Chapter Exhibition News from the ASBA

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Making the news

Vanessa and Susan had an interview on KUSA, Channel 9. Here's the link for
Interview for Wicked. They're pushin' the show...


Reminder that the September meeting at the PCC is cancelled. See you October 25!

Welcome to Fall

WICKED Exhibit at ACAD Gallery

Remember to use plexiglas or acrylic instead of glass when framing your illustrations for this exhibit. Michael’s informs us that acrylic is indeed expensive, but so much lighter and less fragile than glass, and you need to get it now if you haven’t done so already. Turn in your work at ACAD gallery on October 7.

Bin work will be available for purchase from the night of the reception through the end of the show.  Gallery will be open to the public for the opening reception October 10, October 17, October 24, and for the closing reception October 31.

“Bin work” consists of unframed (usually matted, but that’s optional) pieces of artwork, and may be prints or originals.

Eligibility is limited to any artists participating in the exhibit, who must notify Sharon Eaton or Patti Hearn before October 5 if planning to bring Bin Work. 

Each artist can submit up to ten unframed 2-D works. All artwork must be botanically-themed, but may include other elements such as wildlife and insects. Protect work in clear plastic covers.

On a typed inventory sheet, list title, media, and price of each artwork along with your contact information. Submit it with your bin work on October 7 when you drop off your Wicked illustration(s). Place a small label and price on the front upper corner of the cover for each piece of artwork. Label the back of the work with title, whether original or print, price, artist’s name, phone number and email. Inventory sheet and label details must match.

A commission of 30% for sold work goes to the Aurora Cultural Arts District (ACAD). RMSBA will handle the sales and issue payments on sold work within 30 days after the end of the show. Applicable fees will be deducted. 

You will be asked to volunteer at least once to staff the Gallery housing the Bin Work, on October 17 or October 24, 11am – 3pm. We will set up 2 hour shifts; minimum of two people per shift. If you have a professional quality black canvas floor bin, please bring.  We have several but can always use more.

Pick up for unsold Bin Work has yet to be determined; we anticipate Monday, November 2. More details will be provided later.

Labor Day yard chores at your house?

September 8

Wicked participants’ works are going on the road! As a result of the changed relocation requirements, we must ask that you use lightweight materials to glaze your frames rather than glass.

Cherokee Ranch and Castle will host the exhibit after the ACAD run ends on Halloween. Another venue wants our Wicked exhibit to travel to Durango! We did not anticipate such interest, but of course are thrilled for the opportunity. To keep our artwork safe and to assist in transportation we need you to use plexiglas or acrylic instead of glass when you frame your pieces. When you drop off your work, please have it wrapped securely with your name on the wrapping, which we will keep and use to re-package for transporting to the next venue.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Sharon Eaton, Patti Hearn or Vanessa Martin.  

Upcoming meetings: The meeting for September is cancelled, as we expect to be busy setting up Wicked early in October. The meeting for October 25 is scheduled for the Eloise May library - 1471 S. Parker Road, Denver 80231.

BBBQ: The Annual Backyard Bar-Be-Que on August 30 saw members gather and enjoy one another’s company and some good food.

Open Studio 9am – 1 pm, Tuesday, September 8, 2015 at Valkarie Gallery & Studio was well attended. We went to a nice lunch after the workshop.

Art in the Gardens: The August 22 show and sale at Tagawa was slow – very little traffic all over the Gardens --  but we who did attend enjoyed ourselves. Made some sales for our artists, talked ourselves up, handed out a few leaflets to prospective members, talked among ourselves. 

At last: a Little Cooler

Art in the Garden August 22nd, 9 am – 5 pm – Tagawa Garden Center

Saturday’s the Day! Come support your fellow artists at the RMSBA artist show and sale. Bring your checkbook… Leave your iToys at home, because we have music and the Rocky Mountain Highland Dancers and vast entertainment. The event closes at 5:00 pm, at which time participating artists must dismount the displays and retrieve all unsold items.  

