Botanical Art holiday in Norway

January 31, 2014April 4, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

The Botanical Art holiday workshop in Norway 29 June to 6 July will take place.

The holiday is booked with Thon Hotell, Åsgårdstrand. The studio overlooks the Oslo fjord and plants that are typical for Norway will be the topic.

Already I have bookings from students from different countries, all wanting to experience Norway in the middle of the summer when the weather is usually at its best.

The hotel has been really helpful so far with suggestions and support. The Norwegian Botany Organisation too has been supportive and want to help get the plants for us to draw or paint.

The only two uncertain things at this time are the names of the people who will be attending ( there are still some places available) and the weather. But apart from super accommodation and opportunities to enjoy the best of Norway, there will definitely be good botanical art teaching and good company.

There will be no more than 12 students so that each person gets individual attention at their own level. Although the workshop is still several months away, it is worth booking it as soon as possible to ensure a place.

Look on www.gaynorsflora.com for more details, links to ‘what to see’ and your booking form.

Thank you to the Thon Hotell, Åsgårdstrand for the picture of their view of the Oslo Fjord.

RHS exhibition: 10 weeks to go!

January 26, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

The weather isn’t getting any easier yet, in fact, today whilst painting in my shed I got quite scared. That is not me! The sun had been shining, but a large cloud was beginning to darken the sky. Suddenly it started blowing so much that the shed was actually shaking. I have never experienced that before. Even the cats sat up and took notice.

I am ploughing on with the pictures for the RHS exhibition in London in April. I now have the Malus Everest picture finished – I think. I have used exactly the same type of dissections for this painting as the other one. You saw the longitudinal section of the last picture. Guess what this is. You know which crab apple this is, so try and see which part it is.

All the pictures are being done in coloured pencil. I had thought to do the dissections in graphite, in the same way as in other illustrative paintings. However, I have chosen to continue them in colour in this series of paintings.

RHS exhibition: twelve weeks to go!

January 15, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

I have my work cut out to get my six pictures ready for the RHS botanical art exhibition during the Orchid show in April.

The series of six crab apple trees is well on the way. The apples are painted in all six pictures. I have done all the sketches and colours for the blossom ( done two years ago); all the sketches for my dissections were done last year; all of the apple dissections are sketched and ready to go. It is now a matter of putting it altogether in the finest detail and with my best techniques.

I have just completed the first picture. It is the Malus ‘ gorgeous’. I will give you a little glimpse at the end, but to see the completed picture I will encourage you to come to the RHS exhibition itself.

I will ask for one bit of help though. I need to include the Latin names for each of my apples and I can’t find all of them. If you know them, please let me know. The pictures will be, M. Gorgeous, M. Golden hornet, M. Evereste, M. Red sentinel, M. Red jade, & M. John Downey.

I’m afraid that this photo is not too brilliant – a little dark. Even more reason to see it in real life. Just pray I get all the pictures finished and retaining a good standard.

First botanical art workshop in 2014, 16-17 January

January 6, 2014April 4, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

Happy New year and plenty of botanical art.

I have two workshops in January, in Bosham Nr. Chichester. The first is ‘Colour mixing in Botanical art with Coloured pencil’ and the second is the same theme only using watercolour.

The first workshop is for anyone interested in working with coloured pencil if they already do so, or they would like to learn. Therefore it will be a good one both for new beginners and experienced.

We have all had the same problem now and again haven’t we, that we just can’t mix the right colour ? Well this workshop will be focusing on how to get it right. Getting the right depth of colour with coloured pencil is a matter of mixing the colours optically on the paper. We don’t always have the right colour to hand and, if we did, it is likely to be flat and boring without depth to it. Come and learn how to do it.

Thursday and Friday 16-17 January between 10:00-16:00. Get in touch via my website gaynorsflora.com. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

This is a snippet from that on which I am working towards the RHS exhibition in April. It is in coloured pencil:

Happy Christmas and a productive New Year

December 25, 2013April 4, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

Thank you to everyone who has followed Gaynors Flora via my website, blog, Twitter and Facebook. Thank you too for the support of family and friends whilst I have been working in my ‘shed’, exhibiting or teaching botanical art.

Pen and Ink student update

December 21, 2013April 4, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

Yesterday I had my last botanical art class before Christmas. Two of my students had continued with the pictures they had started on the Pen and Ink workshop and they proudly finished them yesterday.

I too am proud to show the pictures here. Both chose to do hydrangeas, although initially they had thought it would be too difficult. I think you will agree with me that they have produced lovely and entirely different pictures.

At last, the Botanical Art Holiday in Norway detail

December 12, 2013April 4, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

Link to webpage for information and booking downloads

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How did the Pen & Ink workshop go?

December 1, 2013April 4, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

‘Thanks so much for a brilliant 2 days. I thoroughly enjoyed it all!’

I got this email as soon as the student had returned home after the Pen & ink workshop. Is it any wonder that I enjoy teaching when I get a response like this?

I had a full workshop and you have already seen the step by step series I had prepared. If you want to know what each of the steps entails, you will need to sign up for one of the workshops next year.

Each of those taking part worked really hard, expressed their pleasure in having done the workshop and several want to practice the technique more. Most of the students hadn’t intended drawing a Hydrangea as they thought it too difficult. But, after showing them the technique all but one attempted it. These are some of the results:

They are good aren’t they?

A botanical art workshop in Norway is coming

November 26, 2013April 4, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

Would you like to do a botanical art workshop in Norway? Would you like to do this in Edvard Munch’s home town of Åsgårdstrand near Tønsberg in South Eastern Norway? Now is your chance.

Recently some of my students asked me to organise a summer painting holiday in Norway. I have been making enquires and this is very likely to happen from 29th June next year for one week.

The hotel in which we will stay lies on the coast along the Oslo fjord and the room in which we will be painting looks directly out onto the sea with east facing natural light. This is a fantastic time of year with long hours of daylight for us to enjoy.

Obviously, the intention is have a botanical art workshop, but I also want you to have time to relax and to look around the area. I have yet to arrange all the details, but I plan an afternoon tour of Edvard Munch’s home and studio where ‘The Scream’ was born.

Please let me know if you would like to join us as soon as possible as I keep my classes small so that I can give everyone the individual attention they need.

Hear are a few pictures from the beautiful area around Tønsberg, Nøtterøy and the islands in the area. Are they tempting you? Do the brilliant colours make you want to paint?