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Botanical Art
The Botanical Art program at Filoli has long been an essential part of our mission to interpret and preserve the history of this country estate. Whether it's through one of our 2 – 5 day classes, the Certificate Program, the Filoli Florilegium or the annual exhibit, artists continue to be inspired by the plant collections at Filoli.
Our students say it best:
 Students chose their own Dahlia from the Filoli Cutting Garden.
“Catherine, Thank you so much. this was hugely helpful, fun too!”
—By Peggy A. from Magnolia Workshop with Catherine M. Watters.
“I loved this class, am planning on attending class in fall – fall leaves. I can’t wait.”
—By Paula Thompson from Mushrooms with Lee McCaffree.
“An excellent introduction – materials were provided and we used three different medias.”
—By Jean Martin from Introduction to Botanical Art, Spring 2009.
“Really enjoyed the class – I feel that I can now draw three-dimensional plants.”
—By Catherine Lee from Drawing Plants in Perspective, Summer 2009.
Classes – Registration Currently Open
Filoli offers a wide-ranging schedule of botanical art classes for all levels of experience. With the exception of Introduction to Botanical Art, all classes listed below are part of the Botanical Art Certificate Program and are noted accordingly using the following key:
 Required class  Elective class
It is not necessary to enroll in the Botanical Art Certificate Program to participate in these classes; however, prerequisites must be completed.
Class materials lists are available upon registration or can be downloaded in advance under the class description. Instructor biographies are available by clicking on the instructor's name or by clicking on Instructor Biographies. Certificate Program credit hours are listed next to the class title.
Unless otherwise indicated, these classes take place in the Roth Room on the second floor of the historic House. Access to this classroom is by stairs only. For questions about accessibility, please contact the Education Office by email to classes@filoli.org or by phone at (650) 364-8300, ext. 233.
Botanical Art classes are listed in alphabetical order.
A student studies the anatomy of a flower.
Botany through Drawing
Tuesdays, September 14, October 5, 12 and 26, and November 2, 9:30 am–12:30 pm
Instructor: Lee McCaffree
Studying botany increases your understanding and ability to be a successful botanical artist. By understanding the structure of stems, leaves, flowers and roots, an artist can be more creative in arranging an accurate plant portrait. Each class will explore a different aspect of plant structure and growth as well as plant families and nomenclature. Students exhibit what they have learned through a series of drawings. Students enrolled in the Certificate Program are given homework assignments in each class.
Fee: $235 for members; $280 for non-members
Learn how to get the colors you want.
Color Mixing for Artists
Thursday, August 19 through Saturday, August 21, 9:30 am–3:30 pm
Instructor: Susan T. Fisher
Color mixing is a necessity for all artists. This class teaches students to mix the colors they want, not the ones they end up with through trial and error. Learn an easy system for combining colors consistently to achieve the broadest possible spectrum for any “wet” medium including watercolor, gouache, acrylics, oils, inks, alkyds or egg tempura. This understanding will help students move to a much higher level of achievement. Students enrolled in the Certificate Program are given homework assignments in each class.
Fee: $325 for members; $390 for non-members.
Pepperwood Wildflowers by Nina Antze.
Colored Pencil
Thursdays, May 13, 20, and 27, 9:30 am–3:30 pm
Instructor: Nina Antze
This workshop focuses on learning and practicing colored pencil techniques while making study pages for future reference. The workshop will begin with a lesson on the different types of pencils and papers, color theory, including a color wheel to learn about color bias, and hands-on learning of basic colored pencil techniques such as building-up color and blending. Continue your studies on day two by drawing, creating and modifying greens, using grisaille techniques for shading and forms. Complete your three-day study by adding a flower or seasonal fruit from the Filoli garden and practice finishing techniques like burnishing and clean-up.
Fee: $235 for members; $330 for non-members.
Drawing skills are essential to botanical art.
Drawing Plants in Perspective I
Tuesdays, February 23, March 16, and 23, 9:30 am–12:30 pm, Tuesday, March 2, 9:00 am–3:30 pm
Instructor: Lee McCaffree
This foundation course teaches students to accurately draw plants by observing basic botanical shapes and structures and illustrating them in great detail with botanical accuracy. Each of the five sessions focuses on one shape to emphasize and develop observation and foreshortening skills. Students learn to interpret hidden edges to achieve a believable drawing and work on shading skills through value contrast to create three-dimensional shapes. Students enrolled in the Certificate Program are given homework assignments in each session.
