Tendrils September 2017 Issue 2 - Cathryn Coutts...Tendrils September 2017 Issue 2 5 The Art of Science: Baudin’s Voyages 1800-1804. This exhibition is now open at the Australian

TendrilsSeptember2017Issue2

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Activitiesin2017

BDASBotanicArtists

ThemajorprojectforourBowralgroupforthisyearispreparationforournext“FortheLoveofPlants” exhibition from 17-30 October 2018 atBowralArtGallery.

Eucryphiamooreiflowers

We are continuing to firm up plans for theevent, including which workshops will be heldwhiletheexhibitionison.Moredetailsonthisinthenewyear.

The exhibition will also showcase images ofsignificant native plants of the SouthernHighlands as part of the Wingecarribee Floraproject. The Eucryphia moorei, shown here isonesuchplant.

NewsfromRegionalGroups

TasmaniaBotanikoArtGroup

fromJeanHenley

As reported in the last edition of Tendrils,botanicalartisaliveandwellinTasmaniawithareport on a small group of 17 artists based inHobart.TheBotanikoArtGroupwascreatedby

Tendrils Australian Botanic Artists Regional Network (ABARN)

ProteasfromMountTomahBotanicGarden,BlueMountainsNSW-Aspectacularplacetovisit


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former students of Lauren Black, one ofAustralia’sleadingbotanicalartists.

Attheendof2013,withLaurenpursuingotherartistic avenues in2014, sheoffered thegrouptheopportunitytoundertakeaprojectwiththePort Arthur Historic Management Authority toportray, through botanical paintings anddrawings, the plants introduced to the siteduring the 1800s. A successful exhibitionentitled Port Arthur – an exotic garden –unlocking thebotanical journey and comprising30 pieces of artwork, was held in the Asylum,Port Arthur Historic Site from 24 January – 6March2015.

During 2015, members of Botaniko preparedartwork for their second exhibition held atNarrynaHeritageMuseum, Battery Point, from9 December 2015 to 15 May 2016 entitledKnopwood’sKitchenGarden–1804-1824.

DebbieCollins,RadishWatercolour

FromKnopwood’sKitchenGardenexhibition

Based on the information contained in theextensivediaries keptby the first clergymanofVan Diemen’s Land, the Reverend RobertKnopwoodwholivedonhis30acrelandgrantinBattery Point, and working with a GardenHistory Consultant, the group produced worksof botanical interest based on the plants in

Knopwood’s kitchen garden. This garden isbelieved to be in the area situated behind thehistoric home Narryna and close to his home,CottageGreen.

After the successof thePortArthurexhibition,BotanikowasinvitedtoreturntoPortArthurin2016 to feature the culinary, medicinal andindustrial plants introduced to the settlementduring the 1800s. This work was completedduring 2016 and exhibited at the Port Arthursitefrom28Januaryto27Marchthisyear.

Botaniko members are currently workingtowardsanexhibition inAugustofnextyeartocommemorate the bicentenary of the RoyalTasmanian Botanical Gardens. This exhibitionincludesplantsofsignificanceintroducedtotheGardensduringits200years.

The projects undertaken by Botaniko havecaptured the historical values of the plantsintroduced to the colony and following eachexhibition,theworkiskeenlysoughtforhangingatvariousvenuesthroughouttheState.

DianePerndtSavoyCabbage

Colouredpencilandearly19thCent.Britishseedcatalogueprint


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Exhibitions

CurrentandFutureExhibitions

JaneWray

BowralArtGallery,November2to7,2017.OpeningNovember3,at6.30pm

JaneWrayGlow

JaneWrayisanawardwinningpastellistwhosework is vibrant and intriguing. She is anexhibiting member of The Royal Art Society.Janeproducesquirkypiecesaswellasbeautifulstudies capturing the essence of the naturalworld.

JaneWrayPoppies

Wendy Sharpe has said of Jane’s work ‘it issensitive, skilful - at once soft anddramatic.’Quiteadiverseexhibition,itfeaturesan exploration of the juxtaposition of the builtenvironmentwiththenaturalworld.

