Chicago Botanic Garden

Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden

PHOTO: Sculpture by DJ Garrity

Special Events

Painting on Vellum:
A Slipper Orchid Portrait


Sunday, January 24, 2010
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Design Studio

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A Special Engagement with Carol Woodin

REGISTER FOR A Slipper Orchid Portrait
Registration fee: $149/$187

Illustrations by Carol Woodin

Vellum is often seen as a daunting material to work with, but by observing and utilizing its special characteristics, it is rewarding, durable, and quite forgiving. By tackling a small subject which may be completed in a day, this course is an ideal primer for working in watercolor on vellum. Following a short discussion of the types of vellum available and of the botanical properties of orchids, students will draw the flower and stem of a provided slipper orchid plant. We'll learn how to transfer these graphite renderings, how to erase on and clean vellum, and how to lay down numerous layers of drybrush watercolor to build color and form. Each student will work from live plant material and be provided with a 9" X 12" piece of vellum.

ART ELECTIVE

Pre-requisites: Botanical Drawing 1 and Watercolor 1
Recommended Pre-requisite: Watercolor 2 or familiarity with English Watercolor Technique

About Carol Woodin

Specializing in rare plants, Carol Woodin has been painting in watercolor for about 20 years. Her work has been exhibited around the world, most recently at UBS Gallery in New York, and at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery in the UK. Some notable collections that include her work are the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, and the Isaac Sutton collection. She is currently preparing the plates for the upcoming monograph, Slipper Orchids of the Tropical Americas, to be published by Kew Garden. Having served on the Board of the ASBA, she is now its Exhibitions Coordinator.