August 2011

New Paintings 

Squirrels Nest Studio in Bloomingburg, NY

 "Hawk with Trumpet vine flowers"

ink and watercolor on Hahnemuhle rice paper

12" x 16" unframed

 "New Guinea Impatiens"

ink and watercolor on silver and gold flecked paper

10" x 14" unframed

"Showa Landscape"

based on a 1920's unidentified painting

ink and watercolor on silk

17" x 33" unframed

to purchase contact: rozenart@aol.com

•••••

Botanical Art Class
Saturdays Final class rescheduled for  Aug. 13th
Catskill Art Society
Livingston Manor, NY
www.catskillartsociety.org

•••••

New Exhibit 
Flowers, Plants and Vegetables
Opening Reception: Saturday, August 20, noon - 4pm

73 Sullivan Street, Wurtsboro, NY 

www.waagallery.org

Indian Corn / Maize
watercolor pencil and watercolor on
Fabriano Artistico hot press
24" x 36" framed

•••••

Sign up now for  
Sumi-e brush painting 
and/or 
Botanical Art
Squirrels Nest Studio, Bloomingburg, NY
Sundays, Sept. 11, 18, 25
Oet. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Nov. 6, 13, 20
10:30 am - 3:30 pm
seating is limited
contact: rozenart@aol.com

 Daylily and Peach
watercolor pencil and watercolor
on Magnani watercolor paper

•••••

Fall/Winter 2011 - 2012
(my 25th year teaching at)
New York Botanical Garden
Adult Education
Botanical Art Certificate Program
Bronx, NY

Painting Botanical on Rice and Silk Papers 
BIL 480
4 Saturdays, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5, 11/12
10 am - 3:30 pm
and
Seasonal Highlights: Plum Blossoms
on rice and silk paper with ink and watercolor 
2 Tuesdays, 11/22 and 11/29

•••••
New workshops and classes
coming soon to more tri-state area venues.

For sale
The last of the
best kolinsky red sable brushes
(the brand I have been using for forty years)
Students and professionals beg for them.
I am selling a select group of new perfect
series #999 and #901
Discontinued forever.
The best I ever used.
contact me before they are gone
rozenart@aol.com

•••••

July 2011 Summer has arrived!

Roberta received 1st Place Ribbon Award & Certificate
 for "Pine & Stream",
"Fields and Streams", Juried Exhibition
WAA Gallery, Wurtsboro, NY
7/9/11- 8/7/11

WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES

NYBG - New York Botanical Garden - Bronx, NY

Practical Aspects - BIL 391B
Professional Business Practices and Marketing for Artists
Summer intensive certificate course:
Learn how to create a winning portfolio, promotion kits, pricing art,
and how to get your art sold.
Monday, July 11 - July 15th, 10 am -1:45 pm.
Contact www.nybg.org to register.

CAS - Catskill Art Society - Livingston Manor, NY

Summer Weekend Workshops
July 23 - August 7, 2011

Botanical Art Watercolor and Watercolor Pencil
Saturdays, July 23, 30 and Aug 6th, 11 am - 4 pm

Contact to register: www.catskillartsociety.org

Plan ahead for fall/winter:
New at NYBG Painting on Silk
4 Saturdays, Oct 22 - Nov. 12, 10 am - 1 pm
Using Asian brush techniques, learn how to grind ink and
create tone values, incorporate watercolor on silk paper.
Traditional subjects bamboo, chrysanthemum and orchid.

and
New! Painting Plum Blossoms
Painting Botanicals with Ink & Watercolor on Rice & Silk Papers
122BIL437 Section B: 2 Tuesdays, Nov. 22 & 29, 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m

2012

Special Effect in Gouache for Natural Science Subjects

BIL 484: 5 Mondays, Jan 9 - Feb 13 (no class Jan 16), 10 am -1:35 pm

EXHIBITS

July 9 - August 7, 2011

Wurtsboro Art Alliance Gallery

2nd Juried Salon Exhibition

"Fields and Streams"

Guest Juror: Linda Richichi

Music and light refreshments

Gallery hours. Sat. & Sun. noon - 4 pm

73 Sullivan Street, Wurtsboro, NY

www.waagallery.org

Sunday Workshops at Squirrel Nest Studio

Sundays, October 2, 9. 16, 30, 

Fall - Fruits, Leaves, Berries and seasonal plants 

and 

November 6, 13, 20, 

Amaryllis,  Poinsettias and  Chrysanthemums
10:00 am  - 3:30 pm. 

