ASBA is going VIRTUAL AGAIN!
So, mark your calendars now to join us "Online in October" for a global gathering of botanical artists.
Those who attended last year’s event gave it rave reviews and asked for more. So, if you attended last year join us again and if you did not, don’t miss out this time around.
No plane tickets, no hotel, no travel, just sit back, relax, and enjoy 4+ days of immersion in all things "botanical art" from the comfort of your own home. Connect with botanical art enthusiasts from across the country and around the world. Share your passion and be inspired by the art and artistic journeys of your fellow ASBA members as you engage in the variety of sessions being offered.
Flexible registration options will be available. Attend it all or whatever your schedule and budget allow. (But we think you'll want to do it ALL!) No registration lottery or appointments necessary. All sessions will be open to an unlimited number of attendees. No filled sessions, no wait-lists. This is your opportunity to see your favorite artist/instructor demonstrate their unique approach to botanical art.
We have a great program in store for you!
QUESTIONS/CONTACT:
If after reading info on the website and your registration confirmation email you still need assistance, contact
conf.registration@asba-art.orgWednesday, October 13th: Opening Night
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A Big Welcome – Gather together with your worldwide botanical art community. When you register, you’ll have an opportunity to send in a photo of yourself in your studio, drawing or painting in the field or showing off your favorite botanical fashion. We’ll include you in our
Member Montage video welcome. Meet ASBA’s officers, board, and staff. Get to know these terrific individuals that work behind the scenes to lead ASBA’s programs, committees, and administration. Look back on ASBA’s activities over the past year including the creative ways in which our regional chapters and artists circles have made the most of a most unusual and challenging time.
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Panel Discussion - Join our exhibitions director Carol Woodin for a panel discussion with leading botanists in the field of crop diversity and crop wild relatives. Learn about this intriguing topic and enjoy the stories behind many of the artworks included
in Abundant Future – Celebrating Diversity in Garden, Farm and Field, ASBA’s Fourth triennial exhibition with the New York Botanical Garden.
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Small Works Virtual Exhibition - And stay tuned to see the Premiere of "
Dare to be Square" our 2021 small works non-juried exhibition of artwork by you, our virtual conference attendees. Each ASBA member who registers for any part of the conference is eligible to submit one artwork in the virtual exhibition.
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Meet, Mix & Mingle" - See old friends and meet new ones at this member-only virtual social guided by your host, ASBA's Facebook moderator, (un)official social director, and all-around life-of-the-party, Pauline Goldsmith! Free to all members who pay the base registration fee.
Thursday, October 14th – Sunday, October 17th: Daytime Sessions
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Botanical Art Instruction – Master artist/instructors will each give live 1-hour demonstrations or presentations in “blocks” of three each morning and afternoon (Thursday – Saturday), plus an additional morning block of three live 1-hour sessions on Sunday. Our all-star ensemble of instructors includes Martin Allen, Margaret Best, Gillian Condy, Carrie DiCostanzo, Mary Dillon, Shevaun Doherty, Jean Emmons, Susan Fisher, Lara Call Gastinger, Wendy Hollender, Heeyoung Kim, Sarah Morrish, Dick Rauh, Susan Rubin, Margaret Saylor, Elaine Searle, Lucy Smith, Ann Swan, Catherine Watters, and Carol Woodin.
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Juror Training – Participate in small groups to curate a mock exhibition while learning and using ASBA's criteria and process for jurying its international exhibitions. (Sunday afternoon)
Thursday, October 14th: Evening Program
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Portfolios & Passions – An encore to the tremendously popular program last year, prolific ASBA-member artists present distinctive bodies of work. Collections of artworks of new species, flowering plants of Africa, orchids, larger than life magnifications, plant origins, violets, palms, color families, and works inspired by Hoefnagel will be shown by artists: Bobbi Angell, Gillian Condy, Deborah Lambkin, Dick Rauh, Susan Rubin, Masako Sasaki, Lucy Smith, Dianne Sutherland, and Denise Walser-Kolar.
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Meet, Mix & MingleFriday, October 15th: Evening Program
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Best of Botanicals: A Focus on Florilegia – New for 2021! Leaders of nine modern-day florilegium societies/projects will share their unique and intriguing stories of the plants, artists, artwork, and history of the places being documented through botanical art. A worldwide mix of florilegia will be represented, maybe they will inspire you to embark on such a project!
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Meet, Mix & MingleSaturday, October 16th: Evening Program (Bring-your-own-banquet)
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Beyond the Studio: Making a Difference – Always engaging, thought-provoking and inspiring, four ASBA Grant Award Winners report on their ASBA-funded projects utilizing botanical art for educational outreach.
