Guild of Natural Science Illustrators Northern California Chapter
GNSI-CA, the second-oldest chapter of the GNSI on the West Coast, is comprised of illustrators found throughout the Greater Bay Area. Regular meeting locations include the Oakland Museum of California and the University of Santa Cruz Scientific Illustration Extension Program. We offer our members lectures, demonstrations, workshops and field trips, as well as opportunities for group exhibitions.
Anyone interested in scientific illustration is welcome to attend our meetings. Contact us at: gnsi.ca@gmail.com
COME WHALE WATCHING WITH US!
Saturday April 4th, 10 AM. BRING YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS ALONG FOR THE RIDE!! See details in the calendar below. This is a 3 hour tour of beautiful Monterey Bay. Snacks will be available on the boat, but you can also bring your own picnic. We will meet at the red building at the end of the wharf (directions here).DUES ARE DUE!
Yearly chapter dues are due in January. Membership gets you (among other things) discounts in workshop registration and the ability to register for group exhibits. There are already planned exhibit opportunities for 2009.Send your $20 to GNSI-CA, POBox 1418, Aptos, CA 95001.
Call for Submissions: ART FARM
Dear Artists: Click here to download a Call for Submissions for the Art Farm Exhibit scheduled for Oct 2, 2009 at Gallery 625 in Woodland. Please mark your calendars for this exciting event! Entry forms will be forthcoming in the new year.
2009 calendar
January
Saturday January 24th and January 31st, 9:00 AM to Noon:GNSI-CA Winter Workshop in Botanical Illustration
THERE IS STILL SPACE!
There are still a few spots left in the January Botanical Illustration Workshop!
Download the registration form here, and mail it in today!
UC Davis Arboretum 1026 Science Lab Building, UCDavis. Presenter: Lesley Randall
Botanical illustration is an art with a long tradition. Although accuracy is the top priority, botanical illustrations are art pieces of elegant beauty. Join us and learn the process step by step in two 3 hour sessions. Lesley will cover the basics from sketching to transfer and inking. Types of papers and pens will also be discussed. All levels of experience are welcome! Come with a plant already sketched out, or sketch from plants provided at the first session. Don't miss this botanical extravaganza!
Sponsored by the Northern California Chapter of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators and The UC Davis Center for Plant Diversity
February
Saturday February 14th, 12:00 Noon: Valentines Day PartyI
Science IllustrationCome to a Valentine's Day Potluck to talk about your love of nature & art! Bring a portfolio sampling and a dish to share. Fun! Food! Free Raffle!
Friday February 20th, 5:00–8:00 PM:
Opening reception for an exhibit of California animal illustrations by Jenny Parks
Coyote Point Museum 1651 Coyote Point Drive San Mateo, CA
For museum info, visit www.coyoteptmuseum.org
(Please visit the site for detour directions, due to ongoing road construction in that area.)
Jenny's show will be up until April 19th
VOTING FOR OFFICERS!
We will be voting for Chapter Officers in February 2009 via Survey Monkey.
April
Saturday April 4th, 10 AM: Whale Watching trip
BRING YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS ALONG FOR THE RIDE!!
Monterey Bay Whale Watch offers year-round whale watching trips to observe the spectacular diversity and abundance of whales and dolphins inhabiting the Bay. Monterey is the best place in the nation to view a variety of marine mammals and seabirds. The Monterey Submarine Canyon approaches close to the shore, allowing deep water species of whales, dolphins, and seabirds to occur near the coast. Shallow water species, such as the gray whale, are found very close to shore in the narrow shelf region.
Our captains have over 20 years of experience with nature trips and offer excellent views of marine wildlife. All our trips are led by marine biologists, most with 10+ years experience, who fully narrate and answer questions during trips. Our whale watching trips are educationally oriented and our biologists collect valuable data on the marine mammals sighted during these trips, including distribution, relative abundance, and behavior of whales and dolphins. We also photo-identify individual whales and dolphins, contributing to assessments of population, residency patterns, and migration or movement patterns.
Gray Whales are currently migrating through Monterey Bay, and some humpback whales and dolphins are feeding here.
http://gowhales.com 831-375-4658
WHEN YOU CALL TO REGISTER, TELL THEM YOU ARE WITH THE GUILD OF NATURAL SCIENCE ILLUSTRATORS TO GET OUR SPECIAL DISCOUNTED RATE FOR THE SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2009 TRIP AT 10 AM: $29/ADULT; $18/CHILDREN 12 & UNDER; BABIES FREE!
This is a 3 hour tour of beautiful Monterey Bay. Snacks will be available on the boat, but you can also bring your own picnic. We will meet at the red building at the end of the wharf (directions here). Also recommended are layers for cold and rain gear. If you need to take anything for sea sickness, it is recommended by the crew that you do so 1/2 hour before boarding. If at least 40 GNSI-CA folks & their guests book spots, we will likely have the boat to ourselves.
Some of us might head over to the Monterey Bay Aquarium afterwards. Please feel free to join us!