Botanical Watercolor pencil, watercolor on watercolor paper

or Sumi-e ink on rice paper or silk 

Minimum 3 students per class/Maximum 5.

No make up sessions except for inclement weather conditions. 

All registrations must be received and paid 10 days prior to the first class.
To register Call: 845-733-1848 or email: rozenart@aol.com

May - June 2011 Happy Spring!

Happy return of spring.

Paeonia 'Sarah Bernhardt', watercolor
unframed contact for price

Peonies on bloom now at the studio's woodland garden.
Due to wet weather only a few are blooming.
Expecting the deep red/magenta
Paeonia lactiflora Karl Rosenfield to bloom in a few days.
A new painting is coming soon.

P.J.M. Rhododendron, watercolor/gouache
commissioned by Weston Nurseries as their Garden Club logo.
Featured in the New York Botanical Garden Education
Spring/Summer catalog.

Unmatted museum quality giclee prints
on 300 gsm Hahnemuhle paper
7" x 9" print $150.00 and 13" x 18" print $300.00.
Signed/numbered edition of 100.

Open edition Frameable Greeting Card mini print
3.3" x 4.7" in a 5 x 7" in a Strathmore mat card.
Gift set of 4 for $25.00.
Shipping additional.

*****
Iris Sensation, 12 x 15", watercolor, framed
contact for price

*****

I am excited to report that two of my sumi-e paintings
won first and second place in the Master/Instructor category
of the Oriental Brush Supply Summer Challenge contest.
To view the results go to: http://brushpainting.com/blog/?p=82.

First Place "Wallkill River"
Hand ground sumi-e ink, watercolor and gouache on Hahnemuhle sumi-e paper
Contact for price


Second Place " Autumn Carp"
Hand ground sumi-e ink, watercolor and gouache on Hahnemuhle sumi-e paper
Contact for price

Happy to have participated in the challenge and looking forward
to testing their new "cotton" paper.
Thank you again for your votes.

****
Current classes at Squirrel Nest Studio
Botanical drawing
with watercolor pencils and watercolor techniques.
Focus on local flowers, vegetables, leaves, bark, rocks,
feathers and natural found items.
and/or
Sumi-e Chinese Brush Painting
beginners to advanced
The Four Gentlemen, flowers, landscape and animals
using hand ground ink,
watercolor and gouache.
Sundays, May 1, 15, 22 and June 12, 26, 2011
hours: 10:30 am - 3:30 pm
Limited to a small group. Individual attention.
Bring lunch. Tea and cookies served.
To register email: rozenart@aol.com for more information/materials list.

****
Practical Aspects of Botanical Art
Professional Business Practices and Marketing
Summer Intensive at the New York Botanical Garden
July 11 - 15, 2011, 10 am - 1:40 pm

Learn how to create exciting portfolios, promotional media kits,
where to market and sell your art, and pricing
for commercial and fine art venues.
Hands on activities.
Contact: www.nybg.org.

****
Roberta Rosenthal's text book
"Professional Business and Marketing for Artists",
10th Limited Edition $40.00 plus shipping.
Contact: rozenart@aol.com

****
Catskill Art Society
Summer Workshops
Livingston Manor, NY

Botanical Art - Drawing and Painting
July 23, 30, August 6, 2011, Time: 11am - 4pm.

Asian Brush Painting - Ink, Watercolor on Rice Paper/Silk
July 24, 31, August 7, 2011. Time: 11am - 3pm.
To Register: http://www.catskillartsociety.org

****

New Painting:
"Snake in the Grass"
Hand ground sumi-e ink and watercolor on rice paper.
Based upon a hike and observation at the
Bashakill Wetlands, Town of Mamakating, NY.
9" x 11"
"Pines and Stream"
17" x 30", 
ink, watercolor and iridecent pigments on silk
Featured at WAA Gallery's 2nd Juried exhibition,
"Fields and Steams"
First Place Winner
Gallery open Sat. &  Sun. noon - 4 pm

March 2011

Marching into spring

Cockatiels in Kauai
Hand ground ink, watercolor and gouache on silk
Mounted on silk scroll. 17.5" x 47"
Commission and collection of
L.S.Rosenthal, Seattle, WA.© R.S.Rosenthal 2011

Drawing and Painting Begonias Workshop
with Roberta Rosenthal, instructor
at the New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY
March 18 and 25th
10 am - 3:30 pm
To register contact: www.nybg.org
Orchid, Angelwing Begonia and Philodendron
Watercolor on Arches Hot Press 22" x 36"
Collection of Artist

