Tomorrow a Super Blood Blue Moon!

So go out east and see what Grandmother at perigee looks like coming up over the horizon.

Reminder: Membership dues for 2018 must be submitted now. Please check the box for RMSBA when you go the ASBA renewal site.

Open Studio at Carol Till’s was instructive and fun. Your Editor learned all about mistakes and ways to do it wrong(ly). Sorry you weren’t there with these ladies:

Next Open Studio will convene at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science for some display sketching. Contact Vanessa Martin for details and to participate. Bring a stool, a drawing board… and, of course, your own personally preferred media and substrates.

ArtCozy assemblers needed. Volunteer to help Judy Vanderbosch finish the RMSBA Art Cozies and you will be rewarded [we are not one bit above bribery around here] with a FREE Art Cozie!

Thursday February 1st from 9:30 am to 3 pm. Lunch and snacks provided. You do not need to have any sewing experience to volunteer!

We need about 6 people to do:

 - Stamping, cutting out and ironing RMSBA labels.

 - Cutting, plastic pockets (need to know how to use a rotary cutter)

 - Cutting fleece for bags with a rotary cutter.

 - Sewing on labels and plastic pocket.

I have 2 machines that should be enough for this session but if you have one you would like to bring that is good. Also rotary cutters would be good to bring. I have the needed supplies for the rest. Any questions just call.

Please RSVP to Judy at redbudart@gmail.com  303-375-7718

‘Lost in the Woods’ is open for entries at OnlineJuriedShows.  Deadline for entry is May 15, 2018.  The show will open at the Valkarie Gallery in Lakewood.

 

Installation is on Monday, June 18, with an Opening Reception on Saturday, June 23. First Friday event on July 7! Artists will be implored to attend, to mingle and discuss…

RMSBA Executive Board meeting on January 14 was attended by these officers and members:

Eileen Richardson – President (new!)

Vanessa Martin – Interim Treasurer (new!)

Irma Sturgill - Exhibits co-chair

Shiere Melin - Exhibits co-chair

Kristi Czajkowski – Secretary

Martha Narey – Communications editor

Dorothy DePaulo – Logistics chair

Sharon Garret – RARE exhibit chair

Susan Fisher – Director emerita

Carol Till - member

Judy Vanderbosch – member

The Board extends great thanks to Ronda Ballard for her service as Treasurer, 2015-2017.

Inasmuch as a few unclaimed originals are still in exhibit chairs hands following the RARE shows (yes, even from RARE I), and a number of prints and other materials, the Boards announces the establishment of a left-work maximum period of 30 days following the closing of an RMSBA show, juried or nonjuried. Participants must retrieve, or make alternative arrangements with the Exhibit Chair(s), all originals and unsold accompanying materials by 30 days after the closing. Any unclaimed artworks will be offered for sale by RMSBA, and the proceeds shall accrue to the RMSBA treasury. This proposed By-law change will avoid burdening any member serving as exhibit chair.

2018 Member Meeting Schedule

March 18. Location TBD (a week earlier than usual: the 25th is Palm Sunday)

June 24. General meeting at the Bel Mar Library in Lakewood (attendees can see “Lost in the Woods” at the Valkyrie Gallery after the meeting!)

September 30. Location TBD

December 9. Holiday Party

Scotland’s Horticultural Society invites the Cream of the Crop to participate in BISCOT 2018, so if you are among them, check this out here.

Any botanical specimen.

Eligible to show at BISCOT 2018 are:

Anyone awarded a Gold or Silver-gilt award from an RHS Botanical Art Show

Graduates of the RBGE Botanical Illustration Course who hold a Diploma with Distinction

Artists who have passed the BISCOT assessment in 2017 or previously

… by Valentine’s Day, folks. Deadline is February 14, 2018.

The Kirkland Museum of Fine Art and Decoration will open its new building at 12^th and Bannock in Denver with an exhibit of Colorado prints on March 10.