Backyard Bar-Be-Que on August 30

Party-time approaches quickly! Be sure to RSVP to martin.vanessa655@gmail.com or (720) 870-1488 by tomorrow or Friday. Do remember about the side dishes and the labor. Also, look again in that closet and see what you can donate to the fundraiser.

 Don't forget about how much fun we'll all have...

Let the Harvest begin

August Open Studio

9 am – 1 pm, Tuesday, August 11, 2015 at Valkarie Gallery & Studio, 445 South Saulsbury Street, Lakewood. Bring your projects, your sketch ideas, artistic problems and solutions, new materials you are trying out, frustrations you need to vent re:same, and so forth. If you’re a Wicked participant, bring your portrait(s) and show us!

Reminder: Art in the Garden August 22nd, 9 am – 5 pm – Tagawa Garden Center

This year’s Tagawa Gardens event has a RMSBA artist show and sale, so get out those transparent display bags (and price stickers) and start stuffing! Note that management has waived the 10% fee on sales, but will collect the taxes. Don’t forget the workshops: Shading and Watercoloring for Kids, and Doodle Art for Tweens & Teens, mentored by Sharon Garrett and Patti Hearn. Other local artists also are conducting workshops, so be sure to check them out as we enjoy the music and the Rocky Mountain Highland Dancers. As always, we can talk up our organization and how we showcase our artists. 

About the art work: we can’t hang framed pieces, but can sell prints, note cards and other botanically-themed articles. If you’re coming to the festivities, do let us know: send an email to Patti Hearn at pattihearn@hotmail.com by August 17; the sooner the better to make this event a success for us. More details will be provided to participants.

Reminder: August Meeting is the Party! 

Remember to note on your calendars that Sunday, August 30, 1-5 pm should find you at the RMSBA Backyard Bar-Be-Que at Vanessa Martin(the President)’s house, 21494 E Greenwood Pl, Aurora. Bring a guest who might be interested in joining our organization – as artist or art lover. That we might have some clue as to how many are coming, we ask you to RSVP by about August 20 to Vanessa at martin.vanessa655@gmail.com.

Bring side dishes to go with the provided entrees. Come early to help set up the tent and tables, and get ready for the party. Contact Vanessa Martin with your intentions and totally sincere offers of help at (720) 870-1488.

Members, please donate artwork, prints, books or art supplies for sale to support the Stanley Hotel two-day vacation that RMSBA has donated to the ASBA annual silent auction. Contact Vanessa Martin at martin.vanessa655@gmail.com to coordinate delivery. 

RARE II Catalog

The exhibit catalog RARE II: Imperiled Plants of Colorado will soon be on sale at the Denver Botanic Gardens Gift Shop at York Street. Other opportunities are in the works.

So, we had a nice meeting at Hudson Gardens

July 28

We talked about "Something Wicked" and the Tagawa Gardens event and next year and sat beneath the lovely catalpa trees and were protected from the brief showers. 

Wicked entrants drop-dead date has arrived...

Send forms and fees now to racereaton@aol.com. If you put it in the mail tomorrow, it might get there by Saturday, August 1. Send to: RMSBA Wicked Show, % Sharon Eaton, 10685 Yates Drive, Westminster, CO 80031.

Creating Botanical Illustrations with Line Etching

Two-Day workshop  - October 12 & 13, 2015

10:00 am - 2:30 pm

Instructor: Briony Morrow-Cribbs

Cost: $125.00 + $15 materials fee

Maximum class size – 8

We have put together a two-day workshop to learn the process of line etching. Our Instructor, the etching artist featured in Amy Stewart’s book Wicked Plants, is coming all the way from Vermont. She will be a guest at the opening reception of “Something Wicked” and then will teach and demonstrate the good stuff. The workshop (described below) will be held the Aurora Cultural Arts District gallery. Sign up early for this great opportunity, as the classroom size is limited to 8. To reserve your seat, contact Vanessa Martin at martin.vanessa655@gmail.com; she will have details about submitting payment for the class at time of reservation. 