Jane’sworksarevisuallycaptivating.

JaneWrayDandelion

OpeningNight isNovember3at6.30pm.ShareawineandachatwithJaneaboutthisstunningcollectionofherrecentworks.

BowralGalleryisat1ShortStreetBowral,NSW.

Opendailyfrom10am-4pm.

ArtGalleryofNSW.Glorious:earthlypleasuresandheavenlyrealms

Currently showing in the Lower Asian Gallery,until 2018, this exhibition is drawn from theGallery’s collection of Asian art. It celebratesmoments of joy, whether changing seasons,appreciating painting, sipping tea or otherpursuits.

JohnYongCloudandGenericFlowerStudy1998

NeroScanandoiloncanvas

Irecommendthatthisexhibitionisworthalook.There are a number of works that will be of


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interest to those who love plants, from workswhich are centuries old, to very contemporaryimagesusingmoderntechnology.

It offers us food for thought about how plantsarerepresentedandthemediaartistsuse,fromthe elegant simplicity of brush and ink, alwaystimelessly beautiful, to the delicious splendourofgoldbackground,large-panelledscreens.Thisexhibitionistrulyapleasuretoview.

RinpaSchoolFlowersofthefourseasons17thcentury

Pairofsix-panelledscreens,ink,colourandsprinkledgoldonpaper.

Art Gallery of NSW. O’Keeffe, Preston,Cossington-Smith:MakingModernism.

OnuntilOctober2.

This exhibition shows us the work of threeremarkable women artists of the 20th century.Whiletheirsubjectmatter isdiverse,allhavealoveofnaturewhich theyeachexpress in veryuniqueways.

There is much to be learnt from these artists,each of whom has something to say aboutplantsandhowwethinkaboutthem.MargaretPreston’sstronggraphicimages,sofamiliarandsooften reproduced that it canbehard to seethem with fresh eyes, sit alongside GraceCossington-Smith’s wonderful sense of colourandGeorgiaO’Keeffe’s large scale close-ups offlowers and the desert environment near herhome in New Mexico. Apologies for notincludingpicturetitleshere.

MargaretPreston

GeorgiaO’Keeffe


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The Art of Science: Baudin’s Voyages 1800-1804. This exhibition is now open at theAustralian National Maritime Museum, SydneyfromAugust31toNovember26,2017andlatergoes to National Museum of Australia,Canberra,March15toJune11,2018.

PoissonDiodon(porcupinefish)byCharles-AlexandreLesueur

It showcasesoriginal sketchesandpaintingsbyBaudin’s artists Charles-Alexandre Lesueur andNicholas-Martin Petit during the voyage of1800-1804. They created their works on theshores and off the coasts of Australia andcaptured some of the first European views ofAustralian animals, landscapes and portraits ofAboriginalPeople.Nottobemissed.

Red BoxGallery, National Herbarium of NSW,Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Curtis’sAustralianFlowers.August14 toNovember3,9.30amto4.30pm,MondaytoFriday.

ImagefromtheCurtis’sAustalianFlowersExhibition

One of the greatest scientific periodicals,Curtis’s Botanical Magazine; or Flower-GardenDisplayed, began publication on February 1,1787, making it the oldest continuouslypublished botanical periodical. It has featuredmore than 11,000 coloured plates of flowers,each with a description of their Linneanclassification and information about its sourceand cultivation round the world. In theproductionofthefirstseriesof53volumesfrom1787 to 1827, 188 Australian flowers werefeatured, with recognition being given to thecontributions of acclaimed plant huntersincluding Sir Joseph Banks andDaniel SolanderoftheCookexpedition,andRobertBrownfromthe Flinders expedition to circumnavigateAustralia.

The works in this exhibition range from 1790whenthefirstAustralianflowerfeaturedtothemid-19thcentury.

StateLibraryofWesternAustralia,BotanicalWonderland.ThursdayAugust10toSundaySeptember24,2017.

