Watercolor Paint and Pixie Dust

By Amy Beck, marketing and communications manager

There’s something mysteriously magical about the unfurling of a leaf.

Wendy starts the week with examples.

After seeing the progression of botanical paintings created by workshop participants throughout last week, their artwork seems infused with a bit of magic, too.

Botanical artist Wendy Brockman led workshops for teens and adults, gallery walks, and painting demonstrations during her six-day residency at the Woodson Art Museum, thanks to a Community Arts Grant from the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin.

Wendy leads morning sessions with teens.

 

One man drove from Madison to learn how to paint feathers during Saturday’s class.

Those who pulled up a chair during Wendy’s in-gallery demonstrations on Sunday saw her make precise additions to a painting of her grandmother’s elaborate feather hat.

Watercolor painting of feather hat

Others who joined her gallery walk, felt samples of vellum which is a form of leather made from calf, goat, or other animal skin. A shipment, she explained, arrives in the shape of a calf, but she assured visitors that vellum is made from the “leavings;” animals aren’t killed to harvest the skin. Artists praise vellum as “forgiving” because paint from an errant brushstroke doesn’t soak in the way it would on paper so can be scraped safely away.

Vellum samples are provided to touch.

One workshop participant said she was surprised and delighted to discover it possible to learn essential skills – rather than be born with the talent – to create botanical paintings.

It all begins with close observation.

Even while conveying practical advice (always test color by dabbing your brush on a scrap of paper to prevent a too-dark color from covering the lines of your drawing), Wendy alluded to the intrinsic magic of botanical painting. “Mixing color is the fun part,” she said. “It’s like mixing potions.”

Wendy works with Linda Haney.

Another adult, humbled and awed by Wendy’s skills, said she felt like a sous-chef, prepping the basics and leaving the artistry to the artist.

Even so, all participants produced lovely work, each reflecting aspects of their personalities, from delicacy to effervescence. That individuality – evident in each artwork and captured on paper – will endure even after the season’s flowers fade.

Therein, I think, lies the magic.

Hailey Muetzel adds color.

  

P.S. You can see artworks created by Wendy Brockman and workshop participants on view at the Woodson Art Museum through August 26. Wendy’s work is installed in the gallery adjacent to the Museum’s main entrance; workshop participants’ work is installed in the gallery adjacent to Art Park in the lower level.

Mary O'Flyng's sunflower

A Hint of Things to Come

By Jane Weinke, curator of collections

For the past several months I have been immersed in all things Owen Gromme.

The September 8 debut of the Woodson Art Museum building addition featuring a new gallery and the Marshall & Ilsley Collection of forty-three Gromme paintings is fast approaching. That means it’s time to confirm, finalize, and double-check myriad details for a successful exhibition. YIKES!

I won’t pretend that I knew Owen Gromme well, but I spoke with him in his studio, on the phone, and during many visits to the Woodson Art Museum. Preparing for a major installation of his works however, requires much thought, hours of research and writing, and planning, planning, planning. “The devil is in the details” is my driving motto.

Thankfully, I have overwhelming support from Owen’s family. Son, Roy, and daughter, Anne Marie Gromme, have provided furniture and ephemera to re-create the Briggsville, Wisconsin, studio in the new gallery. Anne Marie donated seventy-five pencil sketches drawn by her dad when composing the paintings, commissioned in 1965 for the Marshall & Ilsley Bank building in downtown Milwaukee and given to the Museum last year by BMO Harris Bank. These sketches are an incredible resource; some are being included in a publication made possible by BMO Harris Bank (details in a later blog) some will be framed in the gallery, and facsimiles of others will be shared during gallery tours. I cannot thank Anne Marie enough!

 

Facts about the history of the Marshall and Ilsley Bank project, and Owen’s career were provided by longtime friend Bill Webster, formerly of Wild Wings and the distributor of Owen’s prints and Mark Lefebvre, who along with Stanton & Lee, published the 1983 monograph, The World of Owen Gromme.

 

As eager as I am to share all the details, this is all for now. Look for my next blog post on August 29 for yet another sneak peak before the final reveal on September 8. Stay tuned.

All Abuzz about Art Camp

By Jayna Hintz, curator of education

Summer is in full bloom, as are summer art camps at the Woodson Art Museum

This year’s camps are inspired by three botanical exhibitions that fill the Museum’s galleries. Bees, bugs, and botanicals are this week’s camp focus as children create sculptures, paintings, and drawings.

I’ve planned each day’s art activities with specific age groups in mind, starting with the youngest, ages 5-6, and ending with the oldest, ages 9-11. Each group explores various mediums and processes: finger paint, acrylic paint, watercolors, and pastels, used to create assemblages, clay reliefs, kites, stabiles, or mobiles.

The excitement of the five- and six-year-olds is contagious. The teen camp counselors match their energy, and the time seems to fly by. On Tuesday, these youngest campers arrived at 9 am and by Noon they’d completed four art projects, explored the Museum, eaten a whole watermelon, and flown a kite. Yes, all that in three hours.

Right now, I’m gearing up for Wednesday’s group of seven- and eight-year-old campers. They’re set to arrive at 9 am to start their full day of art camp. With our brilliant group of camp counselors helping, I know every day will be buzzing with bees, bugs, and botanicals.

Cool Plants and Summer Heat

By Andy McGivern, Curator of Exhibitions

Cattleya Orchid

I’ve always enjoyed working with and caring for plants. My first jobs included working in greenhouses and a plant store before I turned my attention to art. At the Woodson Art Museum, my colleagues often bring me their sick and dying plants to bring back to life, and my office windows are filled with orchids, succulents, and cacti. My philosophy is pretty simple: water them regularly, fertilize them occasionally, and try to provide an environment similar to where they grow in nature.

Paphiopedilum Orchid

When summer rolls around, my wife and I take our house plants outside, including plants that we’ve cared for throughout nearly four decades. Our Norfolk Island pine and tree cacti are a challenge for us to move outdoors because they’re nearly ten feet tall.

Norfolk Island Pine

This summer, instead of growing a lot of vegetables in our garden, I’ve started well over a hundred variegated hosta from seed and have just transplanted them into the garden. They love the summer heat and humidity.

Tree Cacti

As I drive through town, I’m amazed at the number of yards with lush gardens filled with colorful annuals and perennials. Only a gardener can appreciate the amount of time and effort it takes to make a truly memorable garden.



Tree Cactus Flower

With recent high humidity and record-breaking-heat, stepping outside can feel like entering a sauna, making it difficult to spend any length of time in the garden.

If you miss your plants, I suggest stepping into the cool and quiet sanctuary of the Woodson Art Museum galleries. On view through August 26 are three botanical art exhibitions that offer beautifully illustrated images of common and exotic plants by an international cast of artists.

Take advantage of the Museum’s cool galleries, and check out the amazing artwork on view. Art Park is in full bloom too, and always is fun for young visitors and the young at heart. While you’re here, check out the progress on the Museum’s new addition, scheduled to open this fall, and enjoy the lush flowers and greenery in the sculpture garden.