ArtPlantae Today

The Denver Botanic Gardens School of Botanical Art and Illustration has announced its Winter/Spring 2012 schedule.

Here is what’s new at Classes Near You > Colorado:

Denver Botanic Gardens School of Botanical Art and Illustration
Denver Botanic Gardens
A complete program offering classes in pencil drawing, colored pencil, watercolor, sketching, botany, art history, scratch board, and classes dedicated to specific techniques and plant groups. See a complete course listing here. This program now works collaboratively with El Charco del Ingenio, a nature reserve and botanical garden in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. To learn more about the Garden’s certificate program, visit the program’s blog at http://botanicalillustration.blogspot.com. This blog is maintained by Program Coordinator, Mervi Hjelmroos-Koski.

GUEST WORKSHOPS FOR 2012

• The Nature of Drawing Birds I with Linda M. Feltner – Feb 6-8, 2012
• The Nature of Drawing Birds II with Linda M. Feltner – Feb. 10-12, 2012
• Field Trip to Birds of Prey Foundation – Feb. 9
• Egg Tempera Painting with Koo Schadler – June 8-10
• Under the Press: Papyrus Art with Jill Powers – March 10
• Pop-up Flowers with Shawn Sheehy – April 16-17, 2012
• Advanced Pop-up Design – 19-21, 2012
• Katagami: Stencil Design and Japanese Paper Patterns – April 27, 2012
• Good Hues: Integrating Color, Design and Letters (in collaboration with Colorado Calligraphers Guild) – April 28-29, 2012
• Papermaking: Eastern Techniques – May 5, 2012

CERTIFICATE PROGRAM at DBG
A comprehensive series of botanical illustration classes designed for dedicated illustrators and devoted amateurs. Participants must complete all required courses, elective courses and a portfolio review to satisfy requirements necessary for a certificate in botanical art.

Required Courses
Botanical Illustration in Pencil I
Botany for the Botanical Illustrator
Botanical Illustration in Pencil II
Composition for Botanical Illustration
Color Layering for Colored Pencil
Botanical Illustration in Colored Pencil I
Perfecting Perspective
Botanical Illustration in Colored Pencil II
Color Mixing for Artists
Botanical Illustration in Pen and Ink I
Botanical Illustration in Pen and Ink II
Botanical Illustration in Watercolor I
Botanical Illustration in Watercolor II

DISTANCE LEARNING at DBG
This new program combines in-class instruction with online instruction. Students accepted into this new certificate program must live more than 100 miles from Denver Botanic Gardens.

Required Courses Taught at DBG
Botanical Illustration in Pencil I
Botany for the Botanical Illustrator
Composition for Botanical Illustration
Perfecting Perspective
Color Layering for Colored Pencil

Required Courses Taught Online with On-site Component (two days of in-class instruction followed by three weekly Internet sessions)
Botanical Illustration in Pencil II
Botanical Illustration in Colored Pencil I
Botanical Illustration in Colored Pencil II
Color Mixing for Artists
Botanical Illustration in Pen and Ink I
Botanical Illustration in Pen and Ink II
Botanical Illustration in Watercolor I
Botanical Illustration in Watercolor II

WORKSHOPS AT EL CHARCO 2012 – TBA

View and download all Winter/Spring 2012 schedules:

Botanical Illustration Catalog 2012
Distance Learning Catalog 2012

The botanical garden at UC Berkeley has added many new classes to their schedule. Here is what’s new at Classes Near You > Northern California:

University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley
http://botanicalgarden.berkeley.edu
This 34-acre garden was established in 1890 and is now a non-profit research garden and museum. The botanical art classes below are taught by Lee McCaffree and Catherine Watters. View a detailed schedule and register on the Garden’s website.