March will be the Month of Printmaking. Events include a studio tour on Saturday, March 24 from 10 to 4, and Carol Till’s studio will be among those open. Carol will also host an open house on Sunday, March 25, from 10 to 4. Mo’Info on Mo’Print later.

Stock Show! National Western Wool Show!

Reminder: Executive Board meeting on January 14, 2018, to review and preview and make plans. The next member meeting is on March 25. What would you like to see happening in 2018? Any member who wants to propose an agenda item, or who has suggestions about the coming year, should contact a board member or plan to attend. We gather at Noon on 1/14 at Hooked on Colfax.

Reminder: Membership dues for 2018 are due now. Please check the box for RMSBA when you go the ASBA renewal site.

Extended Exhibits! Through May 2018, “Cannabis: A Visual Perspective” remains on display at the University of Colorado Natural History Museum in Boulder, after which it will move to the Paquette Gallery at the SteamPlant museum in Salida. Participating artists offering prints or cards/postcards for sale at the Salida venue when the Cannabis exhibit moves in June should package the inventory and deliver to Vanessa Martin before May 31, 2018, the installation date in Salida.

“Whimsy: Botanical Art & Illustration” remains at the Denver Botanic Gardens through August 2018, after which the exhibition is expected to travel to other venues, including museums, libraries and universities.

Call for Entries: The RMSBA show “Lost in the Woods” will open for entries on January 15, 2018, as specified in excruciating detail at OnlineJuriedShows. Entry fee for RMSBA members is $20 per entry plus $5 for each additional entry. Non-members entry fee is $30 per entry plus $5 for each additional entry. May 15, 2018, is the deadline for entries and all fees. Get those portraits prepared and send in images. We look forward to following those breadcrumbs through the forests…

ASBA 21^st International exhibit is now accepting entries. The Preferred Plant List is based on the collections of the Wave Hill public garden and culture center in New York, but other species will be considered.

Holiday party update: Terrific food and great camaraderie as always. Sharon Garrett received a Sarah Simblet book from the board as a token of gratitude for her labors and efforts with the RARE II exhibit over several years, from concept development to completion of an extended tour.  Many thanks to Shiere for hosting in her beautiful home and Eileen for the food.

Reprise on the ASBA 2017 Conference in San Francisco, a smoky event; we were all reminded of how quickly our lives can change. Some ASBA members lost their homes to the raging fires and more had to be evacuated. Several flights into San Francisco International were delayed because of the smoke, etc. Despite all, we rallied for a really good time. We visited Alcatraz, Golden Gate Park and Filoli.  We got to see the Florilegia at both Filoli and Alcatraz.  It was a great conference and we look forward to next year’s conference in St. Louis – the Missouri Botanical Gardens are wonderful.

Celebrations!

Winter holidays began this year with Channukah; Solstice, “Festivus”, Christmas, Kwazaa / Boxing Day, New Year’s Day / Circumcision, Three Kings’ Day / Epiphany carry us into 2018. If I missed one, let me know.

Holiday cards from some of your Board members:

Vanessa Martin

Irma Sturgell

If other Board members send me images, I’ll post those cards here, too.

Officer changes: At the December 10 meeting and Holiday Party, where a good time was had by all, Vanessa Martin nominated President-elect Eileen Richardson as president; the nomination was approved by unanimous voice vote. Susan Fisher nominated Vanessa Martin as interim treasurer; the nomination was approved by unanimous voice vote.

Reminder: Open Studio at Carol Till’s on Wednesday, January 10, 10 am – 2 pm. On the agenda: printmaking!

Carol will continue to encourage us in the art of making embossments from solar plates (we’ll be hoping for sunshine!), and guide attendees on additional embossing techniques, building on those learned at the November open studio.

Note from Carol to experienced printmakers: If you want to run some prints from a zinc or solar plate that you have, bring it and your own paper, and take advantage of my press. I have limited ink colors, mostly black/earth tones.

As usual, bring something for advice/critique/show-off!

Here is a great opportunity to learn more about this printmaking technique - embossments.