Fee: $235 for members; $280 for non-members
Students hone their drawing skills.
Drawing Plants in Perspective II
Fridays, April 9 and 23, 9:30 am–3:30 pm
Instructor: Catherine M. Watters
This class will further develop your observation and drawing skills. A continuation of Drawing Plants in Perspective I, this course is for students who wish to receive more in-depth drawing instruction. Students enrolled in the Certificate Program will be given homework assignments.
Fee: $160 for members; $190 for non-members
Anenomes on vellum by Martha Kemp.
Graphite Pencil I
Thursday, April 29 through Saturday, May 1, 9:30 am–3:30 pm
Instructor: Martha Kemp
From crisp details to flawless continuous tone, it's all about control. This workshop will explore the use of a lead holder and 2mm lead (actually, graphite) for exercises in rendering the texture, details and volume of leaves, flowers and everyday specimens from the grocery store’s produce department. It's almost like sculpting on paper.
Fee: $275 for members; $390 for non-members.
History of Botanical Art
Class date to be announced.
Instructor: To be announced.
This class is an in-depth study of the rich history of botanical art from its earliest beginnings through the 20th century, including its recent revival and the important role it plays today. Participants learn by focusing on an original collection of prints, slides and other media covering major botanical artists such as Georg Ehret and P.J. Redouté, as well as other historically significant events like the Age of Exploration and major Florilegiums. Students enrolled in the Botanical Art Certificate Program are required to write a paper on their favorite botanical artist.
Fee: $60 for members; $75 for non-members
- Certificate Program hours of credit: 4
Pinus Silvestri by Lee McCaffree.
Holiday Card Subjects
Thursday, October 28 and Friday, October 29, 9:30 am–3:30 pm
Instructor: Lee McCaffree.
Paint holiday card subjects that you can use to make your own personalized greeting cards and other gift items. You will have a variety of seasonal plants to choose from including a variety of seasonal colored berries, cones, holly and evergreens. All levels of experience welcome.
Fee: $160 for members; $190 for non-members
Crocus by Catherine M. Watters
Introduction to Botanical Art
Friday, March 12 and Saturday, March 13, 2010, 9:30 am–3:30 pm
Instructor: Catherine M. Watters
Have you admired botanical art but questioned whether you could do it? If so, this is just the class for you. This two day hands-on workshop introduces traditional botanical art skills such as plant observation, drawing, color mixing and watercolor painting using leaves, flowers and fruit as models. No previous art experience is needed.
Fee: $200 for members; $240 for non-members. Fee includes all materials.
Labeling, Matting and Framing
Class date to be announced.
Instructor: To be announced
Labeling, matting and framing are all essential elements in completing and presenting your artwork. This class teaches students the various ways to label their botanical artwork and demonstrates matting and framing techniques in a range of styles from the traditional to the contemporary. Mats and frames will be available for practice. Please bring one completed painting and a digital camera for class activities.
Fee: $45 for members; $55 for non-members
- Certificate Program hours of credit: 3
Nepenthes fusca.
Instructor: Hillary Parker
Nepenthes: The Art of Carnivores
Wednesday, July 14 through Saturday, July 17, 9:30 am–3:30 pm.
Instructor: Hillary Parker
Join Hillary Parker for a fun and challenging workshop focusing on the mysterious and fascinating carnivorous Nepenthes. Through a series of interesting exercises and studies, students continue along their artistic journey, building and developing strong skills of observations, effective drawing, watercolor techniques and deliberate composition, while creating work that speaks to the vitality and true nature of the various species of Nepenthes. Hillary spent 6 months studying the Nepenthes to create a traveling exhibit of eight different species that won her an award at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in Scotland.
Fee: $350 for members; $420 for non-members
Phragmmapedium, ‘Lady's Slipper’ historic image. Artist unknown.
Orchids
Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13, 9:30 am–3:30 pm,
Saturday, February 27, 10:00 am–1:00 pm
Instructors: Catherine M. Watters
Orchids have long been a popular subject of botanical artists. They come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, sizes and blooming seasons. Not only do they have unique leaves and flowers, but since their root system is usually visible, this too is often rendered. Each student will be given a potted orchid to take home to complete their artwork. This new class format includes a third class date to provide more instruction and support to students so that they can complete their piece. All levels of experience welcome.
