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

The botanical artist Wendy Hollender hedges when asked to name her favorite plant to draw.

”I find them all interesting,” she says, until landing on a particular fancy.

”One of the things I love to draw is the flowering branches on trees. When Linden trees are blooming, we’re aware of the smell but not aware of where it’s coming from.”

Click here read the rest of the article.

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

Lotus blossom scarf
(Brooklyn Botanic Garden, $85) Just because the leaves have fallen doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate some tropical flora. The BBG commissioned artist Wendy Hollender, whose botanical designs have been used by Wedgwood and Westpoint Stevens, to elegantly render a double rose lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) on a 12” x 60″ piece of silk voile. bbg.org

Holiday gift guide article

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

Wendy Hollender will be teaching the next “on location” Botanical Workshop on Block Island. The island is a 7 mile by 3 mile island off the coast of Rhode Island, 13 miles out at sea. It is a picturesque, lovely, lush, pastoral environment with wild flowers, goldenrod, and many fruiting berries and trees as well as beautiful gardens. The host for the workshop is Block Island resident Beth Rowe. Beth is a professional landscape designer and a student in the Botanical Illustration program at the New York Botanical Garden. She has found us a quaint and historic Bed and Breakfast to accommodate students at a fabulous rate. It is called Hygeia House and is walking distance to town and has a view of the harbor. http://hygeiahouse.com/

There are beaches in walking distance everywhere, or you can bring or rent a bicycle. We have space for the workshop at the Hygeia House but also will work at different locations on the island. Beth has offered her lovely garden and a friend of hers has offered there large barn and beautiful garden as well. The barn is huge and can accommodate us if the weather gets wet. We have also been invited to lunch by the Block Island Gardeners at their annual “Edible Luncheon” at the Spring House, where I will be the guest speaker. The week after Labor Day is beautiful and much quieter, as most of the crowds have left. Transportation on the island is taxis and bicycles. Ferry leaves from Pt. Judith, Rhode Island and New London.

Workshop will start on the afternoon of September 4th.

Three nights at the Hygeia House

Workshop all day on September 5th and 6th.

We depart on September 7th.

The ferry is approximately an hour to an hour and a half ride.

We can plan car pools to the ferry from New York and Connecticut.

Workshop price as follows:

Workshop fee is $250 for the 3 days.

Room accommodations are from $50 - $90 depending on a double or single room. Breakfast included.

Other meals will be in town. Beth has offered to cook one night at her home!

Round trip ferry is approximately $30

Accommodations available for 15 or 16. Bring a guest if you like. They don’t have to take the workshop!

Enrollment for workshop: 15

Please let me know if you are interested. Payment schedule will be sent once you decide to go. A deposit of $50 will be collected to reserve a spot. Refundable up until mid August.

This should be great fun and a great way to end the summer and begin the fall!

Hope you can make it!

Workshop allows students to work in the medium of choice with emphasis on graphite and colored pencil and water color underlayers if desired. Individual attention given to each students needs and interests and level of knowledge of techniques of botanical drawing.

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 started 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 worked, hiked, and swam. We spent two nights at the beautiful Blue Waters Inn on Tobago to draw the beach flora and hiked along remote tropical cliffs.

I am exploring ideas for next year’s workshop. So far I am thinking Tuscany, Dominica or Hawaii. Where would you like to go? Please Post Comments here and Let me know !!!!

Wendy Hollender