A Warm Close to the Year at BAGSC’s Winter Quarterly Meeting
- Susan Cumins
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
BAGSC’s Winter Quarterly Meeting was our chance to keep members abreast of the chapter’s happenings. Pat Mark opened the meeting at the Los Angeles Arboretum and Botanical Garden in Arcadia with the midterm election of Paula Spence as President, filling the vacancy left by Tania Norris, who resigned earlier in the year. Jack Daly was elected to a new term as Treasuer, following his appointment to replace Lindsay Brennan. Susan Cumins has agreed to fill the position of Secretary that Paula Spence vacated. Susan Jackson will serve another term as Membership Committee Chair.
Membership Chair Susan Jackson filled us in on the California Native Plant Society’s February conference in Riverside. To enter its exhibition of native plants, artwork must be dropped off at the convention venue on February 4 and retrieved February 7, 2026. See CNPS website for details.
CNPS Special Events page: https://conference.cnps.org/special-events/
Exhibit application form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdtMgbybrzMlodxBKQ2HgSDBelZqkHvCm4lWJ_zw9GDuvjY6g/viewform
Twenty-three BAGSC members and guests were granted free admission to the Arboretum for the meeting, where they enjoyed coffee and breakfast treats, then tasty box lunches, and a morning workshop on how to draw white flowers in graphite presented by BAGSC board member Donnett Vanek.
Later, Arboretum Librarian Leena Waller gave us a history of the gardens and library and a tour of the library’s collection. We got to see the exhibition of roses from the Arboretum’s garden – painted by BAGSC members – that will continue to hang through February 14, 2026. Leena graciously showed us the collection of rare botanical books, oversized illustrated books, and the treasure trove of Charles Broughton’s work that she's been preserving and researching.
Workshop: Graphite Techniques of rendering White Flowers by Donnett Vanek
This workshop was about understanding where the shadows fall, because their shapes
and tones define the depth and structure of a plant portrait, Donnett explained.
The following remarks represent the range of constructive takeaways we gained from Donnett’s inspiring presentation, including her illustrated instruction sheets and practical tips:
Nancy Beckham said, ”I am not a big proponent of graphite, but after hearing Donnett talk about (the importance of finished drawings) I am going to start doing just that–making more meticulous drawings. A great teacher, Donnett had a roomful of artists who worked hard and were very happy doing so.”
Santa Barbara-based Jan Clouse, who works predominantly in colored pencil, has attended workshops on graphite. Her sketchbooks are filled with finished drawings that use the crosshatching that comes naturally to her. “Today I learned even more approaches to graphite drawing; the workshop opened another door to the possibilities of crosshatching in this medium,” she said.
Steve Hampson, a master horticulturalist who specializes in daffodils and English sweet peas, had never worked in graphite. Colored pencil and watercolor on vellum are familiar to Steve, but he declared that “paying attention to the shape and value of shadows gave me new ways to think about them.” And he welcomed Donnett’s tips about painting pale blossoms on a white ground.
BAGSC board member Emily Franz had invited a guest, Annica Wu, who is the Herbarium Collections Manager at the California Botanical Garden in Claremont, where Emily recently completed an internship in botanical illustration. “I work with dead flowers that are pressed flat and are all brown,” said Annica, “so colors and shadows are something I don’t usually observe.” But Annica has always loved art history and artistic pursuits, and she found the workshop fascinating.
Susan Bartow believes that “the best thing about our in-person meetings is the chance to compare and discuss different approaches and techniques.” She works in silverpoint and was thrilled to talk with Donnett about available bases for this ancient technique because, to Susan, “it seems wrong to use metalpoint on a modern acrylic ground.”
After hearing comments from BAGSC members at the close of the day, Donnett said, “It’s so nice to know that my workshop resonated with participants and will encourage them to continue with the ideas and techniques I was teaching. The goal of workshops is not to imitate but to learn, think about approaches, and take the parts that work for you.” Donnett’s botanical works have appeared in countless exhibitions, yet she is most proud of having had a graphite piece accepted into the collection of Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation.
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