Boston Flora

Tag: Barry Van Dusen

  • Saturday, March 17, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm – Nature Art in Field and Studio

    This one day Tower Hill Botanic Garden workshop on Saturday, March 17 from 10 – 4 will focus on Barry Van Dusen’s recent residency with the Massachusetts Audubon Society. For the past two years, Barry has been traveling around Massachusetts, creating paintings and drawings at Mass Audubon wildlife sanctuaries. Barry will show a selection of the more 130 watercolors he has produced for the project and share his residency sketchbooks. You’ll learn about how the artist uses optics in the field, and how he organizes his art materials for efficient fieldwork. He’ll discuss the approaches he uses to create artwork on location and in his studio. Barry will lead students through basic drawing, tone and color exercises to help them get started with creating their own record of outdoor observations.

    PLEASE NOTE: A MATERIALS LIST WILL BE SENT UPON REGISTRATION. $95 for Tower Hill members, $110 for nonmembers. Register online at www.towerhillbg.org.

    Barry W. Van Dusen is an internationally recognized and award-winning wildlife artist living in central Massachusetts. Barry’s illustrations and paintings have appeared in many publications and books. In recent years Barry has been Artist-in-Residence at Fruitlands Museums, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Tower Hill Botanic Garden, and Mass Audubon. See more of the artist’s work at www.barryvandusen.com

  • Saturdays, June 4 & June 11, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Awash in Birds and Blossoms: Nature Drawing & Painting

    Saturdays, June 4 & June 11, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm – Awash in Birds and Blossoms: Nature Drawing & Painting

    In this two-part workshop (June 4 & June 11) join professional nature artist Barry Van Dusen at Tower Hill Botanic Garden, 11 French Drive in Boylston, as he explores the techniques and approaches artists use to depict natural subjects, both outdoors and in the studio. The focus will be on two particular themes: BIRDS and FLOWERS, and will start with drawing methods and techniques. The workshop will include time learning the basics of watercolor painting including manipulating brushes, color mixing and more. Fee is $150 for THBG members, $180 for nonmembers. Register at www.towerhillbg.org.

  • Wednesday, May 18, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm – The Nature of Tower Hill: Barry Van Dusen

    Barry Van Dusen is an internationally recognized wildlife artist living in Central Massachusetts.  His paintings have been featured in numerous publications and he has illustrated a variety of natural history books and pocket guides in association with the Massachusetts Audubon Society.  Over the course of one year, he visited Tower Hill 23 times, painting more than 40 watercolors of flowers, birds, insects and landscapes.  His show, An Artist’s Year in the Garden, will be on display May 17 – June 26 at Tower Hill, 11 French Drive in Boylston, and an opening reception will take place Wednesday, May 18 from 6 – 8 pm.  Free with admission to the garden.  In addition, there will be talks and garden tours on May 26 and June 25 from 10 – 11:30, at a Tower Hill member cost of $10, non-members $20.  To register for the talks, call 508-869-6111, ext 124, or visit www.towerhillbg.org.

  • Saturdays, April 27 and May 4, 9:30 am – 1:00 pm – The Nature Sketchbook: A Tool for Discovery

    In this two-part Fruitlands Museum workshop beginning Saturday, April 27,  Barry Van Dusen will discuss the basic tools for field sketching, including drawing and color mediums as well as optical aids. We’ll explore various drawing approaches – schematic, contour, gesture and tonal drawing. You’ll learn how written notes are best for exploring certain types of information, and how your sketchbooks can become a personal nature diary, useful for future reference. You’ll see how your sketchbooks can function as “science lab” – enhancing your knowledge of botany, comparative zoology and more. We’ll also delve into artistic concerns such as developing “touch” and a personal visual vocabulary. You’ll learn how the sketchbook is the perfect place for artistic experimentation and invention, and a great place to learn about pictorial editing and design. Registration required: email education@fruitlands.org or call 978.456.3924 x239.  $180 for Fruitlands members, $210 for nonmembers.  Image from drawingthemotmot.wordpress.com.

  • Saturday, June 5, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm – Artist’s Reception, Flights of Discovery

    An Artist’s Reception for the exhibit Flights of Discovery: The Avian Art of Barry Van Dusen, will be held Saturday, June 5, from 6 – 7:30 at Wayside. The free event, open to the public, will include complimentary refreshments. Fruitlands Museum’s 2010 Artist-in-Residence Barry Van Dusen has developed his skill as a field artist and painter for over 30 years. Inspired by European nature artists, Barry is a confirmed advocate of outdoor sketching and painting.

    The oils, watercolors and prints shown at the Museum Wayside are arranged in categories—songbirds, shorebirds, birds of wetlands or grasslands feathered friends, “other nature” and New England landscapes—are for sale and range in price from $250 to $5000. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Fruitlands Museum.

    Van Dusen also has a display in the Ell Gallery at Fruitlands Farmhouse of his ornithological illustrations. Additionally, a presentation of his process of painting called “Nature Artist at Work”, field to studio to production, is shown.

    RSVP to lseeckts@fruitlands.org, or call 978-456-3924, ext. 292 for more information.  The exhibit will continue through November 15, 2010.

    http://www.fruitlands.org/images/auction/barry.jpg

  • Sunday, April 18, 1:00 pm – A Paintbrush for Conservation

    Fruitlands Museum 2010 Artist in Residence Barry Van Dusen will present an illustrated lecture at the Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts on Sunday, April 18 beginning at 1:00 pm.  Barry will discuss his travels to Israel on a project organized by the Artists for Nature Foundation.

    In 1990, Ysbrand Brouwers, a Dutch art collector and wildlife enthusiast, took the initiative with a group of artists friends, to portray the beauty of the island of Schiermonnikoog (Netherlands) and invited an international group of artists to join them. The works of art that resulted were published in the book ‘Wind, Wad en Waterverf’ for which HRH Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands wrote the introduction.

    Exhibitions were organized, and together with the book the need to protect this precious area was brought to the attention of decision makers and the wider public. Major conservation organizations supported the initiative and their actions resulted in Schiermonnikoog receiving the status of National Park.

    Seeing the potential impact of art working as an instrument for nature conservation, Ysbrand founded the Artists for Nature Foundation in the same year to push the concept much further.

    Since then ANF has undertaken12 successful projects on 4 continents with 130 international artists.

    Explore the natural and cultural history of Israel, and learn how art is used to promote hope and cooperation.  For directions and more information, log on to www.fruitlands.org.

    http://www.artistsfornature.com/userfiles/dusstar.jpg