Happy Holidays! Natural Treasures Challenge Theme of "Festive"

The Ottawa Society of Botanical Artists (OSBA) extends holiday greetings to our friends near and far. To celebrate this season, the December Natural Treasures theme was Festive and three members shared their work. All pieces have been completed in coloured pencil.

Thanks goes to OSBA members who participated in this year's Natural Treasures Challenge. We received a lot of positive feedback so will be continuing this project in 2020. The January theme will be "Something from your Stash". Many of our members collect dried plant material and can rumage through their stash to find something interesting to draw or paint. January entries will be posted throughout the month on both this blog and our Facebook page.

Holly in coloured pencil by Marina Ferrarin

Poinsettia in coloured pencil by Mary Atkins

Holly in colourd pencil by Theresa Bolton

November Natural Treasures Challenge: Stayin' Alive

As we enter late autumn in Ottawa, we challenged our members to find subjects that were "stayin' alive". Considering the mid-month snow flurries, this required a bit of plant hunting. The December theme is "Festive".

Lambs Ear in coloured pencil by Mary Atkins

Begonia root in watercolour pencil and graphite by Gillian MacDonald

Pumpkin in watercolour by Esra Ozgun

October Natural Treasures Challenge: Harvest

This month we have six entries for our Natural Treasures Challenge theme of Harvest. All entries are in coloured pencil with several pieces completed on a dark background. The November theme will be Stayin' Alive and will give participants the challenge of finding a subject that has survived the chilly temperatures and the odd snow flurry.

Swiss Chard in coloured pencil by Lynn Moore

Tomatoes in coloured pencil by Lynn Moore

Gourd in coloured pencil by Mary Atkins

Honeycrisp Apple in coloured pencil by Carla Burns

Butternut Squash in coloured pencil by Janice Kelly

Yellow Pear in coloured pencil by Kathryn MacDonald

From the Ground Up Exhibition -- Opening Reception

We had a very successful opening reception for the From the Ground Up Exhibition which will be closing on Tuesday, October 22, 2019. We thank our contributing artists and volunteers.

OSBA Members Kathryn MacDonald and Kathryn Wright

OSBA Members Kris Rothschild and Lyne Moore

Visitors and OSBA Members Viewing Artwork

OSBA Member Nancy Savage

Visitors and OSBA Members Viewing Artwork

Natural Treasures Challenge "Changes"

The theme for our September Natural Treasures Challenge was "Changes". Two of our members, Mary Atkins and Inga Legere, submitted colourful leaves.  Next month we'll be featuring artwork from our October theme of "Harvest".

Amelanchier canadensis, from left to right,  Watercolour, Graphite and Coloured Pencil by Inga Legere

Silver Maple in Coloured Pencil by Mary Atkins

Meet the Artists Reception on Sunday, September 29, 1-3 pm

Beet in Coloured Pencil and Inktense by Jan Salmon

You are invited to view our new exhibit From the Ground Up! opening on Thursday, September 26, 2019, at the Shenkman Arts Centre. The exhibit features artwork by 21 OSBA members and includes 32 pieces of contemporary botanical artwork. The show runs from September 26 to October 22, 2019. Regular Gallery hours are Monday to Saturday, 8:30 am to 10:30 pm and on Sunday until 8:00 pm. Admission is free. For further information visit artsshenkman.ca.

Join us on Sunday, September 29, 1-3 pm, for a Meet the Artists Reception -- a multi-gallery event.  In addition to our excellent botanical exhibition, there will be three additional exhibits to view:

1) Arteast in their permanent gallery in the lower level of the Shenkman Centre

2) images by local photographer Dyanne Wilson

3) graduation show by OSBA member, Raewyn Khosla, who has completed the Ottawa School of Art Fundamentals Certificate.

Hosta in Coloured Pencil by Kris Rothschild

August Natural Treasures Challenge: Orange Mushrooms

OSBA member Carla Burns painted orange mushrooms for the August theme of "Something Yellow/Orange". This painting and many other beautiful botanical artwork can be viewed at our upcoming exhibit "From the Ground Up!" from September 26 to October 21, 2019, at the Trinity Art Gallery -- Salon A, Shenkman Arts Centre, Ottawa, Ontario.

