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

 

 

 



Is It Time to Exhibit Your Artwork?

Whether you are an advanced painter or a beginner, exhibitions serve a great purpose in the development of your artistic life. What are the benefits of exhibiting your art? Well, there are many. First, if you want to work professionally, exhibition is probably necessary. Your resume needs to show that your work has been accepted into juried exhibits, and one-person exhibits are a true indication of interest in your work.

If you aren't aiming toward a professional career, exhibitions are still an important part of an artist's life. Why? Having confidence in your own art methods, materials and results leads to more excitement and satisfaction in creating art. Feedback is a very good thing to have, as you can find out how others react to your art, not in a judgemental sense, but more in an empathetic sense.

"Knowledge is good" as we all learned from the classic film Animal House and their college motto, stating the obvious! And knowing your own goals and needs for your art is knowledge that is explosive! It can ignite your artistic talents.
 

Do you want to exhibit? Let's explore the proposition, see how it fits in your artistic life.

The Pros are pretty amazing:
Nothing is quite as intensely satisfying as the experience of sharing your joy in an art piece. And gallery/museum exhibits are a wonderful place to share. If you don't exhibit, you lose that opportunity. When hanging out at a gallery or exhibition opening, creative eavesdropping is a valuable art form. Can viewers see what you are trying to say/represent with your art? If so, ask them why the art moves/attracts them. If not, why doesn't it move/attract them. 

The Cons can be a bit daunting:
Exhibiting really only works well if it's part of your plan annually. Which, by inference, means you really need an annual plan. That takes some thought. Once you commit to an exhibit, you DO have to produce art in time to meet calls for entries deadlines. And there are often expenses - framing, glazing, matting, mailing, getting your artwork returned are not cheap. Do you want to spend the money it takes to do it right? Do you want to have your time scheduled externally, that is, following an other's schedule in your own art process?

The answers to the questions above may help you decide a lot of things in your life as an artist, including the theme being addressed in our blog in February, "To Show or Not To Show." It's knowledge that is indeed good to know about yourself.

Pseudolarix amabilis, by Libby Kyer, has been shown nationally at the Hunt Institute and the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens Florilegium exhibitions, and in Kew at the Sherwood Gallery. Lots of mileage out of a single image. You might want to consider regions you want to show in, so that you can design an image beautifully suited to travel!

Some other questions that need answering

How's your inventory?
        What do you have in recent paintings to present?                

        Do you know your own pace for production if you need more?

        Can you meet the artwork demand for new artworks for exhibitions?

How's your budget?

        Juried shows:  Entry fees are between $25 and $50 per show, generally for up to 3
        pieces, paid whether you are accepted or declined. It's good to enter the maximum
        artworks allowed for the entry fee.

         Framing in the simple frames called for by most botanical art exhibits is about $150
       to $200 for a 16x24" frame with mat and Plexiglas glazing.

         Delivery: Hand delivery is always less stressful if the exhibit is in your area. If you
       need to ship your entry, it will cost about $85 to $100 per leg - out and back - which
       includes insurance.

So, perhaps this gives you some insight into the planning and money needed to enter exhibits. There are, of course, variations in costs depending on location, jury status and other bits and pieces. As food for more thought on this subject, here are some links you can use to see what galleries want!

Great tips for finding a gallery and exhibiting are HERE.
 

What galleries look for in an artist - a great discussion is HERE.
 
Choosing the right gallery for your art - some guidance is HERE.

Next time, we'll talk about some shows you might be interested in when planning your exhibitions calendar.

Holiday Gifts Created with Botanical Art

In November, 11 colored pencil students gathered in a class led by Libby Kyer to create festive cutting boards in “Cutting Edge Art.” Over 3 days, we made strong compositions suitable to be reproduced for glass cutting boards. Many students ordered multiples of their works after they saw the finished results on their first cutting board. It was a great class, resulting in new skills in colored pencil and composition and a great gift, hand-made for the holidays. Check out some of the results!

 

"Pumpkin Fest," the completed cutting board photographed on a dark cloth. You can see the pattern of the glass on the board, which is why artists created images with strong color and detail, to show well through the glass. This one is by Jan Boyd-Haring. Her finished artwork is shown below.

 

This vibrant image reproduced well under glass, and shows up  more clearly than in the photo above, but design must take the glass texture into consideration.

 

One of the great pleasures of this class was seeing the variety of composition, color and approach exhibited among the artists. Check it out!

