Don't Miss RMSBA's Exhibit High on Botanicals Currently on Display at Square Deal Gallery

This lovely exhibit opened 15 July, with the opening reception on July 19. Square Deal Gallery is located at 1460 South Colorado Boulevard, Denver, CO, just next to Black Eyed Pea Restaurant on the east side of the Boulevard. Here are some images to whet your appetite! Many of the artworks are for sale!

Catalpa speciosa, colored pencil, Vanessa Martin

 

Vanessa supplied the images below of the exhibit setting. Nice work!

 

 

 

 

 

Linden Branch, colored pencil on film, Vanessa Martin

Showy Milkweed pods, water color, Vanessa Martin

Prairie Trek a Real Treat

The July Member Meeting last Sunday was a special tour of the Plains Conservation Center Short-grass Prairie. With an early start, participants had a full day to get to know the high plains short grass ecosystem. Susan Fisher tells us:

"What a trip. The flowers were beautiful: Bush Morning Glory and the white Evening Star are pictured below. We learned about the KT Event - very interesting, had a terrific lunch under the shade of cottonwoods and greeted bison (lot's of 'em) from our open air range wagon."

Susan shares some pix she took along the way.

Orientation and history start the day at 8:30 AM!!

 

Bush Morning Glory

 

Artists who are outstanding in their field...

White Evening Star

All images by Susan Fisher

 

Wild in the City Opening Tomorrow Evening

You won't want to miss this opening! Here are the details, and few images to encourage you! And remember, you can click on any image for a larger version. See you there!

 

 

 

 

Western Painted Turtle, colored pencil on Mylar, Heidi Snyder

 

 

 

Meadow, colored pencil on Mylar, Heidi Snyder

 

Egret and Shore Birds, colored pencil on Mylar, Heidi Snyder

 

 

 

Black Hooded Night Heron, colored pencil, Dorothy DePaulo

Don't miss this unique and beautiful exhibition!

 

 

Click on any picture for a larger version of the work

 

Dorothy DePaulo and Heidi Snyder had a great idea for this large body of work - document the natural visitors found in a city park near their homes. Dorothy and Heidi have been working on this project for over a year, trekking out in all weather, to find all the nooks and crannies of Belmar Park. And the things they have found are wonderful. Here are a couple more images to whet your curiosity!

 

Cattail Habitat, colored pencil on Mylar, Heidi Snyder

 

 

 

Blue Heron, colored pencil on Mylar, Dorothy DePaulo

 

 

 



Developing Storybook Illustrations

Martha Narey shares a bit of her process in developing illustrations for The Missing Creek, and it's great to see the artist's mind's eye at work, as well as how relatively simple drawings hold her vision intact as the book develops. Martha's comments serve as the captions for the images below.

 

 Quick blue-pencil-on-newsprint characterization of a Plains grassland landscape: mountains, forested mesa, grama grasses in foreground.

 

 Graphite sketch on sketch paper: visualizing in a very sloppy thumbnail approach

 

 

Graphite sketch working some ideas

 

Sketch for title page background landscape; 2H, Verithins, black ink on bumwad trace. Shows placement of title initial letters. Red crop marks for pencil draft; blue crop marks show shift to place large leaves in final cartoon.

Letter form and character for opening initial

There are so many facets in illustrating a book, including designing a page to present the story as well as provide a pleasing and accurate illustration. You can see the development of the images here, progressing to the more complete study of the little mouse protagonist climbing down on an illustrated initial. Natural science illustration combines with botanical illustration in this effort, to provide an exciting and educational experience for young readers.