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Dear Friends:
The Academy has been busy building its botany elective program with the help of John Beckner, botanist. John is a weath of information, stories and excitement about his beloved botany. The other day we were having a conversation about, well what else, plants! He was so excited about his discoveries during a recent walk about. I asked his to share his news with all of you. I hope you find it as interesting as I did and I hope it inspires you to look about on your walk about!
Happy Summer....God Bless....OM
Open your eyes!
Put your nose to the ground!
There are beauties to find and paint!
by John Beckner
Friday before Memorial Day I decided to grab a few small items at the grocery. Between the sidewalk and street, near the bus stop, I saw brilliant sky blue flowers in the closely mowed grass -- next to them a patch of lilac. I put specimens in a plastic bag. The many blue blossoms are a dayflower, Commelina, related to the rare C. Caroliniana. The lilac flowers are a pretty form of an ugly weed, Blechum brownei, which usually self-pollinates without opening. But, it is a favored host of the larval Malachite butterfly. People tolerate the weed, for this colorful visitor, so this “sugar coats” it, for gardens. These plants are right in the downtown high rise part of Sarasota!
About two kilometers away, a swampy area has a large colony of a tree not previously known from this county. An easy walk west, there are four blocks of dry, beat up weeds and “lawn”, between sidewalk and curb, dense with Sisyrinchium, possibly an unnamed species. In another city, I found a hybrid swarm of yellow, white, pink and blue tiny Sisyrinchiums in a mowed lawn.
“Sidewalk crack weeds” is what a botanical expert calls Chamaesyce species. He got a PhD. studying them. They have astonishing colors and forms, viewed at 20 magnifications.
Long ago, I bent way over to look at tiny blue flowers of Burmannia biflora. With them was about four little plants of Schizaea pennula (S. germani), several hundred kilometers north of its only two previously known locations in the U.S. This became the first paper I ever published in a scientific journal. A few years ago, a botanist found this fern near Ft. Myers. Before World War I, a young lady, Jeanette Standley, botanizing near there found Burmannia flava, new to the U.S. About four decades later, Len Brass collapsed exhausted on a long field trip in Collier County south of Ft. Myers. Next to his face he rediscovered B. flava! Some years back, Robin Foster collapsed exhausted on a mountain hike in Peru, and found a tiny fern, Schizaea pusilla, the famous New Jersey “curly grass”, thousands of kilometers from the previously known range.
So whether you are in a fast growing city center, or off in one of the remotest places on earth, try looking very closely! You might make some amazing discoveries!
The late Mulford Foster painted Spanish moss, Tillandsia usneoides, enormously enlarged. At the start of my plant morphology courses, I hand out samples, tell of his “microcosmic revelation”, and set my students to illustrating their own versions.
The All New OM ART Book Store
Click Here To Visit Our Book Store
Book Buys
Today's Botanical Artists
by Cora Marcus and Libby Kyer
Weed Ecology in Natural and Agricultural Systems
by Barbara D. Booth,
Stephen D. D. Murphy ,
Clarence J. J. Swanton
Northwest Weeds: The Ugly and Beautiful Villains of Fields, Gardens, and Roadsides
by Ronald J. Taylor
Weeds of the Northern U.S. and Canada: A Guide for Identification
by France Royer,
Richard Dickinson
Weeds of the Northeast
by Richard H. Uva,
Joseph C. Neal,
Joseph M. Ditomaso
Wildflowers and Winter Weeds
by Lauren Brown
Academy of Botanical Art
Distance Learning
Now Available for Anyone
Interested in Endangered Species,
Bromeliads or Palms
Endangered Species for Botanical Artists
This wonderful course is available to anyone interested in the study of endangered species.
Academy Students earn elective credits for taking this course and completing the enclosed exam. A wealth of information that all will find extremely interesting.
Academy Electives: 15
by John Beckner, Botanist
$95.00
Bromeliads for Botanical Artists
The structure of bromeliad plants and their flowers
with suggestions for ways to illustrate and
better understand these exciting plants.
by John Beckner, Botanist
$49.95
Palms for the Botanical Artist
This publication is just the tip of an iceberg.
Palms are plants inclined to large dimensions.
They are very numerous and more varied than you first imagine. This text is for the person interested in illustrating them in various ways;
artistic or scientific and as a motif for crafts. But nearly all of it will be useful to plant lovers, tropical nature fans, gardeners and other people.
by John Beckner, Botanist
$49.95
Click here to learn more about the
Academy and its instructors
Now Available
Course Companion Paks
Course Paks are filled with
supportive information to accompany
"Ten Steps" Books Volumes 1-10
Only $16.00 for each Course Pak
Or $135 for the 10 piece set of Course Paks
Perfect for distance learners.
These same materials are sold in ABA classes.
Click Here To Order
Need Supplies? Visit Our Store!!
OM Art Book Store
OM Art Class Art Supplies
OM Art Instruction Books
Soul Biz
Who is at my door?
He said, "Who is at my door?"
I said, "Your humble servant."