 

 

Autumn Leaves by Kristi Czajkowski

 

 

 

Cherry Lattice by Carol Varian

 

 

 

The Gourd by Elizabeth Lococz

 

 

 

 



Gourd #1 by Mary Barnes

 

 

 

 

 

Harvest by Vickey Wood

 

 

 

 

Herbs by Katy Howe

 

 

 

 

Sunflower by Hannah Rottman

 

 

It being the beginning of a new year, perhaps it's time to look into classes you might find inspiring, challenging or needed. Take a look and some good leads under Workshop Listings. You'll find drawing classes from Susan Rubin and Marjorie Leggitt, a range of botanical art classes from the School of Botanical Art and Illustration at the Denver Botanic Gardens, and links to Colorado Institute of Art and Art Students League of Denver. Especially in cold weather, it's nice to have a good studio to go to and share a learning experience with other artists. Hope to see you in the educational scence soon! 

 

Ephemera...

Five European cities in a very tiny book

 

The Ephemera block in the right column connects you to a variety of websites of interest. They change constantly. The most recent four additions include three websites about small treasures - miniatures! Books, paintings, sculptures, etc. And the fourth addition spotlights an ASBA member from the ASBA website gallery pages. This time, the featured artist, Kathleen Konicek-Moran, has a style that pushes the boundaries of traditional botanical art and informs the growth in contemporary art.

RMSBA Member Featured in Two Exhibits

Mary McCauley - Art Exhibits Summer 2013

Mary's work beautifully demonstrates the many paths an artist can take in exploring botanical subjects.

 

Solar Flares along with several other pieces (including her new series of pop up quilts) will be in the " Threads of Change: Contemporary Colorado Textiles" in the main gallery of the Foothills Art Center. The exhibit opens July 12th and closes September 1st. The Foothills Art Center is at 809 15th Street, Golden, CO 80401. Click here for more about Foothills Art Center.

Staghorn Fern is one of several of Mary's pieces that will appear in the "Manic Botanics" exhibit which opens July 19th in the McMahon Gallery of the Dairy Center for the Arts. Mary will be sharing the gallery with Longmont artist, Julie Clements.

There is an artist talk from 4-5 PM and an opening reception 5- 6:30 PM on July 19th.

The Dairy Center for the Arts is at 2590 Walnut Street, Boulder. Click here for more about The Dairy Center.

Click here to go to Mary's website to see more of her work.

 

Planning for your garden

This summer, gardens will need to be very water thrifty. Not enough precipitation means less moisture - falling or collected - for garden plants. What to do? Well, selecting plants that can handle a hotter, drier climate than usual is a good place to start. An excellent place to locate plants that are up to the task is Plant Select. One of this year's winners is Narbonne Blue Flax, Linum narbonense.

This Mediterranean form of blue flax is much more long-lived and fuller than the western native species. Blooming for months on end, the deep sky blue flowers are larger and more flaring. This robust plant offers a dense mound of attractive, nearly evergreen foliage for garden borders, wildflower gardens and informal plantings.

Another selection blooms for most of the growing season. The lustrous, fuchsia-colored flowers are an improvement on Delosperma cooperi. During the winter the leaves remain turgid and green, often tinged with purple. This image is by Libby Kyer, in graphite and colored pencil, and was used in the publication which celebrated the Plant Select project.

Click here  Durable Plants for the Garden to take a look at the book produced locally, which includes lots of great tips for designing and selecting plants for your garden. 

 

Graphic presentations

It's not yet warm enough to anticipate a ripe tomato, but if this image doesn't have you jonesing for a BLT, you're probably not a tomato-lover! Created in mixed media, this graphic (print-like) image uses an uneven frame to create tension and interest, a party of polka dots for background interest and action, and uses mixed media to create sharp edges and shiny surfaces. I'm thinking it's time to toast up the whole-wheat and find the rest of the sandwich makin's, because it has to be tomato-time.

Tomato, mixed media, Frank Merrem

Drawing a Day

Aliciella sedifolia, colored pencil, Teresa Burkert

 

Teresa reports, I have been doing this little kid a lot...more than it shows!...instead of small items on a daily basis." And that's another really helpful way to do a drawing a day - focus on one specimen.

Draw the specimen again and again until you like your drawing, then start finishing techniques. The benefits of working this way are many. You get to know your specimen in a way few have the time. Each time you rework, re-see, re-imagine, or re-toss, you're learning more and more and more. Building on your on work, in a series, or simply in a longer creation process hits all the right notes for growth and improvement. What could be better?

Applied Art

Botanical art works well in a variety of applications. For example, this beautiful e-card was created by Annie Reiser, using a Bo-Tangle image she had created, with a snapshot of lace and some beautiful lettering, computer generated and written by the artist. In it's life, the one image - a bo-tangled heart - was used as a Bo-Tangle project, a computer design project to group it with design elements in an artful way, and finally as a beautiful e-card. One image, three uses.

