Classes listed on ArtPlantae Today are for the benefit of members of our creative community. Their inclusion is not an endorsement by ArtPlantae LLC. As with anything, please investigate your choices thoroughly. Then get outside and be inspired!
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List your botanical art workshops, botany classes, book arts classes, botanical art excursions, or sketchbook adventures here for free.
Send workshop information to education@artplantae.com.
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Nina Antze
Drawing Nature in Colored Pencil
www.pcquilt.com/botanicals.htm
Nina received a degree in Fine Art from San Francisco State University and a Certificate in Botanical Illustration from the botanical art program at the New York Botanical Garden. For more information about the classes below, contact Nina Antze or call (707) 237-7014. Nina’s teaching schedule can also be viewed on her website.
- Nature Drawing Classes – Four Tuesdays, ongoing. 9AM – 12 PM. Learn to capture the forms and colors of nature at Sebastopol Center for the Arts in Sebastopol, CA. Cost: $89. Contact: (707) 237-7014
California State University, Monterey Bay
www.scienceillustration.org
The scientific illustration program at CSU Monterey Bay is a graduate-level program and is highly respected across the country. This program was formerly taught at UC Santa Cruz. Admission is by application and only 15 students are accepted each year. This program offers summer classes that are open to the public. Visit their website to learn more about this program, to view the current schedule, and to view examples of student work.
Filoli House and Garden, Woodside
www.filoli.org
Located in Woodside, CA, the only certificate program in botanical art and illustration in California is comprised of 2 – 5 day classes taught by exceptional award-winning instructors. View the course schedule for 2011 here.
Gardens at Heather Farm, Walnut Creek
www.gardenshf.org
The Gardens at Heather Farm are comprised of twenty demonstration gardens. This six-acre garden is also an outdoor classroom. The garden offers many classes about plants, botany, botanical art and the environment. It also has its own florilegium. The florilegium project is managed by botanical artist, Catherine Watters. Visit the website to view the complete schedule of classes.
- Discovering a Sense of Place – Saturday, March 17 – 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Learn about the Diablo Valley’s unique bioregion. Develop crucial knowledge about climate-appropriate plants for your home and garden as well as key facts about the soil, climate, watersheds, history and wildlife biodiversity of the region that help you create and maintain a beautiful landscape. Instructors: Patrice Hanlon, GHF Garden Manager and Susan Handjian, Garden Consultant/ Coach.
Cost: FREE ($20 registration fee refunded at class).
Early registration for Walnut Creek Residents ends 2/17 /12. - The Life of Roots and a Short Tour of the Soil Food Web – Saturday,
March 31, 2012; 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Learn how roots provide for and partner with the Soil Food Web to create healthy soil and a thriving garden. Find out what you can do to support and promote the Soil Food Web to build a deep harmony into your landscape. Compost and compost tea, mulching and top dressing techniques will be explained. Transform your clay soil into rich beautiful topsoil! Instructor: Christine Finch, Bay-Friendly Landscape Professional & co-author of the East Bay Municipal Utility District’s Plants and Landscapes for Summer-Dry Climates.
Cost: $25
Koch Studios – Maryjo Koch Illustration, Santa Cruz
www.kochstudios.com
Maryjo Koch is the author and illustrator of many books. She teaches workshops in nature illustration at her studio near Santa Cruz and leads workshops throughout northern California and abroad. Her specialty is capturing nature using gouache and watercolor techniques. Visit
Koch Studios to view the complete schedule.
John Muir Laws
Naturalist, Illustrator, Author, & Educator
www.johnmuirlaws.com
John Muir Laws is the author of The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada. A graduate of the UC Santa Cruz scientific illustration program, Laws teaches workshops in field sketching and teaches students how to draw wildlife in addition to plants. See his current class schedule for details. Be sure to visit Laws’ website to learn more about how he brings environmental education and journaling to classrooms across California.
You might also be interested in a video in the Tutorials section. This video was created by a school teacher who documented what she learned while taking a class from John Muir Laws during Summer 2008. See the video titled, A Naturalist’s Journal.
Andie Thrams, Coloma, CA
Andie is a painter and book artist devoted to creative work in wild places. Her work is widely exhibited and honored, and is held in many private and public collections. View Andie’s 2012 IN FORESTS calendar at her Etsy store.
- Ongoing: Private Art Instruction & Creativity Coaching -
Individually tailored instruction is available to a limited number of students. Lessons are conducted via email and/or in Andie’s studio or your workspace. Contact Andie Thrams.
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. - Garden Glasshouses: Members’ Walk – Thursday, February 16, 2012; 1:00 – 2:30 PM. A tour of glasshouse treasures with horticulturist, Christy Matasick. This tour includes the Orchid, Fern and Carnivorous Plant House and the Tropical House (Arid House not included). Registration required. Members only. Free.
