Goodbye typepad, hello www.tonyalemosarts.com
When I begun this space in 2008 it was a stand in for a website, my plan was to temporarily use it as a website until I built my website!
And just like that 15 years went by!
It's hard to believe that I have been running Blazing Star Herbal School since 2000! So much has changed since then, personally, in the field of herbalism and in the world around us. Over time this space stopped reflecting me or the business. I have known for a while that it was timer a change but struggled to find the way to move forward. This past Winter, thanks to a grant from "Digital Empower" designed to help small business in the Hilltowns upgrade their digital presence I was finally able to address this.
First challenge was finding a web designer that understood my vision and was able to reflect that it a site. As a woman owned business I knew I wanted to hire a woman. So I reached out and asked my friends who they worked with and loved. I interviewed several women all over the country, but ended up deciding to stay local, and support a young women in the Hilltowns who was just starting her business. That was one of the best decisions I ever made!
Enter Sedona LeBlanc .
I wholeheartedly recommend Sedona (find her on insta @sedonalenblanc, her own website is coming soon ) She was super easy to work with, timely and professional. She was creative, independent and thoroughly understood the vision. I could keep on raving about her!
So today we are ready to launch my new online home
https://www.tonyalemosarts.com/
I will be taking this site down at the end of August, and moving everything over to the new site in an effort to streamline!
Two exciting workshops coming up.
Firstly Learn how to make a Flag Book!
Sunday July 23rd 10-3pm Conway MA
(Just 10 mins from Shelburne Falls and the Bridge of Flowers)
$120
Invented by Hedi Kyle a flag book is a type of sculptural artist book. It is a great form to display some of your artwork and art papers. Based on a simple accordion book structure you will learn step-by-step how to create this innovative and stunning book. It is a versatile structure that allows you to attach drawings, photographs, text, fabric, or other materials to the flags in an open creative narrative
Gather up your eco prints, cyanotypes, paper scraps, photos, or cut up an old prints to create something new.
Each student will leave with their own flag book. All essential materials and tools are provided. Students will be asked to bring in photos and art papers to create their unique flags.
If you would like to learn how to create your own eco prints to use in the FlagBook Making workshop consider signing up for Intro to EcoPrinting @lookyheregreenfield
Botanical Art In- Studio Program
Summer Session
Starting Friday June 2nd 2023
Class meets 1 friday per month starting in May for 8 months
🌿
This is a journey to find new creativity through our connection with the natural world and is suitable everyone who is curious about the world around. This is cumulative program in which creating an artist community is important.
Learn "new" ways to connect with the magic and medicine of plants. Our ancestors drew health, strength, nourishment, and meaning from their relationship to the natural world, and yet today most of us have lost that vital connection leaving us ungrounded and lacking a deep sense of place. There is such healing when we connect materials to place, I use found materials from a particular place to help establish a relationship with it. The result has me feeling more grounded, content and spiritually freer. We will explore a series of ideas working with nature—in its widest sense—to nurture our creativity, inspire us, make us more sustainable as artists, and breathe back energy and flow when our artistic streams run dry. The study of nature through art allows the “student-artist” to experience, observe, value, analyze, synthesize and express their understanding of, and relationship to, nature, the environment and elements.
Art making has been part of the human experience for since prehistoric times: more than 39,900 years ago, some of their first marks left by our ancestors on walls of caves were the outlines of their hands and crude drawings of animals. Our need to be creative is in our blood! Art has scientifically been proven to help our mental health, boost our brains, relieve anxiety and stress, and even boost our immune system. Botanical art adds another layer of healing potential by using the plants as our main inspiration and whenever we can to make the tools we will use. While deepening our connection with our natural evvironement
You do not have to be an artist to herbalist to join. Just a creative being who loves plants and wants to explore new ways of self expression and deeper connection to plants. If you can trace your hand you are ready for this class! The techniques shared in this class are super exploratory and fun, easy to grasp and practice at home without a lot of expensive equipment.
🌿
Course covers:
Techniques
Practice and Mindset
Projects
🌿
Studio Class Dates:One Friday per month beginning June 2 2023 (8 day long classes total) Conway MA
the remainder of the classes will be first Friday of the month June through Jan
Class times: 10am-4pm
Cost: $850 plus $80 materials fee payable in cash on class 1
($200 deposit to register PayPal/venmo/checks)
Location: Conway MA
Student testimonial:
"I took Botanical In-Studio Art class with Tonya Lemos (Blazing Star Herbal School Fall 2021) having no prior background in art or herbalism. I was intrigued by the topic and felt it might help me expand my sense of connection to and understanding of plants and beauty in my backyard while inspiring creative play in the visual arts. OMG has this been true! I’ve had the time of my life printing, playing, and eco-dying using plants on fabric and paper, and also cyanotype! Tony’s been an outstanding teacher– clear, organized, warm, generous, and intentional as she’s built community, and nurtured skills and artistic inspiration in each one of us. This course truly opened my eyes much wider to the beauty and wonder all around. Thank you Tony for sharing your gifts, passion, materials, and knowledge in this class that has been magical for me!!!" AJK
Images of said student work"
30 days of Nettle Challenge
About the program
Click here if you’d like to sign up to join the 30 days of Nettle Challenge and to learn more about how working with plant allies can be beneficial for your total well-being.
You will commit to drinking Nettle infusion daily for 30 days beginning on March 20th, and receive daily Nettle inspiration, recipes, tidbits, activities and allyship by email. This is a herbal lifestyle program so there will be activities for your mind, body and spirit.
30 days for $30 and you will receive a free copy (PDF) of the The Art of Connecting with your Plant Ally (A Guide to a Deeper Connection guide.