For anyone lucky enough to be in WesternAustralia this month, this exhibition could bewell worth visiting. On show are originalmaterials from the collections of the RoyalWestern Australian Historical Society, WesternAustralian Museum and the State Library ofWestern Australia. It shows some of themanywaysWesternAustralians have interpreted theState’srichplantlife-frompressedseaweed,towildflower painting, embroidery, photographyandporcelain.


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ExhibitionReviews

ManlyArtGalleryandMuseum.Wildflowers,SalvatoreZofrea.OnfromJuly14toSeptember3,2017.

SalvatoreZofreaBanksiasfromDaysofSummerSeries

As thedatesabove indicate, thisexhibitionhasrecently closed, but thewebsiteswill still haveinteresting images and information about theexhibitionandtheartist.Abeautifulhard-coverpublication is also available for sale from thegallery, entitled Days of Summer; SalvatoreZofrea,byAnneRyan.PublishedbytheMosmanArtGallery.

SalvatoreZofreaonceagainpresentsuswithhisown special interpretation of Australian plants,inspired by the natural landscape in Kurrajongnear the Blue Mountains and North Head,Manly. This exhibition comprised 40woodcuts,intheDaysofSummerseries,manyofwhicharehand–coloured, and are accompanied by somerecent watercolour paintings. The Australianwildflowerandbirdimagesintheseworksattest

totheartist’scontinuedinterestinrepresentingthediversityoflifeinhisenvironment.

The strong black line work and pattern of thewoodcuts are wonderfully contrasted by thewatercolourappliedsoftlyandlooselyontop.Insome prints the black and white image is leftuncoloured. The watercolour paintings, shownin the book as the sketchbook pages, aredeliciouslyfreeandloose.

SalvatoreZofreaDaysofSummerSketchbookpage

SalvatoreZofreaDaisiesandWaxFlowersWoodcutfromDaysofSummerSeries


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Nicola Dickson Voyagers’ Tales: Labillardière.Beaver Galleries Deakin ACT, from 10-20August2017.

IwasfortunateenoughtoseethisexhibitioninCanberra,beforeitclosedrecently.Ifinterested,you should try looking at theGallery’swebsiteorlookuptheartistandherwork.

Nicola Dickson’s paintings explore perceptionsof the natural world of Australia, with thisexhibition drawing inspiration from the Brunid’EntrecasteauxexpeditiontoAustraliaandthePacificin1791-94.Ofparticularinterestaretherecordsof thenaturalist Jacques JulienHoutouLabillardièreandexpeditionartistJeanPiron.

The main focus of the exhibition is onLabillardière’s account of the seven weeks hespent around the Labillardière Peninsula,Recherche Bay and Bruny Island in south-eastTasmania.

Somepaintingsrepresentpartsofthehistoricaldrawingsandtopographicalmaps,orengravingsmade of these localities. Other images arederivedfromphotographsbytheartist.

Shownhereare twoofNicola’spaintings,bothdoneinacrylicandoilontimberpanels.Iregretthat I didn’t record the titles for these when Ivisited the exhibition. Her work shows arefreshingly individual style and use of colour.

The ‘vignette’ effect in the first painting alsoreferences the style of the period when theFrenchartists’originalworksweredone.

LookingBackandLookingForwardTwootherworks currently on exhibition at theGlorious:EarthlyPleasuresandHeavenlyRealmsexhibition at AGNSW, are the following, shownhereforourLookingBackandLookingForwardsection. You can see both of these at theexhibitionuntil2018.

Firstly, looking back, we can appreciate thetimelessly beautiful, 19th century work shownhere, which captures the essence of the plantwith such economy, in the great tradition ofChinesepainting. It is oneof a series of albumleaves.

Encompassingtheskillsofdrawingandpainting,aswellascompositionandobservation,it’shardtodobetterthanthis.

Looking forward, thework by the Tokyo-basedcollective called teamLab, gives the impressionof a traditional gilded Japanese screen, butemits rather than reflects light. It moves andchangesasonesitsandwatchesit,andisquitelovely to see. An art work that invites bothreflectionandinvolvementbytheviewer.