Fee: $225 for members; $270 for non-members. Fee includes a potted orchid to take home.
Strawberries on Vellum by Catherine M. Watters.
Painting on Vellum
Thursday, April 15 and Friday, April 16, 9:30 am–3:30 pm
Instructors: Catherine M. Watters
Botanical artists have been painting on vellum for centuries. The luminous quality of their paintings is amazing. Take a step-by-step approach to working on this wonderful material that focuses on dry brush painting.
Fee: $180 for members; $215 for non-members
Painting with Purple
Tuesday, October 19 through Thursday, October 21, 9:30 am–3:30 pm
Instructors: Margaret Best
This class is a practical exploration of the color purple and its importance to the botanical artist’s palette. Not only will Margaret be demonstrating the many ways in which this invaluable color can be used to add vitality to both highlight and shadow areas of your painting, she will also assist you in creating the most intense purples possible using lightfast, transparent paints. This class will include important technical exercises both creating the color purple and mixing other colors with purple pigment. Apply your new found knowledge to the painting of grapes from Filoli’s heritage orchard.
Fee: $350 for members; $420 for non-members
Ficus Semivestia by Bruce Wilson.
Pen and Ink
Thursday, September 9 through Saturday, September 11, 9:30 am–3:30 pm.
Instructor: Bruce Wilson
The basics of pen-and-ink techniques are taught through an engaging curriculum of lectures, demonstrations and hands-on exercises. Begin your studies with a historical overview of pen and ink followed by a demonstration of the basic techniques and creation of a tone scale with stippling technique and line drawing. Continue your studies on day two through technique exercises, including hatch and crosshatch, while illustrating a leaf using these techniques. On day three you will learn texture techniques while selecting a variety of textured subjects and making 3 small drawings.
Fee: $325 for members; $390 for non-members
Portfolio: Presenting Your Artwork
2010 class date to be announced, 9:00 am–12:00 pm.
Instructor: To be announced
How you present yourself and your artwork is very important. This class includes instruction on how to write a biography, a resume of exhibitions and an artist statement. Photographing and reproducing artwork are also discussed. Please bring your portfolio and artwork for class activities. This class prepares students for the Botanical Art Certificate Program portfolio presentation.
Fee: $45 for members; $55 for non-members
- Certificate Program hours of credit: 3
Eastern Cottonwood by Dick Rauh.
Rendering Trees with Dick Rauh
Wednesday, March 24 through Saturday, March 27, 9:30 am–3:30 pm
Instructor: Dick Rauh
This workshop is a four-day field sketching experience focusing on the rendering of trees. Using technical pens (pen and ink) on watercolor paper, you will learn eye-to-hand type of rendering. This workshop will begin in the classroom for a preliminary discussion of tree architecture and how to look for such things as the differences in the branching patterns and the masses of leaf forms defined by light and shade. Then you will apply these observational and sketching techniques to the broader field of nature sketching, working both outdoors and in the classroom. Other techniques like contour drawing and its application to the sketching of natural forms will also be explained. Each student will attempt to complete at least one drawing of a tree for three of the days with at least one of them a conifer. On the fourth day we will look at and draw more detailed subjects; a leaf or groups of leaves, pine cones, vines, mosses or lichens and even details of trunk and bark.
This class meets in the Visitor and Education Center and then moves into the Garden.
Fee: $425 for members; $510 for non-members
Rosa rugosa (detail) by Catherine M. Watters.
Roses
Friday, June 25 and Saturday, June 26, 9:30 am–3:30 pm
Instructor: Catherine Watters
Filoli’s rose garden has over 600 plants, including hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas, shrub roses and modern English roses. This workshop will teach the basic principles and different stages of painting/drawing to create a detailed plant portrait using these garden beauties as subject matter and inspiration.
Fee: $160 for members; $190 for non-members
Succulents are dramatic subjects.
Succulents
Friday, August 6 and Saturday, August 7, 9:30 am–3:30 pm
Instructor: Lee McCaffree
Succulent plants are hugely popular as a water-wise garden plant and are being used more and more for their wide variety of colors, shapes, textures and brilliant blooms. Learn to draw and paint these unique garden plants using potted plants as subjects.
Fee: $160 for members; $190 for non-members
Citrus limon by Catherine M. Watters.
