Palmengarten – Tuesday week 3 (and botanical form tips)

November 12, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

Back to almost normal for one day. I had my weekly class today instead of tomorrow as we are going up to London for the SBA Christmas meeting.

A lot of the teaching today was based around form and observing tonal values relative to the light source. Sometimes students find this a difficult area, particularly if the surface area of the subject is very uneven and absorbs the available light.

It can sometimes help to use a substitute smooth shape, to work out the underlying tonal values and thus the form. For example, with a spherical shape there might be difficulties in determining where the light falls and what is in shade, depth of shade and areas of reflective light. One can use a ball as a substitute and cover it with cling film to make the surface smooth. This will in turn reflect light well and highlight differences in tonal values creating a clearer three- dimensional form. The complications of texture, patterns and colour are reduced during this phase and can be added once the shape and form have been established.

Palmengarten news. Sue has had a good day at Palmengarten with a lot of interest again both in the gardens and the botanical art exhibition. She was very relieved to experience that this evening the trains were at last running normally and she got home at an acceptable time.

There are three new green dots on pictures indicating that they have been reserved!

Artwork by Sue Wickison

Artwork by Sarah Caswell & Linda Hampson

Artwork by Angeline De Meester & Sandra Armitage

Artwork by Elisabeth Sherras Clark & Sue Wickison

Society of Floral Painters (SFP) workshop day & Palmengarten

November 11, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

For a change I will tell you a little of what I have been up to today.

I mentioned a couple of days ago that I would be doing a fair amount of teaching this week. Today I did a workshop for the SFP. A couple of times a year they arrange workshops for members at a place called Bursledon just outside Southampton.

Bursledon is by the River Hamble and its Elephant Boatyard is on the site of the old ship building yards where Henry VIII’s fleet was built. But I didn’t get to do any sightseeing unfortunately.

The village hall where the workshops are held is very light and airy, but the light comes in all directions giving all round light. Difficult when you want to emphasise contrast and shadows creating form.

The topic of the workshop was Autumn Colours and the medium was coloured pencil. Some of the students were well into using coloured pencil in botanical art, some had played a bit with CP and some had collected the odd pencil and wanted to learn how to use them. We had only one day.

Because of time limitation (1 day), and unlike my usual workshops, I had to stay focused only on CP techniques, rather than the whole picture – initial drawing and composition. This meant that people had to have taken decisions about subject and composition before today, to be in readiness for laying CP.

I demonstrated the technique, answered questions and then let people put into practice what they had picked up from the demo and instruction. After that it was a question of going round and continuously checking progress, giving advice and solving individual issues.

I’m afraid that I only took a few pictures as I waited a little too late before remembering to take them. But there are two people from further west who are absolute gluttons for punishment, they got off on time, but are coming back for my three- day workshop at the weekend. I will definitely take photos of their results then.

Here are four of the results from today.

Don’t you think they are stunning? Three of the happy ladies (Maggie Roberts, Barbara Sampson and Ruth Roberts) considering if they are going to paint Medlar or not. I think that they were amazed that when painting subjects such as dead and dyeing leaves, you can really play with colours. They were so surprised to find out that dull brown also contains pale pinks, exhilarating magentas, delicate blues and of course vibrant reds and yellows.

To finish off this blog a few more of the exhibition pictures at Palmengarten.

Artwork by Sandra Armitage & Vickie Braithwaite.

Artwork by Cheryl Wilbraham & Yuriko Kojima

Artwork by Shevaun Doherty & Elisabeth Sherras Clark

Palmengarten – Sunday week 3

November 9, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

Sue Henon is at last back home after the train strike. Apparently it had completely paralysed Frankfurt – as well as the rest of Germany of course. The day before the strike happened, there was a mass exercise to find hotels in the city and if you weren’t early enough – too bad.

Speaking with Sue this evening, she told me just how empty the city was. Palmengarten always has a lot of visitors, but not over the last few days – that is until today. This of course affected the botanical art exhibition as no-one came in to view the works of art. However, the emptiness gave Sue an opportunity to plan her next talk for a tour round the exhibition.