Line etching or Hard Ground etching is a printmaking process in the category of intaglio printing, or printing in the “carved” or incised lines. This process allows artists to create finely-detailed images and multiples of an image. In this basic workshop, students will draw botanical images, and then make them into copperplate etchings. Through demos and one-on-one instruction, students will learn how to prepare plates, coat them with hard ground, etch the plates, and print them. Students will leave the workshop with an etched copper plate and at least three fine-art prints. The workshop is open to students at all levels, whether printmakers, botanical artists, or totally new to it all.

About Briony Morrow-Cribbs:

Briony Morrow-Cribbs currently lives and works in the hills of rural Vermont. Morrow-Cribbs graduated from the Emily Carr Institute in 2005 and completed her Master of Fine Art degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2012. From 2012 to 2014 Morrow-Cribbs taught etching at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently, Morrow-Cribbs teaches printmaking at the Putney School in Putney, Vermont, and is an adjunct professor of drawing, book arts and printmaking in the New England area.

As a printmaker, Morrow-Cribbs has shown both nationally and internationally with solo exhibitions in the Davidson Gallery in Seattle, Washington the Artisan Gallery in Paoli, Wisconsin and the Tory Folliard Gallery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As an illustrator, Morrow-Cribbs launched her career with two New York Times Bestsellers: Wicked Plants: The Weed that Killed Lincoln’s Mother & Other Botanical Atrocities and Wicked Bugs: The Louse that Conquered Napoleon’s Army & Other Diabolical Insects, both written by Amy Stewart (published by Algonquin Books). Since then, Morrow-Cribbs has also illustrated a book of short stories titled Unnatural Creatures (edited by Neil Gaiman and Maria Dahvana Headley, published by HarperCollins) and created cover work for The End of the Sentence by Maria Dahvana Headley and Cat Howard (published by Subterranean Press).

Save the Date (Party!)

Mark your calendars for Sunday, August 30, from 1-5 pm: RMSBA Backyard Bar-Be-Que at Vanessa Martin(the President)’s house, 21494 E Greenwood Pl, Aurora. We invite members to bring a guest who might be interested in joining our organization – as artist or art lover. We also invite students (and a Visiting Instructor, Ikumi Kayama) from the School of Botanical Art & Illustration at Denver Botanical Gardens. Besides the swell food, drinks, and charming companions, the BBBQ offers an excellent opportunity for non-members to get to know us and learn about all of the benefits of membership.

As part of this event, we of course want a little fundraising activity. We ask members to donate artwork, prints, books or art supplies for party-goers to buy. The funds raised as we find those perfect items will help support the Stanley Hotel two-day vacation that RMSBA has donated to the upcoming ASBA annual silent auction. To donate appropriate materials, contact Vanessa Martin at martin.vanessa655@gmail.com to coordinate delivery. 

Seeking Volunteers -- to sign up to bring side dishes. Also looking for willing hands to help set up the fundraising tent and tables, and to get all ready for the party. Please contact Vanessa Martin if you can help out: (720) 870-1488.

So that we have a general idea how many people are coming, we ask that you RSVP by August 20 or thenabouts to Vanessa at martin.vanessa655@gmail.com.

Late July: Flower Explosion on Kenosha Pass

July Meeting

We meet at Hudson Gardens on South Santa Fe Drive from 1-3 on Sunday, July 26. Enter through the gift shop; no charge. Several areas will be closed off and unavailable for sketching, including the water features and Monet gardens, as they are setting up for a concert later that day. No meeting room, but the attendees can gather (in a shady spot) and catch up on the latest news, and then off to plein aire sketching!

If you are a Wicked entrant, you can bring your forms and fees and turn them in, and beat the drop-dead date of August 1, 2015.

