Contact: Kim Small

ksmall@randomhouse.com

 BOTANICAL DRAWING

IN COLOR

 A Basic Guide to Mastering Realistic Form and Naturalistic Color

 By Wendy Hollender

 BOTANICAL DRAWING IN COLOR (Watson-Guptill; July 20, 2010; $24.99 trade paperback) offers a thorough immersion into the world of three-dimensional, scientifically accurate, and artistically rendered natural illustration.  Whether you’re an amateur in this unique genre or already an expert, these step-by-step instructions and beautiful examples are an invaluable reference guide, written by one of the leading experts in the field, Wendy Hollender.

 Plants and flowers are wonderful subject matter—not only for their natural beauty but also because they are still and easy to observe.  Hollender became fascinated with botanical illustration through her work as a textile designer.  Attempting to teach herself how to draw plants and flowers, she grew frustrated with the intricacies and challenges and assumed she would have to go abroad to Europe to truly learn the proper techniques.  How surprised she was, then, to discover a program for botanical drawing practically in her own backyard—at the New York Botanical Garden! 

 Toward the end of her first year studying botanical illustration, Hollender was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent multiple surgeries and chemotherapy.  During her treatments, she relied on  her drawing to focus on something other than her illness.  “It was clear to everyone who came into the [hospital] room that this was my way of turning a traumatic time into one of birth and renewal,” she writes in her introduction.  She considers being introduced to botany at the same time as being diagnosed with cancer a gift in her life.

 BOTANICAL DRAWING IN COLOR offers an easy-to-follow workbook format.  Lessons are developed in a basic step-by-step process that builds in complexity as they progress.  It emphasizes the deep connections to the natural world that artists can experience by studying plants and their life cycle, and all demonstrations feature the delicate, exquisitely rendered work of the author.

 Hollender teaches:

 Single light source toning techniques

 Principles of perspective for drawing flowers

 Understanding the form and function of plants

 Colored pencil techniques and color theory of the natural world

 Above all, BOTANICAL DRAWING emphasizes the joys of drawing from life.  “For me,” Hollender writes, “it is as if I am on my own personal expedition, discovering nature’s beauty for the first time.”  With BOTANICAL DRAWING, you can initiate your own process of discovery with the natural world. 

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Wendy Hollender is the coordinator of botanical art and illustration at the New York Botanical Garden.  She is also a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists, the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Florilegium, and the New York Botanical Garden Board of Advisors.  She was awarded a Silver Medal at the Royal Horticultural Society of London in 2007, and will have her work included in the prestigious Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation’s 13^th International Exhibition of Botanical Art and Illustration at Carnegie Mellon University. 

 BOTANICAL DRAWING IN COLOR

By Wendy Hollender

Watson-Guptill * July 20, 2010 * Price $24.99 * ISBN 978-0-8230-0706-6

The Interchurch Center Corridor Gallery

475 Riverside Drive at 120th Street, New York, NY 10115, ✆212-870-2200

www.interchurch-center.org for directions

Near & Far

Botanical drawings 
in colored pencil and paint

by Wendy Hollender

April 6 to May 8, 2009

Reception: Tuesday, April 7 from 4 to 7 pm

Artist demonstration: Tuesday, April 28 from 12 to 1:30 pm

Free parking on the day of the reception only

in the building garage at 61 Claremont Avenue, after 4:30 pm.

Gallery hours: Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

Artist website: www.whartdesign.com

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Section A (advanced): 5 Thursdays: September 18, 25; October 2, 16, 23 | 2–5 p.m.

Section B (beginner): 5 Thursdays: November 6, 13, 20; December 4, 11 | 2–5 p.m.

http://bbg.org/edu/adult/arts.htmlClasses at the New York Botanical Garden

http://www.nybg.org/edu/conted/conted.php

[BIL 319] Fall Colors: Leaves Beyond Green

Wed 10/01/08 to Wed 11/19/08

[BIL 303] Drawing Flowers

Wed 10/01/08 to Wed 11/19/08

[BOT 145] Plant Drawing: Quick and Simple!

