ArtPlantae Today

Identify Trees by Their Twigs, Buds, & Bark

January 10, 2011 by Tania Marien

The Brenton Arboretum and the state of Iowa has been added to the site.
Here is what’s new at Classes Near You > Iowa!

Brenton Arboretum, Dallas Center
www.thebrentonarboretum.org
The Brenton Arboretum is a 140-acre arboretum established in 1997 featuring 2,600 trees and shrubs. Most of the more than 175 species of trees and shrubs are organized by species to facilitate learning and to emphasize the importance of trees in our world. The event schedule for 2011 includes:

Winter Tree Identification Workshop and Walk – Saturday, January 22, 2011; 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM. (Snow Date: Saturday, February 5)
Start a Monthly Nature Club – Saturday, February 29, 2011
Nature Journaling – March 5, 2011. Use Facebook and Twitter to track seasonal changes throughout the growing season.
Tree Anatomy – Friday, April 23, 2011; 5:00 – 6:30 PM.
Spring Bird Migration – Saturday, April 23, 2011; 7:30 – 10:30 AM.
Basic Botany & Why You Should Use Scientific Names – May 2011
Watershed Walk – Saturday, June 2011
How Scientists Catch Bugs in Trees – Saturday, July 9, 2011
Seeds, Fruits and Nuts – Saturday, September 24, 2011
Bird Migration South – October 2011
Leaf Collection Show – Sunday, October 22, 2011; 1 – 3 PM
Looking for Trees to Plant in 2012 – November 2011
Recognizing Evergreens – December 2011. Learn how to identify conifers.

NOTE: Schedule subject to change

Posted in gardening, general botany, Learning Opportunities |

Field Guide to Gymnosperms Now Comes with Convenient Waist Pack

January 10, 2011 by Tania Marien

Head outdoors with a field companion that will carry your water bottle, your keys, your cell phone, your driver’s license, and your money too!

The Joey Jam Pack, the convenient compact water bottle holder is now free with each purchase of Gymnosperms of the United States & Canada by Bruce L. Cunningham. This neoprene wrap will fit around water bottles up to 1 liter in size. The exterior pouch can accommodate a cell phone or a MP3 player, not to mention tissues or your favorite energy bar. Keys attach easily to the adjoining key fob and the exterior strap gives you the option of carrying the Joey Jam Pack in your hand or carrying it on your belt strap. If you don’t have a water bottle to carry and only need to have money, ID, and your phone with you, this practical wrap fits comfortably around your wrist. Two hidden slots line the interior and can accommodate money, ID cards, credit cards, business cards, and other essentials. All items are sealed securely within each slot, so there is no reason to worry about losing them.

This special offer makes a great gift and is available for a limited time only. While supplies last.

Posted in general botany, Special Announcements, Special Events |

Draw Using Pens, Paint, Thread, & Fabric

January 5, 2011 by Tania Marien

Feature Artist Jane LaFazio is a wealth of information and she happily shares what she knows with fellow artists. This month you have the opportunity to ask Jane questions about her artwork, her classes, and how she makes her full-time art career happen!

Click here to learn more about Jane and how to send her questions.

But before you navigate away from this page, see what’s new at
Classes Near You > California:

Jane LaFazio, Plain Jane Studio
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.

Posted in Learning Opportunities, san diego |

College of the Redwoods Offers Botanical Art Class

January 5, 2011 by Tania Marien

New botanical watercolor class for beginners posted at
Classes Near You > California:

College of the Redwoods, Eureka
www.redwoods.edu
College of the Redwoods is part of the California Community College system and serves students in the northwest corner of the state. The main campus is located in Eureka, CA in the heart of California’s redwoods.

Beginning Watercolor with Carol Telesky

here

Posted in botanical art, Learning Opportunities |

Discover the Beauty of Orchids at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

January 5, 2011 by Tania Marien

Celebrate Orchid Spectacular and add a few pages to your sketchbook!