- Magnolias in the Garden: Members’ Walk
Tuesday, February 28, 2012; 1:00 – 2:30 PM. Members only. Free. - Botanical Illustration: Introduction to Botanical Art with Catherine Watters – Friday & Saturday, March 16-17, 2012; 10 AM – 4 PM. Catherine Watters will teach you to observe, measure and draw plants in great detail and with botanical accuracy. Students will work with graphite, colored pencils and watercolor. All levels are welcome. Cost: $160 non-members, $150 members. Registration required.
- Blue Chair Fruit: Jam 101 – Sunday, March 18, 2012; 10 AM – 12 PM. Preserve your homegrown fruit! Rachel Saunders of the Blue Chair Fruit Company will lead a demonstration on how to cook lemon marmalade with cardamom and lavender and instruct students on technique and flavor pairings. Participants will receive a small jar of marmalade and class notes. Rachel will also be signing copies of her book The Blue Chair Jam Cookbook. Books will be available for purchase. Registration required. Cost: $85 non-members, $80 members.
- Horticultural Walk: Southern Africa – Tuesday, March 20, 2012;
1:00 -2:30 PM. Horticulturist for Southern Africa, Cycads and Palms, Meghan Ray, leads this tour about the annuals and Spring-flowering bulbs of South Africa. Members only. Free. - Fiber & Dye Exhibition – March 24 – April 8, 2012; 10 AM – 4 PM.
Learn more about the world of natural fibers and dyes. This exhibition connects culture with nature and will introduce visitors to the traditional uses of dyes and how dyes are used in eco-fashion and textiles. - NEW Cal Day – Saturday, April 21; 9 AM – 5 PM. Join Garden docents for free Plants of the World tours throughout the day as a part of this campus-wide event. Visitors will enjoy hands-on activities, demonstrations and special discounts. Stroll through the Garden, visit the Garden Shop, relax with your family and friends, and maybe even pick up a new passion for horticulture! Tours at 11 AM, 12 PM, 1 PM, 2 PM.
Free Garden admission for everyone. - NEW Spring Plant Sale
Public Sale: Saturday, April 28, 10 AM – 2 PM
Cure your plant lust and shop at the Spring Plant Sale. Choose from a huge selection of unique and diverse plants and learn from expert advisors at the Bay Area’s most spectacular public garden. Free!
University of California, Davis
UC Davis Arboretum
http://arboretum.ucdavis.edu
Comprised of 100 acres of gardens, this arboretum is open 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Check their calendar for botanical illustration classes.
Vorobik Botanical Art
www.vorobikbotanicalart.com
Linda Ann Vorobik, Ph.D. is a botanical illustrator and botanist who teaches at the Jepson Herbarium at UC Berkeley, conducts field research in the Siskiyou Mountains in Oregon. View samples of Linda’s work on her website.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Nina Antze
Drawing Nature in Colored Pencil
www.pcquilt.com/botanicals.htm
Nina received a degree in Fine Art from San Francisco State University and a Certificate in Botanical Illustration from the botanical art program at the New York Botanical Garden. For more information about the class below, contact Nina Antze or call (707) 237-7014. Nina’s teaching schedule can also be viewed on her website.
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Nature Drawing Classes – Learn to capture the forms and colors of nature at El Dorado Nature Center in Long Beach, CA (2nd Saturday of the month). Contact: (562) 570-1745
Huntington Library, Art Collection and Botanical Gardens
http://huntington.org
Located in San Marino, CA, the Huntington Library, Art Collection and Botanical Gardens is a true gem. In addition to housing extensive collections of art and hosting scholars from all over the world, The Huntington is home to 120 acres of gardens. Host to many special events, lectures, and workshops, The Huntington inspires both plant lovers and botanical artists. To register, call (626) 405-2128.
Kathy Dunham Studios
www.kathydunham.com
Kathy is an award-winning artist and the author of Artist’s Projects You Can Paint: 10 Floral Watercolors published by International Artist Publishing. She leads workshops in drawing, watercolor, plein air painting, and sketching for both nature journals and travel journals. Kathy teaches weekly in the Palm Springs area and leads workshops throughout southern California, the desert Southwest, France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. Stop by Kathy’s blog to learn more about this popular instructor.
- Sketching and Drawing – La Quinta Senior Center.
Information: 760-564-0096. Wednesdays (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM) - Creative Photography – La Quinta Senior Center.