Carol Till's Studio:

 3665 Estes street

 Wheat Ridge, CO

 phone: 303 423-2697

RSVP at caroltill@mindspring.com.

Reminder: Executive Board meeting on January 14, 2018, to review and preview and make plans. Any member who wants to propose an agenda item should contact a board member, or plan to attend.

Exhibits: RMSBA members selected for the US Botanic Gardens “America’s Flora” (opening May 2018) are Constance Sayas, Dorothy DePaolo, Sharon Garrett, and Vanessa Martin. Congratulations, Ladies! Through January 2018, “Cannabis: A Visual Perspective” remains on display at the University of Colorado Natural History Museum in Boulder. “Whimsy: Botanical Art & Illustration” is on view at the Denver Botanic Gardens until February 11, 2018. Keep your eye on this space for a Call for “Lost in the Woods” and related upcoming announcements.

Road trip: Missing all of this activity, your Editor spent 2-1/2 weeks visiting the southern deserts and the Tucson area, and the southern Colorado Plateau. Visited amazing places traveling to and from. Great bird spots at Bosque del Apache NWR (and lesser-known wetlands). Watched CSU lose at the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque. Best Lunch: The Oracle Inn, Oracle, AZ. Best Sunday Lunch: El Paraguas, Espanola, NM.

Saguaro NP _ Rincon

Pincushion 

Bird Nest in Cholla

May your New Year be merry and bright – and creative!

Winter Holiday Season Approaches at Lightspeed

Ah, Thanksgiving. Perhaps you gained only two or three pounds over the annual chow-down shop-fest 4-day excesses event. Lucky you. Now only three weeks to get trim for the next stuffing…

Open Studio with Carol Till was a big success. Seven members joined her to celebrate her birthday, make solar plate exposures in conditions of perfect sunshine, and make prints using her wonderful press, including chine colle. She explained all with great patience and good advice. Thank you, Carol.

…and here, your Editor’s efforts:

Solarplate embossment printing with colored inks

We all had so much fun she agreed to do it again in January! So save January 10…

Notice: Open Studio will not convene for December, as everyone is totally busy.

Exhibits: “Cannabis: A Visual Perspective” remains on display at the University of Colorado Natural History Museum in Boulder through January 2018. “Whimsy: Botanical Art & Illustration” is on view at the Denver Botanic Gardens into February 2018.

RMSBA Annual Holiday Party is December 10 at Shiere Melin’s in Arvada. Be sure to RSVP to her via your email invitation.

Election Tuesday – Remember to Vote

Reminder: Open Studio at Carol Till’s on Wednesday, November 8, 10 am – 2 pm. On the agenda: printmaking!

Carol will introduce us to the art of making embossments from solar plates (we’ll be hoping for sunshine!). Carol has small 4-6” pieces that you can use to make your own embossment plate. Ink and paper are provided.

Note from Carol to experienced printmakers: If you want to run some prints from a zinc or solar plate that you have, bring it and your own paper, and take advantage of my press. I have limited ink colors, mostly black/earth tones.

As usual, bring something for advice/critique/show-off!

Carol Till's Studio:

 3665 Estes street

 Wheat Ridge, CO

 phone: 303 423-2697

RSVP at caroltill@mindspring.com.

Example embossment rolled with ink:

An embossment printed over an etching to add texture:

 Join us!

Boo!

Dates 10/31 Halloween (All Hallows Eve; Samhain to Wiccans); 11/1 All Saints Day (All Hallows); 11/2 All Souls Day (Dia de los muertos in Mexico: Day of the Dead to honor one’s ancestors), Now that’s all set…

Reminder: Open Studio at Carol Till’s on November 8. On the agenda: printmaking!

Cannabis runs ‘till 1/31/2018 at the CU Museum of natural History. Go visit.

RARE II came down on October 9, following a nearly two and a half year tour of Colorado and New Mexico: six original venues and four add-ons. What a show!

ASBA-by-the-Bay. Who went? What happened?