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Beyond Accuracy: Creating Art – A perennial favorite, a panel of botanical art aficionados curate a feast for the eyes sharing botanical masterpieces from the past and present not often seen. Captivating, inspiring and just plain beautiful!
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ASBA Annual Awards – Find out who will win this year’s
ASBA Diane Bouchier Artist Award for Excellence in Botanical Art and the ASBA James White Service Award for Dedication to Botanical Art, ASBA Grant Project awards for the coming year and the
Jean Emmons People’s Choice Award for this year’s
Dare-to-be-Square virtual small works exhibition.
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Featured Guest Speaker - Professor David Mabberley AM, DSc is a British-born botanist, educator, Australian citizen, and author of over three hundred publications including Arthur Harry Church: The anatomy of flowers (2000); Ferdinand Bauer: The nature of discovery (2003); and Sir Joseph Banks’ Florilegium (2017). Professor Mabberley will present "Economic Plants: Artistic Wallflowers No More". Focusing on apples and citrus fruit, a review of the depiction of economically significant plants from antiquity until today is presented. The wider social significance of recent work is explored, with suggestions for future progress.
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Meet, Mix & Mingle KEY DATES:
- July 1 (noon Eastern): "Dare to Be Square" small works exhibition entries open
- July 15 (noon Eastern): Conference registration opens
- September 22: "Dare to be Square" small works exhibition entry deadline. See the Call for Entries HERE.
- October 6 (11 pm Eastern): Conference registration closes, deadline for changes to conference registration
- October 13: Conference event begins
ELIGIBILITY:
Botanical art instruction sessions, "Meet, Mix, & Mingle" virtual socials, and Juror Training are open to ASBA members only. Other programs are open to non-members.
RECORDINGS:
Botanical Art Instruction sessions and Evening Programs will be recorded and be available to view approximately one hour after the close of programming on the day of the live broadcast for each program. Recordings will be available to view online until 5pm (EDT) Sunday, October 24,2021. Recordings will only be available to individuals who have previously registered and paid for each specific program (or a bundled plan including that session).
Meet, Mix & Mingle and Juror Training sessions will not be recorded.
DOWNLOADS:
Easy-Print Detailed Schedule ASBA Virtual Conference-2021.pdf
Illustrated Program With Session Details ASBA Virtual Conference-2021.pdf
Instructors ASBA Virtual Conference-2021.pdf
Overview Schedule-At-A-Glance ASBA Virtual Conference-2021.pdf
Policies and Terms ASBA VIrtual Conference-2021.pdf
Time Zone Chart ASBA Virtual Conference-2021.pdf
Wednesday, Oct 13, 6pm-9pm
Wednesday, Oct 13, 9pm-11pm
Thursday, Oct 14, 9pm-11pm
Friday, Oct 15, 9pm-11pm
Saturday, Oct 16, 9pm-11pm
Thursday, Oct 14, 9:55am-1pm
Thursday, Oct 14, 10am-11am
Thursday, Oct 14, 11am-12pm
Thursday, Oct 14, 12pm-1pm
Thursday, Oct 14, 1:55pm-5pm
Thursday, Oct 14, 2pm-3pm
Thursday, Oct 14, 3pm-4pm
Thursday, Oct 14, 4pm-5pm
Thursday, Oct 14, 6pm-9pm
Friday, Oct 15, 9:55am-1pm
Friday, Oct 15, 10am-11am
Friday, Oct 15, 11am-12pm
Friday, Oct 15, 12pm-1pm
Friday, Oct 15, 1:55pm-5pm
Friday, Oct 15, 2pm-3pm
Friday, Oct 15, 3pm-4pm
Friday, Oct 15, 4pm-5pm
Friday, Oct 15, 6pm-9pm
Saturday, Oct 16, 9:55am-1pm
Saturday, Oct 16, 10am-11am
Saturday, Oct 16, 11am-12pm
Saturday, Oct 16, 12pm-1pm
Saturday, Oct 16, 1:55pm-5pm
Saturday, Oct 16, 2pm-3pm
Saturday, Oct 16, 3pm-4pm
Saturday, Oct 16, 4pm-5pm
Saturday, Oct 16, 6pm-9pm
Sunday, Oct 17, 9:55am-1pm
Sunday, Oct 17, 10am-11am
Sunday, Oct 17, 11am-12pm
Sunday, Oct 17, 12pm-1pm
Sunday, Oct 17, 2pm-5pm
Martin Allen
Martin has been teaching and lecturing for over ten years, in watercolour, and mainly by discussing options for students to improve their work however they wish to do so. He is an RHS Gold Medallist, Emeritus Fellow of the Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society, and trustee of the Association of Botanical Artists with paintings in the collection of the Hunt Institute and the Shirley Sherwood Collection. He works in UK native plant conservation, has a degree in Environmental Horticulture, and is currently writing a book about England's Ancient Grasslands.
