first plants selected for ebwg florilegium

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

At 6 pm on August 31, 2010, work officially began on the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden Florilegium. Thirty-three artists have signed up to date to be a part of this. The following people were present and chose the plants they will be working on for the February 1, 2011 deadline: Rochelle Christensen, Faith Clover, Betsy Cole, Kathy Creger, Marge Davis, Suz Galloway, Marilyn Garber, Jane Hancock, Bonnie Harper-Lore, Anne Jefferies, Terry Klepinski, Sharon Kowalsky, Annie Rosenthal, Mickie Schmaltz, Sandra Stowell, Linda Thorson, Jan Wagner, Bruce Wilson. Others who were unable to make it but are selecting plants this week include Yara Anderson, Cindy Bergquist, Nancy Gehrig, Debra Greenblatt, Victoria Madsen, Norma Nelson, Julie Palmer, Connie Scanlon, Scott Smith, Samantha Weatherston, and Patricia Wittman. Others who have signed up to begin this coming spring include Debra Greenblatt, Julie Martinez, MaryAnne O’Malley, and Nancy Rainville. This is really a terrific start to a great project.

The mosquitos and still air were challenging last night, but everyone managed to come out of it alive! Susan Wilkins gave us a tour of the garden, pointing out important plants and telling stories about Eloise Butler. Everyone brought their plant lists and cameras. As of this writing, a total of 30 plants have been reserved.

So, we have begun the journey! I think we all are looking forward to seeing each other’s work in early February.

Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden florilegium announced

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

We are very pleased to announce a joint project of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and the Minnesota School of Botanical Art. Artists from the school will create a Florilegium for the Garden. A Florilegium is a collection of paintings of plants from a particular location. Floralegia are currently being done for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Highgrove and Hampton Court in England, and Fioli Garden near San Francisco. We anticipate this project may take up to five years to complete with a goal of about 200 paintings. The Florilegium will become the property of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden. See the “Florilegium” page on this website for additional details.

Bruce Wilson, Nancy Rainville, Scott Smith, and Kathy Franzen receive advanced certificates in botanical art & Illustration

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

There was cause for celebration this evening at the Bakken Museum as four students from the Minnesota School of Botanical Art received their Advanced Certificates in Botanical Art and Illustration. Each had successfully completed the course work and Independent Study Projects. (Please see Advanced Certificate Projects page of this website for details.) The certificates they received were hand-letterpress with names and dates inscribed by Diane von Arx. In addition, each received a silver compass engraved with their initial and date of receipt of certificate. Kathy Franzen’s artwork will be on view with the next set of students. Bruce, Scott and Nancy’s artwork will be on display through September 13, 2010 in the Great Hall of the Bakken Museum. Don’t miss the opportunity to see it!!

Botanical art of another kind

Fri, 6 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0500

In early August Faith Clover and I had the opportunity to take a class in basketry from Leon Niehues at the Eureka Springs School of the Arts in the beautiful Ozarks in northern Arkansas. Mr. Niehues, who has been named a Living Treasure by the state of Arkansas, has been practicing this art form for twenty-five years. His work is the collections of important museums including the Smithsonian. The process of preparing the fresh white oak is intense...finding the right log, splitting it into pie-shaped sections, splitting the wood into splints, and then cutting narrow and narrower weavers. He incorporated dyed splints, like those shown above, to add elegant decoration. Many of his baskets have a very sculptural and contemporary appearance, bringing a 10,000 year old craft into the 21st century. It was a great pleasure to watch this master work; the grace of his hands as he knowingly twined the weavers between the splints, all the while keeping the overall shape of the basket in mind. To see more of his work, just google “Leon Niehues.” And, who knows - next summer our school may just have to change its name for a few days to “Minnesota School of Botanical Art & Basketry.” Watch for further details.

a botanical exhibit of epic proprotion!

Tue, 6 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0500

On July 6 artists from the Desert Botanical Garden Art & Illustration Program got to see the fruits of their labors with the opening of The Grand Canyon’s Green Heart exhibition. Eighteen artists worked for three years with eminent botanist Wendy Hodgson creating 59 botanical illustrations of the rare and sensitive plants of the Grand Canyon. Wendy has made more than 70 expeditions into the Canyon and has collected more specimens than any other person in the Canyon’s history. This was a tremendous opportunity for the artists to learn about the plants. Their work was meticulous, beautiful and accurate. The artists spent many hours studying their specimens, reading the botanical descriptions, using microscopes to see important characteristics, sketching then making detailed drawings that were reviewed by Hodgson, and then finally inking or painting the finished works. This was no easy task, but a work of love by the eighteen artists who participated in this important project. The exhibit was multi-dimensional, showing the botanical history of the Canyon. Beautiful photographs by Gary Ladd showed the habitat of the plants detailed in the illustrations.

