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Posts Tagged ‘Watercolor’

Paint Summer Flowers on Vellum at Chicago Botanic Garden

Posted in botanical art, botanical illustration, Education, Learning Opportunities, Watercolor, tagged , , , , , , on May 13, 2013 | 2 Comments »

classes_CarolWoodin Carol Woodin
www.carolwoodin.com
A freelance artist for over 20 years, Carol creates vibrant botanical paintings on vellum. Her work is in public collections and in the private collections of Dr. Shirley Sherwood and Alisa and Isaac M. Sutton. Carol is represented by Susan Frei Nathan Fine Works on Paper, LLC.

    Slipper Orchids in Watercolor (on paper or vellum)
    GNSI Education Series Workshop at Reiman Gardens
    University of Iowa, Ames IA
    May 31 – June 3, 2013
    This four-day class includes a field trip and a lot of time in the classroom observing and painting potted native orchids. Cost: $510 GNSI Members, $545 nonmembers.

    Applications due May 15. Samples of artwork must accompany application. For more information and to register, visit GNSI’s website.


    Painting the Flowers of Summer, Watercolor on Vellum
    Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago, IL
    July 26 – July 28, 2013
    9:30 AM – 4:30 PM
    This class includes a demonstration of stretching vellum. Participants will select subjects from the garden and learn how to take a preliminary sketch to an advanced painting on vellum. Cost: $449 nonmember; members receive 20% discount. View Details/Register


    Botanical Painting with Watercolor
    Berkshire Botanical Garden, Stockbridge, MA
    August 22 – 24, 2013
    10 AM – 4 PM
    Come to the beautiful Berkshires of Massachusetts to take a 3-day Master Class and learn botanical painting techniques. Anemones will be the focus of this class. Cost: $290 nonmembers, $260 members.
    View Details/Register

This information has been added to the Classes Near You section for Massachusetts and Illinois.

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Marianne North Chose Oil Over Watercolor

Posted in botanical art, botanical illustration, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities, sketchbook, Special Events, travel, tagged , , , , on May 10, 2013 |

When reading about artists traveling on European expeditions, we learn that artists worked in watercolor. Marianne North worked in oil. Does North ever explain why she chose oil over watercolor or other color media?

Yes, she does – and the answer is really interesting in terms of getting a handle on North’s motivations for painting and her self-image as an artist. North took watercolor lessons as a young woman, but once she tried oil painting she found it to be “a vice like dram-drinking, almost impossible to leave off once it gets possession of one.” Besides enjoying the feel and effects of oil colors, it is important to note that North was not a botanical illustrator. If we examine North’s oil sketches within this tradition, the only conclusion that can be, and has too often been made, is that she was bad at her work. This isn’t helpful for reconstructing what it was she was doing. North’s project is more closely aligned with the kind of work being done by the Hudson River School painters in North America, who traveled throughout the United States, the Arctic, Jamaica, and South and Central America with the goal of painting the beauty, unity, and character of nature – and who did so in oils. For North, it wasn’t interesting to paint an uprooted, idealized type-specimen against a white background as per botanical illustration. Instead, she treated the plants and botanical landscapes she encountered as individuals and groups of individuals met with in distinctive settings, all of which she wanted to portray with the vibrancy and materiality of the original encounter, a task best done with oils.

Catch up with our conversation with Katie Zimmerman

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Peonies on Vellum

Posted in botanical art, Education, gardening, Learning Opportunities, tagged , , , , , on December 26, 2012 |

Begin the New Year with a long weekend of botanical art.

See these new classes by Carol Woodin at Classes Near You > Massachusetts!


Carol Woodin
www.carolwoodin.com
A freelance artist for over 20 years, Carol creates vibrant botanical paintings on vellum. Her work is in public collections and in the private collections of Dr. Shirley Sherwood and Alisa and Isaac M. Sutton. Carol is represented by Susan Frei Nathan Fine Works on Paper, LLC.