Section A -Tue 10/07/08 to Tue 10/21/08 Garden Education Center of Greenwich

Section B – Sun 11/09/08 to Sun 11/16/08 Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture 

Section C – Sun 03/01/09 to Sun 03/08/09 New York Botanical Garden

[BIL 496] Monthly Critiques for Final Projects in Botanical Illustration Certificate

Thu 10/16/08 to Thu 12/18/08

Wed 01/07/09 to Wed 03/18/09

[BIL 425] Drawing Flowers with Watercolor Pencil and Colored Pencil

Wed 01/21/09 to Wed 02/11/09

Exhibitions this Fall in New York

Portraits of a Garden IV: The 2008 Exhibition

Brooklyn Botanic Garden Florilegium

September 13 through November 30, 2008

Exhibit Opening: September 16th, 6:00pm

“Nature in New York” at The Open Center in So Ho.

An Exhibition of Students, Faculty and Alumni of the Botanical Art and Illustration Program 

at The New York Botanical Garden September 27–November 7, 2008 at The Open Center (SoHo)

83 Spring Street, New York, NY

EXHIBIT OPENING: Saturday, September 27, 7:30–9:30pm

Workshop in Trinidad

January 10 – 17th 2009 Sign up Now!

http://www.whartdesign.com/trinidad.html

Wendy Hollender

January 10^th thru January 17, 2009.

7 nights at the Asa Wright Nature Center in Trinidad

Price includes:

Tour to Oilbird Cave, a Guided Walk on Centre Grounds, a day excursion to Maracas Bay which is a sheltered mile long sandy beach.   Daily Botanical Drawing Workshop with instructor.

 The  package price  includes everything except airfare. Included is workshop fee, all meals, travel in Trinidad, tours , double occupancyy room.

$2000. For those not participating in the workshop the fee will be $1800. This is based on double occupancy.

Single supplement available for $525.

To reserve a spot I need a deposit of $100. This deposit is refundable less $25 until October 1 2008. Final payment for the trip is due by November 20, 2008. At that time a refund less $100 will be made if the space is taken by someone else. There is trip insurance available as well for those interested. Airfare varies but looks to be about $500. We will use a discount site to get a group airfare rate.

I will send out a complete itinerary soon, but will need a check made out to Wendy Hollender. Mail checks to:Wendy Hollender

272 West 107^th St. #11C

NY NY 10025

 Asa Wright Nature Center in the Middle of the Rain Forest is known for the most concentrated diversity of birds in the world.   We will draw surrounded by tropical plants and birds. Banana trees, cacao, guava, exotic orchids,coffee,nutmeg,jade vines, torchginger flowers,at your finger tips in the rain forest. On the beach there will be sea grape, tropical almond palm trees , and hibiscus.

Students will work in,graphite, colored pencil and watercolor pencils. The staff will give us guided tours, bring us specimens to work from and provide insight into the flora and historical use of the plants locally. We will work approximately 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon. Imagine having lush flowering and fruiting plants at your fingertips, yet still have the comfort of a comfortable roof over your head and delicious local food served at each meal. It’s a way to work intensely on drawing and studying tropical plants, and experience the natural beauty of the Rain Forest in a relaxed manner. The staff at Asa Right Nature Center is friendly, knowledgeable, and the food prepared in the kitchen is delicious. Each day starts with coffee and tea on the veranda at 6am for those wanting to get a look at the morning birds, breakfast at 7:30am, lunch at noon, tea at 3pm, rum punch at 6pm and dinner at 7pm. In between we work, hike, and swim.

Botanical Drawing, A Beginner’s Guide Reviewed in The Botanical Artist Volume 4, Issue 1 – March 2008

We are excited to announce that Wendy’s workbook for students is at the printer and will be ready for shipping in January. The price is not quite finalized but will be between $60 and $70. The workbook is 26 lessons in graphite and colored pencil. Each lesson will appear at the top of the spiral bound book and the drawing paper for graphite lessons, or water color paper for colored pencil lessons is included. The spiral can be opened and closed to add and delete sheets. Refills of paper will be available for purchase.The initial print run is for 100 copies. Orders will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.