There’s Still Hope for a Rocktober, Baseball Fans

Check out this link: Postcards from Denver. Only a few seats left!

POSTCARDS FROM….Denver a four-day Primer & Plein Air watercolor workshop

Thurs, Sept 28 – Sun, Oct 1, 2017 • 9:30am – 4:00pm The Art Gym, 1460 Leyden St., Denver Instructors: Marjorie Leggitt and Leon Loughridge

Happy Independence Day (Feliz Día de la Independencia) yesterday, Mexico

Member meeting in Broomfield at the Mamie Doud Eisenhower Library, 1 - 3 pm, September 24, which is Sunday. Location: 3 Community Park Rd, Broomfield, Colorado; we will be in the Eisenhower room.  Check your email for more details.

Exhibit snapshot from “Cannabis: A Visual Perspective”:

… and there’s more!

Be sure to visit full-sized, framed, lovely show at the CU Museum of Natural History!

Shows and Shows

RMSBA exhibit at CU makes the News. Nice mention of “Cannabis: A Visual Perspective” in the Health News section of the Sunday Washington Post. RMSBA artists get kudos. Other appearances in media about the show can be found at the Boulder Daily Camera (includes an interview with Susan Fisher), Culture magazine, the Hemponaire online guide, and perhaps there are others out there, too. If you find some, let us know.

We had a very lively opening reception for “Cannabis” on September 7 at the CUMNH. The show is coherent and beautifully hung along a single wall, with the scientific posters on an adjacent wall, all very effective. More guests than we usually expect, as all those scientists came, too. If you went and took pictures, please send a copy to your Editor, who will post them.

Heidi Snyder is cover artist for this month’s Botanical Artist. Her intricate illustration of Canyon Hackberry (Celtis reticulata) is the only representative by an RMSBA colleague in the ASBA exhibit “Out of the Woods.” Well, ok, we live in grasslands and deserts… Congratulations to Heidi for gettin’ in, and for having made so compelling and beautiful an artwork that ASBA published it on the cover, where we can all see it.

Reminder: Bring your Flash Drive to Open Studio Wednesday, September 13, 10 am – 2 pm, at Judy Vanderbosch’s studio at 6585 E Colorado Dr, Denver, 303-375-7718. Turn east off Monaco. email: redbudart@gmail.com.

“Cannabis: A Visual Perspective” landing now

Nice post Labor Day at the SBAI Blog promoting our exhibit at CUMNH in Boulder.

Open Studio invitation from Judy Vanderbosch:

Scanning at Open Studio

September 13, Wednesday 10am to 2pm

Judy Vanderbosch Studio

Judy has a large scanner for 12” x 17” images which can professionally scan high dpi, tiff, jpg. Be thinking about all the possible needs such as for printing, email, or entering shows which each image needs a different dpi or tiff or jpg. Judy can scan your piece for all these possibilities so you are ready for anything. She will scan all day free to RMSBA members. 

Judy is also a graphic artist and worked for several printing companies. She will give us some hints on how to set up art for printing and scanning. How to look for and talk to a printer. Please bring your Flash Drive to transfer your scans too. It is not possible to transfer the files thru the internet.

Soup and bread will be provided for lunch and bring your projects to work on while others are getting their art scanned. Plenty of parking!

Address:

6585 E Colorado Dr

Denver, Colorado 80224

phone: 303-375-7718

email: redbudart@gmail.com

Thanks, Judy. We’ll see you on the 13^th.

You're Invited!

Delivery Day!!! and happy Labor Day weekend

TODAY is the day to deliver your art for “Cannabis: A Visual Perspective” to Shiere Melin at her home in northwest Arvada. Check your notice of acceptance into the show for the exact address – or consult your ASBA Member Directory.

Boulder’s Daily Camera announces our exhibit at this internet address. Let’s hope for enhanced attendance!

Taste of Colorado occupies Civic Center Park and environs, closing Colfax Av from Cherokee to Lincoln until 6 am on Tuesday, September 5. Parking is in Cheyenne… J

Traffic may be fair to partly awful as a result of the CU-CSU game. Stay off I25.

