Sherry Mitchell Workshop, May 8-10, 2008 at the Toronto Botanical Gardens

"Make your paintings glow with light and colour" was the topic of Sherry's three-day workshop.
Sherry's workshop

 

Sherry's technique involves working from high-contrast photos to capture the drama of light and shade.

Left: Sherry works with Alice Durst; Winnie Larsen and Dawn McDougal are heads down in the background.

Below left: Liz Tudor works on a red hibiscus.

Below right: Pam works from a photograph of a red rhododendron.

Liz = Pam

Todmorden Exhibition Reception, October 4, 2007

Right: Juror Sheila Siegerman with Myra Sourkes, whose painting of Jacks in the Pulpit was awarded the prize for best composition.

Below: Literally hundreds of guests came to our opening reception at the Todmorden Mills Papermill Gallery on October 4.

Sheila Siegerman and Myra Sourkes

 

Guests admire the artwork at our reception

Tasira Strimban Workshops on Mixing Greens, July 7-8 and July 11-12, 2007

Tasira's two-day 'green' workshop focuses on techniques to use green colours in a richer and more vibrant way in botanical art.
Tasira's workshop

 

Left: Irene, Linda and Dawn listen attentively as Tasira critiques a leaf study.

Below: Barb demonstrates how the green of a leaf changes substantially when viewed through strong light (sunlight).

More info about the workshop.

Tasira and Ester
Above: Tasira shows and comments on Ester's green reference chart. Every participant created a reference chart of greens for personal use.
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Todmorden Wildflower Preserve Walk, May 6, 2007

Paula Davies, executive director of the Wildflower Preserve at Todmorden Mills, was the expert guide at our spring walk. We saw bloodroot, white and red trilliums, mayapples, horsetail, blue cohosh, trees in flower, and more. About 20 people attended.

Right: bloodroot
Below right: stopping to observe and admire
Below left: pollinator at work on cherry blossoms

Bloodroot - <i>Sanguinaria Canadensis</i>

 

Bumble bee pollinating cherry blosoms Stopping to observe and admire.

Katie Lee Workshop, March 2 to 4, 2007

Katie Lee workshop, March 2 to 4, 2007. Katie critiquing a participant's work.

Hard at work in the light-filled room are Liz, Emily, Sophie and Caryl. Katie and Hannah discuss progress.

 

Katie's three-day session ended with a critique of everyone's work. Here, Katie discusses Alice's Calla Lilly.

 


Some workshop partipants

 

Katie passed on a huge amount of knowledge in her three-day workshop -- lots for us to absorb and assmilate.

Here, she demonstrates materials and techniques to Lynda, Irene, Sheila, Caryl, Donna, Raquel and Alice.


Workshop with Tasira Strimban, January 14, 2007

Mary, Tasira and Lindel

 

Using red, blue and yellow more effectively to portray shade was the focus of a recent workshop given by Tasira Strimban.

Fran, Mary, Tasira and Lyndel in this photo.

Tasira will hold a second workshop on May 13 in which people can work on their Todmorden submissions.

In this photo, Margit and Irene.

  Margit and Irene

Holiday Party, December 12, 2006

More than 20 BAC members attended our end-of-year party. Shown here are Lynda and Tasira. Speaker John Sherk presented his slides on a group of wildflowers -- spring ephemerals -- and described the variations in their development.

  Lynda and Tasira, December 12, 2006
Esther and loot basket, December 12, 2006

 

Esther Lovrics won the doorprize: a huge basket of art supplies and a $50 gift certificate donated by Lisa Killam, manager of the Woolfitts store at 1153 Queen Street West in Toronto. For current Woolfitt's specials, visit their website at www.woolfitts.com/Fulfill/


BAC Open Studio and Portfolio Photoshoot, November 5, 2006

BAC Photoshoot, November 5, 2006

 

Photographer Diogenes Baena photographed paintings and drawings of 15 BAC members for the portfolio project and BAC website galleries.

The rooftop room has been the perfect location for BAC Open Studios, with plenty of natural light from the walls of windows, even on a grey November day.

We look forward to more Open Studios as well as workshops in the spring of 2007.

  Open Studio, November 5, 2006

BAC Open Studio, October 22, 2006

BAC Open Studio, October 22, 2006 BAC Open Studio, October 22, 2006

BAC members develop and polish their skills at the first of three Open Studio sessions: five hours of distraction-free drawing and painting time – what luxury.

 

Hannah, Sophie Barbara, and Liz confer. Join us in 2007 for more Open Studios.

 



Todmorden Walk, September 24, 2006

Todmorden Walk, September 24, 2006

 

In preparation for our 2007 exhibition, “Native Plants at Toronto’s Todmorden Mills,” about 20 BAC members took a discovery walk at Todmorden’s Wildflower Preserve. Everywhere we looked were special plants and trees.

Paula Davies (fourth from the left), Executive Director of Todmorden’s Wildflower Preserve, conducted our tour, sharing her extensive knowledge of native plants and trees as well as the challenges of restoring a disturbed area to its original condition. Stay tuned for announcements about our spring walk at Todmorden.

  Todmorden Walk, September 24, 2006

Read more about the Wildflower Preserve at www.hopscotch.ca/tmwp/preserve/index.html