A 50 -page visual guide (in PDF form) covering the process of connecting and communicating with your Plant/Herb/Green Ally. Walking you through Sensory Immersions, Plant Sprits/Devas introductions, Practical exercises, Protocols, Worksheets, examples, and personal anecdotes'
To register for the program you can simply venmo me (@tonya-lemos) or email with any questions
To read more about Nettle and join the mailing list click here
(all paid subscribers receive this class for free)
at Blazing Star Herbal School, Conway MA
Botanical Cyanotypes @New England Botanical Garden
🌿2023 Beginner/Intermediate Herbal Apprenticeship, begun April 25, rolling admissions until July 2023
🎨 Botanical Art In Studio Spring Session begins Friday June 2nd 2023
On the Road (listed by location not chronologically)
Tower Hill Botanical Gardens, Boyelston MA
🎨Intro to Eco-Printing on Paper , Sunday July 16, 1-3PM
🎨Intro to Eco-Printing on Paper Sunday August 13, 1-3PM
📔Artist Book Making: Flag Books Sunday, November 5, 1-4PM
📷Botanical Cyanotype Seasonal Cards,. Sunday, December 3, 10AM-12PM
Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University, Sommerville MA
📷Walk Up Cyanotype
Sat July 22 , 12-3pm
🎨Eco Printing Workshop
Thursday Oct 26, 3-5pm
Westborough Library, Westborough MA (made possible by Westborough Cultural Council)
📷Intro to Botanical Cyanotype FREE July 13th 10-12pm
🎨Intro to Ecoprinting FREE July 20th 5:30-7:30
New class!!!
July 15th 1-3om
$50.00
🎨 Intro to EcoPrinting *in person outdoors!
Wednesday, August 9th from 4-6 PM (rain date Wednesday, August 16th).
Ashfield Belding Library (made possible by Ashfield Cultural Council)
🎨Eco Printing, May 17th 6-8pm FREE
📷Intro to Cyanotype June 24th FREE
South Deerfield, MA (made possible by the Deerfield Cultural Council)
📷Intro to Cyanotype (date coming soon) FREE
MidWest Womens Herbal Conference, Almond WI. May 26-28th 2023
Intro to Botanical Cyanotype Photography
🎨Friday, May 26, 2023 | 9am-12pm
🌿 Conference workshops on Pediatric Herbalism
I'm thrilled to have been awarded a deep ecology Artist Fellowship w/ United Plant Savers
🎨 UPS Artist Fellowship : on either July 24- August 5 / Oct 9-Oct 21 (I am not 1oo% sure which session I will attend yet)
Blazing Star Herbal School is hosting our second Annual
May Day Craft Fair
APRIL 30th 2023!!!
A Day long community building outdoor craft fair
open to the public
11am-4pm
(Featuring herbalists, nature based artisans, yummy snacks and more)
Check out our amazing Vendors
Lizz Ziter @MuddyJane
Tynne Love @herbal_deva
Joanna Gabler. www.joannagablerart.com
Jennifer Goodheart @violet.hill.botanicals
Nancy Haver @nancyhaverart
Tina Louise @tinalouiseart @boonbotanics
Megan Smithers The Painted Owl Studio @megansmithers8
A.T. Gibson Claywork https://atgibsonclaywork.bigcartel.com
Leslie Chaison. @peoplesmedicineproject
Denise Beaudet https://www.facebook.com/denise.beaudet/
Nola Snyder @oakandroseherbal
Lilian Jackman wilderhillpress.com
Nathalie Lewis Handmade Books
Amy Solidago Botanical Arts
Lauren Mills (illustrator) @LaurenMillsArt
Laurel Rogers Passionato Books Handbound books @passionatobooks
Kristen Jouannet Black Kite Creations Woodworking art
Sleepy Owl Herbs (Rebecca Hoffer) @sleepyowlherbfarmer
Sahar Luna Faun Botanicals
Venus Free Botanicalsbone flower botanikals & the foundation apothecary
Lindsey Matarazzo Rhynia. org
Casey Williams @caseywilliamsartandmaps
Evelyn Morrison Eve's Garden @evesgarden613
Camille Tahar PickNature @_picknature_
Sadie Westermann
Julia Carroll @wornattheedges
Internship Available:
Social Media and Video Blazing Star Herbal School April 1 2023 - December 30, 2024
BSHS is looking for a social media/video intern for the 2023 season to help us grow by creating a better virtual presence. The individual would be responsible for taking and editing video clips of some classes, demos and events. We are looking for a creative thinker, someone with a strong aesthetic sense, marketing experience or training and proven video making and editing skills.
An interest in community herbalism, plants and botanical art is also a plus.
Expected time commitment will be 5 hrs weekly, combination of on site time plus time spent designing, editing and publishing content. Candidate will be given a full scholarship ($2250) to participate in the Herbalist Apprenticeship Program and/or the studio program in Botanical Art ($850) . College credit may also be possible.
.
If you are interested please email your resume, samples of your work and interest to Blazingstaclinic(at)gmail.com
Email subject should "BSHS23 intern"
one.
in depth plant ally work-
You will be guided into deep relationship with the local environment and healing plants!
two.
creative projects
three.
medicine making (lots of)!
four.
growing community
apprenticing in the times of COVID- this is what growing community looked like!
five.
ceremony and magic!
the next round of the beginner apprenticeship begins on Tuesday April 18th : And there is still some room! Won't you join us?
Beginner/Intermediate Herbal Apprenticeship
Join us in 2023!
and as always
expect the unexpected!
Community Herbalist, Self Care Advocate, Where art and herbalism intersect, always dreaming in green.
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