Upcoming Artisan Market for Eclectic Design Choices

One of my two fall shows is coming up the first weekend of September. I will be at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) at their Artisan Market, which is a part of their Fall Gallery Night event. BRIT will have a member event on Friday, September 6 from 5:30 - 7:30pm, with an all day public event on Saturday, September 7. The Artisan Market will be open Friday evening and on Saturday from 11am - 9pm. BRIT will have four spaces set up with different art exhibits and two spaces dedicated to the Artisan Market. I will be located in Atrium II with my photographic art. I will have some of my ready to hang pieces as well as matted prints and note cards.

Speaking of note cards, I will have some boxed sets of my "fireworks" note cards I shared in an earlier blog post as well as my new Texas wildflower boxed set featuring a TX bluebonnet and a TX paintbrush. This project has been in the works for a couple of years. When I first decided I wanted to create a set like this, I found I did not have a suitable photo of TX paintbrush in my stock photos so I had to wait until the next spring to find suitable flowers and photograph them. That was last year. It was not until this year that I had the time to fully develop my photographic art version of my original photos and have the cards printed. This show will be the first time I have had them with me at a show. The boxed sets include three cards of each image along with six envelopes.

Two Photographic Art Prints Selected for Exhibit

Last year I told you about a new botanical art group formed in North Texas that I joined. They have formalized the name of the group to the Botanical Art Collective of North Central Texas and are about to open their first juried 2D art exhibit at BRIT. Members could submit up to four pieces for consideration to be included in the exhibit. Two of mine were accepted, a Mother's Day rose and a close up of a branch covered in a variety of lichens.

The opening reception will be held this coming Thursday, June 14, 2018 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Unfortunately, I have a City budget meeting that begins at 6 pm that night so I will have to view the exhibit at another time and miss getting to talk with everyone at the reception. If you are also unable to attend the reception, the exhibit will hang from June 14 - August 9 and BRIT is open to the public Tuesday - Friday 10 am - 4 pm and the first Saturday of

the month from 9 am - noon.

Having seen some of the other member's works, I am expecting this to be a fabulous exhibit. The name of the exhibit is Botanical Art - Flowers, Fruit and Fungi. This exhibit is a celebration of the world of botany and will feature depictions of flowers, fruits, seeds, vegetables, fungi, and grasses executed in a variety of mediums by local artists. Come view the exhibit and explore the joyful intersection of two distinct yet closely related disciplines - botanical art and science.

Update: My bluebonnet print was selected to hang out with the other bluebonnets in the welcome center for the duration of the show.

I have now had the opportunity to view the exhibit. As I expected, the artwork is fabulous and most of them are for sale if you find one that wants to go home with you. A portion of the proceeds helps support BRIT. The artwork must remain at BRIT until the end of the show.

New North Texas Botanical Artist Group

I attended the organizational meeting of the Botanical Artists of North Central Texas. It was held at Botanical Research Institute of Texas and organized by Dennis Benjamin, who works at BRIT. There were just over a dozen artists there. Most of the artists' main artistic expression was through painting or drawing, however there was at least one artist who also sculpts and another branching out into photography, in addition to my photographic art.

Dennis shared his reasons for establishing the group. He wants a way for botanical artists in the region to share their joint interests. The group is designed to be informal, inclusive and welcoming of all mediums and styles, but with a botanical focus. The initial plan is to become an Artists’ Circle of the American Society of Botanical Artists, with the long term goal of creating a certificate program in botanical art, possibly in concert with a regional academic art program, such as TCU, SMU or UTA.

The group welcomes additional members. You can find out more information on its Facebook page. Several activities are being planned for the upcoming year.

The poke salad image was taken by me in my backyard and digitally altered. The lilac fibre cap mushrooms (Inocybe lilacina) are a watercolor by Dennis Benjamin.

Art in the Garden and Fall Gallery Night

Art in the Garden is a fundraiser for the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens. It is held around the FWADA's Fall Gallery Night each year. According to the Botanic Gardens' website you will find "over 60 different artists displaying oils, watercolors, sculpture, photography and jewelry." This year Art in the Garden will be Friday, September 5 from noon to 7 pm, September 6 from 9 am to 8 pm and September 7 from noon to 4 pm, with a wine and cheese reception during Fall Gallery Night, on Saturday, September 6. Artwork will be displayed in the halls of the Garden Center.

I'm pleased to report that I will be one of the 60 or so artists whose work will be on display this year. Two of my gallery wrapped photographic art prints were accepted. All displayed works are for sale and a portion of each sale will help fund the Botanic Gardens. If you have a chance to check out Art in the Garden you will have the opportunity to see some wonderful works of art and if one of them speaks to you enough to purchase it, you will be helping out a good cause.

If you visit Art in the Garden on Fall Gallery Night you will be close to several other venues with great artwork to view. Adjacent to the shared parking lot with the Botanic Gardens is BRIT (Botanical Research Institute of Texas) with the works of Billy Hassell. Other participating venues can be found in the FWADA's Fall Gallery Night catalog.