Sunday 30 September 2012

KwaZulu Natal October Workshop

Charcoal by Fransie Pretorius

BAASA  KZN  OCTOBER 2012 WORKSHOP
PRESENTER:  FRANSIE PRETORIUS
SUBJECT:  CHARCOAL  and  PASTEL WORKSHOP

DATE:   Saturday  20th October 2012
TIME:   09H00 - 12H00
VENUE:  Discovery Room, Durban Botanic Gardens

LIST OF MATERIALS:

CHARCOAL:
  • box of charcoal sticks (soft) & charcoal pencils in medium & soft.
  • black charcoal & conte
  • plastic & putty eraser
  • Fixative-Ashrad or Winsor Newton Fixative
  • Good quality etching paper or other paper with a matte finish with some "bite" eg Matte brown paper or pastel paper
  • unprinted newsprint (for practicing)
  • tortillons (blending tools)
  • tissue paper/blank newsprint (for protecting work)
  • apron/old clothes
  • drawing board
  • plant materials
CHALK PASTELS: (OPTIONAL)

  • basic set of pastels  - good quality pastels :-  Faber Castell, Rembrandt, Winsor & Newton, Holbein etc.  Maries makes a set of 48- box A- bright colors & box B - earthy colors
  • pastel paper, etching paper, watercolor paper or "dressmakers" brown paper (190 grams or more)
ARTIST'S  PROFILE:  Fransie  Pretorius is a well known artist and art tutor and is excellent with charcoal and pastel.

Bookings:  Contact  Lynne Griffin on 083 630 5351




Thursday 20 September 2012

Flower power in Johannesburg!

Spring is in full bloom and Morningside Shopping Centre is celebrating the season by hosting its second botanical art exhibition.

Master horticulturist Keith Kirsten will open the show featuring this blossoming art form. The annual exhibition of the Gauteng branch of the Botanical Artists Association of Southern Africa (BAASA), takes place at Morningside Shopping Centre from Wednesday, 10 October at 6pm to Sunday, 14 October at 2pm.

Botanical art is a centuries-old art form in which South Africa enjoys a rich history inspired by our abundant flora. It mixes science and art to render exquisitely detailed creations of flowers, fruits, mushrooms and roots. The images of the plants are extremely realistic, down to the smallest detail, and can form an important record of plant morphology.

Organiser Hettie van Veuren says: “Morningside Shopping Centre is providing an exciting platform for botanical art, which is a growing art form in South Africa.”

There will be daily guided walkabouts of the exhibition for the public, so go green and be seen.
And BAASA is even creating a special section of smaller paintings, with prices to match, as a great way for everyone to appreciate and embrace Botanical Art.

So put the ‘petal’ to the metal and hurry down to Morningside Shopping Centre to experience beautiful and inspiring botanical art, before the show goes to seed for another year.

For more information about the botanical art exhibition contact:
Morningside Shopping Centre on 0879403833
Any queries can be directed to:
Hettie van Veuren hettievv@iburst.co.za 0731607173
Ann Wanless awanless@iafrica.com 0822207720
Ann Harris annharris@telkomsa.net 0826307230

Sunday 9 September 2012

Member News from the Western Cape: Vumile and the Dragon

See Lisa Strachen's lovely illustrations in Vumile and the Dragon.  Lisa is a member of BAASA, Western Cape. 

Click on image to enlarge!

Sarah Simblet presenting workshops in South Africa in 2013

Sarah Simblet at work. Photo source: http://sylva.org.uk/index.php
 
Well known botanical artist, and author of Botany for the Artist, Sarah Simblet will conduct pencil, pen and ink drawing skills workshops in Cape Town and Pretoria in January and February of 2012.
Please book your places soon.

21 - 25 January 2013  Cape Town Introductory course through UCT Summer school. Maximum 20 participants
28 January - 1 February 2013  Cape Town
Master class for botanical artists who have attended at least two botanical art classes. Maximum 20 participants
04 -  07 February 2013  Pretoria
Sarah will run two 2-day courses in Pretoria.

