Society of Botanical Illustrators (PSBI) invite you to their annual juried exhibition!

Beginning today, thirty-six paintings by twenty artists will be on view at The Station Gallery in Greenville, Delaware.

An opening reception will be held this Friday, April 13, 2012 from 5-8 PM. Meet the artists, ask questions about their process and learn more about the PSBI, their outreach projects and the classes taught by members.

The Philadelphia Society of Botanical Illustrators was founded in 1997 to celebrate the achievements of its members, to provide exhibition opportunities for members and to introduce new audiences to botanical illustration.

Last month, the PSBI received an award at the Philadelphia International Flower Show for Best Achievement, Horticultural Art and Illustration for their exhibition featuring the plants of Hawaii. Learn more about The Flora of Hawaii: Indigenous, Endemic or Invasive on the PSBI blog.

Cattleya aclandiae © Donelda La Brake. All Rights Reseved

The Station Gallery is located at 3922 Kennett Pike, Greenville, Delaware. Directions, gallery hours and information about how to receive information about upcoming shows can be viewed here.

Posted in botanical art, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events |

New Exhibition Dedicated to Botanical Art in Colored Pencil

April 9, 2012 by Tania Marien

Drawing Nature: Botanical Art in Colored Pencil is now on view at the Mahoney Library Gallery on the Santa Rosa Junior College Petaluma Campus.
This exhibition opened on April 2 and continues through May 25, 2012.

Drawing Nature is a group exhibition of botanical art created by students of
Nina Antze, a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists. Antze studied illustration at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), and her drawings have been exhibited at NYBG, as well as at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens, and the gallery at Filoli.

Artists participating in Drawing Nature are Nina Antze, Adrianne Bowes, Suzanne Cogen, Victoria A. Kochergin, Rebecca Lichau, Jackie Lueder, Joanne Page, Elizabeth Peyton, Linda Rouse, Ginny Ritama Spencer, Vi Strain, Christine Woodward, Nancy Wheeler, and Barbara Wysham.

The Mahoney Library Gallery is located at 680 Sonoma Mountain Parkway. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 8 AM to 9 PM and Saturday, 10 AM – 3 PM. For more information, call (707) 778-3972.

Posted in botanical art, Education, Special Announcements, Special Events |

Draw Plants All Summer Long at Hollengold Farm

April 9, 2012 by Tania Marien

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

Posted in botanical art, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities |

Create Your Own Florilegium

April 6, 2012 by Tania Marien

You don’t have to be a professional artist to enjoy drawing plants, any more than you have to be a professional writer to compose an e-mail or write a letter.

— Gail Selfridge

Scientific illustrator, Gail Selfridge, shares how she was inspired to start collecting and documenting Stapelia after reading a book about these interesting South African succulents. While she had prepared countless illustrations for books, journals, and museums as a professional illustrator, she had never prepared extensive illustrations for herself. Drawing her personal collection of Stapelia was a rewarding experience taking more than two years to complete.

In her article, Selfridge (2008) explains how she created her colored pencil illustrations and shares images of work-in-progress. Using little more than graphite pencils, colored pencils, a portable sketchbook, paper from a desktop printer, and discarded cardboard boxes from the grocery store, Selfridge (2008) built a collection of work about her favorite plant. With these mundane materials, she created a studio-worthy collection of portable drawing supplies, inexpensive sketching paper, and a homemade flat file. The “formal” art supplies in her studio included Prismacolor colored pencils, tracing paper, a kneaded eraser, drawing paper, illustration board, and a 10x linen tester with which to study a plant’s details (instead of an expensive dissecting microscope).

In Selfridge’s collection is an educational piece about Stapelieae designed specifically to introduce people to this group of plants and to “spark an interest in (viewers) to observe and learn more about their own plants through drawing” (Selfridge, 2008). This piece has traveled to museums and has been included in exhibitions such as Focus on Nature VII and a show at the Bruce Museum of Art and Science in Connecticut about flowers and their pollinators.

To learn more about Selfridge’s practical approach to creating a personal florilegium, contact the author to request a copy of her article.


Literature Cited
Selfridge, Gail. 2008. Drawing from your collection. Cactus and Succulent Journal. 80(1): 7-11.


QUESTION FOR READERS:
What everyday items do you like to use to document your observations about plants and nature? Tell us about your favorite simple art supply.


Updated June 20, 2016

Posted in drawing, teaching & learning, Teaching & Learning |

Learn Botanical Illustration from a Natural Science Perspective

April 4, 2012 by Tania Marien

Observe and draw local flora while learning plant classification and identification. See what’s new in the Classes Near You sections for Washington, Oregon and Colorado.