Information: 760-564-0096. Wednesdays (1:00 PM – 2:30 PM)
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. Jane teaches at conferences across the U.S. and leads classes in Italy too. In addition to the sketching classes, Jane teaches workshops in collage, mixed media, and quilting. A detailed class schedule can be viewed on her blog. Also see an interview with Jane and her Ask The Artist Q&A with readers.
- Sketching & Watercolor: Journal Style (online)
Begins January 24, 2012. Record sights, sounds and adventures in 2012. Jane will show you how! This six-week class is offered through Joggles.com. Cost: $75. View Details/Register - Sketching & Watercolor in a Mixed Media Journal
January 24 – February 28, 2012; 9 AM – 12 PM. Learn how to draw a single object from many viewpoints and how to create creative backgrounds to enhance your work. This class will be taught at the
San Diego/Park Blvd Studio of the Athenaeum’s School of the Arts.
View Details/Register - Sketching & Watercolor: Mixed Media Journal (online)
Begins February 28, 2012. Jane will teach you her quick and intuitive method to drawing and watercolor. Did you know Jane creates a sketch, paints it and posts it to her blog within a one-hour time frame? This six-week class is offered through Joggles.com. Cost: $75.
View Details/Register - Watercolor Sketchbook: Designs from Life (online)
Begins March 29, 2012. Learn how to create original designs to use as surface design on paper or cloth. Participants will learn how to transform their drawings of flowers, vegetables, leaves and other subjects into new graphic, stylized images. This six-week class is offered through Joggles.com. Cost: $75. View Details/Register - Sketching & Watercolor: On Location (online)
Begins April 6, 2012. During this six-week class, students will learn how to draw and paint on location, often in public. Capture the sights and sounds at your local museum, your favorite bakery or a nearby botanical garden. This class is offered through Joggles.com. Cost: $75.
View Details/Register - Lavender Sage Art Retreats: Mixed Media with Jane LaFazio and Pamela Underwood – April 19-23, 2012. Learn about collage, printmaking, mixed media techniques, drawing, poetry, journaling and site-specific land art. See some examples of the type of art that will be created in this course. Cost: $950, includes shared lodging, excursions, most meals and supplies. View Details/Register
- Bella Italia: Orvieto Sketchbook – May 20-26, 2012. Create an illustrated travel journal while exploring the ancient hilltop town of Orvieto, Italy. Travelers will learn how to slow down so they can experience Italy and create journal pages that tell a story. The last day of the call will be spent creating a paper-on-cloth portfolio to hold the
5″ x 7″ pages created during the week. View Details/Register
Living Desert Botanical Gardens & Zoo, Palm Desert
www.livingdesert.org
Located in the Palm Desert/Indian Wells area of the Coachella Valley, this garden offers several courses in arts and crafts, scientific illustration, gardening, landscape design, and natural history through Living Desert University.
Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Gardens, Arcadia
www.arboretum.org
Courses in introductory botanical drawing, beginning and intermediate watercolor, colored pencil, sketching and Chinese brush painting are taught throughout the year. Go to the Events & Classes for more information. The Arboretum is located in Arcadia, CA. To register, contact Jill Berry or call (626) 821-4624.
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Using Colored Pencil in Botanical Art
Learn the colored pencil techniques used by botanical artists! Composition and color mixing will also be discussed. All levels of experience are welcome. Students will receive a supply list. Pre-registration required. Each meeting will be held from 10 AM – 2 PM (includes lunch break). Registrants may bring a lunch or buy lunch at the Peacock Cafe.
The Winter/Spring 2012 schedule is as follows:
January 10, 17, 24, 31 (Tuesdays)
February 7, 14, 21, 28 (Tuesdays)
March 6, 13, 20, 27 (Tuesdays)
Cost:
$255/mo. Arboretum members
$275/mo. Non-members
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.
You May Also Enjoy:
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Art Workshop – Mondays. This self-directed workshop (no instructor) provides a supportive, encouraging environment for those who wish to pursue their artistic endeavors in watercolor, graphite, pastels, etc. Both beginning and experienced artists are welcome. It is a wonderful opportunity to develop at your own speed in your own media while being in the company of those with like interests. Each session of eight meetings costs $35 for Arboretum members ($42 non-members). Upcoming sessions: December 5, 2011 – February 6, 2012; February 13—April 2, 2012; April 9—May 28, 2012; June 4—July 23, 2012. Artists meet in the Oak Room from 9:30 – 11:30 AM. To register, contact Jill Berry or
call (626) 821-4624.
