By Joan Keesey; Photography by John Keesey, posted by Deb Shaw
The Sunken Garden at Filoli. Photo by John Keesey.
On Thursday, April 18th, John and I attended the Artist’s Reception at Filoli. We spent the morning checking out the exhibit and looking at the garden, always beautiful, but sensational in the spring. The garden is a series of “garden rooms” similar to the Hidcote Gardens in England; each room is surrounded by a hedge of shrubs or trees and usually contains a fountain or pool. Each “garden room” has a color scheme. I spoke with one of the volunteer gardeners who said that the colors change with the seasons and from year to year, but each year there is a master plan. The first garden you see is the sunken garden. This year it is cobalt blue and white columbine, cerulean blue forget-me-nots, and hansa yellow tulips. The wisterias that climb up the brick walls of the Georgian style house were all in bloom and spectacular.
There were also many bushes with a very small, quinacridone red azalea that was quite stunning. It was a perfect day.
Quinacridone Red Azaleas at Filoli. Photo by John Keesey.
There were 64 works of botanical art by 50 artists including the two jurors, Carol Hamilton and Susan Fisher. The Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California (BAGSC) was very well represented with seven artworks by five artists—Alison Denning, Joan Keesey, Sue Kuuskmae, Mitsuko Schulz, and Deborah Shaw.
We went back for the Artists’ Reception at 5:00 pm. It is always very pleasant with wine, very nice appetizers, and the opportunity to meet other botanical artists. Carrie DiCostanzo won the 2013 Roth Award for distinction with an emphasis on traditional botanical art presentation with a beautiful picture of “Ponderosa Pine” (Pinus ponderosa). Maria Cecilia Freeman won the Juror’s Award with an exquisite picture of “Tan Oak” (Notholithocarpus densiflorus), and Ingrid Finnan won the Horticulture Aware with a delicate picture of “Dandelion” (Taraxacum offivinale).
“Aesculus californica,” California Buckeye, watercolor by Joan Keesey, © 2013, all rights reserved.
“Aesculus californica,” California Buckeye, Watercolor by Joan Keesey, © 2013, all rights reserved.
“Fragaria x ananassa ‘Fragoo Pink’,” Strawberry, watercolor by Mitsuko Schultz, © 2013, all rights reserved.
“Iris,” Iris, watercolor by Alison L. Denning, © 2013, all rights reserved.
“Castanospermum australe,” Blackbean, or Moreton Bay Chestnut, seed pod and seeds, Graphite and Watercolor on Vellum by Deborah B. Shaw, © 2013, all rights reserved.
“Plantanus racemosa,” California Sycamore, Watercolor by Mitsuko Schultz, © 2013, all rights reserved.
“Vitis vinifora,” Grapes, watercolor by Suzanne C. Kuuskmae, © 2013, all rights reserved.
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