Quinn Fitzpatrick
www.quinnfitzpatrick.com
Quinn is an artist, a musician, and a graduate of the Natural Science Illustration Program at the University of Washington. His specialties include wild cats, raptors, wild edible plants, and medicinal plants. His chosen media are graphite, watercolor, gouache, colored pencil, and photography. He teaches workshops in botanical illustration in Washington, Oregon and Colorado.

  • Introduction to Botanical Illustration
    Tuesdays, April 10 – June 5, 2012; 5:30 – 7:30 PM. This workshop introduces students to the practices of botanical illustration from a natural science perspective. We will be primarily working with black & white mediums using graphite and pen & ink. Some color theory and mediums (i.e., colored pencil) will be introduced. Draw northwest flora while learning classification and identification. Some drawing experience is helpful and this course is open to all skill levels. Location: North Seattle Community College, Seattle, WA. Details/Register
  • Introduction to Botanical Illustration – April 30, 2012; 6-9 PM. This workshop introduces students to the practices of botanical illustration from a natural science perspective. We will be primarily working with black & white mediums using graphite and pen & ink. Some color theory and mediums (i.e., colored pencil) will be introduced. Draw northwest flora while learning classification and identification. Some drawing experience is helpful and this course is open to all skill levels. Location: Rossehill Community Center, Mukilteo, WA. Details/Register
  • Introduction to Botanical Illustration – May 3, 2012; 6-9 PM. This workshop introduces students to the practices of botanical illustration from a natural science perspective. We will be primarily working with black & white mediums using graphite and pen & ink. Some color theory and mediums (i.e., colored pencil) will be introduced. Draw southwest flora while learning classification and identification. Some drawing experience is helpful and this course is open to all skill levels. Location: Frontrange Community College, Boulder, CO. Cost: $59. Details/Register
  • Introduction to Botanical Illustration
    May 5, 2012; 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM. This workshop introduces students to the practices of botanical illustration from a natural science perspective. We will be primarily working with black & white mediums using graphite and pen & ink. Some color theory and mediums (i.e., colored pencil) will be introduced. Draw southwest flora while learning classification and identification. Some drawing experience is helpful and this course is open to all skill levels. Location: Frontrange Community College, Westminster, CO. Cost: $59. Details/Register
  • Introduction to Botanical Illustration
    May 7, 2012; 4:30 – 7:30 PM. This workshop introduces students to the practices of botanical illustration from a natural science perspective. We will be primarily working with black & white mediums using graphite and pen & ink. Some color theory and mediums (i.e., colored pencil) will be introduced. Draw southwest flora while learning classification and identification. Some drawing experience is helpful and this course is open to all skill levels. Location: Frontrange Community College, Fort Collins, CO. Cost: $59. Details/Register
  • Introduction to Botanical Illustration
    May 20, 2012; 4:30 – 7:30 PM. This workshop introduces students to the practices of botanical illustration from a natural science perspective. We will be primarily working with black & white mediums using graphite and pen & ink. Some color theory and mediums (i.e., colored pencil) will be introduced. Draw southwest flora while learning classification and identification. Some drawing experience is helpful and this course is open to all skill levels. Location: South Whidbey Parks & Recreation, Whidbey Island, WA. Details/Register
  • Botanical Illustration Weekend Workshop
    June 15-17, 2012. Review plant anatomy, ecological adaptations and develop drawing skills while exploring the flora on the east side of the Cascades with Quinn Fitzpatrick. Cost: $280 for shared room includes 2 nights, 5 meals, instruction and field trips; $295 private room; $175 no lodging. Details/Register
  • Introduction to Botanical Illustration – July 11, 2012. This workshop introduces students to the practices of botanical illustration from a natural science perspective. We will be primarily working with black & white mediums using graphite and pen & ink. Some color theory and mediums (i.e., colored pencil) will be introduced. Draw northwest flora while learning classification and identification. Some drawing experience is helpful and this course is open to all skill levels.
    Location: Portland Community College, Portland, OR. Details/Register

Posted in botanical art, drawing, Education, Learning Opportunities |

‘The Magnified Eye’, Plants on Paper & Vellum

April 4, 2012 by Tania Marien

On Monday, the Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit, NJ revealed
The Magnified Eye: Contemporary Botanical Portraiture in collaboration with Susan Frei Nathan Fine Works on Paper, LLC. This new exhibition features the work of fifteen international artists who have used various techniques and media to create their drawings and paintings of plants. Visitors can study each artist’s technique up close by using the magnifying glasses that will be on hand.

Artists participating in The Magnified Eye are:

Additional information, including an exhibition flyer, are available here. This exhibition will be on view in the Wisner House through June 15, 2012.

The Reeves-Reed Arboretum is an estate garden listed on the National and State Registers of Historic Places. The arboretum hosts programs for families, children, school groups and adults. Readers of this website might be particularly interested in the workshop Tree ID for Beginners scheduled for April 19, 2012.


Related
Martin J. Allen Discusses the Power of Seeing

Posted in botanical art, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, Special Events |

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