DU new students move in on Labor Day, so traffic will be greater in the University Park area, and Evans & University likely a mess. Welcome, Pioneers.

Labor Day approaches – Remember to use your breaks and vacation days that cost so much struggle

Friday, September 1, is turn-in day for your art for the Cannabis exhibit. Check your acceptance notice for any final procedures and deliver your stuff to Shiere Melin. The Opening Reception is next week in Boulder.

Open Studio on September 13, 10 am - 2 pm, to be hosted by Judy Vanderbosch at her Redbud Studio, 6585 E Colorado Dr, near Cook Park in southeast Denver. Join us (suggest intent via this link) for whatever might be your Open Studio pleasure, as Judy takes us through some scanning demos and opportunities.

Catalog cover

On the Road Again. Vail was lovely on Saturday for the last event for our  RARE II exhibit. Some clouds kept sun intensity down at the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens Education Center hosting our exhibit and the reception. The permanent displays about alpine regions and ecology welcomed and embraced our artworks like long-lost cousins. The venue is at the west end of Gerald Ford Park. 

We opened RARE II in Durango in May 2015 at the Center of Southwest Studies amid the lovely cultural artifacts of the Colorado Plateau, basketry and pottery. We close this exhibit in the world's highest botanic garden, among the Alpine plants in their enchanting setting.

Panels from Ft Lewis College fit the doors

We hope this final venue gets plenty of visitors. If your travels take you west on I-70 during the next couple months, remember that admission is free, and you need to take a break from driving and get a little exercise.

Gallery reception

Patti Hearn's Artist posters & Martha Narey's Map posters survived

Nanette Kuich chats with Jan Boyd Haring

Visitors

Dorothy DePaulo signs in 

Vanessa Martin & Ann Fleming at permanent display

Alas for South Texas. My relations and connections all are ok, but lots of folks are in distress. As long as that storm system stays in place, it moves moisture off the ocean surface and delivers rain to the land, especially in the areas east to north of the eye. Streams can’t drain, roads flood and livestock drown. Sewage and petrochemicals in the water, serious problems ahead with structures. The highway system is designed to slow floodwaters by ponding up – we can see that’s workin’. Keep your fingers crossed for all residents. I expect the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center is pretty well silted up, as are the other gardens and arboreta in the area. The Menil Art Collection is on low ground, too, I think.

Weeping Angel in Houston Cemetery

Texas Ecosystems

Wooden Elevation Model - Flooded! 

Today's Texas Navy

ASBA 2017 – Registration proceeds… new instructions… new information…

Deadline Day!!!

TODAY is the last day to submit your art for the Cannabis exhibit. You have until midnight (likely Eastern Daylight Time) to participate and send in your stuff. Wait no longer.

Open Studio on both September 13 and October 11, 10 am - 2 pm, will be hosted by Judy Vanderbosch at her Redbud Studio in southeast Denver near Cook Park. Join us (suggest intent via this link) for whatever might be your Open Studio pleasure, as Judy takes us through some scanning demos and opportunities. By October’s Open Studio, you might have your holiday cards ready for scans…

Monsoon Season Cool(ish) & Damp

Open Studio August 9 at the Mercury Café, 2199 California St, 10 am - 2 pm. Join us (suggest intent via this link) for whatever might be your Open Studio pleasure.

Cannabis show deadline approaches at light speed. Participate and send in your stuff. Contact Vanessa Martin if you need last-minute access to plant materials.

RARE II opens in Vail at the Betty Ford Gardens on Saturday, August 26, reception 3 – 5 pm. This is the Last Known Venue for RARE II so come up for the sendoff.

Wildflower report from Clear Creek County. The Guanella Pass road is covered like a carpet with coneflowers from Clear Lake all the way to timberline.

                           

The rest of the Clear Creek Corridor is in lively color as well. 

ASBA 2017 – Well, registration proceeds… new instructions…