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WangYongyu1842Climbingflowerrose,begonia

Albumleaf,inkonpaper

FlowersandPeople–Gold2015

Tokyo-basedteamLab

TalkingaboutBotanicArtByRosieWade

Atourlastexhibition,weasagroupofBotanicalArtists came together with a common interestsummed up with the title “For the Love ofPlants”.Nowasweapproachournextexhibitionitistimelytohavemoreoftheseconversations

whichexploreindepthwhatweareabout,bothindividually and collectively. After allconversationsaboutourowncreativitycapturethe very prized diversity contained within thisgroup. I urge you all to take part in thisconversationinwhateverwayyouwish.

WhenIsaytopeople,“Idobotanicalart”,theyoftenseemtomisunderstandthecomplexityofwhatitiswe’retryingtodo.Botanicalartisnotthe leisurely flower painting of well-bredVictorianladies.Norisitsimplyascientificstudyof plants. It is an art deeply embedded inmakingsenseofourworldandourplaceinit,inseeing rather than just looking, and in creatingunderstandingabout therichnessof lifeontheplanet.

The Macquarie dictionary says that botany is“the science of plants; the branch of biologythatdealswithplant life”. (Eventheuseof themetaphor “branch” suggests how ingrained inour thinking is the role of plants, theirimportancetohumans.)Backtothedictionary.Art is described as “the production orexpressionofwhatisbeautiful(esp.visually),orof more than ordinary significance” (italicsmine).

Sobotanicalarttreadsaspectrumbetweenthepurelyscientific,liketheoldherbals,whichweremeant tohelpwithplant identificationand thedocumentationoftheusesoftheplant,andthepurely beautiful. Between the exquisitelydetailed work of a Margaret Stones or aMargaret Flockton, working for scientists, andthe gorgeous, glorious huge paintings of RosieSanders, with her voluptuous, dramaticunderstandingofflowers.

We have such technology available today –electron microscopes, digital technology, waysof seeing into plants thatwere never availableto our forebears – I’m not surprised when


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peoplequestion the relevanceof botanical art.Surely digital photos would do? There aresuperblytalentedphotographers,it’strue.Ifyoulook at a book like Wildflower Country, byStanley and Kaisa Breeden, their amazingphotos are created by layering thousands ofdigital images,oneontopoftheother.They’rebeautiful to look at, but I’d suggest that thelabour-intensive work of that achievement iswhatabotanicalartistdoes,withjustpaintandpaper. The difference is in that dictionarydefinitionIhighlightedearlier.Thedifferenceisthat a botanical artist highlights, sees, andtranslates to other humans, what is “of morethan ordinary significance”. Anyone can take aphotograph.

AngelaLoberDoryanthesexcelsa

To then turn it into something that reveals thenature of the plant, that takes a human eye,heartandcreativity.Toshowtheflirtyflutterofa groupof poppies (Papaver nudicaule), or thedramatic, elegant stateliness of a Gymea lily(Doryanthes excelsa), to render plants as

personalities as well as scientific entities, thattakesanartist.(IkeepthinkingofAngelaLober’samazingdoryanthesinthemostrecentBotanicaexhibition!).

Therearebasic,fundamentalthingsyoushouldshow in a botanical painting. How the plantgrows.What it looks like, as accurately and asrevealinglyaspossible.Thestagesof its life. Itscolourandshapeandform.That’sthescience.

Butyoualsowantotherstoseetheplant,toseethewayitdances,turnsitsfacetowardsthesun(or away from it), to see the infinite beauty inthe shading of a petal, or the magnificentstructureinaskeletonisedleaf.Toseeaturnip,not simply as a convenient soup extender, butasaglossy,beautifulcreationwithadivineflushof purple. It is our human response to eachplant that reveals, I believe, what is “of morethanordinarysignificance”.