P.J.M. Rhodendron
Weston Nursery Garden Club logo
featured in Spring/Summer NYBG Education Catalog
page 32 and 34
•••••••••••••••••
Sumi-e Asian Brush Painting and
Botanical Art Sunday Workshops
at Squirrel Nest Studio, Bloomingburg, NY
April3, 10, 17 and 24, 2011
10:30 am - 3:30 pm
Sketch and paint in pencil, watercolor, Chinese ink or
other water based mediums on rice paper or watercolor paper.
Attention to form, composition, values/tones and applied techniques.
Contact: rozenart@aol.com

February 2011

Love and Valentine's Day Exhibit!

Winter Fest in Wurtsboro
My art will be on exhibit in the Wurtsboro Art Alliance Gallery
February 12 and 13th.
Open Saturday 11 am - 4 pm and Sunday noon - 4 pm.

73 Sullivan Street. www.waagallery.org



Please come and shop for your loved ones.
I will have a selection of original watercolors and prints.


Sundays Spring Art Workshops at
Squirrels Nest Studio, Bloomingburg, NY
Sunday, April 3, 10, 17 and 24, 2011.
Sumi-e and Traditional Botanicals
in color pencil, watercolor and/or
sumi-e ink and watercolor. 10:30 am - 3:30 pm.
Email: rozenart@aol.com to reserve your place.
Space is limited. Reserve early.

New York Botanical Garden Workshop:
Drawing and Painting Begonias
March 18 and 25, 2011. 10 am - 3:30 pm
www.nybg.org

Completed a recent sumi-e silk scroll commission.
"Cockatiels in Kauai"
hand ground sumi-e ink and watercolor/gouache on silk.
17.5" x 47". Mounted on silk.


Collection of L.S. Rosenthal
© Roberta Rosenthal 2011

Orders can be taken on special commissions.

To celebrate a marriage, anniversary, new home,
or any other occasion or event.
Contact: rozenart@aol.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR 20!!

BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY, HEALTHY
AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR IN 2011.

Stroked
Hand ground ink and watercolor on silk


Nene Birds
Hand ground ink and watercolor on silk


Autumn Carp
Hand ground ink and watercolor on rice paper


Wallkill River
Hand ground ink and watercolor on rice paper

Please vote for my art on Oriental Art Supplies Summer Challenge art competition. Winners of the competition receive a gift certificate for art supplies. Images featured above are my four entries. Voting is open until March 19, 2011. I buy many of my Chinese art supplies from OAS. Thank you for taking the time and it's free.

http://www.orientalartsupply.com/summerchallenge/master-voting.cfm

•••••••••••••••••••

December 2010 Happy Holiday Season

May this season bring you

Joy, Peace and Good Health.
Wishing you and yours a
Safe and Prosperous
New Year!

"Cockatiels and Berrys"
Sumi-Ink and Watercolor
12" x 12"
available unframed
Squirrels Nest Studio, Bloomingburg, NY
•
I have entered an art competition from
Oriental Art Supplies Summer Art Challenge
Please vote for one of my four submitted paintings:
Wallkill River, Nene Birds, Stroked or Fall Carp.
Voting is free and the grand prize is a gift certificate for art supplies.
One vote per viewer. Voting ends on March 19, 2011.
Your participation is appreciated.
Grand prize is a gift certificate for art supplies.
http://www.orientalartsupply.com/summerchallenge/master-voting.cfm
•
"Foxy"
Sumi Ink and watercolor on rice paper
8.5" x 11"
Black frame white mat
Squirrel's Nest Studio
Bloomingburg, NY
•
For the holidays I am republishing a few articles
I wrote for the Delaware and Hudson Canvas Newspaper in 2009.
I hope you find them informative and amusing
regarding transporting art work and
if you're ever in an art emergency situation.

July 2009 Delaware and Canvas Newspaper, first publication

Art in an emergency Part 1 By Roberta Rosenthal

The knock on the door is a fireman and he says,”Get all of your important possessions together and put them into your car. The fire is headed in the direction of your home. Everyone on Shawanga Lodge Road is on alert.” First shock and then reality hits. What should I take and what about my hundreds of paintings, a lifetime of work? I can’t pack my entire house into a Honda Civic.

