This summer, Berkshire Botanical Garden has become a sanctuary for art lovers with “DayDream,” a captivating exhibition showcasing works by celebrated contemporary and modern artists. As part of the exhibition’s summer programming, curator James Salomon will host a special evening of conversation and exploration on Saturday, July 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. Salomon will be joined by a selection of featured artists — John Gordon Gauld, Peter D. Gerakaris, Ann Getsinger, Cate Pasquarelli, Anastasia Traina, and Cynthia Wick — for an engaging gallery talk that delves into the ideas and inspiration behind their work. They may even read passages from the exhibition catalogue, where every participating artist contributes their personal daydreaming stories and insights. For more information, and to register, visit https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/daydream-curator-and-artist-talk
On the evening of Saturday, July 19, from 4 to 7 p.m., we will gather to celebrate nature’s beauty and the spirit of the season. This year’s event, 2025 Fête des Fleurs: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, will help support our mission, allowing Berkshire Botanical Garden to continue inspiring tens of thousands of visitors and offering educational opportunities that celebrate the art and science of gardening for our local community. You can expect a truly enchanting evening, where you will be transported into Shakespeare’s play with captivating theatrical performances, interactive activities, and an atmosphere that immerses you in the magic of the season. Guests will enjoy a delightful selection of refreshments and hors d’oeuvres throughout the evening, complemented by captivating entertainment that brings the garden to life. BBG members $125, nonmembers $175. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/2025-fete-des-fleurs
Join Anastasia Traina for an engaging and creative exploration of color in the world of flowers. Over two days, Feb. 26 and 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., we will delve into the fascinating world of color mixing, and to enhance our understanding, we’ll incorporate the psychology of color. As we turn our attention toward the red hues using watercolor and colored pencils, it’s essential to recognize that red is often associated with passion, energy, and intensity. We will also revisit the various shades of greens using watercolor and colored pencils, and consider not only the technical aspects of color mixing but also the emotional and psychological responses that different shades of green can evoke. In the realm of watercolors, we will experiment with creating a stunning rainbow grisaille effect. Grisaille involves painting in shades of gray to mimic the appearance of sculpture or drawing. By combining the technical aspects of color mixing with an understanding of color psychology, students will not only expand their artistic skills but also infuse a deeper layer of meaning and emotion into their botanical creations.
Anastasia Traina is a writer and botanical artist. Her illustrations have been published in the children’s book, BITSY and RAFF, written by David Caudle, a story which highlights the power of friendship and inclusion. She is a member of the American Society of Botanical Art, the Tri-State Botanical Artists of NYBG, the Writer’s Guild of America and the Dramatists Guild of America. Her most recent exhibition, “Alchemy and Innocents” was on display at the BBG’s Leonhardt Galleries in 2023. Commissioned for the Berkshire Botanical Garden to create Lucy’s Garden, featuring topiary animals and other ‘live’ structures on paper. Donated by Lucy and Nat Day.
All flowers hold different meanings, often based on the flower type, the time of year in which they bloom, the flower’s color, or all of the above, but the same is true of the story that makes them so meaningful to us. This Berkshire Botanical Garden workshop, held December 6 through December 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will work with seasonal plants such as tree nuts, winter berries, or mushrooms; since our substrate will be vellum (calf skin), our subjects need to be small. Dry brush is a watercolor painting technique used in traditional botanical illustration. The method involves a “skin” of dried paint on the palette and a small, slightly damp brush. We will also create botanical tints for the base layer, generating shape by adding a luminous shadow. Students will receive a photograph and an outline of the seasonal flora. This workshop will meet for three consecutive days, for five hours each session.