    Botanical Painting in Watercolor (on paper)
    Berkshire Botanical Garden
    January 10-11, 2013
    10 AM – 4 PM

    Enjoy a long weekend in the Berkshires! Learn watercolor techniques on Thursday and Friday with Carol Woodin, then spend the rest of the weekend exploring. Cost: $260 members, $290 nonmembers
    View Details/Register


    Watercolor on Vellum – Peonies from the Garden
    Filoli Estate & Gardens
    Woodside, CA
    March 20-23, 2013
    9:30 AM – 3:30 PM
    Sketch peonies growing in Filoli’s garden, then immerse yourself in the painting process as you learn how to paint on vellum.
    Cost: $460 members, $550 nonmembers (price includes vellum)
    View Details/Register

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Learn to Create Compelling Compositions with Stems

Posted in botanical art, botanical illustration, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements, tagged , , , , , on December 21, 2012 |

Heeyoung Kim loves to use stems as the main element in the composition. She will explain how she works with stems in an upcoming workshop.

See what’s new at Classes Near You > Illinois!


Heeyoung Kim
www.prairieplantart.com
Heeyoung Kim is a botanical artist whose illustrations and paintings of American prairie plants have graced posters, postcards and exhibition catalogs. Heeyoung is passionate about documenting prairie plants and brings attention to the fragile state of America’s prairies by exhibiting her work in national and international exhibitions.

    Painting Stems and Leaves in Watercolor
    January 10-11, 2013
    10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

    Stems are not boring. Stems are not just something that connects flowers and leaves. Stems can become the compelling focal point of a composition when they are arranged effectively and deliberately.

    During this two-day workshop, Heeyoung will assist students with the coloring process step-by-step through demonstrations and individualized instruction. Students are expected to select their own specimens (Heeyoung will use an oak branch with some leaves), and prepare a drawing before the watercolor workshop begins so they can focus on watercolor techniques during the two-day workshop. This class will be held at Brushwood Gallery, Ryerson Wood, 21850 N Riverwoods Road, Deerfield, IL 60015.

    Optional Drawing Class
    Friday, January 4, 2013 (10 AM – 1 PM)
    Extra Fee: $40
    Location: Ryerson Woods

    Registrants who want to spend some extra time to ensure their drawings will be suitable for the watercolor workshop can take this optional drawing class with Heeyoung. This class will be taught one week before the watercolor workshop so students can have enough time to fully prepare their drawings and trace them onto watercolor paper for the workshop. If you want to participate in the drawing session, please contact Heeyoung as soon as possible.

    For more information and to register, contact Heeyoung.

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Will Coral write a new book about botanical painting?

Posted in botanical art, tagged , , , , , on December 12, 2012 |

Image courtesy Bloomsbury Publishing and Coral Guest. All rights reserved

Image courtesy Bloomsbury Publishing and Coral Guest. All rights reserved

We have all learned so much this month. Thank you for all who have participated. Keep those questions coming!

Coral’s book, Painting Flowers in Watercolour: A Naturalist Approach is no longer in print and is only available as a used book. I asked Coral if she has plans to write another book.
She replied:

“At this moment in time there are no plans to produce a second edition or a new instructional book. I feel that the book was of its time, and although now outdated in various ways…”

Read More

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Mixing Nature’s Colors, Even Those Intense Pinks

Posted in botanical art, botanical illustration, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events, Watercolor, tagged , , , , , on December 10, 2012 |

Image courtesy Bloomsbury Publishing and Coral Guest. All rights reserved

Image courtesy Bloomsbury Publishing and Coral Guest. All rights reserved

In Painting Flowers in Watercolour: A Naturalistic Approach, Coral Guest discusses color and shares with readers the colors she has in her own palette. She provides guidance about how to mix greens and takes a moment to explain how artists can create very bright flower colors.

This made me think of the color Opera Rose. I asked Coral about making that shocking color.