Orange Mushrooms in watercolour by Carla Burns

August Natural Treasures Challenge: Something Yellow

The theme for this month's Natural Treasures Challenge is "Something Yellow" which aslo includes orange subjects. We were inspired by the golden hues of August and have captured the beauty of later season flowers, plants and fungi. The theme for September will be "Changes" as we capture the beauty of early Autumn.

Tithonia - Mexican Sunflower in coloured pencil by Mary Atkins

Yellow Iris in watercolour by Celeste Dion

July Natural Treasures Challenge "Something Red"

The theme for the July Natural Treasures Challenge is "Something Red". Artists were encouraged to think beyond flowers to fruit and vegetables.

Lychnis coronaria, Rose Campion in watercolour pencil and coloured pencil by Mary Atkins

Actuaea rubra, Red Banberry Fruit in Watercolour, 8" x 10", Stillman & Birn Zeta Series Paper, by Kathryn MacDonald

Rainier Cherries in Watercolour by Carla Burns

June Natural Treasures Challenge: Something Violet

The theme for our June Natural Treasures Challenge was "Something Violet". There were so many beautiful violet subjects blooming including a variety of iris cultivars. Several of our members have shared a page from their garden journals.

Siberian Iris (iris sibirica) in Coloured Pencil by Mary Atkins

Iris Study Page in Watercolour and Coloured Pencil by Carla Burns

Greek Valerian in Watercolour and Pen by Kathryn MacDonald

May Natural Treasures Challenge: Beautiful Blooms

The May Natural Treasures Challenge was "Beautiful Blooms". 

Trilliums in Graphite and White Gouache on Toned Paper by Lis Allison

Hostas in Watercolour by Esra Ozgun

Acer plantinoides, Crimson King in Graphite by Kathryn MacDonald

Euphorbia in Coloured Pencil by Mary Atkins

White Trillium in Coloured Pencil by Janice Kelly

Daffodil painted in Watercolour by Peg Duncan

Natural Treasures Challenge -- April Theme "Renewal"

Germanic Iris Bulb in coloured pencil by Mary Atkins

After a very long winter, OSBA members were challenged to find signs of renewal for the April Natural Treasures Challenge.

Magnolia Bud in coloured pencil by Celeste Dion

Pussy Willows in coloured pencil by Janice Kelly

Forsythia in watercolour by Lis Allison

Natural Treasures Challenge -- March Theme is Desiccated

We are coming to the end of a very long and snowy winter here in Ottawa. Fittingly, the theme for our March Natural Treasures is Desiccated. We challenged artists to find something leftover from last year's growning season as their subject matter. We received eight pieces of art with subjects ranging from dried flower and seed heads, field flowers to fruit to fungi.

Dried Leaf in Watercolour by Esra Ozgun

Rose Hip in Coloured Pencil by Theresa Bolton

Echinocystis lobata, Wild Cucumber in Watercolour by Kathryn MacDonald

Centaurea macrocephala, Bighead Knapweed - Yellow in Watercolour by Carla Burns

Oak Leaves in Watercolour by Peg Duncan

Dried Hydrangea in Watercolour by Peg Duncan 

Dried Flower/Seed Head in Sepia Ink and Coloured Pencil by Mary Atkins

Bracket Fungus in Coloured Pencil by Lis Allison

Milkweed Pod in Coloured Pencil by Janice Kelly

Natural Treasure Theme of Seedheads

The Natural Treasures theme for February was Seedheads. Eight artists participated in this challenge and managed to find interesting subjects outside despite the harsh winter weather we experienced in Ottawa this month. Congratulations to all participants for producing such lovely artwork.

Coneflower Seedheads in Graphite by Lis Allison

Plane Tree Seeds (Plantus x acerifolia) in graphite by Celeste Larkin-Dion

Amur Maple Keys in Coloured Pencil by Mary Atkins

Flint Corn in Watercolour by Carla Burns

Dentura in India Ink, Watercolour and Water Soluble Coloured Pencils by Lauren Foster-MacLeod

Chinese Lanterns in Coloured Pencil by Janice Kelly

Maple Keys  in Coloured Pencil by Kathryn MacDonald

Poppy Seedheads in Watercolour by Esra Ozgun