Botanical art Painting holiday in Norway 2015

December 10, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

The SBA botanical art exhibition in Palmengarten, Frankfurt, has almost left my to-do list for this year! Our SBA member Sue Henon and Palmengarten have already started having meetings about the next exhibition in 2016, but I will now have nearly a year free to decide about any involvement I might or might not have.

The pictures that came back are nearly all out of the house and there is only one last collection due. The house almost looks empty – so much so, that I can now see all the dust that quickly collected when so many people were in and out of the house collecting pictures. We will have exactly six days to clear up before our Christmas guests arrive!

As so many people were coming and going, I decided it was best to leave the Acanthus work in the house so that I could do a little of it whilst waiting for people to arrive. This is where I have got to with the picture. It is taking its time.

More importantly for me – and hopefully for a few of you out there, I now have all the details for the next Botanical Art workshop holiday in Norway. By clicking on the image below you will be linked to my website to download further information including the booking forms.

Bosham craft trail and Palmengarten pictures!

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

As usual life is hectic, but once we got everything ready for the Bosham Crafts trail and pictures were hung, I could relax. That was 02:00 in the morning in Friday.

We had a very good trail and although this is the first time we have done it at this time of year, I was very pleased with the number of people who came to see us and of course what they took with them and left behind! I was even more pleased that very occasionally in between visitors, I was able to carry on with my Bear’s Britches(Acanthus).

I will show you a couple of pictures prior to visitors, but compare them with a couple of them at the end of this blog.

Now imagine the nice and cosy relaxed atmosphere of the last pictures and then imagine today!

About 160+ pictures came back from Palmengarten today, at the same time as students arrived, at the same time as other visitors arrived – including a policeman on duty!

All the pictures had to be checked off the van and into the house, then sorted. As did returning cards, books, banners and paperwork! What happened to my poor students unexpectedly up in the middle of this? The pictures were due to arrive yesterday! They were really lovely and understanding, as was my husband who had delayed his trip up to London today so he could help, as were my other visitors. But chaos reigned.

I am now sitting with a cup o tea and a cat trying to add to this blog. I am surrounded by this-

And left with this!

Palmengarten botanical art exhibition – Wednesday last week

November 20, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

A good class this morning and progression with the brochure for the Norwegian botanical art holiday.

I have heard from Sue Henon that we have two further red dots on pictures. I am so glad that botanical art is being so warmly appreciated in Frankfurt. It would be lovely if we could awaken a similar interest in Norway.

Some more pictures. This time they are three pictures by Norma Gregory. I first met Norma when I first exhibited with the RHS. She won another Gold Medal with her fantastic paintings of roots. Amongst others was a Rhubarb plant which I will never forget. The RHS added that picture to their Lindley collection.

Solanum tuberosum 'Potato'. Watercolour by © Norma Gregory — Solanum tuberosum ‘Potato’. Watercolour by © Norma Gregory

Cynara scolymus 'Globe artichoke'. watercolour by © Norma Gregory — Cynara scolymus ‘Globe artichoke’. watercolour by © Norma Gregory

Rosa gallica 'Versicolor' Rosa Mundi. Watercolour by © Norma Gregory — Rosa gallica ‘Versicolor’ Rosa Mundi. Watercolour by © Norma Gregory

But now you are possibly ready for a couple of pictures in a different style coloured pencil than those shown yesterday. These two pictures are by Sue Henon and are on coloured paper.

Hyacinthus orientalis , 'Hyacinth I'. Coloured pencil by © Sue Henon — Hyacinthus orientalis , ‘Hyacinth I’. Coloured pencil by © Sue Henon

Hyacinthus orientalis , 'Hyacinth II'. Coloured pencil by © Sue Henon — Hyacinthus orientalis , ‘Hyacinth II’. Coloured pencil by © Sue Henon

Palmengarten exhibition – Last Tuesday

November 18, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

In trying to catch up my own paperwork today (not that I have succeeded), I have at least put in the forms for the Chichester Open Studio event starting the weekend of the May Bank holiday in 2015. One box ticked off.

Since then I have been putting together my brochure for the Botanical Art Holiday in Norway 28th June to 5th July at Åsgårdstrand, near Tønsberg in south eastern Norway. A beautiful area, with lovely light and very peaceful. The brochure still isn’t finished.

People who might have their pictures returned from Palmengarten after the exhibition are arranging dates with me for collection. That is good as I will want to put my family up for Christmas!

I have my weekday class tomorrow morning and then its back to the grindstone in the shed.

Many of the artworks at Palmengarten have made quite an impression on me and some the artists have helped me considerably on my journey. The pictures that I will show for the rest of the week are a mix of these.

I love working with coloured pencil and although all of these pictures are not CP, the ones I am showing you today are by the artist who first taught me to use this medium – Susan Christopher Coulson.

The fourth picture by Maggie Fitzpatrick is just a picture that stood out for me. It isn’t big and flamboyant, but beautifully delicate. Please enjoy them as much as I have. Sorry they are wonky!

The Dose Makes the Poison - Coloured pencil. Susan Christopher Coulson — The Dose Makes the Poison – Coloured pencil. Susan Christopher Coulson

Medieval Medicinals from an Apothecary’s Garden. Coloured Pencil by Susan Christopher Coulson

Cures from the Potager Garden. Coloured pencil by Susan Christopher Coulson

Ivy &White Bryony on Horse Chestnut branch. Watercolour by Maggie Fitzpatrick

Palmengarten – Thursday week three

November 14, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

I hope that you realise why I’m titling the blog in this way. It is to let you know how long the Palmengarten exhibition is on and therefore how long before you miss the opportunity to go and see it. (That almost sounds like a double negative). Next week is the last week.

I have been working on the pamphlets to advertise the workshop 28 June to 5 July 2015 in Norway. I hope that it won’t take too long, but I am waiting on flight schedules for summer 2015 to Oslo Torp airport.

Tomorrow, and for the next three days I have a workshop based on the beautiful, autumn colours. It will be interesting to see what sort of subjects students will bring with them. I will of course show some of the results.

But back to Palmengarten.

Artwork by Claire Ward, Rosemary Lindsay, Anne Lawton, Denise Heywood Mills and Gael Sellwood.

Artwork by Maya Thomi-Luck, Gael Sellwood, Janet Pope and Penny Gould.

Milling visitors at the opening of the Palmengarten exhibition.

Artwork by Maya Thomi-Luck

Artwork by Penny Brown, Christine Flintham, Charlotte Linder and Sheila Etchingham

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 – 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.