He said, "What business do you have?"
I said, "To greet you, 0 Lord."
He said, "How long will you journey on?"
I said, "Until you stop me."
He said, "How long will you boil in the fire?"
I said, "Until I am pure."
"This is my oath of love."
For the sake of love
I gave up wealth and position."
He said, "You have pleaded your case
but you have no witness."
I said, "My tears are my witness;
the pallor of my face is my proof.'
He said, "Your witness has no credibility;
your eyes are too wet to see."
I said, "By the splendor of your justice
my eyes are clear and faultless."
He said, "What do you seek?"
I said, "To have you as my constant friend."
He said, "What do you want from me?"
I said, "Your abundant grace."
He said, "Who was your companion on the 'ourney?
I said, "The thought of you, 0 King."
He said, "What called you here?"
I said, "The fragrance of your wine."
He said, "What brings you the most fulfillment?"
I said, "The company of the Emperor."
He said, "What do you find there?"
I said, "A hundred miracles."
He said, "Why is the palace deserted?"
I said, "They all fear the thief."
He said, "Who is the thief?"
I said, "The one who keeps me from you.
He said, "Where is there safety?"
I said, "In service and renunciation."
He said, "What is there to renounce?"
I said, "The hope of salvation."
He said, "Where is there calamity?"
I said, "In the presence of your love."
He said, "How do you benefit from this life?"
I said, "By keeping true to myself
Now it is time for silence.
If I told you about His true essence
You would fly from your self and be gone,
and neither door nor roof could hold you back!
Rumi - In the Arms of the Beloved,
Translated by Jonathan Star Jeremy P.
Tarcher/Putnam, New York 1997
More Soul Biz
Yes to Yeses
Simply become aware, without feeling
remiss or judgment,
that in your moments of worry and concern
life did not work, and in your
moments of happiness it did.
Look back and notice
that the current of joy was there all along
waiting for you to say yes,
for you to re-choose differently,
waiting for you to step back into
the constant river of well-being.
In all dimmed or dark passageways
created by saying
yes to nos and no to yeses
this river of joy, love,
appreciation and compassion
can be found and followed.
This is the path of grace.
It is the simple act of saying yes to yeses,
saying yes to your hearts propensity to love
and laugh and live large
and in so doing naturally say no to nos.
***************
Cathy Drew
SoulEssenceArt@aol.com
SoulEssenceArt.com (under construction)
PO Box 667
Keaau, Hawaii 96749
941-993-0929
SEA Guidance subscriptions:
5x/week --- $11/month,
$30/quarter, $110/year
2x/week --- $45/year
1x/week --- $25
payable by VISA, MC or check
HUB - Humanity Unites Brilliance
SoulEssenceArt.hubhub.org
laughingheart@hubhub.org
Soul Essence Art (SEA)
SoulEssenceArt@aol.com
941-993-0929
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Art Classes & Workshops
ANNOUNCING
ACADEMY IN KENTUCKY
The Arboretum & The Academy
present:
The Art of Botanical Drawing
with an
Introduction to Botanical Watercolor
in the French Court Tradition
The Dorotha Smith Oatts
Visitor Center
at the Arboretum
500 Alumni Drive
Lexington, KY
Monday – Thursday, August 25 – 28
9:00 a.m. – 4 :00 p.m.
Instructors:
Olivia Marie Braida-Chiusano,
Founder of the Academy of Botanical Art
Leslie Ramsey,
Certified Botanical Artist,
Certified Academy Instructor &
former student of Ms. Braida
$475 ($450 for Friends of The Arboretum)
plus a $45 materials fee (payable to the instructor and includes Course Pak materials for Drawing & Watercolor,
plus start-up watercolor paints).
Please call 859-257-9339 to
pre-register or for more information
Dates & Instructors Subject to Change
You can now combine
Distance Learning with Class Time
at any of our locations!!!
Private Classes with O.M.Braida
Studio 20
Time:
All Private Studio Classes
are from 9:30am to 2:30pm
Location:
2068 Sunnyside Lane, Sarasota, FL, 34239.
Just off 41 in the Southgate area two blocks north of Webber and the Mall.
Dates:
Studio 20 Classes Resume in October
Tuition:
4 classes/20 hours: $450
Individual class: $125
Refreshments provided, but you may want to bring your own lunch.
Credit Cards Accepted!
Register Here
Or contact olivia@omartdesigns.com
Or Call 941-953-9999 for more information
New York City Workshops
with O.M. Braida
Location:
New Studio for the Art of Painted Finishes
15 East 77th Street (Between 5th & Madison)
Ground Floor - Garden Level Studio
Time:
10:00am to 4:00pm
Dates:
Oct 27, 28, 29
Oct 31, Nov 1, 2
Tuition: One Three-Day Workshop........................ $425.00
Six-Day Intensive (October/November) $800.00
Credit Cards Accepted!
