Friday, October 30, 2015

Color Pencil Session

Color Pencil Group Meeting 
by Judy Thomas

Nine color pencil artists got together today at the Atlee Library in Mechanicsville, VA. Most are members of CVABA, but not all.  We did a fun activity: we discussed and  made a variety of compositions using interesting fall, botanical subjects, from Osage Orange fruit, to winter squash and acorns!  Everyone picked a subject for the day to draw.
Some of the compositions we played around with:



ASBA 2015: Miami

Reflections Contributed by Gail Goodrich Harwood and Paula Blair

When asked to describe their favorite parts of the ASBA Conference, Gail wrote:

“- The Small Works exhibition featuring works from artists new to botanical art alongside world-renowned artists.

- All beautiful works, even more so because of the use of neutral, standard frames.  The most instructive aspect for me was the range of imaginative composition treatments.

- The Portfolio Sharing session - loved the opportunity to look at both finished and in-progress works.

- Classes - the chance to learn new techniques and tips for correcting mistakes.

-Hanging out with 200 people who are completely into botanical art!

And Paula wrote:

“Ditto to what Gail said!

-I loved meeting so many interesting people who also love art, botanical art, flowers, gardens, etc.  My workshops/classes were great! 

-I got to meet some of the people whose names I see in the Journal - all were welcoming, encouraging, friendly . . .

-I sat by Lea Rohrbaugh and Catherine Watters on the bus going to Vizcaya and took a class with Derek Norman . . .

-Now I am fired up to go to Pittsburgh 2016 and Filoli 2017!!"



Monday, October 26, 2015

Plants and Pollinators

Plants and Pollinators
By Judy Thomas

Today at the CVABA meeting we had a presentation on plants and their pollinators by educator and member Susan Estes.  This is the theme for our next show, in June 2016, at the Tuckahoe Public Library.  Susan gave many examples of the relationships between plant structure and the pollinators they evolved to attract.




We also discussed the exhibit, so stay tuned for more details!

An excellent talk, thank you Susan!

Atlee Library Exhibit

2015 Exhibits, Part II
Atlee Library Exhibit
By Judy Thomas

In the fall of 2015, we had an exhibit at the Atlee Library in Hanover, Co, VA.  The library was hosting a panel about the "Flora of Virginia."  (Photos courtesy Gail Goodrich Harwood)


As a few members had been giving free art classes at the library, we were approached by the library manager about staging a small exhibit of plants that are in the "Flora..."  So...we did!


We received many compliments about the exhibit!

2015 Exhibits

2015 Exhibits, Part 1
by Judy Thomas

Since last I posted, the CVABA has had two exhibits, our annual exhibit at the Tuckahoe Public Library in June and a new exhibit, at the Atlee Public Library. The Tuckahoe Library was our annual exhibit, entitled "Weeds are Flowers, Too, Once You Get to Know Them" from a quote by A.A. Milne.  Both exhibits were well-received by visitors to both libraries.

We wanted an educational component for the Tuckahoe "Weeds..." exhibit, so artists wrote up an explanation about the weed, including what interested them about it.  For example, Susan Estes wrote about her dandelion:

"This little plant is one of nature’s “tough guys”. Dandelions are found worldwide and seem to thrive in some of the most inhospitable habitats — driveways, walkways, and roadsides. The characteristic yellow flower provides food for bees. Leaves are lance-shaped and deeply toothed.  The name “dandelion” comes from “Dente de lion”, the Old French phrase for “lion’s tooth."

Lizzie McCowan wrote about pokeweed: 

"This glorious plant hardly looks like a weed, but I find it to be one. It grows at the edge of the woodland in our new garden and spreads easily through the flowerbeds...and takes much digging out as it spreads from the root. It can grow to eight feet and I particularly like the manner in which the flowers ripen through green to purple imitated by the stems and the racemes eventually droop with the weight of the berries. It is toxic, the root and berries being exceptionally so, but the boiled leaves have been used occasionally in pies.  I do not expect to try this!"

Here is an excerpt from Angel Zhao's write up on Woods' Forget-Me-Not:

"I first encountered forget-me-nots in my parents’ front yard in Toronto, Canada. A few of them sprouted in a small area originally designated for other plants. We left them alone because we liked the lovely blue blossoms. Little did we know more would spring up by the next year, slowly over-taking the other plants. The seed pods propagate by attaching to clothing or fur and getting transported to other areas. Some birds would also pick up the seeds. Since we left the plants unchecked, they were able to self-seed and expand the coverage. After a few years, the forget-me-nots have become the main feature of that small section of land. In the meantime, we tried to prevent them from spreading to the rest of the yard by digging up the largest patch. They continued to pop up here and there to this date."

Here are some images from the "Weeds" exhibit (photos courtesy Judith Towers):





We also had our usual display cases, depicting aspects of botanical art, nature journaling, as well as other arts and crafts related to botanical art:






Thanks to Judith Towers for all her hard work in organizing the show!