Art in the Garden August 22nd, 9 am – 5 pm – Tagawa Garden Center

This year’s Tagawa Gardens event has a full day of activities in the theme Art in the Garden.  First, of course, the RMSBA artists' show and sale, then workshops taught by Sharon Garrett and Patti Hearn: Shading and Watercoloring for Kids, and Doodle Art for Tweens & Teens. Also featured are other workshops conducted by local artists. We will enjoy music and performance by the Rocky Mountain Highland Dancers. This year’s event offers a perfect venue to talk to the public about our organization and to showcase our artists. 

This is your opportunity to sell and share your art work: we can’t hang framed pieces, but can make prints, note cards and other botanically-themed articles available to the general public.  If you want to sell your artwork, assist with a workshop, or just be a part of the event, please sign up by sending an email to Patti Hearn at pattihearn@hotmail.com.  Sign up by August 17 at the latest, and the sooner the better so we can get organized and make this a successful and fun event. More details will be provided to participants.

A Re-posting from the DBG-BI Blog

Is Stealing OK?

Everyone knows stealing is not okay, but the Copyright law is about to change to make stealing okay.

• Posted by ikumikayama
• in Musings

When I was in school, the biggest offense a student can make was plagiarism. Stealing someone else’s work, usually writing, and claiming it as their own can get a student expelled from school.  Intellectual property is important, and it must be protected. We live in a society that values creativity and innovation.

One time a classmate in my history class stole a homework assignment from another classmate and put his name on the work. We didn’t see him in the class again.

So why is that, in 2015, the same idea about not stealing someone else’s work is an issue? We all know it’s wrong, but stealing is much easier with digital access to files and images. It’s easier to steal from someone far away on the other side of the globe. But that doesn’t make it okay.

According to the Library of Congress Docket No. 2015-01, “The US Copyright office is reviewing how certain visual works, particularly photographs, graphic artworks, and illustrations, are monetized, enforced, and registered under the Copyright Act.”

You can read all about

Basically, some companies are complaining that all the artwork in the world are not being used for maximum profit because copyright is stopping unauthorized use. This might sound like a good idea at first glance, but then when you stop and think about who is going to receive the profits (companies, not artists), this new Copyright Act is not at all good for creative types.

The good news is, the Copyright Office is calling out to artists to receive letters on their thoughts about copyright. Here’s my letter.

Let me know what you think. Are you an artist? Art buyer? I’m curious to know.

If you wish to write your own letter, check out this Artists Alert for instructions

Deadline for sending letters is July 23, 2015

Fireworks Gone? Move on to Flowers

Open Studio on Bastille Day! (Happy Revolution, France!)

9 am – 1 pm, Tuesday, July 14, 2015 at Valkarie Gallery & Studio, 445 South Saulsbury Street, Lakewood. Bring your projects, your sketch ideas, artistic problems and solutions, new materials you are trying out, frustrations you need to vent re:same, and so forth.

 “Wicked” Deadlines Imminent

Sharon Eaton, tender of the “Wicked” entries, again reminds entrants that entry forms and fees are due August 1, 2015. Check your e-mail for pertinent forms. Describe the wickedness your plant manifests, so it can be noted on your artwork’s ID plaque.

You may hand-deliver your completed forms and fees: bring them to our July 28th meeting at Hudson Gardens. For any questions, contact her by e-mail at racereaton@aol.com, or call 571-225-1617.

They’re Heeere…

Wildflowers, including Castilleja and Alpine Lily, abound on the Continental Divide, but if you can’t get to Berthoud Pass or Trail Ridge Road or Pikes Peak, visit a mountain town today. The cemeteries in and near these towns are carpeted with native wildflowers: the many varieties of Penstemon and Astragalus and Helianthus are just all over the place, and two color phases of Sego Lily can be seen in Empire. Take that stroll…

It’s Independence Day! (…tomorrow)

Happy Birthday, USA.