She said:

“The nearest that could be achieved to Opera Rose would be a mixture of Permanent Rose and …”

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Creating Dark Shades with Neutral Tint

Posted in botanical art, botanical illustration, Education, Learning Opportunities, Special Articles & Interviews, Special Events, Watercolor, tagged , , , , , on December 7, 2012 |

I asked Coral Guest if she used neutral tint to create her striking painting of the ‘Queen of Night’ tulip you see on her website.

She said:

Yes, for the ‘Queen of Night’ tepals I used Neutral Tint mixed with various combinations of Permanent Magenta, Winsor Violet, and Cerulean Blue. I was seeking a very contemporary and sumptuous image to represent the richness of this tulip. The road to completion with this particular painting…

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Botanical Artist Conducts Free Workshop for Children

Posted in botanical art, botanical illustration, Education, Learning Opportunities, tagged , , , on September 3, 2012 |

Buckeye © 2012 by Linda C. Miller. All rights reserved

Linda C. Miller will conduct a free children’s workshop in Williamsburg, VA next month.

Information about this workshop and Linda’s other new classes for Fall can be found in the Classes Near You sections for North Carolina and Virginia.

Here is the information that can be found in these sections:


Linda C. Miller
www.lindacmillerbotanicalarttoday.com/
Linda is a botanical artist from Virginia and the artist in residence at The Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo, NC. Learn more about this special honor. Linda teaches in North Carolina and in Virginia. Visit Linda’s blog, Botanical Art Today to learn about her classes and upcoming gallery appearances.

    Botanical Watercolor Workshop
    September 18-20, 2012 (9:30 AM – 3:30 PM)
    Learn the art of botanical illustration while studying plants from The Elizabethan Garden, Manteo, NC. Learn how to observe, draw and paint plants. Artists of all levels are welcome. This workshop can be taken as a two-day or three-day workshop. Limit: 12 students. Cost: Two-day workshop ($100 member, $120 non-member), three-day workshop ($135 member, $155 non-member). View Details/Register

    Drawing Nature in Pen & Ink Workshop
    Saturday, September 22, 2012 (9:30 AM – 12:30 PM)
    Explore Nature’s colors, textures and details in black and white. Using ink, learn how to make marks that mimic fuzz on a fern, fur on an otter or feathers of a bird. For beginning to intermediate artists. Limit: 6 students. Cost: $35, includes materials. Location: Freedom Park, Williamsburg, VA. Register at (757) 259-3200 or http://www.jccegov.com/recreation

    Fall Studies: Botanical Watercolor Workshops
    Freedom Park Nature Interpretive Center, Williamsburg, VA
    Mondays, October 1, 8, 15, 2012
    Register at  (757) 259-3200 or http://www.jccegov.com/recreation

    Art in the Park
    Saturday, October 13, 2012 (10:00 – 11:30 AM)
    Bring the family to this free children’s workshop at New Quarter Park in Williamsburg, VA located at 1000 Lakeshead Drive. For more information, call (757) 890-5840.

    Fall Studies: Botanical Watercolor Workshops
    Charles Taylor Arts Center, Hampton, VA
    www.hamptonarts.net
    Two sections of this workshop will be offered. All levels of artist are welcome. Contact the Charles Taylor Arts Center for more information and pricing.
    Section #1: Thursdays, October 4, 11, 18, 2012
    Section #2: Fridays, September 28, October 5 and 12, 2012

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Drawing, Painting and the Old Masters at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center

Posted in botanical art, botanical illustration, Education, Learning Opportunities, tagged , , , , on August 29, 2012 |

Lala Ragimov
www.LalaRagimov.com
A Southern California artist who studies the techniques of Renaissance painters and uses these techniques in her work. Her work is currently on view in the solo exhibition, Envisioning the Natural World, at the Madrona Marsh Nature Center. Lala’s classes appeal to a general audience and can accommodate participants working on independent projects. Botanical artists are welcome! The classes below are taught at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center in Torrance, CA.

