Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery - Drawing Botanical History

On August 28-29, I held my first workshop at Lake Macquarie City Art Gallery. This was held to compliment the "Joseph Banks and the flora of the Australian east coast" exhibition. Great venue and it was a full house of 15 participants. Quite a few families this time, including some of my own.

Taking inspiration from the exhibition, everyone headed out into the lovely gallery grounds to choose a drawing specimen. There was loads in flower including the Pink flowering ironbark, Hardenbergia violacea, Kennedia rubicunda, Tallowwood and the Port Jackson Figs and Grevilleas were a hit. One of the ladies also brought in a selection from her obviously amazing garden on Sunday. This included a rather huge Pink flowering gum and a range of hakea and grevillea.

The group was a real blend of plant lovers and artists at various stages of growth. It was a pleasure to introduce them to the inner workings of the plants and watch their worlds open up. Unknowingly one of the group was Gina Cranson, assistant editor of the Weekender magazine in the Herald. Gina decided to write about the workshop and botanical art in her Backyard column this weekend. Looking forward to seeing the finished article. Glad you enjoyed yourself Gina.

The Gallery have asked me back to do another workshop early next year, can't wait.

Murrurundi Workshop - Turning the Pages

Well it's been a year since my last post and what a year it has been. My honours project is finally complete and now back into workshop mode.

The first of many began at Murrurundi, NSW with a really inspiring group called Turning the Pages. They run many art/science based programs up there. I was lucky enough to be teamed up to run this workshop with my friend and uni colleague Trevor Weekes.

The object of the workshop was to create an artwork influenced by artist Maria Sibylla Merian. This meant drawing a combination of plants, insects and birds. The first weekend participants drew their chosen plants, insects and birds in fine detail. Then the second weekend was spent enlarging, composing and creating the final A1 artwork in watercolour and pen and ink.

Some, no actually all of the artworks were amazing. Organiser and artist Hanna Kay is organising an exhibition of the final pieces along with some of Trevor's and my own artwork. This will be held on the 17th November, 2010 at Haydon Hall, Murrurundi.

Can't wait to see them all on display. Thanks to everyone at Turning the Pages for looking after us. They made us feel extremely welcome...what a great community.

Wildside festival event blown away

The Wildside "Art in the Field" event that was to be held last Saturday had to be canceled due to the second dust storm to hit the area in two weeks. I still managed to get up to Tea Gardens on the Sunday for an early morning Field trip and to do the second day with Julianne Gosper.

Even though the wind was still blowing a gale, there was still a good gathering at the Hawks Nest Surf Club. What a beautiful spot overlooking Boughton Island. Julianne showed us some wonderful techniques and everyone went away inspired.

Margaret Gooding, an active local Natural History artist is taking on the Wildside Drawing workshop as from next year. She has also done the Natural History Illustration Degree and is completing her Honours year this year. Margaret came along this year to help and see how it all works. Best of luck Margaret.

The Hunter Heritage Flora Collection

14 botanical illustrations, better now known as the "Hunter Heritage Flora Collection" commissioned by the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens has just completed two months of being on show at both the Gardens foyer gallery and the Mezzanine Gallery at Port Stephens Council, Raymond Terrace.

The show was well received and attracted lots of good publicity by the local papers. Jill Stowells from The Newcastle Herald H2 (12th September) wrote a half page including artwork about the exhibition and the Natural History Illustration course.

Many thanks to Jan Noble, Chloe Beevers (See inset photo) and everyone that came and supported the launches. Especially Herman and Trish for your help with setting up and running. With a special thanks to the Port Stephens Community Choir who entertained all who came to the second opening.

Prints in both black and white (10) and colour (4) are available for purchase in the Hunter Region Botanic Gardens. Price $35 and $40 respectively, unframed.

They will be again be on show in August next year when the Gardens will be host to the Botanic Gardens Conference. I'll will post more details as they come to hand.

Bill Haydon - The Cedar King NEW Book published

A good friend and fellow illustrator Kathleen Davies has just launched the publication of a new book "Bill Haydon, The Cedar King - The man behind the legend". Kathleen co-authored the publication with Bill Haydons' granddaughter Geraldine Yabsley. (However her name is strangely missing from the front cover). Kathleen was also the one who organised and persuaded me to run the Glenn Innes workshops back in 2007/2008. She is pictured here with one of her drawings from the March 2008 workshop.

She's spent the last five years compiling information on the disappearance of bushman Bill Haydon. Bill mysteriously vanished into the wilderness of Washpool National Park near Grafton on April 28th, 1965. The search for him lasted several weeks and involved hundreds of people including the army. There was many local stories and folklore about the disappearance and a coronial inquest was released last year. Being a journalist at many of the surrounding areas meant Kathleen knew avenues to find out the fragments of information needed to pull together the last hours of Bill Haydons' life. She has contributed the final 20 chapters including the final hours and the mysteries surrounding the disappearance.

“This publication is also a dedication to every person who has contributed in even the smallest way towards the completion of this project, and to every source that has been uncovered in the search for the true story of events,” Kathleen said.
The Macleay Argus - 18/09/09

The far north coast (NSW) is full of mysteries and strange happenings. The Emmaville panther, the Glenn Innes Yowie and Barraba a well known UFO sight.

The book is being promoted and sold across Mid North NSW at the moment and more information about Kathleen, Geraldine and the disappearance of Bill Haydon can be found in the websites below.
Daring to Dream - Kathleen Davies- DPI Rural Womens Network
Official Website
The Macleay Argus Press release (dated 18/09/09)
Timbertown website - Talks about Bill Haydons' reputation for the collection of Cedar (Toona ciliata).

Mallees finally published

Eucalyptus sweedmaniana and Eucalyptus brandiana (previously Euc. gradybrandiana) were published in Australian Systematic Botany by Stephen Hopper and Nathan McQuoid on the 10th June 2009. I was commissioned by Wildlife Encounters back in 2006 to do two illustrated plates of the new species for the proud WA botanists who came across these knee high Eucalypts, Luke Sweedman (Curator for the WA Seed Technology Centre at Kings Park, Perth) and Grady Brand (Kings Park, Perth). Congratulations Luke and Grady, great to see it's all finally public!!

See paper: Two new rare species and a new hybrid in Eucalyptus series Tetrapterae (Myrtaceae) from southern coastal Western Australia

New dinosaurs found in Australia

It looks like Winton Queensland will be the home of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History, due to be completed in 2015. This is due to the recent discovery of three new species of dinosaur found in the Winton formation (central western Queensland) and another more recent discovery found in nearby Eromanga.
The museum already boasts a great website and stage one of the physical museum opened on the 3rd of July, 2009. They are a not for profit venture driven by volunteers. As such they offer great volunteer opportunities in specimen preparation in their labs. You can qualify as an honourary technician after the completion of ten days preparation. See Prep a dinosaur.

Zac (a large plant eating sauropod)is the most recent dinosaur discovery (read more). With the three dinosaurs discovered in July this year named in honour of the popular Australian song Waltzing Matilda. Banjo (Australovenator), Matilda (Diamantinasaurus) and Clancy Wintonotitan.
Read more about the discovery:
Plos One journal article
BBC News release - 3 July 2009
Queensland Museum

Hunter Botanic Gardens Workshop (March)

The first of the four workshops went very well. Everyone seemed to get a lot from it and came up with some nice work at the end. Hope to see some of you at the next one in April.
Cheers
Chris

Happy New Years

Hope everyone has had a great christmas and is having a brilliant new years thus far.

Chris xx