Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Botanicals at Woodford County Library

Hello fellow bloggers! If you have stumbled upon or have been invited to Flora Symbolica, allow me to welcome you into my neck of the woods with this new blog dedicated to my ever growing passion for Botanical Illustration. If you previously followed my other blog, The Ladies Historical Tea Society, I sincerely hope that you will find Flora Symbolica equally appealing. Though, there will be a few tea blogs here and there (Camellia Sinensis is a plant,after all:^D ), the focus of my new home in the blogosphere will be to record my personal and professional journey into the world of Botanical Illustration. I guess it is safe to say that after toying with so many different art forms, subjects and styles, and after many years of not really having a comfortable fit with my artwork; it seems I have found my home in the world of Botanicals.


(Yellow Tulip by Rebecca Chamberlain)

I would like to begin this new blogging adventure with a post about the recent exhibit involving the Bluegrass Drawing Society, a group I co-founded with some other regional artists in 2005.

On Sunday, November 6Th, we were welcomed with a lovely opening reception by Gallery Director, Jen Dunham, of the Woodford County Public Library in Versailles, Kentucky. It was an unseasonably warm November afternoon and a joy to make the 35 minute drive down Lexington Road with sunshine flickering and dancing along what remained of the falling rustic leaves on the maple trees. I think it was as close to the perfect autumn afternoon as you can get.

There were/are four other artists in the exhibit with me with only 2 others able to attend the exhibit. We have a small group to begin with but the positive comments we've received from the reception attendees have been so encouraging. It's always a bit scary to step out of your regional comfort zone to exhibit in another town, even if you do have friends and acquaintances there. This new locale is a great opportunity for the drawing group to get some much needed exposure.

The show will run through December 28Th so if you find yourself in the Central Kentucky area, please stop by and see the works on display. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy a few photos of the reception and of the four botanicals I have in the show.


(Red Parrot Tulip by Rebecca Chamberlain. Photo taken by Leslie Miller)



( My four Botanicals here are: Shades of Pink and Purple, Homage to Redoute`, Red Parrot Tulip, and Yellow Tulip )

8 comments:

  1. These are just beautiful! What media did you use? Tulips are one of my favorite flowers. Congrats on the exhibit!
    Carol

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  2. Thank you so much, Carol! And, welcome to my blog!...I love tulips as well and I guess these four have turned into a sort of Tulipmania series for me. I used Faber-Castell polychromos colored pencils on Fabriano Artistico extra white 140 lb hot pressed paper. I am completely hooked on them. I really like the smooth painterly effect you can get with them. :)

    Thanks again!

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  3. Wow Rebecca..your art is just so stunning..the colors rich and decadent..like you can almost touch them! Wonderful event..how exciting!Congrats! Wish I lived closer..I'd go!
    Shine on and cheers!
    Victoria

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  4. Hello Victoria! Thank you so much for your kind words. Wish you lived closer, too. It was a nice reception.

    About the colors, I am so pleased with these FC pencils. I never dreamt that they would be so smooth and rich.

    Hope you have a lovely Friday and weekend as well...

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  5. welcome to blog land Rebecca! Beautiful work here xx

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  6. Beautiful tulips Rebecca! Nice to find you ... x

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  7. Beautiful tulips. Have you read Tulipomania by Wilfred Blunt or the Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas pere?

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  8. Thank you Vicki and OS:)...Funny you should mention Tulipmania, I have that on my library hold list..No, have never read The Black Tulip. Sounds like another to go on my reading list...Thanks for the suggestions and welcome!

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