Margaret Best
An art educator most of her life, Margaret Best has been dedicated to the practice and teaching of botanical art in graphite, coloured pencil and watercolour for the past twenty years in over ten countries. Margaret is well known for her extensive knowledge of colour and her excellent handout material for both in-person and online teaching. Most of her own artwork now reflects plant life in her home setting in Nova Scotia, Canada. She has also enjoyed painting a diverse range of plant subjects related to teaching travels to her home country South Africa also Bermuda, Italy and UK. Margaret’s work has been featured in numerous ASBA juried international exhibitions and is included in the Hunt Institute, RBG Sydney Florilegium and many private collections around the globe. To date, over 20 of her coin designs of Canadian flora have been selected by the Royal Canadian Mint. Margaret has authored numerous e-booklets on topics of technique and colour that have been well received by botanical artists in over 30 countries.
Gillian Condy
A prolific freelance artist for over 40 years, Gillian promotes the indigenous flora of Southern Africa. As resident botanical artist for the National Herbarium for 35 years, she contributed to numerous journals, taught botanical art, organized dozens of exhibitions in her official and private capacity (including BAW 2018), a founding member of the Botanical Artists Association of SA. (1999). She has been a participant in several international Florilegium and is recipient of numerous awards. November 2018 she was appointed artist in residence at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, culminating in a solo exhibition in February 2021. She is currently illustrating two books on Baobabs and Barleria.
Carrie Di Costanzo
Carrie has been painting with watercolor and gouache since 2009. She chooses subjects based on color and the way light creates interesting contrast and subtleties within the form. The last five years have been devoted to exploring egg tempera, an ancient medium where one can achieve beautiful luminosity in a painting. Carrie has been teaching watercolor and gouache classes since 2014 and recently began teaching egg tempera workshops. She strives for a friendly, interactive class experience with plenty of live demonstrations and individual feedback. Carrie has exhibited extensively throughout the US. Her work is held in the Botanical Collections at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, and private collections.
Mary Dillon
Mary Dillon is an award winning Irish botanical artist. Her work belongs in the collection of the Hunt Institute of Botanical Art and Documentation in Pittsburgh and The Dr. Shirley Sherwood Collection in The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The National Gallery of Ireland chose Mary's work as the signature image for their exhibition, 'Drawn From Nature'. Along with exhibiting and teaching botanical art in Ireland Mary also enjoys opportunities to teach in Greece, Spain, the UK and the US. Mary finds teaching botanical art the perfect opportunity to bring together her three passions of painting, plants and working with people.Shevaun Doherty
Shevaun Doherty is an Irish botanical and natural history artist painting in watercolour on paper and vellum. She is the current President of the Society of Botanical Artists. An award-winning artist, she regularly exhibits in Ireland and internationally. In 2020 her painting of Golden-eye lichen was exhibited at the National Gallery Ireland. She designs Flora and Fauna National postage stamps for An Post, recently completing her third set. Her bumblebee painting is the cover image for the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. She considers herself a visual storyteller, using her skills as botanical artist to raise awareness about endangered species and habitat loss.Jean Emmons
An avid gardener, Emmons has won two Gold Medals and "Best Painting of Show" from the Royal Horticultural Society, London. Also, the ASBA Founders Award for Excellence in Botanical Art. Recent awards include the Jurors' Award at the 20th Botanical Art Exhibition at Filoli and "Best in Show" at the ASBA's 21st International. Recent books featuring her work include Plant: The Art and Science of Botany by Phaidon Press, RHS Botanical Illustration, The Gold Medal Winners by Charlotte Brooks, The Shirley Sherwood Collection, Modern Masterpieces of Botanical Art by Shirley Sherwood.Susan T. Fisher
Susan T. Fisher is the former Coordinator for the Botanical Program at Denver Botanic Gardens, the former Director of the Art Institute at the Desert Museum in Tucson,AZ and a former President of the ASBA. She has been consulting and teaching botanical art related classes since 1998.Lara Call Gastinger
Lara Call Gastinger is an artist and botanical illustrator from Charlottesville, Virginia and was the chief illustrator of the Flora of Virginia, a botanical reference. She has her undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Virginia and a master's degree in plant ecology from Virginia Tech. She has been awarded two gold medals (2007, 2018) at the Royal Horticultural Society Botanical Art shows in London and her work is in the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation. Her artwork appears in the latest Peterson's Field Guide to Mushrooms and ASBA's Botanical Art Techniques Handbook.Wendy Hollender