• Sick Plant Clinic – First Saturday of Each Month, 9 AM – 12 PM. Free. No reservations required.
• Monthly Butterfly Walks – Fourth Tuesday of each month (March – October); 3 – 4 PM. Garden volunteer, docent, and caterpillar lady, Sally Levinson, will lead walks through the garden in search of butterflies. Space is limited. Children welcome. Free with admission.
• Garden Strollers – Second Wednesday of Each Month,
  11 AM – 11:45 PM. A 45-minute tour of the garden for adults with young children (3 and under). Tour will end on the lawn for play and snacks (bring your own). Children must be in a stroller or carrier during the tour. FREE with garden admission. Meet in front of the Garden Ship. For more information, call (510) 642-7082 or email garden@berkeley.edu.
• Evergreen Wreathes and Garlands – Wednesday, December 7, 2011; 6-9 PM. Create a beautiful and festive wreath or garland to add to your holiday decorations. Greens from the Garden and other materials are included, but be sure to bring your own hand pruners. Pre-registration required. $30 non-members, $25 members.
• Gorgeous Gifts from the Garden Holiday Soiree – Friday,
  December 9, 5-8 PM. A special after-hours event at The Garden Store featuring eco-friendly gifts and handmade items from local vendors and other garden-inspired gifts. Refreshments and special discounts too!
• Handmade Olive Oil Soaps – Sunday, December 11, 2011; 1-3 PM. Learn how to make one-of-a-kind olive oil soaps from freshly harvested olives with Kathleen Elliot of Hillcrest Olive Ranch. Registration required. $25 non-members, $20 members.
• From Conifers to Caryota: Member’s Walk – Thursday,
  December 15, 2011; 1:00-2:30 PM. Discover new plants and learn about the Garden’s plant collections on this insider’s tour of the Garden with Chris Carmichael, Associate Director of Collections and Horticulture. Registration required. Members only. Free.
• Handmade for the Holidays Family Workshop – Saturday,
  December 17, 2012; 11 AM –1 PM. Create garden-inspired gifts and decorations. Materials and snacks provided. Children must be accompanied by an adult. $10 non-members, $8 members.
• Making Local, Traditional Brine-fermented Olives – Sunday, December 18, 2011; 1-5 PM. Learn how olives are harvested, milled and brined for cooking from Kathleen Elliot, owner of the Hillcrest Olive Ranch in Sunol, CA. Registration required. $40 non-members, $35 members.
• Makin’ Mead – Saturday, January 7, 2012; 2-4 PM. Turn honey into wine! Robert MacKimmie of City Bees will teach participants how to mix a gallon of mead to ferment at home. Yes, there will be samples and everyone goes home with recipes too. Registration is required. $50 non-members, $40 members. Space is limited. Register early.
• Plants Illustrated Exhibition – January 14 – February 3, 2012;
  10 AM – 4 PM. The Garden is pleased to announce its third annual botanical art exhibition, Plants Illustrated. The exhibition, held in conjunction with the Northern California Society of Botanical Artists, invites viewers to explore the relationship between scientific study and fine art. The exhibit presents original artworks in watercolor, graphite, colored pencil and pen and ink and explores the many styles, forms and approaches unique to botanical art and illustration. Free with Garden admission.
• Botanical Art for Youth & Young Adults – Saturday,
  January 14, 2012; 10 AM – 12 PM. In this workshop, young artists will be introduced to botanical art and tour the Plants Illustrated exhibition. Students will learn how to draw plants and have fun making impressive works of art to take home. An online gallery will be created to display artists’ work. Recommended for ages 8 and up. Registration required.
  $20 non-members, $15 members.
• Botanical Art Through the Ages – Friday, January 20, 2012;
  2:00 – 3:30 PM. Botanical artist Catherine Watters will discuss the rich history of botanical art. View prints, slides and other media. Learn about Pierre-Joseph Redoute´, Maria Sibylla Merian and significant historical events such as Tulipmania and the Age of Exploration. $10 non-members; $5 members, UCB students, staff and faculty.
• Arid House: Member’s Walk – Thursday, January 26, 2012; 1:00-2:30 PM. Join Horticulturist Bryan Gim on this special tour through the Garden’s Arid House. Explore colorful cacti, succulents and other plants from arid regions of the world in this special tour of the Arid House led by horticulturist, Bryan Gim. Space is limited. Registration required. Members only. Free.

The Cambridge University Botanic Garden has announced its schedule of classes for 2012. The new schedule includes 14 classes about botanical art. The Garden says their botanical art classes fill up very quickly. If you plan to attend one of their classes, don’t wait too long to register.

A new class about designing illuminated letters has been added to the botanical art program. This class will be taught by Georita Harriott.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden
www.botanic.cam.ac.uk
The botanical garden at Cambridge University offers classes in botanical art and illustration. The classes are taught in a well-lit classroom designed specifically to provide botanical art students with a quiet environment in which to work.

View 2012 Botanical Art Schedule

• Illustrating Snowdrops with Gael Sellwood – February 6-8
• Illustrating Vegetables in Colored Pencil with Janie Pirie – February 21-23
• Illustrating Spring Flowers with Georita Harriott – March 26-28
• Illustrating Magnolias with Petula Stone – April 11-12
• Intro to Botanical Illustration Using Pen and Ink with Valerie Oxley – April 25-27
• Illustrating Blossom and Flowers with Reinhild Raistrick – May 8-9
• NEW! Designing and Painting an Illuminated Letter with Georita Harriott
  May 14-16
• Botanical Illustration for Beginners with Valerie Oxley – June 13-15
• Illustrating Summer Fruits in Colored Pencil with Janie Pirie – June 26-28
• Illustrating Sunflowers in Watercolor with Petula Stone – July 23-24
• Illustrating Exotic Fruits & Vegetables with Ian Loe – September 4-6
• Illustrating Autumn Color with Gael Sellwood – October 16-18
• Illustrating Mushrooms & Toadstools with Reinhild Raistrick
  October 23-25
• Leaf Studies with Ian Loe – November 6-8

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

The Greystoke Cycle Café announces is schedule of “Quirky Workshops” for the new year. The new schedule includes botanical art classes taught by Simon Williams, Kay Rees-Davies and Colin Swinton. The information below can also be viewed at Classes Near You > England.

Greystoke Cycle Café & Tea Garden
www.greystokecyclecafe.co.uk
You may remember learning about the Greystoke Cycle Café & Tea Garden during an interview with Billy Showell. This rest stop for cyclists not only provides everything a cyclist needs, it also provides a full schedule of workshops taught by artists and other professionals. The 2012 schedule includes botanical art classes and wildlife painting classes such as:

• Botanical Illustration in Watercolor with Gouache – March 5
• Wildlife Illustration in Watercolor with Gouache – March 6
• Botanical Illustration in Watercolor – June 13-14
• Painting in the Botanical Style of Charles Rennie Macintosh – July 18

View these classes and the entire 2012 course schedule here.

Also see the Greystoke Cycle Cafe’s Art Courses page.