Mission Statement

The Rocky Mountain Society of Botanical Artists is an open and diverse group of artists, collectors and admirers who share a love for the practice and perpetuation of botanical art and illustration with a fond focus on plants in the Rocky Mountain Region.
We encourage and participate in educational outreach, juried and non-juried exhibits, lectures, workshops and regular chapter meetings. The RMSBA is proud to be the very first chapter affiliation of the international organization, the American Society of Botanical Artists.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Are you feelin' it?

Here's a quick beach picture, in case you haven't quite immersed yourself in summer (despite repeated thunderstorms, which have greened the plains beautifully - in their defense):




"Too Hot for the Beach", a variety of Caren d'Ache pencils on PastelBord, 4x6", Libby Kyer

I painted this little fun piece when it was just too hot to be on the beach one afternoon. Your BlogMeister has returned from a week of bobbing in the welcoming waters of the Gulf, and it brought summer into full bloom for me. Hope your plans are unfolding well also. We'd love to see your summer paintings, botanical or otherwise. To that end, we're announcing the first annual "Remembering Summer" blogspot exhibit. It's so easy to participate. Any current RMSBA member is eligible. Just:

    1. Select up to 3 paintings, sketches, journal pages or drawings from your summer experiences.
    2. Create scans, 150 to 360 dpi, .jpgs in color.
    3. For each image list:
        Latin name and/or Title
        Medium/a used, substrate used
        Size in inches wxh
        Any comments about creating an individual image you'd like to share.
4. Email them to rmsbartists@gmail.com, with "Remembering Summer" in the subject line.
5. Please time your submittals so that I have them by 30 September 2011.

That's it! So easy. All images received will be posted with caption and small paragraph about the image if desired. Great way to remember your summer, get a little exposure for your work, and learn from your fellow artists. Hope to hear from each member. What a great gallery this will be!



Pleated Cactus, watercolor on paper, Anna Arkin 2010

RMSBA Summer Meeting
The RMSBA Summer Meeting was held June 26, 2011, at Koelbel Library, Centennial, with 21 members attending. Due to a misunderstanding on event dates, Kirk Gillespie representing M.Graham & Co. Watercolors, who mount their pigments in honey, was unavailable to make his presentation. We will reschedule with him for a later date. We did have time to visit, exchange ideas and snack on refreshments.

Susi Olson discussed Julie Terry’s proposal for a future meeting featuring Alyson B. Stanfield and her book I’d Rather Be in the Studio. Alyson has developed a number of systems to help you plan your art future. In I’d Rather Be in the Studio! and this demo, she takes on the top eight excuses she hears from artists who aren’t promoting themselves. Each excuse is discussed with practical action steps that can be implemented into an art-marketing plan.

Two options were discussed: A no fee meeting with Alyson selling her books and CDs; or, a nominal fee to attend the meeting with each member receiving her book to take home. If you are interested in this business-of-art topic and find your paintings piled up with no place to go, please contact Susi at susiolson@msn.com by August 15th.

Mary Jo Ramsdale demonstrated Zen Tangle (zentangle.com) as a possible meeting activity. Zentangle is an easy to learn method of creating beautiful images from repetitive patterns. It is a fascinating new art form that is fun and relaxing. It increases focus and creativity. Let us know if you are interested in this topics by contacting Susi at susiolson@msn.com.

RareIICarol Till discussed RareII, our exhibit targeted for the 2014 ASBA Conference. She reviewed the Call for Entries. RareI was a list of plants at risk per the Colorado Heritage Program CU Ft. Collins. RareII species will be generated by 121 federally listed plants rated G1 and G2, the most imperiled plants in Colorado. The list of plants is under Calls for Entries on the right. Review the list and submit your choice via email at rare2014@q.mail.

We now have legal non-profit status so we can apply for grants resulting in money for scans, framing, and possibly a book. Evaluations and critique sessions will begin September 2011. We need to locate a willing artist and botanist for the sessions.