Adult Classes:

    Exploring Watercolor Techniques
    Thursdays, September 20 – November 29, 2012; 6:30 – 9:00 PM
    (no class Nov 22)
    Learn new techniques at each meeting. Students have the option of participating in the class project or working on their own. Cost: $135 Torrance residents ($150 non-residents). View Details/Register


    Fundamentals of  Oil Painting
    Learn oil painting techniques and apply your new knowledge using still life sets or in your own independent project. Topics addressed include: color theory, composition, positive space and negative space. Two sections of this course are available. Cost per section: $135 Torrance residents, ($150 non-residents)

    Mondays, September 17 – November 26, 2012; 6:30 – 9:00 PM
    (no class Nov 12)
    View Details/Register for Monday option

    Tuesdays, September 18 – November 20; 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
    View Details/Register for Tuesday option


    Learn to Draw and Sketch
    Tuesdays, September 18 – November 6, 2012; 12:30 – 2:30 PM.
    In this introductory course, participants will learn how to observe subjects. They will also learn about shading, composition, expression and style. Cost: $100 Torrance residents, ($110 non-residents)
    View Details/Register


Children’s Classes:

    Drawing and Watercolour Painting (Ages 10-16)
    Young artists will work in pencil, pen, ink and watercolor while learning about perspective, shading and color. They will also draw and paint from life and imagination and learn the techniques of the Old Masters. Two sections of this course are available. Cost per section: $79 Torrance residents, ($89 non-residents)

    Fridays, September 21 – November 9, 2012; 4:00-5:30 PM
    View Details/Register for Friday option

    Saturdays, September 22 – November 10, 2012; 3:15-4:45 PM
    View Details/Register for Saturday option


    Botanical Illustration for Children     – Coming soon!

This information can also be found at Classes Near You > Southern California.

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Botanical Painting Holiday in Umbria

Posted in botanical art, travel, tagged , , , , on August 20, 2012 |

Click to download

Elaine Searle
www.paintbotanical.com
Elaine Searle is a botanical artist and experienced instructor who has taught extensively in the UK and USA. By popular demand she has extended her 2013 Umbrian painting holiday to 10 days. A one-day excursion to medieval Fabriano to learn how to make paper is included. Previous visits have attracted students of all levels from the UK, USA, Europe, the Caribbean and Japan.

Non-painters are also welcome as the national park setting is perfect for nature walks, independent sightseeing with a rental car or simply lazing by the pool with a good book.

    Ten-Day Botanical Painting Holiday in Umbria, Italy
    May 29 – June 8, 2013

    Includes 10 nights in a family owned ‘agriturismo’ hotel, all meals, wine with evening meal, daily tuition, 24-hr access to the studio and a full day excursion to Fabriano. Paint local flora (even native orchids) or vibrant veggies with guidance. Or for those who would like more specific drawing and watercolor technique instruction, choose one of Elaine’s mini-projects with full color handouts (ideal for less experienced). Elaine is on hand to demonstrate and assist.

    The hotel is situated in breathtaking countryside and is noted for its hospitality and good food. You can paint as much or as little as you wish.

    Cost: 1,380 Euros per painter sharing, 980 Euros per non-painter sharing, 150 Euros single room supplement.

    Download the pdf brochure 10 Day Botanical Painting Holiday in Umbria

    More information and booking www.ilcollaccio.com.

    This information has also been posted to Classes Near You > Italy.

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Draw Like a Scientific Illustrator, Speak Like a Botanist

Posted in botanical art, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities, natural science illustration, tagged , , , , , , on August 20, 2012 |

Here is the latest at Classes Near You > New York:


Brooklyn Botanic Garden
www.bbg.org
Established in 1910, the Brooklyn Botanical Garden is home to 12,000 plant species and cultivars, the Steinhardt Conservatory and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Florilegium. They offer classes in botanical art, botany, birding and many garden-related subjects. A sample of upcoming classes is listed below. Search for more learning opportunities by viewing their complete schedule online.