CathrynCouttsEucryphiamooreiEtchinghandcoloured(detail)

Whatwenowknowabouttheplanetofoursisthat everything is interconnected, in what myhighschoolbiologytextbookscalled“theweboflife”. That means that every plant is “of morethan ordinary significance”, and the botanicalartist does the work of translating thatsignificanceintosomethingsobeautifulthatno-onecanfailtosee,reallysee,thatsignificance.


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Artist’sProfile

Janet Hicks I am having an Exhibition, 'Compact', in TenThousand Paces Gallery, Springett's Arcade,Bowral,openingSaturdayNovember4at2.00pm,untilThursdayNovember16,2017.WorksdiscussedherewillbehangingandIextendaninvitationtoall.

As a child, I can remember always beinginterested in drawing. Walter Foster “How toDraw...”booksareonmyartbookshelvestothisday. However, itwas some time until I activelybeganmakingart.

It was my husband who said: “Get out andenrol,”aswedrovepastourlocalTAFEcollegeinCootamundra. Stepping into the Adult Artclassroom that first time,was the beginning ofmy art experience, which continues... I mustapplaud two tutors, Alan McClure and TomParsons, who gave me the confidence toexperiment and reflect on the learning to begainedfrommistakes.

I have played with a reasonable amount ofmedia, but always seem to return towatercolour. I love the clarity, flexibility,degreeof tone and the unpredictabilitywhen paintingwet in wet. To pair watercolour with pen andink, pencil, and some other mediums is alsomostsatisfying.

Flora intriguesme. I amamazedathownaturepresents tones of colour, patterns and rhythmsinfoliage,buds,bloomsandseedpodsinorderto repeat life cycles. This curiosity led me toclassesrunbyElaineMusgraveandsoexposuretobotanicalart.BeingarelativelynewmemberofBDASBotanicArtistshasgivenmeconnectionto a wonderful group of inspiring women andexposure to a rich source of botanicalinformationandenjoyment.

Since2001IhavebeenamemberofAIM,ArtinMiniature,agroupofartistsbasedinCanberra.Among the surfaces used by early miniatureartistswas ivoryand Ihave focusedmyefforts,painting on this medium to make miniatureworks. Iuseantique ivorypianokeys, retrievedfrompianosthatareheadedfordisposal.Sadly,these instruments are no longer wanted, but Ifeel I canat least createanew lifeand respectforthekeys,asapieceofart.Drawingbotanicalspecimensascarefullyaspossible,allowsmetoreproduce them on the ivory keys. I hope I dothespecimensjustice.

JanetHicksMiniaturePaintingonPianoKey


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Lately, Ihaveventuredintomorecontemporaryterritory.Stillusingtheivorykeysasmytrigger,Ihave used pigmented inks and cling film tocreatepatternsonthekeys.IthasbeenexcitingtoseewhatthesepatternssuggesttomeafterIhavehadthekeysscannedandblownupingreyscale. From there, I work back into the image,whichhasbeencopiedontowatercolourpaper.

JanetHicks

Theseworkshavetakenmebacktoasix-monthtriparoundmoreremoteareasofthiswonderfulcontinent of ours.My husband and I set off inourPatrolwithatentandminimalcomfortsandIamgratefulIcanrelivepartsofthattripagainthroughmyart.

JanetHicks

BookReviewMany botanic artists are also very keengardeners and combine their love of paintinganddrawingsplantswithgrowingthemaswell.

Oneof ourBowral artists, JacquelineDonovan,was intrigued by the concept of ‘tiny’ gardensandhasprovidedthebookreviewforthisissue.

TeenyTinyGardeningbyEmmaHardy

“Teeny tiny gardening” by EmmaHardyoffers35 step-by-stepprojectsand inspirational ideasforgardening in tinyspaces (PublishedbyCICOBooks,London/NewYork).