Other notes:
Use caution while searching for a plant on public lands. Climb no fences, harm no plants. The ASBA website lists a Code of Ethics for artists in the field if you need guidance in finding and illustrating rare plants.
RareII also needs volunteers:
    A committee to manage critique sessions
    A volunteer to write a grant(s).
    Someone to generate educational materials.
    Volunteers to communicate with artists.
    Susi did pursue bank funding. They were interested in education of the public and offered their grant   representative to attend one of our meetings.

Working Drawing, watercolor on paper, Frank Merrem

2014 ASBA ConferenceTerry Ruiter announced that we need more volunteers to participate in committees for the 2014 Conference in Denver. She has hosted two meetings to date and can provide information on what is in place and what is needed.
The 2014 meeting will be held at the downtown Denver Westin Hotel from 16-18 October 2014. The venue is lovely and promises to provide the support needed for the exchange of ideas and information that characterizes an annual ASBA meeting.
Thus far we have the following Committees:
    Logistics – Open
    Education – Ann Fleming, Heidi Snyder
    Registrar – Open - registrar manages registration activities at the meeting
    Exhibit (possibility of three concurrent exhibits during the meeting) – Dorothy Depaulo, Ann
    Fleming, Marge Sjoden, Edie Devis, Teresa Burkitt, Wendy Peterson, Heidi Snyder
    Website – Actual website will be set up by ASBA designer, but liaison is needed, and a blog designer   from our group is needed.
    PowerPoint Welcome to Denver Presentation for 2013 ASBA Meeting – Dorothy Depaulo
    Silent Auction (to work with ASBA Silent Auction Committee) – Open
    Notebooks/ASBA Gift/Registration Packet – Susi Olson, Jan Boyd Haring
    Marketing/Communications – Open
    Budget – Open
    Grants/Sponsors – Carol Till, Vicky MacWilliam, Susi Olson, Ann Fleming
    Denver/Front Range/Rocky Mountain Interest – Sharon Garrett, Saundra Dowling, Heidi Snyder, Jan Boyd Haring
    Transportation – Saundra Dowling, Sharon Garrett, Jan Boyd Haring
    Hospitality – Teresa Burkitt
Please identify your area of interest and call one of the names listed or contact Terry Ruiter (303.798.9452, tlruiter@msn.com) and offer help. If you have not been able to attend an ASBA annual meeting in the past, it would be worth checking out the Boston meeting website at asba-conf.org/. It will be a busy time! There is plenty of need for everyone in the RMSBA to contribute something for 2014. The next meeting of the whole planning committee is expected to be in December. In the meantime, things should be happening!

Lavandula spica, watercolor on paper, Jan Boyd Haring

Present/Future:
The RMSBA website was closed due to lack of use. Because of the way we were able to have it updated, it couldn't be as timely as we needed. It was beautiful, gave us a presence, but didn't serve as well as we'd hoped. In a single year, we had less than 1000 hits by members and others.

This blog site was created to address the needs the website couldn't meet. The blog is updatable at any time, so that timely news, calls for entries, events, and fun can be shared. Gallery pages are available for each member at no cost to the member. Newsletter archives are readily available and save you that hunting for the right issue event! The blog is searchable using labels. We think it's a good choice. In it's 3 months of existence, we've already had almost a thousand hits by members and others, so there is certainly some improvement in reaching our members.

In the future, within 3 months, we will be phasing out the RMSBA Newsletter for a number or reasons. Most of the info that is put in the newsletter has already appeared on the blog in "real time." Most members already receive an electronic newsletter, to save print and mail costs, and are accustomed to looking to their email to get the latest edition. The contacts and "go-to" info we need is all listed on the blog, and if it has to be changed or updated in any other way, it is done in real time. And we can publish so much more of your art on the blog.

We want to hear your thoughts on this development. It's a bit of a sea change, but with a little preparation, a manageable one. Instructions to find the blog, use its features, and other helpful hints will be distributed later in an email, and all members have already received information about the blog by email in the past. So, take a moment to share your thoughts with us regarding the future. We can't do it without you!

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