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.

Thursday, February 28, 2019

Not a Leap Year. Tomorrow is, in fact, March 1. No birthday for Leap Babies.


“Lost in the Woods” opens tomorrow in Lakewood! Join us for another opening of
Lost in the Woods at the Lakewood Arts Gallery this Friday from 5-9 pm as part of the 40 West Arts District First Friday/Colfax Art Crawl (13 local galleries, including New Orleans brass band and Mardi Gras events). This show will be in the gallery through March 29. Lakewood Arts Gallery is at 6731 West Colfax, in Lamar Station Plaza (same as Casa Bonita – area once known as JCRS…). Come out to the west side!

Call for Entries. Again, we announce the upcoming member show “Feathers and Flora: A Natural Relationship.” The Prospectus is available for download at OnlineJuriedShows.com. We recommend a YouTube journey with John Muir Laws’ “How to Draw Birds” offering, recently revised according to the New Birds Drawing Systems. Check it out!

It’s that Time Again! Gathering of the Guilds is coming up and if you are participating in the event with RMSBA as a seller you need to let Irma Sturgell know TODAY. The show is scheduled for 10 AM – 4 PM on Sunday, April 14, 2019.  This year, the popular event will take place at the American Mountaineering Center at 710 10th Street in downtown Golden, CO.



Friday, February 8, 2019

Punxatawney Phil may (or may not) have it right – regional meteorologists disagree – just keep shoveling


New logo. RMSBA’s new logo appears at the top of the Blog.

Last Look tomorrow at Spark Gallery, 9th Av & Santa Fe Drive, for Susan Rubin’s “Political Landscape” colored pencil drawings, Carol Till’s “Arboreal” etchings, and Tom Mazzullo’s natural realism silverpoint offerings. Noon to 5 pm. If you have other obligations, try again Sunday afternoon (1 – 4) to get a glimpse as they fly off the walls. See you there.

Urgent reminder! Renew your ASBA membership by February 10, 2019 for the full year of member benefits until December 31, 2019, including all four issues of The Botanical Artist! To renew, please first go to the ASBA web page, then click on Member Login in the upper right corner; use the email address associated with your ASBA Membership account to log in. Do not neglect indicating your membership also in RMSBA, the first ASBA Chapter.

“Lost in the Woods” now departs extended until February 22 at the CU Museum of Natural History in Boulder. “Cannabis: A Visual Perspective” opens soon at the Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College in Durango. Information forthcoming about an Opening and any related activities.

Call for Entries. As promised, here is the announcement of the upcoming member show “Feathers and Flora: A Natural Relationship.” The Prospectus is available for download at OnlineJuriedShows.com. We recommend a YouTube journey with John Muir Laws’ “How to Draw Birds” offering, recently revised according to the New Birds Drawing Systems. Check it out!

Reminder about Framing and Matting. Our accepted frame sizes are 12x12, 12x16, 16x20, and 18x24. Currently, we prescribe the Blick Essentials Wood Gallery Frame in Natural (Dick Blick 18862-1904, -1906, -1908, and -1909). Mats white or off-white. Do remember that D-ring flat hangers are much preferred; no little toothy rack things or eye screws.

Mountain report: The deep mountains have snow, and piles of it at the foot of Mount Elbert. Quality for recreation very high, but I fear the moisture content is lower than we ourselves have experienced right here in New Frontrangia. I got to lift a great deal of it off when I returned from a most satisfactory snowshoe expedition. Oh, well, upper body exercise…