ArtPlantae Today

Contribute to the Florilegium at the LA Arboretum

January 7, 2014 by Tania Marien

Students in Cristina Baltayian’s botanical art classes at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden have the opportunity to study the Arboretum’s plants and contribute to the Arboretum’s florilegium. Learn more about Cristina’s classes below.

Botanical Art & Illustration with Cristina Baltayian
Students will explore color pencil, graphite, pen and ink, and watercolor on various papers, vellum and other surfaces. The emphasis will be on plant observation, drawing, composition, color theory and matching, and medium techniques. In conjunction with the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California, students will study and portray many of the Arboretum plant introductions from the last 50 years. The goal is to build a collection of paintings that will celebrate and document the invaluable contribution of the Los Angeles Arboretum to the state of California. All levels of experience are welcome. Students will receive a supply list. Registrants may bring a lunch or buy lunch at the Peacock Cafe.

Tuesday Botanical Art & Illustration
10am-2pm (includes lunch break)
$255 Arboretum members per month
$275 non-members per month
Pre-registration required; please call (626) 821-4623.

Cristina Baltayian is a botanical artist with a background in drawing (graphite, charcoal, pen & ink), two-dimensional design, watercolor and colored pencil. Her work has been shown at Filoli, the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Chapman University. She is a member of the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California and the American Society of Botanical Artists.

Basics of Color Theory & Color Mixing – January 7, 14, 21, 28
Spring Bulbs – February 4, 11, 18, 25 (Feb 11 in Bamboo Room )
Wisteria – March 4, 11, 18, 25 (Mar. 11 in Bamboo Room)
Arboretum Florilegium (subject TBA) – April 1, 8, 15, 22 (April 11 in Bamboo Room)
Basics of Composition – May 6, 13, 20, 27
Fruit (fruit types TBA) – June 3, 10, 17, 24

This information has been added to the Arboretum’s listing at
Classes Near You > Southern California.

Posted in botanical art, Education, Learning Opportunities |

Getty Open Content Program Makes Art Accessible to All

January 3, 2014 by Tania Marien

Paardebloem [De Europische insecten], Merian, Maria Sibylla, 1647-1717,Transfer print, hand-colored, 1730, Dandelion, with caterpillar. Digital image courtesy of the Getty’s Open Content Program.

Sometimes we work on projects and wish we could include an image from a historic resource or an image created by a famous artist to show connections or to reinforce learning. Many good ideas have been cast aside because of questions like — Where do I look for the image I want to use? How do I ask for permission to use it? How much will it cost?

The Getty Research Institute has made the dilemma of image use a little easier to manage thanks to their Open Content Program. Launched in August 2013, the Open Content Program features digital images to which the Getty holds the rights or images that are in the public domain. The database has more than 10,000 images of works of art that include paintings, drawings, artists’ sketchbooks, sculptures and much more. The Getty Museum released 4,600 Museum images in August and the Research Institute added 5,400 in October. These images can be used for any purpose. No permission is required and the images can be used for free.

Natural history artists and educators will find many items of interest in the Open Content Program. For starters, it has 1,397 images about the natural world. Included are works of art by Maria Sibylla Merian and Jan van Huysum. Users can search for artists by name, search for specific types of art (e.g., drawing, photographs, etc.) or search by topic. Searches for topics such as trees, plants, flowers, and insects will keep you busy for quite a while.

This database is large and you will find yourself clicking here, there and everywhere. If you get lost in your own search, all you have to do is click on the Search History tab at the top of the page to view your search history and to revisit subjects you have explored.

The Getty Research Institute has made art and history accessible to everyone and it is a wonderful resource for artists, naturalists and educators.

Visit the Open Content Program

Related

Rare Botanical Art Books at Getty Research Institute
Follow the J. Paul Getty Museum on Twitter (@GettyMuseum)

Posted in teaching & learning, Teaching & Learning |

Looking Ahead at ArtPlantae

January 1, 2014 by Tania Marien

Dear Readers,

The new year begins with changes at ArtPlantae — each positive and each a welcome sign of forward movement.

The first, and most noticeable change, is the launch of Plants, Life, Riverside, a project that brings to life ArtPlantae’s mission of encouraging an interest in plants and exploring drawing as a learning tool. This project isn’t a one-off project, but a way of life and what I learn on this journey will be shared here. While this project may begin in Riverside, CA its reach extends well beyond the busy urban landscape of this southern California town.

The second change has to do with ArtPlantae Books. The store has a new home and a refined focus. The store has moved permanently to the Square Market. This move streamlines e-commerce operations and keeps the shopping experience consistent for customers who shop with ArtPlantae at events and online. Customers who make in-person purchases have the added benefit of receiving exclusive discounts when they shop with ArtPlantae at an event. Each purchase is recorded as a stamp on the ArtPlantae Loyalty Card built into the Square Wallet platform. Customers with five stamps on their card receive a discount that can be applied to a future purchase.

Do you shop at Starbucks or other neighborhood businesses using Square Wallet? Use this app to shop at ArtPlantae and save on learning opportunities and resources.