For more information on the courses, please contact:
Cape Town     Pat Bowerbank   pbowerbk@iafrica.com
Pretoria          Gillian Condy     g.condy@sanbi.org.za

Medicinal Plants and Biennale 2013

Salvia africana lutea
For our course work, in addition to basic plant information we have to research the various uses of plants, including their medicinal uses.  I've found the following references very helpful sources of information:

Trees of Southern Africa Palgrave
Making the Most of Indigenous Trees Venter (ok, we focus quite heavily on trees!)
Creative Gardening with Indigenous Plants Jaffa
plantzafrica.com - the information includes photos, a wide range of plants and further references.
Muthi and Myths Van Wyk and Dugmore
Zulu Botanical Knowledge: An Introduction Ngwenya et al.    

Back in 2010 when the theme for the Biennale was announced, Phakamani Xaba, of Kirstenbosch Gardens, very kindly collated the following lists for BAASA members, so I am republishing them as an additional references.  I am sure there are many more useful sources such as the Veld and Flora magazine.

Enjoy your painting.
Best wishes,
Jennifer


REFERENCES
Fox, F.W. & Norwood Young, M.E. 1982. Foodfrom the Veld: Edible Wild Plants
of Southern Africa. Delta Books, Johannesburg & Cape Town.
Hutchings, A, Scott, A.H., Lewis, G. & Cunningham, A.B. 1996. Zulu MedicinaJ
Plants: An Inventory. University of Natal Press. Pietermaritzburg.

Van Wyk, B-E. & Gericke, N. 2000. People's Plants - A Guide to Useful Plants of
Southern Africa. Briza Publications, Pretoria.

Van Wyk, B-E, Van Oudtshoom, B. & Gericke N. 1997. Medicinal Plants Of South
Africa. Briza Publications, Pretoria.

Pooley, E. 1993. The Complete Field Guide to Trees of Natal, Zululand & Transkei.
Natal Flora Publications Trust, Durban.

Pooley, E. 1998. A Field Guide to Wild Flowers KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Region.
Natal Flora Publications Trust, Durban.

Scott-Shaw, R. 1999. Rare and Threatened
Neighbouring Regions. KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.

Quin, PJ. 1959. Food and Feeding Habits of the Pedi. Witwatersrand University
Press, Johannesburg.

Watt, J.M. & Breyer-Brandwijk, M.G. 1962. The Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of
Southern and Eastern Africa. (second edition), Livingstone, London.

Watt, J.M. & Breyer-Brandwijk, M.G. 1962. The Medicinal and Poisonous Plants of Southern and Eastern Africa. (second edition), Livingstone, London.

Schewegler, M. 2003. Medicinal and other uses of southern Overberg fynbos Plants. Matthia Schewegler publications, Durban.

Fox, F.W. & Norwood Young, M.E. 1982. Food from the Veld: Edible Wild Plants
of Southern Africa. Delta Books, Johannesburg & Cape Town.

Hutchings, A, Scott, A.H., Lewis, G. & Cunningham, A.B. 1996. Zulu Medicinal
Plants: An Inventory. University of Natal Press. Pietermaritzburg.

Van Wyk, B-E. & Gericke, N. 2000. People's Plants - A Guide to Useful Plants of
Southern Africa. Briza Publications, Pretoria.

Van Wyk, B-E, Van Oudtshoom, B. & Gericke N. 1997. Medicinal Plants Of South
Africa. Briza Publications, Pretoria.

Pooley, E. 1993. The Complete Field Guide to Trees of Natal, Zululand & Transkei.
Natal Flora Publications Trust, Durban.

Pooley, E. 1998.  A Field Guide to Wild Flowers KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Region.
Natal Flora Publications Trust, Durban.

Roberts, M. 1990. Indigenous Healing Plants. Southern Book Publishers, Halfway House, Johannesburg.

Arnold, T.H. Prentice, C.A. Hawker, L. C. Snyman, E.E. Tomalin, M. Crouch, N.R. and Pottas-Bircher, C. 2002. Medicinal and magical plants of southern Africa: an annotated checklist. National Botanical Institute, Strelitzia 13, Pretoria.

Goldblatt, P. Manning J.2002. Cape Plants. “ A conspectus of the cape flora of South Africa”. MBG Press, Missouri Botanical Garden & National Botanical Institute, Strelitzia 9, Pretoria

Dold, A and Cocks, M. 2012 Voices from the Forest. Jacana Media, Johannesburg


In addition, we quote the following extract from:
Scott-Shaw, R. 1999. Rare and Threatened Plants of KwaZulu-Natal and Neighbouring Regions. KwaZulu-Natal Nature Conservation Service, Pietermaritzburg.

