Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Short Courses in Botanical Painting at The English Gardening School

February 21, 2011 by Tania Marien

Now at Classes Near You > England:


The English Gardening School at Chelsea Wharf, London
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.

The Botanical Painting Diploma course is comprised of three 10-week terms and one independent study project. Students meet once per week on Mondays from 10:30 AM – 3:15 PM. Homework is assigned weekly. Students are expected to allocate two days per week for homework. During the Spring Term, students are work on observation and drawing skills. Color mixing and watercolor washes are the focus of the Summer Term. In the Fall, students learn about composition, learn troubleshooting techniques, and refine their drawing skills. After completing all three terms, students work on a themed project and create five paintings around this theme. Students must complete their project within the year following the course in order to qualify for their diploma. View all program details
Short Courses are offered as an alternative to the Diploma program. Short courses are one- to ten-day classes scheduled from 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM. All courses include lunch.

  • Botanical Painting – Magnolias and Spring Blossoms with Gillian Barlow – April 7-8, 2011. Participants will study magnolia blossoms, buds, and bark while learning about drawing, composition, and watercolor techniques. Cost: £265 inclusive of VAT and light lunch. Register
  • Botanical Painting with Jenny Phillips – Intermediate/Advanced – May 27, 2011. Participants will apply drawing and painting techniques to create a small plant study. Jenny will enhance student understanding of what is required to achieve form and detail in lifelike botanical paintings. Plant material will be provided. Cost: £165 inclusive of VAT and light lunch. Limit: 16 students. Register
  • Botanical Painting – Leafy Textures – June 23, 2011. Gillian Barlow will demonstrate how to create a variety of surface textures with watercolor. Cost: £145 inclusive of VAT and light lunch. Register
  • First Steps in Botanical Painting with Elaine Searle – July 4 – 7, 2011. Learn the observation skills, drawing skills, and watercolor skills necessary to produce your first plant portrait. Designed specifically for beginners, Elaine takes the fear out of getting started. Cost: £480 inclusive of VAT and light lunch. Register

Posted in botanical art, Learning Opportunities |

Mike Sibley to Teach Graphite Techniques in Texas, Montana, California

February 21, 2011 by Tania Marien

Now at Classes Near You for Texas, Montana, and California:


Mike Sibley Fine Art
www.sibleyfineart.com
Mike Sibley is the author of Drawing from Line to Life, an inspiring instructional book about creating realistic drawings in graphite. Here is your chance to learn from a Master!

  • Graphite Techniques – San Antonio, Texas. June 3-5, 2011. Sally Cheever Girl Scout Leadership Center. View details
  • Graphite Techniques – West Yellowstone, Montana. June 12-17, 2011. Holiday Inn West Yellowstone. View details
  • Graphite Techniques – Los Angeles, California. June 24-26, 2011. Torrance Airport Meeting Room (Zamperini Field). View details
  • Graphite Techniques with Mike Sibley – Look for Mike’s next online class at DrawSpace.com.

Posted in Drawing, Drawing in Graphite, Drawing to Learn, Learning Opportunities |

Documenting Plants

February 18, 2011 by Tania Marien

This article was published last year. I am digging deep into the scrolling archives to bring attention to past articles about teaching and learning. Links have been added to the new “Teaching & Learning” box in the column at right. Enjoy!

A Reference for Botanical Illustrators

In the April 1999 issue of Plant Talk, Rosemary Wise (botanical artist at the University of Oxford) wrote an article about how to draw plants for documentation. In her article, Wise emphasizes how accuracy is important in a botanical drawing and explains how a botanical illustration can offer more information than a photograph. She also provides instruction on how to compose a botanical plate and discusses pen-and-ink drawing techniques in the process.

Wise also explains how to draw for publication, how to draw from herbarium specimens, how to draw dissections, how to hydrate dried material, and how to use tracing paper to draw dissections of symmetrical flowers.

The back issues of Plant Talk are no longer available. However a copy of this article is available for your use. This copy of Rosemary Wise’s article comes to you courtesy of the Eden Project and Plant-Talk.org.