Past Events
2008
January
1/1/2008:
Annual chapter dues of $20 are due as of January 1.
Please send payment to our esteemed treasurer Larry Lavendel at POB 1418 Aptos, CA 95001
The check should be made out to GNSI_CA.
AWE Gallery
www.awegallery.com
1/5/2008: Hanging and opening reception.
1/12/2008 and 1/19/2008: We need 2-4 volunteers total to draw live.
1/27/2008: Closing reception for our art show at the AWE gallery. 2-5 pm at 678 Portola Drive, San Francisco, CA. 415.731.6470. Check out this link for more information: http://www.awegallery.com/index.php?page=events
March
Recent Works Juried Exhibit at the Tilden Park Environmental Education Center.Deadline has already passed to be an exhibitor, but we hope you'll support the artists and visit the show: http://www.ebparks.org/parks/tilden
3/3/2008: Set-up.
3/22/2008: 2 to 4 PM. Reception for Tilden Park California Wildlife show at Tilden Park Education Center, Berkeley
April
Exhibit at Tilden Environmental Education Center continues all month.4/15/08: CALL FOR ENTRIES: GNSI-CA Recent Works Exhibit. Running from late June through Labor Day at the Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek. You must be a chapter member in good standing. All works must be related to Natural History. Send up to three entries to gnsi.ca@gmail.com no later than 4/15/2008.
4/30/2008: Take down Tilden exhibit.
4/19/08: Field Trip to the Sonoma Overlook Trail, led by docent and guild member Jaye Hays. We need a volunteer to coordinate carpools.
The hillside is home to a large number of plants and animals native to California. Lower parts of the trail pass through mixed evergreens, with bay and coast live oak predominating. madrone, manzanita, toyon, buckeye...and the ubiquitous poison oak...border the trail as it gradually ascends, skirting grassy meadows, which are dotted with wildflowers in the spring. A particularly treasured feature of this propery is its oak woodlands. In addition to the coast live oak, the Black Oak, Oregon oak, Blue oak, and Valley oak provide a crucial source of food and habitat for a wide variety of creatures. Our esteemed president, Diane T, will run down her tips on what kind of notes to take in the field in order to properly identify what you see when you get home (from her class "Leave the Field Guides at Home")http://www.sonomaecologycenter.org/education_prj/SonomaOverlookTrail.html
For more info see: www.sonomaecologycenter.org/education_prj/SonomaOverlookTrail.html
May
May 3rd to June 8th: Illustrating Nature Exhibit. The Science Illustration Program, UC Extension, Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Museum Association will present student works from the class of 2008 in the 19th annual Illustrating Nature exhibition.Download the poster for the exhibit here.
For more info: Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History 1305 East Cliff Drive, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 (831) 420-6115
May 10: Demonstration of Illustration Techniques by students from the UCSC Science Illustration program.
Drop-in 11 AM to 1 PM at the Santa Cruz Natural History Museum. Free.
May 17: Nature Notes & Sketches with Sarah Rabkin.
11 AM to 4 PM at the Santa Cruz Natural History Museum. Please call the museum to check the cost of this workshop.
May 31: Natural Science Illustration for Kids with Christine Elder.
11 AM to 4 PM at the Santa Cruz Natural History Museum. Cost: $40 for museum members / $55 general public.
June
June 25 - Sept 1: Natural Visions: Recent Works by the GNSI-CA at the Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek.July
July 20-26: Annual GNSI National Conference at Ithaca College in New York! An event not to be missed. The scenery is said to be superb! Check out the hosting Finger Lakes Chapter website.Sunday July 27th: A Hands-on Summer Workshop at the Oakland Museum with Carolynne Griffin. Using photographs and some specimens we will render reptiles and amphibians using ink and colored pencils on vellum. Carolynne Griffin is an artist and educator who has taught in the Bay Area for many years. She explores a variety of techniques and media in her workshops, focusing on the synthesis of nature and art. Her work appears in many publications and in private and public collections throughout the U.S. More information on registration fees etc. soon! For more info: www.museumca.org
August
Sunday August 10th from 3:00 to 7:00 PM: Backyard Barbecue and Portfolio Share at our President Diane T. Sands' house in Oakland. It is a potluck - bring your favorite dishes to grill and share. Family & friends welcome! Bring samples of your work for the Portfolio Share! Games! Door Prizes! Music! 2008 calendar
October
October 4th, 10:30 AM: GNSI California meeting at the UCSC Scientific Illustration Extension office. Here's a link to directions.Jeanette Sainz, naturalist, photographer and Calochortus enthusiast will deliver her amazing two projector slide show. A former Jepson Herbarium instructor, Ms. Sainz has addressed several chapters of the California Native Plant Society, arboretums, and botanical gardens. Calochortus is the most widely dispersed genus of Liliaceae on the North American Pacific coast. Of these, 28 species are endemic to California. The genus includes Mariposas (or Mariposa lilies) with open wedge-shaped petals, Globe lilies and Fairy lanterns with globe-shaped flowers, and Cat's ears and Star tulips with erect pointed petals. Come and see them in all of their natural beauty!