Purple Carrots

Yep. That's what I said. Originally, purple carrots or red carrots or maroon carrots were the bridge between wild and domestic carrots. Then, carrot fashionistas went through their buff, beige, pale yellow and yellow periods. Picasso's Blue Period has nothing on them! Purveyors of carrots found that purple carrots cooked up to a less-than-appetizing grey, and didn't taste all that good either. Finally, after many false starts and cross breeds, the "new black" in carrot fashion became orange. However if you go to Ephemera and click on Don't You Carrot All, you'll find the wonderful online Museum of Carrots, complete with images of purple carrots from 1500's realist art.

Also available in Ephemera are links to veggies as art, food, and fun.

"Saving Summer," squash, gourds, bulbs and seeds, colored pencil on paper, Libby Kyer

Lots of updates this time. Below is the invitation to our exhibition, The Colorado Garden. Opening Reception is September 11, from two to four PM. Hope to see you all there! Double click on the image below to enlarge the view.

Next,  the Gallery section of our blog has changed dramatically. I found the single page format in Scribd not particularly exciting. Our goal is to promote botanical art and illustration, and the format was too limiting. Now, each member may have their own individual blogspot, with your own address, so that patrons may go directly to your blog page.

You may submit images and information to your faithful BlogMeister, according to the guide found under Gallery, labeled appropriately enough "Gallery Page Submission Guide," and present up to 12 images of your artwork, plus a bio and artist's statement, and the opportunity to list selected exhibitions, awards, publications and affiliations. Double-clicking on any image enlarges it for you. There is also a little counter that will tell you how many viewers your blog page gets. Check out the gallery page for Libby Kyer to see a fully filled out gallery, and there are several other members pages with more limited information. Either approach is fine.

Internet presences don't work if not updated regularly, so you will be able to update your bio and artist's statement annually, and all other entries every 4 months (3 times a year) based on your own start date. I encourage you to take advantage of update opportunities. Any member with dues paid for the year may participate in this gallery. Members in arrears will have their gallery closed in February of the calendar year dues are are not received.

Questions about Gallery pages? Email me at rmsbartists@gmail.com.

Poppies, colored pencil, Annie Reiser

Don't forget to enter 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.
Sooooooooooo easy!

Origami Columbine, Susie Olson

Update on 2014 ASBA Conference: The 2014 meeting will be held at the downtown Denver Westin Hotel from 16-18 October 2014. Committee needs are listed  below:
    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 and Blog - Libby Kyer
    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 – Chair Open, Graphics - Libby Kyer
    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
Volunteers are still needed. There are 4 committees needing chairs, and each committee listed can also use your help. It's a few years off, but if we plan early, it all gets easier. Contact Terry Ruiter (303.798.9452) or email her at  tlruiter@msn.com and let her know how you can help.

The RareII plant list has been updated. If you wish to participate in this project, you'll need to "claim" species from the list of plants eligible. Check out what's been taken already, and find your favorite among the availables. It's entirely first come-first served.

Aquilegia barnebyi, watercolor, Jan Boyd Haring

We'd love to see your updates here. Send us your comments, notices of exhibitions, workshops or other interesting bits to rmsbartists@gmail.com. Look forward to hearing from you!

Mid-August blues...

 Mertensia lanceoleota, colored pencil, Heidi Snyder

Meaning, of course, the amazing skies we're enjoying now. Monsoon is almost done, afternoon storms have lightened. And the skies range from a deep cobalt blue just before full dark, to an airy forget-me-not blue in mid-day. Don't forget to include those blues in your paintings. They reflect off all objects in natural light, so specimens in plein aire or your window are fair game. You can hint that an item is outside by surrounding a full white highlight with the barest breath of blue - turquoise, ultramarine, sky blue - just on the outer edges of your highlight. Or get gutsy, and pop that blue into leaves and flowers before your final color coat. It will light up your painting.

Clematis 'Cezanne', watercolor, Karla Beatty

Speaking of blue skies, find out what botanical science is doing in space! September 22 NASA's International Space Station Science team will visit Denver Botanic Gardens to make a presentation at Cafe Botanique, in Gates Hall, from 6:30 to 8 PM. How's that for the farthest out tie-in to botanical art you could capture? This is bound to be fascinating.

Viola wittrockiana, watercolor, Marjorie Sjoden

Let's not forget the allure of the mountains, shaded in blue layers as the sun moves further down across the sky. You can head for the mountains to attend the opening for the  the sky. RMSBA "Colorado Garden" exhibition, featuring any plant, flower or veggie that grows in your local gardens. Deadline for entries is August 15th. The show hangs on September 2 at the Evergreen Center Stage. We need volunteers to help with this. Please contact Dorothy at ddepaulo@gmail.com if you can help. Opening info will be included in the next blog update.
 

Drop off of work, entry form (available under Calls for Entries) and check for $5.00 will be between 9:00 and 11:00 AM at Center Stage in Everegreen, 27608 Fireweed Drive, 80439. Click this link for map. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=27608+Fireweed+Dr+Evergreen,+CO+80439-8322&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=105.319452,103.359375&layer=&ie=UTF8&z=16&ll=39.639174,-105.313504&spn=0.013698,0.019655&om=1&iwloc=addr

Hope you'll be singing' the blues for a few weeks, while we have this great light. And hope to see all of you at the RMSBA Colorado Garden exhibition at Evergreen's Center Stage.

Don't forget to add your comments to our blog in the little box below. Simple, easy, and so welcome.