That was the scene on March 18, 2009. I was in the middle of retyping a section for the latest edition of my book on “Professional Business Practices for Artists”, a perfect place to be in an emergency. I went to my chapter on Emergency Art Storage. You can’t take all the original works with you but in today’s armory of micro technology we have the “thumb drive”, a tiny USB storage device you can plug into your computer to make copies of all of your files. This is your first defense for art storage. Even if the originals are lost, the copies could be used to create a new portfolio and giclee prints. Take photos of your work as you are creating it with a digital camera or even your cell phone. You never know when something is going to happen. If you can burn a CD on your computer make one with high resolution images in TIFF or JPG at least 300 dpi of your work.

In my bank safe deposit box I have a full set of slides, positive and negative transparencies. I have several portfolios of color photographic prints. It also contains an inventory list of my art work with size, medium and price. Insurance companies may also need a copy of prior sales where galleries which have sold my art for valid valuation. It is also useful to keep a current resume, biography and art statement in the safe deposit box or on the thumb drive too.

A friend in another country has a copy of an original manuscript for my first novel, all of the postage stamps I have designed, a complete set of greeting cards I have illustrated and several original paintings. If the worst happened in the U.S.A, I could always travel abroad and start again with those works.

In the end I put very little into the car: cat carriers, my purse with travel documents, thumb drive, cell phone, digital camera, bank key, a change of underwear, my professional illustration and design portfolio with color prints. Also several mini portfolios showing various fine art catagories. The 5 x 7 inch portfolios have ink jet prints, mini bio, brief resume and simple art statement. I also packed a rolling box containing a travel kit of art supplies, paper, small canvases and brushes. I could always paint on the road and sell the work out of my car trunk if I had to.

Fortunately there were thirty fire companies on the road. There was an engine in every other driveway, keeping the fire at bay. They did a great job and the following days brought a healing rain. There was no smoke or fire damage but the scare helped me to edit that chapter in record time. In next months issue I will suggest protective actions you can take to safe guard your work as a fine artist, gallery or collector.

****
August 2009 Delaware and Canvas Newspaper, first publication

Art in an emergency Part 2 By Roberta Rosenthal

Last month I discussed art in an emergency. This month what to look for in a protective facility and how you can turn your home or gallery into a safer environment for your works of art. Here are a few suggestions:

* A fine art storage facility must be a fire resistant or non-combustible structure, composed of concrete and reinforced steel beams, so that if there were a fire, it would be contained.
* The facility should be freestanding and distant from other buildings.
* The entry and exit point should be the same and there should be only one entry/exit. Ideally, there should be no windows in the storage areas, if there are, they should be blocked from light.
* Motion detectors, shock sensors, and fire and smoke detectors should be installed in all areas of the facility and they should be connected to central security stations that connect respectively with the Police and Fire Departments. They should be monitored 24/7.
* Fire protection should include either a wet pipe or dry pipe sprinkler system throughout the facility, especially in storage areas.
* Inspections of security and fire protection systems should be conducted regularly and maintained using service contracts with professional vendors.
* Personnel who are responsible for handling the art should be trained and bonded.
* The loading dock should be secure at all times and monitored by company staff.

* A computerized inventory system should be available.
* All access to the facility should be monitored, restricted and documented. Access should be limited to working hours.
* Private vaults should be provided for those collectors requiring a higher level of security and privacy.

Preservation

* Temperature and humidity control is critical for art preservation. The temperature should be maintained between 68 and 72 degrees and the humidity level should be between 50 and 55 percent.
* Smoking must be prohibited.
* An active pest control program should be in place.

Finally, your personal inspection of the facility is highly recommended, as your observations during that visit are an invaluable tool in making your final protective decisions. Many of us may not be able to afford such a facility which is all the more reason to photograph your work immediately after completion. A scan or digital image is the first place to start. In September I will write about how to transport your works of art to and from exhibitions, clients, galleries and collectors.

*******************************************************************************
Transporting Art by Roberta Rosenthal
September 2009 Delaware and Hudson Canvas

After the artwork is completed how are you going to take it to and from galleries, clients, or the final collector? Careful preparation needs to go into the packaging of your artworks to minimize damage. However long it took to create your art, it’s worth taking a little extra time to protect it.

In a 1991 New York Times article, Suzanne Cassidy recounts a story told by Nancy McGary, Administrator of Collections and Exhibitions at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. She sent shivers down the spines of delegates to the Conservation Conference when she told of taking a taxi up Madison Avenue one rainy day and seeing another car speed by with a painting on its roof. The car's driver and a passenger each had an arm out the window, she said, in an attempt to hold on to their cargo: "3 by 6 feet of naked painting." At the time, she recalled, "I thought we should just cancel this conference, call an international prayer meeting for art and be done with it."