Wendy Hollender is a botanical artist, author, and instructor and leads workshops throughout the world as well as having an online instructional program (Draw Botanical.) Due to Covid Draw Botanical has launched a series of Zoom Workshops that have been highly successful and meaningful during this challenging time. Hollender’s illustrations have been published extensively. Her work has been in numerous ASBA International Exhibitions, the Hunt Institute and the Shirley Sherwood Gallery. Wendy has four books on Botanical DrawingHeeyoung Kim
Known as a wildflower painter, Heeyoung Kim documents native plants of prairies and woodlands of Midwestern USA. Her works are identifiable by the precise depiction of the botanical aspects of the plant species in unique compositions. She won RHS gold medal, Best in Show of HSNY/ASBA, and Diane Bouchier Artist Award for Excellence in Botanical Art by ASBA, among others. Her works are in various collections including Transylvania Florilegium. Kim founded Heeyoung Kim Botanical Art Academy at Brushwood Center, Riverwoods, IL., and teaches the traditional art form in watercolor, crow quill pen and ink, and graphite pencil with the focus on the serious/professional development of individual student’s projects by providing in-depth instructions and feedback with continuation.Sarah Morrish
Sarah has been teaching botanical and natural history art for over 15 years using a variety of media, independently and for a variety of organisations including Wellesley College Botanic Gardens, RBG Edinburgh, Irish Society of Botanical Artists and also conservation organisations. Much of her teaching focuses on the importance of drawing alongside thorough observation and investigation of your subject matter, all of which she views as an essential foundation. to our working practice as botanical artists. She is a fellow of the Linnean Society and a painting member of the Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium. Her work has been exhibited in the UK and abroad, and she has undertaken commissions for the Natural History Museum in London and Curtis's Botanical Magazine. Sarah is the author of ‘Natural History Illustration in Pen and Ink’ a popular book used by artists and illustrators across the world.Dick Rauh
Dick Rauh came to botanical art late in life, but has made the most of it. After retirement he received a Ph.D. in Plant Sciences in 2001 from CUNY. .He received a Gold Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society in 2006. He has been teaching the science behind botanical art, as well as art classes at The New York Botanical Garden for over 25 years and gives workshops throughout the country. During the pandemic he has continued to teach on line. He has shown widely and had a solo show at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden in 2014.His artwork is in the collection of the New York State Museum, the Shirley Sherwood Collection, the Lindley Library in London and the Hunt Collection in Pittsburgh.Susan Rubin
Botanical artist Susan Rubin loves colored pencils. Working and teaching in the medium since 1995 at Denver Botanic Gardens, online and in workshops in the US and abroad, she developed an acclaimed method for mixing color in colored pencil. A frequent gallery exhibitor, her colored pencil botanicals, primarily on Mylar since 2000, have evolved into adventurous commentary on the botanical realm. A RHS group Gold Medalist in 2017, Susan's works on Mylar are also held in the collections at the Hunt Institute and the New York State Museum. Margaret Saylor
Mushrooms and fungi have become Margaret Saylor's signature subject. Featured in watercolor, graphite, and egg tempera, Margaret forages in her native Berks County, Pennsylvania, or wherever she happens to be. Observation, good drawing skills, and enthusiasm are key to any botanical painting and Margaret conveys this to her students in a fun and engaging manner. For 10 years, she has taught both in person and now online for many venues, including public gardens, art institutes, and botanical art societies. She was awarded a certificate, with distinction, in botanical art from the New York Botanical Garden. Margaret exhibits her work but gets the most satisfaction from finding the perfect subject and painting it for the love of art.Elaine Searle
Elaine works on paper and vellum, finding inspiration in a very wide range of subjects. Her artworks are known for their impact, depth and layered composition. Elaine’s work has been selected for inclusion in Prince of Wales’s Highgrove Florilegium and Transylvania Florilegium. She has works in the collections of The Hunt Institute and The Huntington Library and her work has been purchased by many private collectors. In Spring 2022 she was awarded a Botanical Art Residency at The Oak Spring Garden Foundation. Over 15 years teaching botanical art with a passion from beginners to masterclass level. Offering Zoom tuition, holiday courses in Europe, mentoring and workshops, Elaine has also been a guest tutor (virtual and in-person) for many botanical organisations. Details and further examples of her work may be found at www.paintbotanical.comLucy Smith
