Boston Flora

Tag: Friends of Wellesley Botanic Gardens

  • Monday, January 4, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm – Taster Day

    The Friends of Wellesley Botanic Gardens will host Ann Swan on Monday, January 4 from 9:30 – 3:30 for a one day workshop in colored pencil for beginners.  This class is a whistle stop introduction to the materials and techniques Ann uses to produce her vibrant, contemporary illustrations with colored pencils.  She will guide you through the minefield of materials and their uses and will demonstrate the basic techniques of layering, burnishing and underpainting, and with some individual attention, will launch you into the exciting world of colored pencil.  Be warned, it is addictive!  WCBG Friend price $125, nonmembers $150.  Register by calling 781-283-3094.  Image copyright Ann Swan.

  • Wednesdays, July 22 – August 5, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm – Butterflies, Dragonflies and Bees – Oh My!

    Insects play an integral part in the life cycle of plants and can enhance a botanical painting with a dynamic element of scientific accuracy and pure whimsy.  Through sketches and more complete full-color works, join Kelly Radding at Wellesley College Botanic Garden on three Wednesdays, July 22, 29 and August 5, from 9:30 – 3:30, to study the form and details that will make the insect come alive in your artwork.  Learn techniques to capture the myriad textures and colors and how to integrate an insect into a botanical composition.  Advanced skill level.  Friends of Wellesley Botanic Gardens $275, non-members $325.  Call 781-283-3094 to register. Image copyright Kelly Leahy Radding.

  • Monday, June 1, 3:00 pm – Annual Meeting of the Friends of Wellesley Botanic Gardens

    The Annual Meeting of the Friends of Wellesley Botanic Gardens will take place Monday, June 1, beginning at 3 pm with a reception, followed by a lecture at 4 entitled The (Under)story of Coffea arabica.  Botany Fellow Katie Goodall discusses how farmers support biodiversity and their own livelihoods by taking advantage of coffee’s capacity to be grown in the understory of managed forests.  Explore how consumers can voice solidarity with farmer-led sustainable production efforts.  The lecture is followed by Certificate of Botanical Art and Illustration Awards Ceremony.  Free, but please call 781-283-3094, or email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu to let them know you will be attending.

  • Tuesday, July 15 – Thursday, July 17, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm – WCBG Florilegium: Wildflowers

    Tuesday, July 15 – Thursday, July 17, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm – WCBG Florilegium: Wildflowers

    The Friends of Wellesley Botanic Gardens invite you to head outside with Carol Govan and Sarah Roche for three days, July 15 – 17, to observe botany in action in the College’s meadows and then record the flowering plants that you see using pencil and pen sketches and dry brush watercolor.  The class will be held from 9:30 – 3:30 and the registration fee is $225 for Friends of Wellesley Botanic Gardens and $275 for non-members.  Call 781-283-3094, or email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu.

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  • Tuesday, July 8 – Thursday, July 10, 9:30 am – 3:30 pm – Botanicals by Brush and Pencil

    Learn to combine three very different media – black India ink, watercolor, and colored pencil – to create rich, luminous paintings on paper.  With Kathie Miranda as your guide, explore the qualities of each medium and discover creative ways of layering ink washes, watercolor and colored pencil together to exploit the inherent benefits of each.  Create a simple botanical composition with your choice of flowering plant.  Add your favorite natural objects such as shells and insects for interesting accents.  This Wellesley Botanical Gardens class will be held Tuesday, July 8 – Thursday, July 10, from 9:30 – 3:30.  Friends of Wellesley Botanic Gardens fee $300, non-members $375.  To register call 781-283-3094, or email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu.

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  • Tuesdays, May 20 & 27, and Thursdays, May 22 & 29, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm – Growing Green: A Studio Focus

    Explore painting the many shades of green in spring vegetables at the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens, in this art class entitled Growing Green: A Studio Focus, to be held on four mornings, May 20, 22, 27 and 29, from 9:30 – 12:30.  Sarah Roche helps you investigate the potential of your palette to capture complex greens and create a veggie study to showcase your new skills.  Friends of Wellesley College Botanic Gardens – $150, non-members $200.  Register by calling 781-283-3094 or email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu. Image from www.burpee.com.

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  • Wednesdays, June 4 – June 25, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm – Drawing and Painting for the Petrified

    In this relaxed, informative seminar at the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens, with plenty of helpful demonstrations, you will work towards developing your drawing and painting skills.  Sarah Roche encourages your observational skills to grow as you experiment with line drawings and the accurate representations of botanical forms.  Leap into watercolor painting as Sarah guides you through a series of fun beginning botanical watercolor exercises.  All abilities and anxiety levels welcome.  Please bring to the first class: 9 x 12 sketch paper, HB (No.2) pencils, and white plastic eraser.  Sarah will discuss brushes, palettes, and watercolor papers necessary for the remaining classes.  Samples of paint will be provided.  The Wednesday series of classes, June 4 – 25, will cost $125 for Friends of Wellesley College Botanic Gardens, $150 for nonmembers.  Sign up by calling 781-283-3094, or email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu.

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  • Wednesday, May 21, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Hellstrip Gardening: Paradise at the Curb

    Semi-public spaces in parking strips and alongside driveways and alleys could host thriving gardens that add beauty and provide ecological services.  Author Evelyn Hadden addresses issues such as car, foot, and paw traffic, utility and maintenance equipment, restricted root zones, contaminated soil, covenants and city regulations, and presents ideas for the greening of your neighborhood, on Wednesday, May 21, from 6:30 – 8:30 at Arnold Arboretum’s Hunnewell Building, 125 Arborway, Boston.  Co-sponsored with the Friends of Wellesley College Botanic Gardens.  Member of sponsoring organizations will pay $15, non-members $25.  Register at 781-283-3094, or email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu.

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  • Saturday, May 17, 9:30 am – 4:00 pm – One Subject, More than One View: Studies on Vellum

    Flowers, leaves, and seed pods are often just as beautiful from the back or sides as they are head on.  Explore a botanical subject of your choice from various angles and include these different perspectives in a work on vellum.  Esther Klahne will discuss nuances of composition and ways to integrate several small studies into a beautifully cohesive painting, in this class to be held at the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens on Saturday, May 17,  from 9:30 am – 4:00 pm.  Tips on using graphite and watercolor on vellum will be discussed. Fee ($95 for Friends of Wellesley College Botanic Gardens, $120 for non-members) will include project vellum, backing board and handouts.  To register call 781-283-3094 or email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu.

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  • Wednesday, May 7, 1:00 pm – Feng Shui: Enhancing Your Environment

    The guiding principle of Feng Shui is that everything is connected and that when the environment is balanced and filled with positive energy, it enhances life goals and leads to a feeling of tranquility.  Based on thousands of years of philosophy, Feng Shui has grown in popularity due to the extraordinary results it can bring.  Lisa Law will give an overview of Feng Shui philosophy, show how to use Feng Shui tools such as the Bagua, and will teach you to employ plants and nature to enhance your environment, in the Wellesley College Botanic Garden lecture on Wednesday, May 7, beginning at 1 pm in the Botanic Garden’s Visitor’s Center.  Friends of Wellesley College Botanic Gardens: free; non-members: $10. Call 781-283-3094 or email wcbgfriends@wellesley.edu.

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