Please send us an e-mail if you are interested in purchasing this book. Books can be shipped or picked up in the NYC studio. Call or e-mail if you have additional questions: 212-580-4855.

Wendy Hollender

Trip price for 6 nights accommadations,  full breakfast and either lunch or dinner plus  5 days Workshop fee is  $1800. Ground Transportation and  airfare not included. Partners not participating in workshop welcome at $1400.

This will be a small intimate workshop due in part to the location. Only a few spots available. Couples welcome. If interested (read details below) please let me know as soon as possible!

View from porch at Holualoa Inn

Shampooing with the ginger plants

I recently returned from Hawaii where I visited my daughter who is working on an organic farm on the Big Island. While there I found a great location for a botanical workshop. Believe it or not, February is just around the corner and most dates are already taken. Hawaii is paradise on earth, especially for the botanical artist. I have come up with a wonderful location on the  west coast of the Big Island.

The Holualoa Inn is 1000 ft above sea level with a view of the sunny beaches of Kona in the distance. It is located on a coffee plantation with mango, avocado, fig, and countless other fruiting trees. The gardens are lushly planted with many kinds of ginger, some that can be used for shampoo ( note the photo of my son doing just this) hallaconias, and countless other tropical flowers. The inn itself is gorgeous. We will be taking over the entire inn. Please go see for yourself at there website: www.holualoainn.com

I stayed four nights and never wanted to leave. The small village of Holualoa is an artist’s community and while there we will also be able to learn the ancient Hawaiian technique of decorating gourds (photo enclosed) by one of the local artists. The Kona coast is a 15 drive down a paved (thanks to being in the good old U.S. ) road.

The focus of the trip is to be close to botanical subjects to draw, and they are everywhere. The colors and light in Hawaii is brilliant. The inn has  open air roof covered porches for us to work in. They are outside but protected from the sun and occasional rain which often happen at the same time in Hawaii!

 Participants may want to stay longer and visit other parts of the Big Island. I would be happy to make recommendations. TheHawaii Tropical Botanical Garden at: http://www.htbg.com  is impressive. I have never seen a more lush expansive garden anywhere. The Hallaconias were something like30 feet high.

Volcano National Park seems like visiting another planet and there are many great beaches ,excellent snorkeling and hiking everywhere.

I have checked airfares and right now it appears to be approximately $650 – $750. I anticipate an additional $150 – $200 in ground transportation.

Flights from the U.S. are usually connecting either in Atlanta or California. The total in- air flying time is approximately 12 hours. There are some direct flights to Kona.

Ancient Hawaian technique of gourd decorating

Thanks!

Wendy Hollender

The ASBA 10^th Annual International Juried Exhibition at the Horticultural Society of New York

148 West 37^th Street, 13^th Floor, New York, NY 10018

The opening reception for this anniversary exhibit will be held the evening of September 18, 2007. Full-color catalogs are available for purchase. Shirley Sherwood graciously has provided our introductory essay, and 41 artworks from 31 artists are featured. Artists from the US, Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, and the UK have been chosen.

Drawing From Life

Maud H. Purdy and 90 Years of Women Artists at Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Saturday, September 15–Sunday, November 11, 2007

Opening Weekend: September 15 and 16, 2007

Tours of the exhibit with curator Patricia Jonas and many of the participating artists will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, in the Steinhardt Conservatory Gallery.