July Meeting

We are on for Hudson Gardens on South Santa Fe Drive from 1-3 on Sunday, July 26. Enter through the gift shop to go in at no charge. Several areas will be closed off and so not available for sketching, including the water features and Monet gardens, as they are setting up for a concert later that day. There is no meeting room, but the attendees can gather (in a shady spot) and catch up on the latest news, and then off to plein aire sketching!

Tagawa Gardens

On Saturday, August 22, we have an RMSBA event at Tagawa Gardens in Parker. It’s an opportunity to sell works of art, cards, matted pieces, etc. Patti Hearn will meet with a TG representative on July 16 to iron out specifics. TG takes 10% of sales and also the tax load. They apparently do not have equipment to hang framed art, but we hope for a counter for cards and notes, etc., and a few fabric bins for matted pieces. More information to follow!

Now that Summer's Finally Here

June 28 Meeting

We meet Sunday, June 28 at 1:00 at Cherokee Castle and Ranch, 6113 Daniels Park Rd, Sedalia, CO 80135.

Bring a draft of your artist statement with brief pertinent bio, and if you are a RARE II exhibitor, a statement about the plant(s) you researched and portrayed. It is fervently to be hoped that we can benefit from some guidance in the experiences of others in preparing these statements. Bring your suggestions to help plan an on-line workshop about this: What do you need?

A book-signing opportunity with Dorothy DePaulo and Heidi Syder (“Wild in the City”) seems to be in the offing. Maybe a brief tour of the Castle… 

 “Wicked” Reminder

Sharon Eaton, tender of the “Wicked” entries, gently reminds entrants that entry forms and fees are due August 1, 2015. She sent pertinent forms by e-mail, along with a request that you describe the wickedness your plant manifests, so it can be noted on your artwork’s ID plaque.

If you would like to hand-deliver your completed forms and fee, bring them to our meeting this Sunday at the Cherokee Ranch and Castle in Sedalia, or to our July 28th meeting at Hudson Gardens. If you have questions, don't hesitate to contact her: e-mail racereaton@aol.com, or call 571-225-1617.

Note that the Wicked exhibit will move to the Cherokee Castle and Ranch after closing at the Aurora venue. You lucky people! On weekends open to the public.

Open Press workshop – etching alternative using Solarplate ^TM

Yes! Another printmaking workshop at Open Press with instructor Mark Lunning. This workshop will be about using Solarplate^TM, a simple approach and safer alternative to traditional etching and relief printing. All material will be provided; everyone will have 3 finished plates and many prints to take away. 

The workshop meets 4 consecutive Wednesdays, beginning on July 15th from 1-5pm; second class is July 22nd 1-5pm, third class is July 29th 1-5pm, and the last class is August 5th 1-5pm. Cost is $250.00, a great price with all materials provided. The maximum number of participants is 8, so please act quickly to secure a spot.  If interested, contact Vanessa Martin at martin.vanessa655@gmail.com to sign up. 

Head for the Hills

The wildflower season has begun at last – which may comfort us to know as we gaze upon the recidivist wreckage accompanying the very unsettled weather. We found these at Alderfer-Three Sisters JOSP 

 



and these on the Bear Creek – Clear Creek divide

this past week or so, so weep not for your tame ornamentals, and get up there for some plein aire or some reference photoacquisition. It looks like a Banner year.

Member Blog Posts

Members, are you aware that among the many benefits of being an RMSBA member is access to the Blog? We crave to know what members are doing outside of RMSBA activities, so herein lies your opportunity to let your fellow artists know of your upcoming event. Submit a post for the RMSBA blog to announce personal botanically-related events! 

Send all submissions by e-mail to the Blog editor at rmsbartists@blogspot.com. Please include at least one pictorial image (max 300 dpi .jpg or .png, 6" on longest side). Allow 7 days delay for posting.  Your Blog editor retains the right to reject inappropriate material, and will edit submissions for clarity and brevity.

Respect for member privacy requires that all of us not use the member roster (or the received “cc:” list) for any e-mail announcements other than RMSBA/ASBA-related information.   