The store’s move to the Square Market means it also has a new address. Please note that the ArtPlantaeBooks.com address will be phased out now that the store has a refined look, function and focus. When you visit the new store, you’ll notice there are fewer categories and the emphasis has shifted to better support ArtPlantae’s educational outreach efforts. Valuable resources for artists, naturalists and educators will continue to be featured, as will the exquisite exhibition catalogs of contemporary botanical art.

As exciting as the new store is, there is one tiny hiccup. The Square platform does not accommodate international orders. Please know, however, I will continue to ship internationally. Because the exhibition catalogs are shipped overseas more often than other items, shipping instructions for international customers are included on the product pages for the catalogs (see example).

The new year promises to be an exciting time. Thank you for being loyal readers and for your continued enthusiasm.

Wishing you a creative and fulfilling new year,

Tania

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, Blog News |

Plants, Life, Riverside

January 1, 2014 by Tania Marien

Where can we go to see plants in Riverside?

I heard someone say this at an event last year. I did not respond to the woman who was thinking this aloud. I only wondered why, in a park setting, she did not see the plants around her. Why did she think it was necessary to go somewhere specific to see plants?

Her question confirmed observations I had made and validated my plans for 2014 and Plants, Life, Riverside, an ongoing exploration of plants within the city limits of Riverside, CA.

This project is about awareness and local history.
It’s about plants and people.
It’s about botany that is accessible, digestible and curbside.

It’s about ArtPlantae living its mission aloud — encouraging an interest in plants, connecting people and exploring drawing as a learning tool.

It’s also about appreciating plants and how they contribute to life, no matter where you are.

You are invited to join me on this journey. Please check back here for updates. If you prefer to have the updates come to you, follow this site or follow along on Facebook or Twitter.

Where are the plants in this urban landscape?

Posted in Blog News, botany, Plants Everyday, Plants Life Riverside, Special Announcements |

Experience Photosynthesis

December 20, 2013 by Tania Marien

Many years ago I had the opportunity to help pilot test a new biology lab curriculum for nonmajors. It is through this experience that I came to see the many ways people learn. It is also how I came to appreciate the Herculean effort required to design, write, implement, evaluate and fine-tune a curriculum. I think of this experience often, especially when I read about activities such as the leaf-building activity that is the focus of this week’s column.

We’ve learned how describing a concept with words and how visualizing words can make invisible processes easier to understand.

Today we go 3-D and consider model-making. The leaf-building exercise we’re going to learn about was created by science teacher Patty Littlejohn. She describes the model-building process and how she uses the models to enhance student understanding of photosynthesis in Building Leaves and an Understanding of Photosynthesis.

Littlejohn (2007) makes photosynthesis easier to think about by making the process of photosynthesis larger than life.

To help her middle school students see, feel and experience photosynthesis, she has them build a model of a leaf, a plant cell and an animal cell. Students build leaves with veins, chloroplasts, stomata and an epidermis. Their plant and animal cells have cell membranes and organelles. Littlejohn says students benefit from the model-building exercise because it requires them to “see and manipulate the reactants and products of photosynthesis and cellular respiration” (Littlejohn, 2007).

In addition to their leaf and cell models, students also create reactants and products (i.e., carbon dioxide, oxygen, water, energy, glucose) and combine reactants to simulate the chemical reactions occurring within plant and animal cells. By engaging students in the construction of both cell types, Littlejohn (2007) is able to show students how energy is transferred between organisms.

Littlejohn (2007) includes detailed instructions and material lists in her article so that teachers can bring this same experience to their classroom or program. Littlejohn’s article can be purchased online for 99¢. You can also look for her article at your local college library.

Literature Cited
Littlejohn, Patty. 2007. Building leaves and an understanding of photosynthesis. Science Scope. 8(30): 22-25

Also See

Posted in botany, Teaching & Learning, teaching and learning |

Exhibition About Historic Trees Extended

December 20, 2013 by Tania Marien

Sue Mitchell’s exhibition about her one-year sabbatical has resonated with many members of the public, both young and old. If you haven’t had a chance to see this inspiring journey about creativity and community, you still have time to see the exhibition before it closes.

Thanks to a Community Foundation Grant, admission to the Riverside Art Museum (RAM) is free through
January 5, 2014. Visit RAM today!

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

Botanical Art Catalogs in Stock, Discounted Too

December 17, 2013 by Tania Marien

ASBA_HSNY_16thAnnual_2013 The exhibition catalogs for the 15th and 16th annual botanical art exhibition by the American Society of Botanical Artists are back in stock.

Also available are exhibition catalogs whose covers have endured bumps and scrapes during shipping or whose covers are not colored correctly. These hurt catalogs have been priced at a discount and are in the “Sale” category. While these catalogs have scrapes to their outside covers, their interior pages are clean. Images have been posted so you can see examples of hurt covers and bumped corners.

Go to ArtPlantae Books

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, botanical art, botanical art books, Special Announcements |

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