Malus floribunda by Wendy Hollender

http://bbg.org/vis2/gallery/drawingfromlife/index.html

In the spirit of world preservation….
Renowned designers have come together to renovate this historic masterpiece.
Talent Resource Centre presents
Designer Show House
Autumn at the Chimneys
The Chimneys at St.-Mary’s-By-The-Sea
124 Old Battery Road
Black Rock, Connecticut
Benefiting international and local charities
Dress for Success, Green Demolitions, Music and Arts Center for Humanity & UNESCO
Honorary Chairs Sheila & George Foster • Design Chairs Monica Webster & Jane Peters
Sponsored by William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Westport Magazine, Capital Consulting Group & Connections, LLC
Public Show House Tour
Sunday, September 30th to Sunday, October 28th
Daily from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm & Thursday to 8:00 pm (Closed Mondays)
Admission is $30 including show house journal

(Please note that children under 6 are not permitted) Gala Preview Party & Auction
September 29th at 6:00 pm
For more information please visit: www.thechimneysshowhouse.com
Master Bedroom Suite: Interior Design by Connie Cooper – Painted walls by Wendy Hollender

Schedule Below:

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Drawing From Life: A Workshop in Botanical Illustration: Section A: Sunday, September 23 | 1–5 p.m.
Section B: Saturday, October 27 | 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
$39 member, $44 nonmember
(includes $10 materials fee)

Registration Information

Westchester Arts Workshop/The Arts at Westchester Community College

Botanical Drawing

Tuesdays, 9-12pm or Thursdays 6-9pm

Session 1: September 18-October 25

Session 2: October 30 – December 13

To register call : 914-606-7500 or e-mail: waw@sunywcc.edu

Westchester Arts Worshop Schedule

Plant Drawing for Naturalists at Stone Barns Center, Pocantico Hills, NY

Registration through the New York Botanical Garden

BOT 145 Section A
2 Sundays, October 28 & Nov. 4,
10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.,

Wellesley College / Friends of Horticulture, Wellesley MA

Tulips: The Perfect Plant for Beginners
BAC 08 120 4 days: Wednesday, March 6–Saturday, March9, 2008

Snow day: Sunday, March 10
10 a.m.–4 p.m. Seminar
Members $395 / Non-Members $445
www.wellesley.edu/WCFH

New York Botanical Garden

Class Schedule http://www.nybg.org/edu/cont_ed_cat.php

Complete Lisitings  http://www.nybg.org/edu/

Botanical Recipes in Colored Pencil
BIL 345:
4 Thursdays, Sept. 20–Oct. 11,
10 a.m.–1 p.m., Rm. 102

Drawing Flowers BIL 303 Section A:
6 Wednesdays,
Oct. 10–Nov. 14, 10 a.m.–1 p.m., Rm. 319

BIL 303 Section C:
6 Mondays,
Feb. 25–March 31, 6:15–9:15 p.m.,  At the Open Center in Manhattan

All other classes at the New York Botanical Garden

Illustrating Woody Plants and Trees throughout the Year
BIL 313:
Thursday, Oct. 18,
10 a.m.–3:30 p.m., Rm. 312

BIL 314:
Thursday, Feb. 28,
10 a.m.–3:30 p.m., Rm. 315

Leaves Beyond Green: Fall Colors BIL 319:
4 Wednesdays, Oct. 10-31,
2–5 p.m., Rm. 319

Chrysanthemums in Colored Pencil BIL 437 Section B:
Thursday &
Friday, Nov. 8 & 9, 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m.,
Rm. 320

Colored Pencil I: Techniques BIL 415 Section A:
5 Wednesdays,
Oct. 3–31, 6:15–9:15 p.m., Rm. 320

Colored Pencil II: Applications BIL 416 Section A:
6 Wednesdays,
Nov. 7–Dec. 19 (no class Nov. 21),
6:15–9:15 p.m., Rm. 320

Drawing Flowers with Colored Pencil BIL 425:
4 Thursdays, Jan. 10–31,
2–5 p.m., Rm. 320

Monthly Critiques for Final Certificate Botanical Illustration Projects

BIL 496:
4 Wednesdays, Jan. 23, Feb. 27,
March 26, and April 16, 2–5 p.m., Rm. 319

Botanical Painting on the Wall BIL 481: 4 Thursdays, Jan. 10–31,
10 a.m.–1 p.m., Rm. 320