New at Classes Near You > North Carolina:

North Carolina Botanical Garden
www.ncbg.unc.edu
Certificate students will receive a well-rounded education enhancing their scientific understanding of plants, their knowledge of visual arts theory, and the way they approach drawing and painting plant portraits. The complete schedule for 2011 and an overview of this program’s requirements can be obtained here.

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Belmont
www.dsbg.org
The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden offers many learning opportunities for both children and adults. The garden’s classes about photography and Adobe Photoshop may be of special interest to ArtPlantae readers. View a complete list of current classes on the garden’s website.

Botanical Illustration: The Beauty of Orchids

Adobe Photoshop for Beginners & Photographers

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

Project Art for Nature: On The Edge

January 3, 2011 by Tania Marien

ON THE EDGE
Bell Museum of Natural History Minneapolis
January 9 – March 12, 2011

Project Art for Nature is comprised of artists and illustrators from Minnesota and Wisconsin who create art promoting awareness of threatened natural areas in their respective regions. Meet the artists and learn about their preservation efforts at the exhibition’s opening reception on Sunday January 9, 2011 (1 – 4 PM). Artists participating in On The Edge are: Carla Benjamin, Mary Coughlan, Marj Davis, Denise Friesen, Estela De Paola De Lerma, Barbara Harman, Ellen MacLeod, Andrea Martin, David Morrison, Alis Olsen, Bonnie Ploger, Robyn Beth Priestley, Teri Power, Diane Wesman, and Vera Ming Wong.

If you are unable to attend the reception, you can view the exhibition during regular museum hours or participate in any of the fantastic special events planned during the exhibition.

Sketch Nights
First Thursday of Each Month (6:30 – 8:30 PM)

January 6 – Birds (show will be hung while you draw)
February 3 – Plants & Fungi
March 3 – Aquatic Life

Sketch Sunday: Prairies with Denise Friesen
March 6, 2011 (1 – 4 PM)

Exhibit Tour of On The Edge with PAN Artists
Concurrent with Sketch Nights (7:00 PM)
February 3 and March 3

Demonstrations at the Gallery

Stamp Carving with Carla Benjamin – Sunday, January 16; 2 – 4 PM
Stamp Carving with Carla Benjamin – Sunday, February 13; 2 – 4 PM
Cut Paper Art with Andrea Martin and Vera Ming Wong
Saturday, February 19; 1 – 4 PM

Drop-by Workshop:
Create the Tree of Nature with Estela de Paola de Lerma
You are invited to create a new sculpture with PAN artist de Paola de Lerma! Drop by the museum any time on the days listed below. See you there!

Sunday, January 30
Sunday, February 6
Sunday, Feburary 13

Regular Museum Hours:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday (9 AM – 5 PM)
Thursday (9 AM – 5 PM)
Saturday (10 AM – 5 PM)
Sunday (12 PM – 5 PM)

Click to download flyer

CALL FOR ARTISTS
Project Art for Nature’s third cycle concludes with this show. Applications are being accepted for Project Art for Nature’s fourth cycle. Application deadline is January 31, 2011. For more information, click on image to download flyer.

Posted in Education, Special Announcements, Special Events |

Graphite Artist Reveals The Power of Pencils in “Drawing From Line to Life”

January 3, 2011 by Tania Marien

Drawing From Line to Life by graphite artist, Mike Sibley, is currently shipping for free from the UK. Take advantage of this limited time offer before new shipping rates take affect. If you are a graphite artist caught up in a world of watercolor how-to books, this book is for you!

Mike Sibley is a very good teacher and is one of the world’s few professional graphite artists. He shares all he knows with students in his class and he does the same with readers of his 287-page book about graphite techniques. In this book you will find clear instruction and more than 625 helpful and inspiring illustrations.

Here is your chance to learn from one of the best.

In his book, Sibley discusses…