    Botany for Horticulturists
    Thursdays, September 6 – October 18, 2012; 6-9 PM. Introduction to plant anatomy, plant life cycles, plant reproduction, taxonomy and physiology. This is a foundation course for the Horticulture Certificate. Cost: $303 members, $337 non-members. View Details/Register

    Beginning Plant Drawing from the Masters with Anne Walsh
    Thursdays, October 4-25, 2012; 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM. Open to all levels of artists. Participants will study the drawings of master illustrators, including botanical artist Walter Hood Fitch. Anne Walsh is a member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, an art educator and art historian. Cost: $185 members, $207 non-members. Material Fee: $15.
    View Details/Register

    Botanical Drawing with Adele Rossetti
    Tuesdays, October 16 – November 27, 2012; 1-4 PM. Learn the drawing techniques used by scientific illustrators. Participants will work in pencils and pen and ink. Instructor Adele Rossetti is a member of the BBG Florilegium Society. Cost: $185 members, $207 non-members. Material Fee: $5. View Details/Register

    Evening Painting with Adele Rossetti
    Tuesdays, October 16 – November 27, 2012; 6-9 PM. Participants will observe and draw plants and learn painting techniques used in botanical art. Open to all levels of artists. Cost: $185 members, $207 non-members. Material Fee: $5. View Details/Register

    Fall Fruits, Flowers and Foliage in Watercolor
    Wednesdays, October 24 – December 5, 2012; 2-5 PM. Experienced watercolorists will explore how to capture the colors of autumn with instructor Albert Massimi, president of the Brooklyn Watercolor Society and member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators. Cost: $185 members, $207 non-members. Material Fee: $7 View Details/Register

    Botany for Horticulturists
    Wednesdays, October 24 – December 12, 2012; 6-9 PM. Introduction to plant anatomy, plant life cycles, plant reproduction, taxonomy and physiology. This is a foundation course for the Horticulture Certificate. Cost: $303 members, $337 non-members. View Details/Register


Also See…

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Create Letters in Watercolor in New Online Class at The Illustrated Garden

Posted in Education, gardening, Learning Opportunities, Sketching & Journaling, Watercolor, tagged , , , on June 27, 2012 |

Drawn & Decorated
Watercolor Lettering
10 Lessons
Begins July 15
Cost: $50

Val Webb of The Illustrated Garden will teach an online lettering class beginning
July 15, 2012. Participants will learn how to create decorated letters using watercolor, Pigma Micron pens, pencils and a brush. Participants will have four months to complete ten projects. Class projects include:

  • Three easy methods for making decorative and illuminated initials.
  • Surprisingly simple techniques for Celtic knotwork.
  • Using “quickhand” techniques to make art journals or notebooks more beautiful.
  • Colorful, whimsical letters based on medieval alphabets (how to draw them, how to use them).
  • Creative page design that combines lettering and other images.
  • Vines and flourishes – watercolor letters inspired by Art Nouveau.
  • Guidelines for designing your own unique personal alphabet.
  • Combining color, form and attitude to make your letters sing.

Registered participants will receive access to:

  • Video demonstrations with step-by-step guidance for each technique.
  • A warm-up lettering exercise for each lesson.
  • Illustrated instructions (PDF)
  • Examples for each lesson, designed to guide and inspire you.
  • Personal help when needed and feedback when each lesson is completed.
  • Access to a private online discussion forum where you can communicate with other students taking the course and post images if you wish (participation in the forum is optional)

To enroll in this online learning opportunity, you will need a computer, an email account to receive assignments, a way to print warm-up exercises and instruction pages and a way to send completed projects to Val for feedback.

Cost: $50, payable by personal check, money order or through PayPal.

To use PayPal, please contact Val to let her know you want to join the class and she will send you an invoice with a “Pay Now” button.

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

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