Focus on Nature XI

Focus on Nature is a biennial exhibition of scientific, natural and cultural history organized by New York State Museum. Next exhibition will be April 29 – October 31, 2010. The deadline for submissions is October 1, 2009. All media are considered and the subject matter includes original works of natural science subjects – just perfect for Botanical Illustrators. Get more information and the entry form by clicking here (to download use the username: biprogram, password: student) .

The 2010 information is not yet on NYC’s website but you can read about the 2008 exhibit here, and about the Purchase awards here, you can also browse the previous awards by clicking here.

Apropos Books, Publishing and BI Illustrations

Denver Post, Grow section, June 26, 2009:

(Please click to enlarge)

Flourish also available through Amazon ($19.67)

Rocky Mountain Rock Alpine Plants –

Another publication from Denver Botanic Gardens is in process and should be out from the print latest early 2010.
Botanical Art and Illustration Program will illustrate many of the species included. The original illustrations will be seen in the El Pomar Gallery exhibit at Denver Botanic Gardens July 10- July18, 2010. This exhibit is installed to honor the NARGS' National Symposium in Salinas, CO in July 2010.
Call for Entries, link
Plant list for exhibit and book illustrations, link
Please do not wait too long with your selection, however there are yet several left to be illustrated.
(NOTE: this is open for all individuals who have participated in the BI-program in 2007-2009)
Rocky Mountain Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society

( Acantholimon is among the plants to be illustrated. Note the beautiful, delicate calyx which is also left to protect the seedpod after petals have fallen out, photo: MHjK )

Illustrators and recorders needed more than ever…

Gallery of Diversity - examples of the work produced by the Newcastle University Bachelor of Natural History Illustration students, see the credits by clicking here.

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...states Anne Llewellyn, the head of the School for Natural History Illustration at the University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia.
Her school is the only one in Australia where the students can achieve the bachelors degree in this centuries-old craft and the course graduates are finding a plethora of ways to work after leaving the university. You can get more information about the program by following the link here, galleries are here. Please read more about the Newcastle school and what the students say by clicking here (an article published in Australian Geographic, April – June 2009).

Australian Geographic is the absolutely outstanding membership magazine published by Australian Geographic Society.

The Night of the Midnight Sun -

Almost ~
This photo was taken (through a window) 33 minutes past midnight on June 9th in Finland. The latitude for my hometown in Finland is 63o 22’ N, about 400 kilometers (248 US miles) south of the Arctic Circle.
You can see the sun setting behind the birch trees (Betula verrucosa), in the front some young rowan trees (Sorbus aucuparia).
Today is the Midsummer Eve which is traditionally linked to many magical and supernatural aspects especially in Northern Europe, Finland and Sweden.

Even in Colorado we have longer daylight and the wildflowers are flourishing. Please keep the BI-program in mind and the availability of the beautiful specimens for your botanical drawings. Our classes resume on the last week of July and many of the fall classes have already sold out. See the catalog link on the right hand column.

Lastly, while visiting Sweden a few days ago I took the following photo of Cypripedium calceolus, yellow lady’s slipper, guckusko in Swedish which was already a bit over flowered. It is protected and one of the rare plants in Sweden, but can be found relatively easily on the calcareous soils north of Stockholm.

(Cypripedium calceolus, 6.14.09 Ängskär's Nature Reserve, Sweden; Photo: MHjK)

Collections and Exhibitions

(Photo from Margaret North Gallery, Kew; Photo: MHjK)

The art and illustration collections at the Kew Gardens are mostly watercolor on paper and vellum, line drawings and pencil sketches. There are over 200,000 originals that give a good representation of the history of botanical art for the past 500 years. Please click here to read more.

(from Marianne North Collection, Photo: MHjK)

The BI-Blog takes off for two weeks and will return June 17th – while I’m gone you should consider the following:

The Denver Botanic Gardens Botanical Art and Illustration Program was established 1990, and in 2010 we are celebrating the 20-yr anniversary with a juried exhibit: Meet The Natives. Please see the Call for Entries and Entry Form following the link under ‘Of Note’.
In 2010 we also are honoring the North American Rock Garden Society’s annual meeting in Salida, CO, by having an exhibit in the El Pomar Gallery at Denver Botanic Gardens. Please see the details here or follow the link under ‘Of Note’.
This year’s Botanical Illustration Student Show is on September 26 – November 8. This exhibit is open for everybody who has taken BI-courses at DBG during July 2007 through summer 2009. More information and the entry form on the right under ‘Of Note’.

P.S. Our registration for Summer and Fall Classes started June 1st - the classes are filling up very fast (>200 registrations in 36 hours) , here is the link for the catalog.