When presenting new works to clients in person, show 8” x 10” glossy or matte photo prints in a Prat style portfolio first. Some galleries only look at CD’s or jpgs. Keeping the original art in perfect condition is paramount. If the gallery or client is interested in seeing or exhibiting the work then invite them to your studio or decide how to package it for transport. What to consider: medium, weight, vibration, shock, relative humidity and temperature.

I try to transport original works of art on a clear day. If it is rainy or snowing request a change of appointment if possible. Otherwise I become a fashionista stylist dressing the art for appropriate weather conditions. Bring out the rain gear, ski gloves, parka and boots. A full tracing paper covering, taped with acid free tape on the back, covers art that is not framed. If it is pastel use glassine paper, for an acrylic or oil that may still be damp, waxed paper is best. Then I put the work in a plastic or acetate bag taped shut. Put the flat work between two heavy acid free cardboards taped together and then into another carrier such as a zipped canvas or nylon portfolio. If the work is framed never put tape on the frame as it can pull off the finish. I usually bubble wrap framed works if they are dry or put wax paper over the work first and then bubble wrap. Use duct tape to secure it.

If work needs to be shipped then the above needs to go into a strong, heavy cardboard or wooden box depending upon shipping method. There are a few companies that offer special art shipping boxes and bubble wrap for artists. Uline, Light Impressions, Clear Bags are all available online or from catalogs. Having a box of self-closing large bubble wrap bags can save you a lot of time cutting and taping.

When loading work into my Honda Civic Hatchback (which can hold an entire solo exhibit of 40 pieces), I put the smaller ones in first in flat layers or inside larger boxes and then lay the larger boxed or wrapped pieces on top. I use soft blankets to layer, cushion and cover it in the car. The cover is helpful if I happen to stop in a neighborhood where I don’t want to invite a break-in. Also remember, always back to back never glass to glass. Put cardboard in between if you put two paintings together. When it comes to prints some artists roll them into tubes for cheaper shipping. I prefer flat then no damage can occur during the unrolling process. If it is an inexpensive poster print a tube may suffice. If it is a high quality limited edition signed print, shipping flat between acid free heavy cardboards, plastic, then wrapping paper and/or box is best. If large works or a large number of works need to be shipped to a museum or gallery then a professional shipper needs to be added to the budget. Wood box crating needs a pro touch especially if you have sculpture or three-dimensional works of art. Perhaps detaching the work from its stretchers, rolling the work and tubing makes sense if the dimensions of the work are large. The costs are surprisingly little for the peace of mind of having the work moved without damage. When traveling by plane only small works in a carry on portfolio should come on board. Do not ship art in luggage. It can break, get stolen, or be damaged by heat and humidity. Don’t leave slides or portfolios in a heated car all day. This will damage the plastic pages or coverings. Don’t forget properly filled out name tags or address labels with contact information. A list of inventory should be kept in the package as well as on your computer.

Some galleries refuse plastic peanuts or have regulations against it. Others only accept work glazed in plexiglass because of breakage. If work will be transported by bus, train, plane or boat then insurance is mandatory. I make sure shipped work has a trackable ID number. Make sure the insurance amount covers the complete retail cost of the work plus framing. Some home insurance policies cover transporting works.

When I myself deliver art works to an individual collector, I personally unwrap them. I offer to hang the art or at least select where it should be hung and mark the spot in pencil. I carefully repack and remove the packaging to be recycled for my next delivery or exhibit. The biggest drawback of all of this is storing the boxes, cardboards and bubble wrap in my basement. My husband gives me this look “do we really need to keep all this here” and I give him that look back nodding YES!

***************

"Holiday Basket of Flowers"
11" x 18"
Sumi-e Ink and Watercolor on shimmer shuan
unframed
Squirrel's Nest Studio

For more information contact: Roberta Rosenthal
Web site: www.robertarosenthal.com
e-mail: rozenart@aol.com
Squirrel Nest Studio, Bloomingburg, NY

Represented locally at:
• Wurtsboro Art Alliance Gallery
open Sat. & Sun. February 12, 2011 next exhibit
"Winter Fest Valentine's Show"
73 Sullivan Street, Wurtsboro, NY
www.waagallery.org


• Catskill Soap Company
123 Sullivan Street, Wurtsboro, NY
www.catsoco.com
(914) 424-6434