But today, although transport was not hugely reliable, life returned to Palmengarten and she was very busy. Two more pictures got red dots on them and hopefully things will be fully back to normal tomorrow. Sue is looking forward to her one day off.

Artwork by Caroline Jackson Houlston, Marion Wilson and Sheila Etchingham

Artwork by Sue Wickison & Simon Williams

Artwork by Yoriko Kojima & Victoria Braithwaite

Artwork by Angeline De Meester & Billy Showell — Artwork by Angeline de Meester & Billy Showell

Yet another view of the Palm house on the morning of the Private view and opening, which was held that evening.

Palmengarten botanical art exhibition – 3rd weekend

November 8, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

What miserable weather we are having now – a reminder that winter is on the way. Only one week ago we had really warm weather – unseasonably so. It put us into a false sense of the cold and wet was still a long way away.

Now I have actually caught up with marking the assignments for the London Art College, so tomorrow I will have to catch up on other admin work as on Monday I am holding a coloured pencil workshop day for the Society of Floral Painters (SFP) just outside Southampton. When will I get back to painting?

I have moved my Wednesday class to Tuesday as I will be going up to London on Wednesday for the Society of Botanical Artists(SBA) Christmas meeting. Christmas!!?

Friday I start another three-day workshop on Autumn colours. I have one vacancy if anyone wants to fill that place let me know. Watercolour of Coloured Pencil.

More pictures from the Palmengarten exhibition? Here they are.

Artwork bySarah Wood, Amber Halsall & Sue Linton

Artwork byCaroline Jackson Houlston and Rosemary Lindsay,

A very unfortunate view along the other part of the L-shaped Palm House. Picture taken prior to setting up of Sales desk. Get a real idea from the picture shown in the blog 4 November.

Palmengarten – Thursday week 2

November 6, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

We haven’t heard anything from Sue today and hope that she is safely ensconced in the hotel in Frankfurt.

I have been marking assignments for LAC all day and I am still only halfway through them. But people have put so much work into their assignments that they deserve good feedback to move onwards.

More pictures. I gather that they are of great interest, hopefully not only to botanical artists. It would be lovely to get more people in the detail of what is our everyday.

Artwork byAngie Gray & Yvonne Glenister Hammond

Artwork byYvonne Glennister Hammond & Elizabeth Sherras Clark

Artwork byShevaun Doherty & Roberta Mattioli

Palmengarten – Wednesday week 2

November 6, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

Early this morning I heard from Sue Henon at Palmengarten, that yesterday evening until very late, she was getting in touch with loads of hotels in Frankfurt to try and find an affordable one for the duration of the strike. Apparently, as many people were out on the same quest, hotel prices were escalating rapidly. Eventually she found one in an area that wasn’t the best (every city has one), which she could afford. Hopefully it will be comfortable.

Sue tells me that the strike starts at 02:00 and lasts until 02:00 Monday morning. You may remember she takes her one day a week break on Monday, but luckily she has managed to get a lift home on Sunday evening after the exhibition closes for the day.

But as Sue will not be going home and won’t have access to a computer, I doubt that we will have any updates about the exhibition until Sunday evening at the earliest. However, if I get any news I will post it. In the meantime I intend to continue with posting the pictures I have from the exhibition.

On a personal note, today I had my normal weekly class. I am so lucky as there are six students who get on so well together. Four of them use watercolour and two coloured pencil. I do enjoy the class and their involvement in it.

This afternoon I have been marking assignments. I’m afraid that I haven’t got very far as the first two were completing the course. I therefore feel it, important to give a very full feedback so that they can continue working on their own. But if I can get more people interested in botanical art- so much the better.

Now the pictures. I wonder how many actually read what I have written, or just go through the pictures?

Artwork by Jenny Jowett & Vivien Burgess.

