Professional Directory
 

bullet Margaret Best - Professional Artist and Teacher
bullet Emily Damstra - Illustration
bullet Celia Godkin - Teaching, Illustration and Presentation
bullet Kerri Weller - Fine Art & Illustration, Art Instruction

 

MARGARET BEST

Tel: 416-617-7255
Email: margaret[at]bestbotanical.com
Website: www.bestbotanical.com

Tulip Tree


PROFESSIONAL ARTIST
 

As a professional artist, Margaret has completed numerous corporate and private commissions and her work is found in the collection of The Hunt Institute of Botanical Documentation in Pittsburgh.  Margaret has exhibited extensively in juried shows in the USA, Canada and United Kingdom and was recently awarded a silver Grenfell medal by the Royal Horticultural Society.  Her paintings are featured  in Today’s Botanical Artists by Libby Kyer and Cora Marcus. 

TEACHER

Margaret is a qualified art teacher. She teaches private classes and group workshops across Canada, USA  and UK. Venues include Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, Los Angeles Arboretum, The Natural History Museum in San Diego, Filoli in San Francisco, Virginia Robinson Gardens in Beverly Hills and Santa Barbara Botanical Gardens. In 2010 she is teaching a series of classes at the new conservatory at the Calgary Zoo and Botanical Gardens.

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EMILY DAMSTRA


Email: esdamstra[at]gmail.com
Website: www.emilydamstra.com

Fall Maple leaf


ILLUSTRATION

An experienced freelance illustrator, Emily creates natural science imagery for any application. Her clients include:

• Publishers of all sizes such as Thompson–Gale, Greystone Books, and The University of Michigan Press
• Museums, zoos and aquaria including The Calgary Zoo, The Canada Agriculture Museum and The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
• Non-profit organizations like Michigan Sea Grant
• Popular periodicals such as In-Fisherman magazine and The Washington Post
• Advertising agencies and design firms
• Academic institutions
• Businesses and individuals

More images and information may be found at her website.

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CELIA GODKIN

Tel: (613) 275-7204
Email: celiagodkin[at]ripnet.com
Website: www.celiagodkin.com

crab apple

TEACHING

Over many years of teaching, Celia has developed a series of carefully crafted exercises to build drawing and painting skills. The emphasis is on careful observation and exact rendering of natural subjects. Her method is so successful that many students return again and again. 

ILLUSTRATION

A freelance illustrator since 1983, Celia has over one thousand published illustrations to her credit. Her work may be seen in children’s picture books, trade books, textbooks, magazines and scientific journals and on coins issued by the Royal Canadian Mint. 

PRESENTATIONS

Formerly an Associate Professor in Biomedical Communications (University of Toronto), Celia is an experienced lecturer on topics relating to natural science illustration. As an author and illustrator of children’s science books she is also available for school presentations.

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KERRI WELLER BSc AMM, AOCA

Email: k.weller[at]magma.ca
Website: http://www.kerriweller.com

peony

FINE ART AND ILLUSTRATION

Kerri specializes in botanical illustration for commercial and fine art markets. Her botanical paintings exhibit a strong design aesthetic, scientific accuracy and attention to detail. Kerri’s work is included in the permanent collection of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation and has been chosen for the 14th International Juried Exhibition of the American Society of Botanical Artists & Horticultural Society of New York, 2011. A medical illustrator and graphic designer by training, career highlights include ten years as an Exhibits Graphic Designer/Illustrator with the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto working on many celebrated exhibitions including Sports, Mindworks, Space and Human Body.

ART INSTRUCTION

Kerri is available to lead drawing and watercolour workshops in botanical art. Bringing her broad base of knowledge and skills in the visual arts, Kerri has taught at various venues in the Ottawa area including the Canadian Museum of Nature, Algonquin College and Heritage House. Beginning in 2006, she pioneered botanical art courses with the City of Ottawa's, Nepean Visual Arts Centre and continues to teach Wednesdays in the fall, winter and spring. Her workshop, The Fall Harvest: Mastering Form with the Botanical Artists of Canada, can be reviewed in the BAC Winter 10-11 Newsletter.

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