 

 Having more than one application for your work is a nice way to spread the concept of botanical art, enter exhibits, and engage new viewers. During a pre-holiday class on wreaths, swags and garland drawn for holiday uses, Libby Kyer created the wreath below as a demonstration for her colored pencil class.

 

 

Then, the image was segmented to create a calendar, which was created with individual calendar cards for each month, designed to fit into a miniature CD jewel case.

 

 

 





 



However, the actual final use for the image was on an 8" round textured glass cheese plate, with lovely little cheese knives to match.  One image, used to teach, to create a calendar, and to create holiday presents. Because of these single images, new techniques were learned and new audiences were engaged.

As you get ready to create drawings for our "Drawing a Day" event in March, think of ways you might use your images: sketching/drawing to feed your muse, or as the basis for a more completed artwork in other media, as part of a coloring book for 3rd graders learning about botany and plants, as notecards, as small framed prints, as glass cutting boards or cheese plates, and so many more possibilities. One drawing can improve your art and provide new insights into botanical art for many new viewers. Have fun!

Putting your art to work!

I have often said, if you can't experiment using your family and friends as guinea pigs, you need to expand your circle! As the serious gift-giving holidays approach, have you thought about using the amazing artwork you produce through the year for gifts? I'm not talking about giving away a $1,000 worth of art originals. However, I am talking about reproducing your art in novel ways.

Greeting cards, tags and other paper-mounted reproductions immediately come to mind and I know most of us have tried that. Very satisfying, and much appreciated by the recipient. My favorite is making custom wrapping paper. I found out that no one would actually use it, deeming it "too special." It's a not uncommon reaction.

What are the things people will use and enjoy? Here's a list, with a link to resources to create these items:

Coffee mugs: Select an artwork that can be reduced and still maintain some presence. Scan and size. Try this site:
http://bargainmugs.com/11-oz-personalized-coffee-mugs-c-1_30/11-oz-personalized-coffee-mug-white-p-67?gclid=CLuXxZf3-bMCFelDMgodLCAA9A
Most print services require a minimum order, so figure out how many you want in advance. Leftovers make great gifts any time of year, or work well for point-of-purchase items during exhibitions.

Travel mugs are always welcome, whether for hot or cold drinks. Artwork can be fully reproduced as an insert in full color between an outer clear wall and the inner thermal wall. You can also stylize some of your artwork, so it works well in print, or create works just for this purpose. Try this site for inspiration and print services:
http://www.discountmugs.com/nc/category/travel-mugs/?s_kwcid=TC|22682|personalize%20travel%20mug||S|p|15639760101&gclid=CMCc_f_3-bMCFYYWMgodBH0Avg



It takes a bit more money up front, but the resultant product is lovely and will be lovingly used. Scarves. Everyone is wearing them, and you can have a scarf designed with your artwork. These make great gifts, and great sales items for exhibitions. Try this site:
http://www.apparelstuffrus.com/customScarves.html?gclid=CPPuyeD4-bMCFck7MgodzjAArQ

 

 



Another way to display your art in power circles is custom ties! Try the site listed below for more info and help thinking about design. They also make scarves:
http://www.adverties.com/printed-ties/

And now, a one-stop, oh-so-many-ideas site - Walgreen's. Seriously. I was completely surprised by this resource, and the prices are...well... Walgreenian. Meaning, of course, very affordable. You are in Anything Can Happen Land. There are totes, and crystals (yep!) and mugs and water bottles. And scarves and ties and pajama bottoms and t-shirts and camisoles and performance shirts, whatever that means. A one-stop shopping opportunity, and the good part is, you can order just one item! That makes it possible to truly experiment, find what you want to do, and decide if more than one anything is a good thing. Check this out:
http://photo.walgreens.com/walgreens/storepage/storePageId=SEM7?ext=gooPhoto_Brand_Sitelinks_Photo_Gifts_Sitelinks_SEM_35_percent_off_gifts&sst=71ea3c24-1c37-d6c9-6a7f-000026ce9e7d

Best of all, Walgreen's offers really fast turn arounds!

So, there you are. Food for thought, and possibly action.

No time like the present...

...to plan ahead for the summer activities. Our next meeting explores Zentangle, on June 24. This system of creative doodling can serve a lot of purposes in the life of the artist. It's fun - there are no deadlines, no client, no exhibition to prepare for. It exists for you to enjoy. It is a great way to allow your medium to lead you into exploration.

