Orchid Show

March 8- 10, 2013

Earl Warren Fairgrounds

Santa Barbara, California

Off to the Orchid Show in Santa Barbara!

Looking forward to buying some beautiful Orchids to draw.

Thinking of making note cards of various varieties of Orchids, so this will really be helpful

The theme this year was Orchids in Focus, so many of the displays had a motion picture theme.

One of my favorite displays was from a local grower Zuma Canyon Orchids.

Such beautiful award winning displays of white Orchids

My favorites were all the crazy looking Orchids

Love all the color combinations

This is the variety I purchased and can't wait to start drawing

There were many beautiful entries in the art area.  Next year I hope to enter all my Orchid Greeting Cards.

Met another botanical illustrator Linda Ann Vorobik from Washington State.

She had some beautiful greeting cards, bookmarks and amazing silk scarves for sale at her booth.

Nancy at I at the Orchid Show. 

What a great time we had!

Happy Drawing friends :)

Casa del Herrero

Casa del Herrero, located in Montecito near Santa Barbara, California

This estate is included on the National Register of Historic Places and a National Historic Landmark.

I visited Casa del Herrero in January to meet with Molly Barker the director about arranging to have an artist from England to teach a Botanical Art class later in 2013.  The estate is planning on hosting art workshops in the coming years.

The 1920's estate was designed and constructed in the Spanish Colonial Revival style of architecture,

The principal architect of the house was George Washington Smith, one of the architects credited with creating the Santa Barbara's rich legacy of Spanish Colonial Revival design.

The estate covers 11 acres in Montecito with gardens designed in the Moorish style.

In the early 1930's George Steedman worked with architect Floyd Brewster on the design of his workshop. Steedman became interested in silversmithing in the mid 1920's and in 1927 studied with George Gebelein, the foremost American silversmith, in Boston

To take a tour of Casa del Herrero and for more information on the estate, visit their website at www.casadelherrero.com

Stay tuned for more details in the months to come.

Huntington Gardens Botanical Drawing

The Huntington

Founded in 1919 in Pasadena, California.

The gardens cover 120 acres including Rose Gardens, Japanese Gardens, Chinese Gardens plus a dozen other specialty gardens.

Botanical Drawing workshop with art instructor Lisa Pompelli.

 

Always so much going on at The Huntington, even in December

 

 

Diana launches her arrow ... seemingly into the dome of the gallery outside the Huntington Library. There's a legend that sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington used an 18-year-old Bette Davis as the model.

 

Art instructor extraordinaire, Lisa Pompelli working with a student

 

 

 

 Conservatory & Workrooms

 

Art students hard at work

 

One of my botanical drawings done in graphite that I worked on during the 3 weeks of class.

 

Looking forward to future classes with Lisa :)

Denver Botanical Gardens

Ann Swan Workshop

at the Denver Botanical Gardens

October 2012

 Sead Pods and Leaves and all things Leafy

Ann Swan, hard at work!

 

Seed Pod drawings from some of the students.

 

 

 

My maple leaf drawing - Colored Pencil & Graphite

 

 

Holiday Chalet

A Victorian Bed and Breakfast in Denver

 

 

Burrrrrr..... It got a bit chilly in Denver when I was there.

Added to the magic in Denver

 

 

 

 

Faber Castell Factory in Germany

While on a holiday in Germany, I talked my husband into making a stop at the Faber Castell Factory near Nuremberg, Germany.  Faber Castell was founded in 1761 and is still owned by the descendants of the original founder, Kasper Faber, 250 years later.

 Their pencils are one of my favorites and I couldn't help but go into the shop and buy some pencils I needed and a few other goodies.

The showroom of the Faber Castell shop is beautiful.  Everything is out for you to look at and touch.

Its fun to see all the new merchandise!

The Faber Castell Factory!

The original Castle!

Beautiful statue of founder, Kasper Faber.

Happy Painting to all my art friends!

Grow! A Garden Festival

Los Angeles Arboretum

May 4th - 6th, 2012

Went to the Los Angeles Arboretum to meet some of members of the ASBA (American Society of Botanical Artists. 

Members of BAGSC (Botanical Art Guild of Southern California,

Estelle DeRidder - SBA, Janice Sharp & Leslie Walker

They had a nice display of some of their artwork and were selling art and beautiful note cards.

Spent a couple hours walking around the Arboretum.  Here is a photo of the beautiful Queens Cottage on the grounds of the Arboretum

Got some great ideas for new color pencil art!

 

Bought a wonderful Nepenthe's plant.  Can't wait to start drawing!

What a great way to spend an afternoon with my husband!

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Ann Swan Colored Pencil Workshop

My travels to England!

I arrived in London on Friday, April 6th and then hopped on a train for an hour to Dedham, England.  To give you some history, Colchester near Dedham is the oldest recorded town in England, it was such a magical little town, located in the South East part of England not far from the English Channel. 

The workshop and accommodations were held in Dedham Hall which is a 15th century Manor House with a wonderful restaurant called The Fountain House.  The proprietors, Jim and Wendy were amazing.  Jim picked me up from the train station and got me settled before dinner.  Wendy amongst other things is an amazing chef.  All the meals were works of art and utterly delicious, I ate very well when I was there.

Saturday before meeting with the rest of the students I ventured off on one of my walks and discovered the foot paths that cover all of England.  You can literally walk across England on these paths meandering over green countrysides, thru farms and villages of England.  I had a fun time taking pictures of some of the amazing Doors of Dedham.

I was lucky enough to spend a week with one of the best Botanical Illustrators in the world,  Ann Swan.  She is not only an amazing artist but a wonderful person, I am so fortunate to have been able to attend this workshop.  Traveling all the way to England from California, I didn't know what to expect.  But, from the moment we all met at the workshop, it was like spending a week with my best friends.  All the students from beginners to advanced were so friendly and willing to share their knowledge.  I have never felt so comfortable in unfamiliar surroundings half way across the world.

Thank you ladies! 

Every morning, there was four of who loved to walk.  So, at 7:00am we all took off on the footpaths of Dedham for an hour or so.  Luckily, they all knew where to go and we always made it back in time for breakfast.

Thank you Jill, Sandra & Helen for including me in your walks!

Some days we would walk on footpaths that were clearly marked, other days the footpaths were thru a heard of cows but always, the paths we took were so beautiful.

Flatford Mill, Dedham Valle where the famous John Constable painted may of his famous paintings in the early 1800's

I spent all week working on one picture of Hellebore, Christmas Rose. I'm still not finished with it, but will working on it in the next couple of weeks.

Check back for the finished product.

Botanical Artist Ann Swan & aspiring artist Lori Vreeke

Thank you Ann for a wonderful time.  Look forward to many more workshops with you :)

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