Plein Air with Marion Eisenmann – Each one-day workshop meets on a Sunday afternoon. Capture the ever-changing moods of nature in this outdoor painting class with artist Marion Eisenmann. Bring your portable folding stool and your watercolors, and learn how to create an interesting composition while expressing your own style as you experiment with different watercolor techniques. Open to both beginners and advanced students, painting at the Arboretum offers a wealth of vistas and a variety of moods that is sure to spark imagination and creativity. Marion was born and raised in Germany where she developed her classical foundation in music and the visual arts. Her specialties are story-driven lifestyle illustration and character development. She currently teaches at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Supply list available upon registration. Upcoming sessions: February 5, 2012 (1-4 PM); March 4, 2012 (1-4 PM); April 15, 2012 (1-4 PM). Cost: $60 Arboretum members ($75 non-members). To register, contact Jill Berry or
call (626) 821-4624.
Mushroom Identification – Saturday, February 4, 2012; 10 AM – 12 PM. Learn how to identify mushrooms and which mushrooms are safe to eat with mycologist and plant pathologist, Dr. Jerrold Turney. Participants will also look for mushrooms on the grounds of the Arboretum. Cost: $25 members, $30 non-members. View Details/Register
Wild Mushroom Fair – Sunday, February 12, 2012; 10 AM – 4 PM. Cooking demonstrations, mushroom growing demonstrations, books, art, activities and more at the annual mushroom fair hosted by the Los Angeles Mycological Society. The fair will be held in Ayres Hall. Click here to learn about keynote speaker, mycologist and author, Gary Lincoff.
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, Claremont
www.rsabg.org
An 86-acre natural setting located near the Claremont Colleges, this botanical garden focuses on California native plants. They offer periodic classes on botanical art. Please check their schedule online.
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara
www.sbbg.org
This lovely botanic garden periodically offers classes in botanical art. Subscribe to their e-newsletter to receive information about upcoming events.
Helen Shafer Garcia, Vista
http://www.helenshafergarcia.com
A garden illustrator for San Diego Home and Garden Magazine for 7 years, Helen is an avid gardener who manages a ½-acre garden filled with succulents and perennials. Helen teaches at the San Diego Botanic Garden, at artist retreats, and at conferences. Visit Helen’s website to view the many ways you can combine plants and art using watercolor, pastels, and mixed media.
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 Brenda’s new section about tips, techniques, and tools for artists on her blog.
- Negative Painting with Watercolor – January 27-29, 2012. Associated Louisiana Artists, 106 W. Pryce, Lake Charles, LA 70601.
Info: Sue Zimmerman - Negative Painting with Watercolor – February 17-19, 2012. Montrose, CA. Info: Brenda Swenson
- Watercolor Sketching Techniques – May 18-20, 2012. Montrose, CA.
Info: Brenda Swenson - Sketching in Southern France – June 23-July 7, 2012. Montfaucon Tours, Limoux, France. View details at www.montfaucontours.com.
Info: Brenda Swenson - Negative Painting in Watercolor – August 10-12, 2012. Montrose, CA.
Info: Brenda Swenson - Negative Painting in Watercolor – September 14-16, 2012. Schroeder Studio Gallery, 112 East Maple Avenue, Orange, CA 92866. Contact Schroeder Studio for more information. (714) 633-0653
- Learning & Product EXPO – October 19-21, 2012. Pasadena Convention Center, Pasadena, CA.Registration begins August 1, 2012. www.learningproductexpo.com
- Negative Painting with Watercolor – November 6-9, 2012. Plantation Art Guild, Plantation, FL Info: Karen Brauerman.
www.plantationartguild.org
University of California, Riverside
www.extension.ucr.edu
The following courses are offered through UCR Extension.
- Desert Flora – March 2-4, 2012 at UCR Palm Desert. Learn plant identification techniques while enjoying the springtime bloom in California’s Coachella Valley. Info / Register
- Native Plants: Preserving the Harvest – March 16-17, 2012 at the Dorothy Ramon Learning Center in Banning, CA. Learn how indigenous peoples of southern California use native plants in health and nutrition. Info / Register
- Botanical Illustration of Desert Flora
Friday March 30, 2012 (8-10 PM); Saturday March 31 (8 AM – 5 PM) and Sunday April 1 (8 AM – 4 PM). A field study course at the Desert Studies Center (Zzyzx), three hours north of Riverside near Baker, CA. Learn about desert flora while learning techniques used by botanical illustrators. Students will work in the field using pencil, pen and watercolor. Course fee includes two nights lodging (dormitory style) and meals. Registrants will receive information about the Center and what they should bring with them. Visitors not permitted. Cost: $325 credit; $245 non-credit.
Info / Register
Virginia Robinson Gardens, Beverly Hills
www.robinsongardens.org
Read about the Friends of Robinson Garden Botanical Art Group and the Robinson Garden Florilegium here. Download the Fall/Winder 2010-2011 schedule here.