Open Studio June 9

Atendees agreed to recommend to RMSBA that we follow the example at CSU and adopt as our standard reference the May 2015 publication Flora of Colorado by Jennifer Ackerfield to replace the now-dated Weber classical reference. A digital version (free download) is forthcoming.

RMSBA Board Meeting June 8

We met, we argued, we plotted your fate… We agreed to commit the association to a couple of future projects, for which details will be forthcoming. Your Board members are always open to your suggestions and comments.

A Special Invitation

The Denver Hospice invites and encourage RMSBA members to paint a mask for The Denver Hospice 2016 fundraiser. While not an official RMSBA function, this is still a worthy opportunity to do a good thing and get exposure.

 The Denver Hospice, a non-profit patient care organization which cares for end-of-life, terminal individuals in the Denver metro area and surrounding communities, holds a major fundraiser every two years called "The Mask Project" and is reaching out to new artists who might be interested in participating. The next event will be the Fall of 2016; a final date has yet to be determined.

Each mask is an oval-shaped form made of clay. TDH usually asks local Denver folks to pick up the mask if possible, as this helps minimize costs; however, if this is not practical, they are happy to mail one to you at no charge. Once the mask has been finished, they do ask that you cover the costs of returning the mask to them. If artists prefer to drop off completed masks in person, they are welcome to do so. Please submit masks to the TDH Administrative office located at 501 South Cherry Street, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80246 at the corner of Virginia Avenue and Cherry Street (east side of Colorado Boulevard).

Any members interested in participating should contact Kristen Tucker, Special Events Manager who is in charge of "The Mask Project," at her direct number 303-780-4517; her email is ktucker@care4denver.org.  She will assign a mask to an artist. The deadline to complete the mask is September 18, 2015. Website: www.thedenverhospice.org.  

Contact Vanessa Martin (martin.vanessa655@gmail.com) if you have any questions.

June Open Studio

Open Studio 9am – 1 pm, Tuesday, June 9, 2015 at Valkarie Gallery & Studio, 445 South Saulsbury Street, Lakewood.

Bring your projects, your sketch ideas, artistic problems and solutions, new materials you are trying out, frustrations you need to vent re:same, and so forth.

Are we still on for 300 days of sunshine?

May 24 meeting: Cherokee Castle Tour

Close to 25 people showed up for the tour, amazing for a holiday weekend.  A number of family members came along. The view from the back terrace is breathtaking, you can see from Pikes Peak to Boulder flatirons. At this point, we are scheduled to exhibit Wicked Plants (2015) and RARE II (2017) at the Castle. Plans are in place for the Castle to host a RMSBA artist in residence program in 2016, details to be announced later.

Wildflower Report! [Don’t get your hopes up]

Saturday, May 30, I visited the meadow at the head of Witter Gulch Road at the intersection of CO 103 (Squaw Pass Road, Mt Evans…) to check on the wild iris and the shooting stars I’ve often found there. Surprise! Upper Bear Creek and the steep road to the meadow displayed only dandelions. A quick retreat to Evergreen and up to Alderfer-Three Sisters Park to have a look at the iris in the meadow, where we found – a few dandelions. Maybe next week…

Too much water

The recent rains have left the water in the South Platte River very high in Fort Morgan, as I found on a visit to Riverside Park there on Sunday. The water surface still is very near the bridge understructure, and the sandbars are covered completely. Gnat- and fly-catchers wait on line for another pass at the bugfest. The high velocity and tremendous force of the river are causing bank damage: the irregular black lines show where the pavement is collapsing along with the banks on the perimeter trail in the park. Guess what we found blooming? Dandelions. And a few lanky, tiny-yellow-flowered creatures I can’t identify. The wild rose hedge is really nice, though.

Supercell storms

Let us not dwell on the results of the unfortunate hailstorm that struck my Denver yard without provocation the night of June 4, leaving many dismembered rose blossoms and shredded iris and other wreckage in its wake. It could have been worse. We hope your plants have been spared the worst of the whirlwind and iceballs.