Sometimes, our artwork has such a compelling purpose that we don't have time to explore, make mistakes, learn, or even relish our process. Zentangle will teach you the joy of mistakes, of not knowing the next step until the last possible moment!  It's kind of like driving really fast on a winding mountain road, with a little bit of thrill, a little bit of speed, new sights, and a learning curve that demands your best while you are occupied elsewhere! Annie Reiser has dubbed her version  "Botangle."  She'll show us how to add color too!

Botangle, pen and ink, Annie Reiser

Introducing a New Feature - Board Musings. Once a month, one of our board members will share some thoughts with us. If you have a topic you'd like to see covered, let us know at rmsbartists@gmail.com, and we'll explore the possibilities. This month, Dorothy DePaulo, our President of the Board, shares her thoughts about inspiration, an important part of an artist's life.

What Inspires You? By Dorothy DePaulo

I believe that the whole of our life experiences influences our art. Often we don’t think about what it is that inspires us in our artistic pursuits. But recently, I read two books that directly inspired me to start a project. The first is a book titled:  The Paper Garden: An Artist Begins her life at 72 by Molly Peacock.

This is a biography of Mary Delaney who, in 1771when in her early 70's, as a way of dealing with her grief over the loss of her husband, she began to create cut-paper artworks. Her works were exceptionally detailed and botanically accurate depictions of plants. She used  hand-colored paper to produce these pieces. In all, she created 1,700 of these works, calling them her "Paper Mosaiks” (see sample below).

I was impressed with the beautiful and detailed work that she created (which now reside in the British Museum), but I was even more impressed that she didn’t start her work until she was seventy two years old! Perhaps there is hope for me yet!

The second book that influenced my project is a tiny little hand-written book (perhaps copied down by my grandmother, Elizabeth Cameron) which tells the meaning of certain flowers if given in a bouquet. After thinking for a while about these books, I decided to do a series (of 12 not 1700) flowers on a black background (as Mary Delaney did).  Mine would be in colored pencil (not cut paper). I would do greeting cards (not bouquets) that would include the meaning of the flower.

Here are the first six of my series:

 

Now it is your turn! Tell us what you’re working on and what influenced you to do your art.

April Member Meeting in Golden Addresses Framing

Members attending the April 29th meeting gathered in Golden for an intensive introduction to all things frame - including framing materials and styles, matting, liners and backing materials. The minutes for that meeting are to the right under Documents of Use.

Nancy Martin (L) welcomed all members to Golden Frames and Gifts and

introduced  her assistant Alycia Maier-Turner



'Tis the Season

Heading Home for the Holidays! Colored pencil on sketch paper, by Libby Kyer

Yes. It is. It’s time for the winter holiday festivities, whether we’re ready for it or not! However, it’s a great time to share your art with friends and family, making gifts that reflect your talent and passion for botanical art. If you have a scan of your artwork(s), you are good to go to get creative and get your art out there. Here are a few suggestions for treats for those you love:

Cucurbita sp., watercolor on paper, Estelle deRidder

• Note cards printed with your art, including an envelope – Kinko’s and many other quick print vendors can print for you, or you can print yourself if you have the right equipment and programs.
• Small matted prints, especially those with a holiday theme – again, local quick print vendors can handle this nicely from your scan.
• Gift tags, using snippets of actual paintings – a way to use artwork that is either too dated for exhibition, or simply doesn’t fit your current goals.
• Gift tags, using prints of parts or all of your artwork – this is very easy to do on your own printer, and with a decorative paper punch and some coordinating ribbons, it makes a lovely gift.
• Custom wrapping paper complete with matching ribbons – go online to find printers for this, or talk to local quick print vendors. This makes a special gift, and sends your artwork out into the world.
• Calendars – hanging, CD case and mini-CD case are always appreciated – quick print vendors can make these from your designs, or help you design them with their tools.
• Mugs with a selection of your artwork or 4 matched images – these take a little longer in the planning department, but make a wonderful project. Check online for vendors.
• Glass or acrylic cutting boards with your artwork underneath – there are local vendors who can do this for you, making a lovely gift.
• Coasters – simply purchase “photo coasters” and print and insert your artwork. Makes a great housewarming gift too.

Christmas Boxwood, pen and ink, scanned, color manipulated, by Libby Kyer

Just the Facts

After reports that some members were having problems getting prints of items that are on our file host (calls for entries, etc.) we’ve decided to provide a new way to give you access to documents you need. In the future, there’ll be a selection in the right column for “Documents”. Just click that, and you’ll go to a blogspot that will have documents posted. You can copy directly from that by highlighting the text you want to copy. No fees, just the facts.