On the evening of July 6th, it was time to celebrate the work of these artists. It was a beautiful evening with the star-filled sky and even a few elk on the premises. Personally, it was a wonderful experience to attend this opening and reconnect with my Arizona friends. They have accomplished a great deal with this historical exhibit.

This exhibit was sponsored by the Grand Canyon Association, The Grand Canyon National Park and the Desert Botanical Garden. It will be on display now through August 31, 2010 and will reopen in November and be on display through February.

Hosta Leaf Paintings a hit

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

With names like Brazen Hussy, Mouse Ears, Holy Mouse Ears, Striptease, and more, people are wildly enthusiastic about hostas. Members of the Minnesota School of Botanical Art were invited to participate in the American Hosta Society’s national conference in Minneapolis in late June. 32 paintings of hosta leaves were exhibited and competed for award ribbons. Congratulations to Terry Klepinski who received Best of Show and the People’s Choice Award for her beautiful painting of a Hosta, Christmas Tree. Eight paintings were sold.

Inspired by nature opens

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0500

More than 40 paintings by members of the Great River Chapter of the American Society of Botanical Artists are on display at the Minnetonka Art Center from June 10 - July 22, 2010. The opening was attended by about 150 people. Exhibit organizers Yara Anderson and Jane Fisher did a great job in planning and implementing this show. This is a not-to-be-missed exhibit. The show includes a broad range of media and subjects. I’d like to congratulate our newest and youngest Chapter member, Annie Rosenthal. Her painting of a fern, which she completed last summer at age 15, is extraordinary! We look forward to seeing Annie’s future artworks in the Great River Chapter exhibits.

Northern Orchid

Sun, 6 Jun 2010 19:33:28 -0500

Under a birch tree by the cabin on Little Birch Lake in northern Minnesota we found this lovely orchid. This plant does not have any green pigment and has no leaves. The flowers are attached directly to the stalk and are tiny, but upon close observation they definitely look like miniature orchids. It is a parasite, feeding off roots or decaying material in soil. There are two clumps of three 8” stalks , one of which is already forming seed pods. There are always new things to see here.

We’ve found (and made three meals) of oyster mushrooms that are growing on dead aspen trees. Yellow lady’s slippers abound on the North Country Trail. There is a large field of Indian Paintbrush along Wood Tick Trail as well as Wood and Canada Anemones. Wild roses and raspberries are in full bloom. In the lake the yellow Bullhead Lily and American Lotus are also blooming. Behind the cabin the delicate Foreget-Me-Nots are numerous. Weekends like this remind me of how nice it is to live in Minnesota.

Inspired by Nature Exhbiition

Thu, 27 May 2010 07:34:13 -0500

The Great River Chapter of the American Society of Botanical Artists will hold it’s third annual art exhibition at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts June 10 - July 22, 2010. This exhibit includes 32 works by 32 artists. Don’t miss the opening reception on Thursday, June 24th, 6 - 8 pm.

For more information about the Great River Chapter of the ASBA, go to http://grcbotanicalartists.org/

Eloise butler wildflower garden

Sat, 24 Apr 2010 22:34:09 -0500

The Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden is my most favorite garden in the Twin Cities. Established more than 100 years ago, it is the oldest public wildflower garden in the United States. Eloise Butler was one of four botany teachers in Minneapolis who asked that a portion of Glenwood Park (now known as Theodore Wirth Park) be set aside as a “wild” garden. They thought this could serve as a botanical laboratory and also hoped its establishment would help protect species native to Minnesota. These women were forward-thinking. Each year I visit the garden several times, from spring to fall. I have “adopted”a few plants, checking on them to see if they made it through the winter. Several varieties of trillium, bloodroot, hepatica, skink cabbage, elderberry and wood anemone are just a few of the things you will find in bloom now. I took this picture of Trillium erectum earlier this week. And yes, the color is just this brilliant!