Anastasia Traina, is a writer and botanical artist. Her illustrations were published in the children’s book, BITSY and RAFF written by David Caudle, highlighting the power of friendship and inclusion. She is a member of the American Society of Botanical Art, the Tri-State Botanical Artists of NYBG, the Writer’s Guild of America and the Dramatists Guild of America. Her most recent exhibition, “Alchemy and Innocents” was on display at the BBG’s Leonhardt Galleries in 2023. Commissioned for the Berkshire Botanical Garden to create Lucy’s Garden, featuring topiary animals and other ‘live’ structures on paper. Donated by Lucy and Nat Day. $245 for BBG members, $265 for nonmembers. Register at https://www.berkshirebotanical.org/events/language-flowers-vellum
The Berkshire Botanical Garden presents Alchemy and Innocents, featuring work by Anastasia Traina, May 5 through June 25, in the Leonhardt Art Galleries at the Garden at 5 West Stockbridge Road in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The opening reception is Friday, May 5, from 5 – 7.
In Alchemy and Innocents, Traina, a writer, director and artist, illuminates the botanical world and its hidden creatures by building a Nouveau-Victorian landscape inhabited by magical insects and fauna placed into realistic botanic backdrops. Her inspiration is the nature found in her backyard, fairy tales from around the globe, natural history, and Victorian culture.
By embracing watercolor, graphite, colored pencil, hand- pressed paper, kiln cast glass, and pate de verre, the work seeks to excite and inspire audiences to rediscover the efflorescing beauty already around them — giving us an even more profound sense of wonder and appreciation for the extraordinary reality within our own little corner.
Traina, originally from the cinnamon-scented concrete of New York City, now lives in the verdant village of East Chatham, N.Y., with her husband; her faithful dog, Fanny Brawne; her 40,000 bees; and grass beneath her feet. Having traveled the world at a young age and become a successful actress, writer and director in theater and film, she eventually found herself at a crossroads, like so many of us do. She soon discovered other media through which to tell her story. She forged her way into glass sculpture and botanical art.
Her work includes the fairy, flora and fauna of the botanical art world, sculpture, glass kiln casting, and the lost art of pate verre.
She studied botanical art at the prestigious New York Botanical Garden, graduating with high honors and has gone on to show this work in multiple galleries and fine art magazines. Traina was awarded funding to study at the famed Corning Glass Studios and Urban Glass Studios in Brooklyn, N.Y., and is a 2022 recipient of the Martha Boschen Porter Fund.
Gallery hours for “Alchemy and Innocents” are seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This Berkshire Botanical Garden two session workshop December 1 and 8 from 19 – 1 will focus on using dry brush watercolor to replicate the colors and forms of the Season’s Flora, poinsettia, ivy, and laurel. “Dry brush” refers to the art of using only a small amount of paint to damp a brush. Create paintings to turn into seasonal holiday cards. Learn the basics of the dry brush technique, including color mixing and layering, working from light to dark, adding fine detail and using dry brush with the “skin” of dried paint on the palette. Techniques to be covered: color mixing and layering, working from light to dark, adding fine detail, using a dry brush. We will also create botanical tints for the base layer, which will generate shape by adding a luminous shadow.. This two-session class led by botanical artists Anastasia Traina will include instructional time and group critique.
Anastasia Traina is a member of SAG, WGA, The Dramatists Guild, The American Society of Botanical Artists, the Tri-State Botanical Artists of NYBG, the SBA, as well as Circle East and graduated with honors from the NYBG botanical art degree program. She lives in upstate New York with her husband, dog, two rabbits and her 40,000 bees.
This Berkshire Botanical Garden online workshop will focus on using dry brush watercolor to replicate the colors and the form of mushrooms. “Dry brush” refers to the art of using only a small amount of paint to damp a brush. Learn the basics of the technique: color mixing and layering, working from light to dark, adding fine detail and using a dry brush with the “skin” of dried paint on the palette. This two-session class on October 9 and 15 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm led by botanical artist Anastasia Traina will include live instructional time and group critique. Attendees will be provided with a photograph and an outline of the same mushroom to work from throughout the class. These materials will be provided post-registration along with a required material list.
Anastasia Traina is a member of SAG, WGA, The Dramatists Guild, The American Society of Botanical Artists, the Tri-State Botanical Artists of NYBG, the SBA and Circle East. Ms. Traina is a graduate with honors from the NYBG botanical art degree program. She lives in upstate New York with her husband, dog, two rabbits and her 40,000 bees.