Register Here
Or contact olivia@omartdesigns.com
Or Call 941-953-9999 for more information
Academy of Botanical Art @
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
To Register, visit www.selby.org
Or Call Marilynn Shelley 941-366-5731 x 239
2008 Schedule
Botanical Drawing & Watercolor – Noon to 5pm
July 21, 22, 23 w/ TBA
Aug. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 w/ TBA
Aug 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, Five Fridays Calligraphy with Victoria Kibildis - Copperplate Script
Sept. 22, 23, 24 w/ TBA
Oct. 20, 21,22 w/ Olivia Braida
Nov. 10, 11, 12 w/ Olivia Braida
Dec. 8, 9, 10 w/ Olivia Braida
Academy @ Selby
New Program Offering
Certificate in Calligraphy
with renowned Instructor
Victoria Kibildis
Five 4-Hour Classes for Each Course --
12 Noon to 4pm
To Register, visit www.selby.org
Or Call Marilynn Shelley 941-366-5731 x 239
2008
Course 1: Copperplate Script: Fri, Aug 1, 8, 15, 22, 29,
Course 2: Roman Capitals: Fri, Oct 17, 24, 31 Nov 7 & 14
2009
Course 3: Humanist Bookhand: Fri, Jan 16,23,30 Feb 6,13
Course 4: Formal & Semi-Formal Italic: Fri, Mar 20, 27 Apr 3, 17, 24
Course 1: Copperplate Script: Sat, August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Course 5: Illuminated Manuscript: Fri, Oct 16, 23, 30 Nov 6 & 13 (includes art instruction in composition for manuscripts w/ Olivia Braida
If you miss one of the courses, the program repeats itself. You can start your certificate program from any course except Course 5. So if you miss one of the courses you can catch it when it comes around again. Students who want to achieve the certificate need to take all five courses. Students are welcome to take these courses even if you do not intend to work toward a certificate.
Botanical Art & Illustration
Certificate Program Classes
Ringling College of Art and Design
Fall 2008 Term
To Register, visit www.ringling.edu
Or call, 941-955-8866
Open Studio Workshops
for all levels
w/Olivia Braida
October to December - 6:30 to 9:30pm
Exhibits
Artist contributors
to the newly released book
will exhibit ORIGINAL work
June 9 to September 1, 2008
A portion from art sales will go to
The Horticultural Society of New York
981 Madison Ave.
New York, NY 10075
Tel. (212) 772-8787
Fax (212) 737-9306
Shop Hours:
Monday-Friday 10-6
Saturday 11-5
http://www.ursusbooks.com/
********
Exhibit of Original and
Reproduced Artwork
by Selby Instructors including
members of the Academy team.
June 5 to July 30, 2008
Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
811 South Palm Avenue
Sarsota, Florida 34239
941-366-5731
********
Artist contributors
to the newly released book
Art Reproductions on Sale Now
Art Exhibit Scheduled
November 28 to December 30
East End Books
53 The Circle
East Hampton, NY 11937
631-324-8680
http://eastendbookstore.com/index.html
Exhibits Museums
South Florida Museum
201 10th Street West
Bradenton, Florida 34205
(941) 746-4131
http://www.southfloridamuseum.org/
John and Mable Ringling Museum
5401 Bay Shore Road,
Sarasota Florida 34243
(941) 359-5700
http://www.ringling.org/
Museum of Fine Arts
255 Beach Drive NE, St.
Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 896-2667
http://www.fine-arts.org/
Salvador Dali Museum
1000 Third Street South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-4901
(727) 823-3767
http://www.salvadordalimuseum.org/home.html
Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213-3890
(412) 268-2434
http://huntbot.andrew.cmu.edu/
National Museum of Women in the Arts
1250 New York Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20005-3970
(202) 783-5000
1-800-222-7270
http://www.nmwa.org/
Smithsonian Institute
10th Street and Constitution Ave., NW in Washington, D.C. 20560
(202) 633-1000
http://www.si.edu/
Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10028
(212) 535-7710
http://www.metmuseum.org/
American Museum of Natural History
79th Street @ Central Park West
New York, New York
(212) 769-5100
http://www.amnh.org/
American Museum of Natural History
79th Street @ Central Park West
New York, New York
(212) 769-5100
http://www.amnh.org/
Modern Museum of Art
11 West 53 Street,
New York, NY 10019-5497
(212) 708-9400
http://www.moma.org/
Brooklyn Museum of Art
200 Eastern Pkwy
Brooklyn, NY 11238
(718) 638-5000
http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/
High Museum of Art
1280 Peachtree Street, N.E.
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
(404) 733-HIGH
Receptionist: 404-733-4400
http://www.high.org/
Art Institute of Chicago
111 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois, 60603-6404
(312) 443-3600
http://www.artic.edu/aic/
Bruce Museum One Museum Drive
Greenwich, CT 06830
203-869-0376
http://www.brucemuseum.org/
Harvard University Museum of Natural History
Home of the famous Glass Flower Sculptures
by Leopold Blaschka (1822-1895)
and his son Rudolf (1857-1939)
22 Divinity Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 495-2365
http://www.hmnh.harvard.edu/
Locate Other Fine Art Museums
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