A significant number of these plants are also in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants

THREATENED PLANTS IN TRADITIONAL USE
Species are used for medicinal purposes unless indicated otherwise. Parts harvested are indicated. Only species that are widely used have been selected. Most of the plants in greatest demand in the medicinal plant trade are in this list. In most cases a root is a rhizome. The following three references have been consulted: Bryant (1970); Cunningham (1988); Hutchings (1996).

This book deals with threatened plants at a global and regional (provincial) scale. However these spatial scales are inadequate to accurately account for threats at a smaller scale of, for example, a rural district of only several thousand square kilometres. At the smaller scale many more species than those listed below, are threatened. Local extinctions of such species are common. Examples of these are given at the end of the list.

CRITICALLY ENDANGERED
Encephalartos cerinus - stem
ENDANGERED
Diaphananthe millarii - whole plant
Encephalartos aemulans - stem
Encephalartos msinganus - stem
Siphonochilus aethiopicus - root
Warburgia salutaris - bark
VULNERABLE
Albizia suluensis - bark
Ansellia africana - whole plant
Begonia homonym a - stem
Bowiea volubilis - bulb
Brachystelma pulchellum - root
Craterostigma nanum - whole plant
Encephalartos friderici-guilielmi - stem
Encephalartos ghellinckii - stem
Encephalartos lebomboensis - stem
Encephalartos ngoyanus - stem
Encephalartos senticosus - stem
Eriosema populifolium - root
Eucomus autumnalis - bulb
Euphorbia bupleurifolia - whole plant
Euphorbia franksiae - whole plant
Euphorbia woodii - whole plant
Gasteria croucheri - whole plant
Haworthia limifolia - whole plant
Huernia hystrix - whole plant
Hydrostachys polymorpha
Monsonia natalensis - root
Ocotea bullata - bark
Orbea speciosa - whole plant Orbea woodii - whole plant
Raphia austral is - leaves (structural)
Scilla natalensis - bulb
DATA DEFICIENT
Aloe coo peri subsp. pulchra - whole plant
Polystachya zuluensis - whole plant
LOWER RISK (CONSERVATION DEPENDENT
Alberta magna - bark
Curtisia dentata - bark
Encephalartos ferox - stem
Encephalartos natalensis - stem
Mondia whitei - root
Myrothamnus flabellifolius - whole plant
Prunus africana - bark
Sandersonia aurantiaca - bulb
Stangeria eriopus - root

LOWER RISK
Acalypha angustata - root
Alepidea amatymbica - root
Aloe aristata - whole plant
Ceropegia woodii - root
Clivi a miniata - rhizome
Crinum moorei - bulb
Cryptocarya myrtifolia - bark
Cyathea dregei - leaves and stem
Oioscorea sylvatica - stem (caudex)
Faurea macnaughtonii - bark
Gasteria batesiana - whole plant
Hoffmanseggia saund ersonii - root
Peucedanum thodei - rhizome, leaves and stem
Synaptolepis kirkii - root
Vitellariopsis dispar - bark

LOCAL SCALE EXTINCTIONS
Acokanthera oppositifolia - root
Adenia gummifera - stem
Albuca fastigiata - bulb
Aloe linearifolia - whole plant
Bulbine latifolia - whole plant
Clivia nobilis - rhizome
Crocosmia paniculata - corm
Dioscorea dregeana - tuber
Orimia robusta - bulb
Eriospermum mackenii - tuber
Eulophia petersii - bulb
Gloriosa superba - bulb
Helichrysum odoratissimum - whole plant
Hypoxis hemerocallidea - tuber
Justicia capensis - whole plant
Knipofia spp. - rhizome
Knowltonia bracteata - whole plant
Mystacidium capense - whole plant
Ornithogalum longibracteatum - bulb
Peucedanum caffrum - root
Pimpinella caffra - root
Plectranthus grallatus - whole plant
Polystachya ottoniana - whole plant
Sarcophyte sanguinea - whole plant
Schizobasis intricata - bulb
Schlechterina mitrostemmatoides - root
Secamone gerrardii - root
Stapelia gigantea - whole plant
Tridactyle bicaudata - whole plant
Tulbaghia ludwigiana - bulb
Turbina oblongata - tuber
Urginea altissima - bulb
Urginea delagoensis - bulb