Textures, Patterns and Details
Thursdays, August 26 and September 2, 9:00 am–3:30 pm,
Thursday, September 16, 10:00 am–1:00 pm
Instructor: Catherine M. Watters
This class continues to explore botanical painting skills to illustrate plants with more accuracy. Patterns of color, textures and other plant surfaces are practiced using color, washes, negative space and dry brush work. Representation of highlights, hairy and fuzzy surfaces, airy plants, shiny surfaces and succulents are challenges when maintaining the form of the plant subject. Using more advanced techniques gives the artist the confidence to try more complicated plant portraits. Students enrolled in the Certificate Program are given homework assignments in each sessopm.
Fee: $235 for members; $280 for non-members
Indian Corn by Catherine M. Watters.
Vegetables
Thursday, October 7 and Friday, October 8, 9:30 am–3:30 pm
Instructor: Catherine M. Watters
The vegetable garden is full of inspiration! Learn how to accurately draw and paint vegetables, concentrating on color and texture, such as the smooth purple skin of an eggplant to the pillowy texture and rich color of a chard leaf. Reach beyond flowers, there’s a world of exquisite vegetable subjects waiting to be painted!
Fee: $160 for members; $190 for non-members.
Students begin exploring watercolor techniques.
Watercolor I
Saturday, April 10, 9:00 am –3:30 pm
Saturdays, April 24, May 15 and 22, 10:00 am–1:00 pm
Instructor: Lee McCaffree
Transparent watercolor is the traditional medium of botanical art. This beginning course serves as the foundation for painting in watercolor. It covers the basic materials such as papers, brushes and paints. Students learn techniques through exercises using different washes and application of paint on wet and dry paper. Dry brush work used for accuracy and detail is covered. These methods are applied to basic plant forms as students develop their skills. Students enrolled in the Certificate Program are given homework assignments in each session.
Fee: $235 for members; $280 for non-members
Red Ruffle Azalea by Lee McCaffree.
Watercolor II
Saturdays, June 5 and 12, 9:00 am–3:30 pm,
Saturday, June 19, 10:00 am–1:00 pm
Instructor: Lee McCaffree
This intermediate class further develops student’s skills in mixing colors, washes and layering. Students work on highlights, shading of simple and complex forms, painting white flowers and transparent subjects. Students enrolled in the Certificate Program are given homework assignments in each session.
Fee: $235 for members; $280 for non-members
Magnolia by Catherine M. Watters
Watercolor III
Saturday, October 9, 9:00 am–3:30 pm,
Saturdays, October 16 through 30, 10:00 am–1:00 pm
Instructor: Catherine M. Watters
This advanced class continues the development of watercolor skills while focusing on painting complex forms. Students enrolled in the Certificate Program are given homework assignments in each session.
Fee: $235 for members; $280 for non-members
Trichostema lanatum Wooly Blue Curls by Lee McCaffree.
Wildflowers
Monday, May 10 and Tuesday, May 11, 9:30 am–3:30 pm
Instructor: Lee McCaffree
Wildflowers come and go in a blink of an eye, yet their presence always makes us stop and take a breath. Learn to capture the beauty and essence of these gifts of nature. This class takes place in our nature preserve classroom so that students are able to experience the tranquility of Filoli’s outback. Seasons are unpredictable so you will work with what is available at the time, as you would on any outdoor excursion. All levels of experience welcome.
Fee: $160 for members; $190 for non-members
Botanical Art Certificate Program
The Filoli Botanical Art Certificate Program offers a unique, in-depth study of botanical art through challenging, integrated and comprehensive courses. The curriculum includes the systematic study of artistic skills and concepts, basic botany and botanical art history. A certificate will be presented upon successful completion of coursework (180 classroom hours plus homework) and presentation of a portfolio and final project. This program is for the serious student who wishes to develop knowledge and skills in botanical art.
Enrollment in the Certificate Program is not necessary to participate in these classes; however, prerequisites must be completed. To enroll in the Certificate Program, please complete the enrollment form. Credit hours for each class are indicated under the class description.
Certificate Program enrollment includes a student handbook and course material binder, classroom materials and handouts and instructor consultation time (up to four hours annually).
Class materials lists are available upon registration or can be downloaded in advance under the course description.
The primary instructors and curriculum developers are Lee McCaffree and Catherine M. Watters. Biographies for all instructors are available either by clicking an instructor’s name or clicking on Instructor Biographies.
Required Courses:
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