Botanical Art In- Studio Program
Summer Session
Starting Friday June 2nd 2023
Class meets 1 friday per month starting in May for 8 months
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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.
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Course covers:
Techniques
- Basics of eco-printing on paper and fabric (steam printing, heat press, bundle dying)
- Botanical Dyeing on fabric (inc. clay resist printing, and indigo dying)
- Intro to Printing (monotype/gel/relief/intaglio collagraph)
- Botanical Dyes intro
- Alternative processes in Photography (Anthotypes + Cyanotypes+ Lumen and Cyanolumen)
Practice and Mindset
- The language of plants and Printing
- Seed and Earth Art
- Getting + Staying creative (practices)
- The Art of Seeing
- Finding and developing your unique style
- Finding inspiration from the world around you
- Self Care for the artist
- Reading list
- Suggested/optional field trip
Projects
- Creating an Herbarium and record keeping
- For the final project students are invited to create / design/ embellish an item of clothing
- Research project on color of their choice
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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"
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