Download – Drawing Plants: Ten Pointers to Botanical Illustration


Literature Cited
Wise, Rosemary. 1999. Drawing plants: Ten pointers to botanical illustration. Plant Talk. No. 17:29-32.

Posted in botanical art, Education, Teaching & Learning | 2 Comments »

Bermuda’s Subtropical Flora Featured in “Bermuda Botanica”

February 16, 2011 by Tania Marien

© Margaret Best. All rights reserved

Bermuda Botanica
May 20 – June 7, 2011

Award-winning artist, Margaret Best will have a solo exhibition this Spring at the Bermuda Society of Art. Bermuda Botanica will feature Margaret’s paintings of Bermuda’s tropical flora. Following the opening of her exhibition, Margaret will teach a masterclass about color and composition. See below for more information.


Margaret Best
Best Botanical
www.bestbotanical.com
Margaret Best is an award-winning artist and respected teacher. Her artwork has been shown in many exhibitions about contemporary botanical art and is featured in the book, Today’s Botanical Artists, by Cora Marcus and Libby Kyer. Margaret teaches in Canada, England, Bermuda, and the U.S. Her work is held in both public and private collections, including The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA.

    Bermuda
    Bermuda Society of Arts, Hamilton
    www.bsoa.bm
    Known as The People’s Art Gallery, the Bermuda Society of Arts is comprised of four galleries and hosts approximately 50 shows per year.
    Drawing with Dimension: Graphite Techniques to Achieve Effective Continuous Tone – March 5-6, 2011; 10 AM – 4 PM. Develop your drawing skills and learn how to assess nature’s forms. Participants will learn graphite techniques that will enable them to create 3-dimensional forms on paper. Artists at all levels welcome.
    Finding Form in Watercolor – March 9-11, 2011; 10 AM – 4 PM. Develop an understanding of how to create a full range of colors in your botanical paintings. Participants will complete exercises that will lead them to achieve color intensity and then value to create form. Artists at all levels welcome.
    Color & Composition: A Masterclass with Margaret Best – May 30-June 2, 2011; 10 AM – 4 PM. A four-day workshop observing, composing, and drawing local subtropical flora. Learn how to compose your subject using its color to your advantage.

Located off the eastern coast of the United States, Bermuda is only a two-hour flight from North Carolina and New York.

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

Botanical Art at New Orleans Botanical Garden

February 14, 2011 by Tania Marien

© Val Webb. All rights reserved


The Illustrated Garden, A Studio Blog
http://valwebb.wordpress.com
See Val Webb’s online tutorial, Botanical Drawing with Pencil and Watercolor. Connect with The Illustrated Garden on Facebook!


    Botanical Drawing in Pencil and Watercolor
    New Orleans Botanical Garden
    Saturday, May 28, 2011
    9 AM – 3 PM

    Illustrator Val Webb will lead an intensive day of botanical drawing and watercolor at New Orleans Botanical Garden. With step-by-step guidance, students will create detailed and richly colorful renderings of springtime plant subjects using a unique combination of layered watercolor and graphite pencil. Drawing time will be divided between the Garden Study Center, a charming renovated 1930s potting shed, and the grounds of New Orleans Botanical Garden, one of the South’s most beautiful horticultural settings.

    Participants can choose their subjects from the gardens’ collection of more than 2,000 varieties of plants from around the world. This workshop is appropriate for all levels of art experience. There is no supply list — all art supplies and materials (plus admission to the gardens) will be provided. Morning refreshments will be waiting when students arrive, so all that is needed for the day is a sack lunch.

    As always, workshop size is limited to ensure personal attention. Val’s popular workshops often fill quickly; please feel free to call or email to check availability. Registration for Botanical Drawing in Pencil and Watercolor is $120 and must be received to reserve your spot. Please make your check payable to:

    Val Webb
    P.O. Box 852064
    Mobile, AL 36685
    Questions: studio@valwebb.com

Also posted at Classes Near You > Alabama and
Classes Near You > Louisiana:

Posted in botanical art, Learning Opportunities |

Sketchbook Retreats in Utah and Oregon!