Artwork by Amber Halsall & Gaynor Dickeson

Artwork by Patricia Regnart, Angie Gray and Joanna Craig McFeeley

Artwork by Elizabeth Sherras Clark, Bridgette James and Gael Sellwood

Artwork by Sarah Caswell (sorry I didn't hold the camera [ or me ]very straight!) — Artwork by Sarah Caswell (sorry I didn’t hold the camera [ or me ]very straight!)

The outside wall of the Palm house looking up away from the reception area. A sneak preview before the e Hinton opened. Interst already.

Palmengarten – Tuesday week 2

November 5, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

It has apparently been a good day at the botanical art exhibition in the botanical gardens of Frankfurt, Palmengarten. They have had quite a few visitors there, interested in both the beautiful gardens and the exhibition.

But tomorrow Sue Henon who is manning the exhibition there will have her life made even more complicated.

Apparently there is to be a week long strike of the railways, starting in the evening. This means that she is now in search of somewhere to stay for the rest of the week as there is no other way in which she can get home tomorrow night and back again to the exhibition. But as she quite rightly says, her problem is no different to everyone else’s who travels into the city by train.

As a fellow member of the SBA I am hugely grateful to her for what she is doing for the society and for me as an individual; I too have some paintings in the exhibition.

Today I have been putting together some designs for new cards and downloading assignments ready to start marking after I have finished teaching my weekly class tomorrow (today actually!). Unfortunately the trip to Germany has left me a little behind with that work. As botanical art tutor for the London College of Art (LAC) I am really pleased to see that there seems to be an increase in interest for learning to paint botanically.

More pictures from the exhibition. Some of the artwork looks as though it isn’t hanging straight in the photos. But unfortunately it was me not hanging straight when I took the pictures!

Artwork by Guy William Eves, Gaynor Dickeson and Rachel Munn

The long wall in the Palm house and vitrines down the centre containing the prizes mentioned on the SBA facebook page, jewellary by Lesley Hall and Glassware by Jacqueline Allwood.

A total of 26 pictures now have red dots on them.

Palmengarten – Monday week 2

November 4, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

Very little to write about the Palmengarten botanical art exhibition today. This is Sue Henon’s one day off in the week, but she has been catching up on her admin work that has accumulated over the previous week. In the meantime the exhibition has continued, attracting a lot of interest.

I too have been busy at home also trying to catch up on accumulated work. I haven’t been back to the easel since I returned from Frankfurt and as I still get a lot of queries regarding Palmengarten, I can’t see me getting on top of things to carry on with my own work, for a few days yet.

But more pictures, I here you say.

Artwork by Sheila Etchingham, Kath Baker and Eiko Takano,

Artwork by Gill Jelley, Jenny Jowett, Charlotte Linder and Maggie Fitzpatrick

The Palm house botanical art sales desk .

Palmengarten botanical art exhibition – second weekend

November 3, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

Sue Henon our SBA member in Germany, has been ably manning the exhibition at Palmengarten, Frankfurt’s botanical gardens. She has been there every day and will do so every day except Monday’s until the exhibition ends. They have been very long days for her as she doesn’t actually live in Frankfurt but has to travel in on a daily basis. The SBA is hugely lucky to have her there and willing to give up a solid month of her time for us. This of course excludes all that she has done in the months leading up to the exhibition, that she will use in breaking down the exhibition and overseeing that pictures get safely into the right hands – buyers and artists.

During the exhibition, Sue, together with a botanist from the gardens, is giving some tours and talks about the pictures. The botanist of course talks about the topic of the exhibition, poisionous and medicinal plants, in relation to the pictures that are exhibited there. Sue talks about the botanical art, the different types of medium that the artists have used in their pictures and how It is applied. She also discusses the history of botanical art In Germany.

I understand from various quarters that these talks are enthusiastically received. I am told that the visiting public have appreciated getting a better understanding of botanical art and afterwards look a lot more closely at the pictures.

But, I think you are more interested in seeing some more of the artwork that is in the exhibition. I notice that yesterday one of the pictures fell out of the blog for some reason. I had also wanted to give you a better idea of the botanical art in situ in the Palmhouse. It is a beautiful area for exhibiting these pictures.