Wellifyoudidn’tknowwhattodowithallthoseoddthingslikecupsthatgetstuckinthebackofthecupboard,not tomentionstep-ladders,oldchairs, colanders, old guttering and granny’sglass cake-stand forwhich younevermasteredherrecipe,becauseyoukeptforgettingtoputinthe fundamentals like the eggs or flour and itended up looking like a flattened rubber tyreand not something youwanted to show off tovisitorsonanycake-stand, leastofallgranny’s,then this little book shows you how to makethem intoa terrarium.This intriguingbookhaswonderful graphics and excellent step-by-stepvisuals to stimulate the imagination, and Irecommend it for everyone with big ideas butlittlespaces.


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Itwasquiteasurprisethatitshowsyouhowtodo the hanging baskets to perfection, always ahard thing to master here in oz. It’s just amindset of not trying to actually grow things,buttodisplaywhich issomething Ineverreallythought about. However it is absolutely right!Growing things in containers is hard enoughhere, we just have to change our mindset todisplay,notgrowlongterm.Ofcourseyoudon’tneedtocopywhatisinthebook.I’msureweallhaveoddthingsweneverthoughtaboutusing...in our cupboards tucked away...! So go getcreative, and remember,when you’re enjoyingyourboiledeggwith soldiers, the shell toocanbereused.

WorkshopsandEvents

SusannahBlaxill

WorkshopDatesforNovember,2017

SusannahBlaxillDriedBeanBunch

Due to demand, Susannah is now holding fourworkshops insteadof thepreviously advertisedthree workshops in November, 2017 at herstudio in Mittagong. EachWorkshop is limitedtosixstudentstoensureindividualattention.

TheDrawingclasswillfocusongraphiteandink,and the Painting class on watercolour washesand watercolour dry brush technique. Pleasecontact Susannah for further information. Thedatesareasfollows:

Workshop1Drawing:Saturday11thtoMonday13thNovember,2017.

Workshop2Painting:Thursday16thtoSunday19thNovember,2017.

Workshop 3 Drawing: Wednesday 22nd andThursday23rdNovember,2017.

Workshop4Painting:Saturday25thNovembertoTuesday28thNovember,2017.

Contactdetails:mob.0409285261or:

[email protected]

Helen Fitzgerald: – Painting Birds inWatercolour,afour-dayworkshop.

Location is Bungendore School of Arts, nearCanberra. Suitable for beginners and advancedstudents. Download enrolment form from thewebsite:www.helenfitzgerald.com

orContactHelenon0262972697.

HelenFitzgeraldGlossyBlackCockatoos


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WebsitesOnewebsitewhich readersmay findextremelyusefulisthefollowing:

www.botanicalartandartists.com

It has very specific information and advice. Forexample, in the section called Tips andTechniques, you can find Conventions ofBotanical Art and Illustration which gives gooddescriptions of terms we often encounter asbotanicalartists.AnothersectionisHowtodrawplants toscientific standards.This isasitewithveryhelpfulinformation.

HuangYongyuLotus1981,Ink&colouronpaper

TongYu18thcent.LotusInkonpaper

BothfromGlorious:EarthlyPleasuresHeavenlyRealms

BDASBotanicArtistsMeetingsin2017

Term1:February20,March20,April10

Term2:May15,June26

Term3:July17,August14,September11

Term4:October23,November20,December4

AllmeetingsareheldinStudio3,BowralDistrictArtSociety,from10amto4pm.

PublicationDeadlines&ContactDetails

ThisnewsletterwaspreparedbyCathrynCoutts.The next issue will be published at the end ofNovember2017.

Contributionsareinvitedfromindividualartists,workshoptutors,artexhibitionsorlocalbotanicart groups. There is no charge for advertising.ContributionsshouldbereceivedbyNovember27,2017.

Please send textunformatted.Anemail is fine.Imagesneedtobejpegsthatareeasilyemailed.

Enquiriesandcontributionsto:[email protected]

GraceCossington-Smith,fromMakingModerism

CurrentlyatAGNSW

Documents

Tendrils September 2017 Issue 2 - Cathryn Coutts...Tendrils September 2017 Issue 2 5 The Art of Science: Baudin’s Voyages 1800-1804. This exhibition is now open at the Australian