Lucy T Smith is a botanical illustrator who, for the past twenty years, has been illustrating in both pen and ink and watercolour for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London. She is passionate about the intersection of botany and art which she believes is to key to producing beautiful botanical illustrations. When not illustrating for Kew’s scientists, she is busy researching and producing her own illustrative work on the giant Victoria waterlilies, with a focus on their complex flowers. She also teaches botanical illustration at Kew, and has won many awards for her work.Ann Swan
Ann champions the colored pencil and loves the flexibility and colour brilliance that can be achieved with quality pencils and is constantly experimenting to develop new techniques and approaches towards creating vibrant, contemporary plant portraits in this media. Ann has been working in graphite and colored pencil for over thirty years and is an enthusiastic and nurturing teacher, nowadays mainly on Zoom, and her book ‘Botanical Painting with Colour Pencils’ (‘Plant Portraits in Colored Pencil’ in the US) has been a leader in the field for over 10 years. She has been awarded 4 RHS Gold Medals and her work is in the prestigious Shirley Sherwood Collection and the RHS Lindley Library.Catherine Watters
Catherine has been teaching since 1999, venues include ASBA conferences and chapters, UC Berkeley Botanical Garden, Wellesley College, and France. She was an instructor and curriculum developer for the Filoli Botanical Art Certificate Program for 20 years. Her teaching style is best summarized in this testimonial: “I enjoyed your gentle enthusiasm and kind attention, giving me such inspiration to pursue this precise art form” Catherine’s paintings are held in several collections including The Hunt Institute, Kew Gardens, The Paris Museum of Natural History. Notable Florilegia include The Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens; The Château de Brécy, France; The Brooklyn Botanic Garden; Alcatraz; Filoli and the National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kauai. www.catherinewatters.com / Instagram: artdesfleursCarol Woodin
Carol Woodin enjoys spending time out in the gardens, fields and forests looking at and making studies of plants for future paintings. Her paintings in watercolor on vellum have been collected and exhibited around the world. She has taught botanical watercolor for over 25 years, and is co-editor of the ‘new standard’ botanical art instruction book Botanical Art Techniques, A Comprehensive Guide, published by ASBA and Timber Press. She received a Gold Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1995, the 1998 ASBA Diane Bouchier Artist Award, the 2016 Orchid Digest Medal of Honor.Registration Deadline: 10/06/2021
Base Registration Fees (non-refundable):
- ASBA Members: $25
- Non-Members: $30
Added Programming Fees:
Flexible programming options allow members to attend every program or whatever your schedule and budget allow. No limits on class sizes, no concurrent sessions. Now is your chance to see those sought after instructors whose sessions fill so quickly at our in-person conferences! And four special programs are open to non-members. So spread the word, invite your friends!
Member Programming - Open to Current (2021) ASBA Members Only:
- “Blocks” of Botanical Art Instruction: $75/per block* (each block includes three one-hour demonstrations
by three different master artists, 7 different blocks available for registration, that’s 21 sessions in all! Register
for as many blocks as you wish.)
- Juror Training: $35
- Meet, Mix & Mingle virtual socials: included with Base Registration Fee
Public Programming - Open to Members and Non-Members
- Welcome Reception/Small Works Exhibition Premiere: $15
- Portfolios & Passions: $15
- Best of Botanicals, a Focus on Florilegia: $15
- Bring Your Own Banquet: $15
Program Plans:
Three options for current (2021) ASBA Members:
- All-Inclusive Plan**: $450 (includes EVERY program in the conference, you save $170!)
- All Public Programming Plan: $50 (includes all four public programs, you save $10) Members
can add individual 3-hour blocks of botanical art instruction or juror training to this plan
at a la carte prices. above.
- Flex Plan: select the individual programs you choose at the a la carte prices above.
Two options for non-members
- All Public Programming Plan: $50 (includes all four public programs, you save $10)
- Flex Plan: select the public programs you choose at the prices above.
Registration opens at noon (EDT) on July 15
Registration closes at 11pm (EDT) on October 6
* A “block” is a morning or afternoon series of three consecutive one-hour sessions. Individual one-hour sessions are not sold separately. This is to provide continuity in the programming and reduce risk of connection issues, reduce complexity for attendees accessing the webinars, ensure presenters are online ready to begin their sessions and to maximize the amount of instructional time provided to attendees.
** "All-inclusive" plan fee covers all botanical art instruction (7 three-hour blocks of sessions), all evening programs (4 three-hour programs), and juror training. That’s 36 hours of programming!