February 14, 2011 by Tania Marien

Sketchbook retreats added to Classes Near You for California, Oregon, and Utah. Scroll down to see what’s new.


Jane LaFazio, Plain Jane Studio, San Diego
www.plainjanestudio.com
Jane is a mixed media artist and a member of the San Diego Sketchcrawl group. In addition to the sketching classes below, Jane teaches workshops in collage, mixed media, and quilting. A detailed class schedule can be viewed on her blog.

  • Mixed Media with Paper & Cloth
    Mondays, January 24 – March 14, 2011; 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Learn about new materials and learn how to create art from paper, cloth or a combination of both. Create layered textured artworks using collage materials, paint, drawings, and thread. Location: La Jolla Athenaeum. Register online
  • Make Felt the Tibetan Way & Embellish the California Way with Jane LaFazio – February 5, 2011. Create a felt piece that can be used as a wall hanging or become part of another textile project. Learn more about felting and how to register for this class here.
  • Sketching & Watercolor Journal Style: ON LOCATION
    January 20 – February 24, 2011. $75. Learn how to draw, paint, and keep a journal on location. Set aside your inhibitions and become comfortable sketching in public by working through a series of exercises requiring you to sketch away from home. Register at Joggles.com
  • Sketching & Watercolor: Journal Style – March 3 – April 7, 2011. $75. Begin with simple subjects and progress to vignettes while learning how to record your life in a loose, quick, and expressive way. Register at Joggles.com
  • Mixed Media with Paper & Cloth – March 4 – April 8, 2011. $75. Explore mixed media using paper and cloth. Draw, create collages, and paint! Register at Joggles.com
  • Art Retreat in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico – April 13 – 20, 2011. Go on a Mixed Media Art Retreat with artists Jane LaFazio, Lynn Leahy, Laurie Mika, and Helen Schafer Garcia. For more information about this retreat, click here.
  • Bella Italia: Orvieto Sketchbook – May 20 – 26, 2012. Learn how to slow down, sit quietly, and really see your surroundings. Create a travel sketchbook out of 5″ x 7″ pages under the warm Italian sun! Complete details are available at Adventures in Italy.
  • Art Quilt Explorations with Jane LaFazio – April 21 – May 26, 2011. $75. Participants will create six small art quilts based on their own designs. View class projects and register at Joggles.com here.
  • NEW! Big Book – 2nd Annual CREATE Mixed Media Retreat, May 18, 2011. Registration opens February 2011.
  • NEW! Sketching & Watercolor – 2nd Annual CREATE Mixed Media Retreat, May 21, 2011. Registration opens February 2011.
  • NEW! Sketchbooks & Visual Journals – July 9-10, 2011. Jane will teach with Linda Blinn. Please contact San Clemente Art Supply to register.
  • NEW! Sketching & Watercolor in Utah – July 21-24, 2011. See Creative Inspiration Mountain Retreats for details.
  • NEW! Sketching & Watercolor: Journal Style – Art & Soul Mixed Media Art Workshop, Portland, OR. September 28, 2011. Register

Posted in botanical art, Learning Opportunities, Sketching & Journaling |

You, Your Sketchbook, Tuscany. Are you in?

February 14, 2011 by Tania Marien


Brenda Swenson, Los Angeles
www.swensonsart.net
Brenda Swenson, WW, NWWS is the author of Keeping a Watercolor Sketchbook and Steps to Success in Watercolor. She is a very popular, award-winning artist who teaches across the U.S. and abroad. See Breanda’s new section about tips, techniques, and tools for artists on her blog.

  • Tuscany En Plein Air / Watercolor Sketching with Brenda Swenson
    September 3-13, 2011. Spend 10 days in Italy at a restored Tuscan farmhouse! All levels of artists will benefit from demonstrations, friendly critiques, and personalized instruction. Get all the details and see sample pages from Brenda’s travel journal at Abbondanza Toscana.

Also posted at:
Classes Near You > Italy
Classes Near You > California

Posted in Learning Opportunities, Sketching & Journaling, Watercolor |

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »