New Insect/Art courses for 2014/5

I am busy ploughing ahead with planning new adult art courses for next year. Some great new subjects and lots of exciting stuff to come for the new year.... I would love to see you at any of these events, especially if you love drawing and painting in detail and bugs!!......See the list of courses below the images.......

Friday 7th November 2014 – 10 a.m – 4 p.m. “Studying and Painting Butterflies and Moths”. Another fascinating project run in conjunction with the Society of Biology. This course is a unique opportunity to study and then paint, fascinating specimens of various butterflies and moths. The course will make use of high-powered microscopes and beautiful specimens, in order to produce an intricate and beautiful painting……to register, click here.  https://www.societyofbiology.org/events?event_id=472

Saturday November 8th 2014 – 10 a.m – 4.00 p.m.- University of Bristol, Botanic Gardens, “Butterflies, Beetles & Bees” painting workshop. This watercolour painting workshop is for beginners and for those who love insects and want to find out more about their fascinating anatomy, and diversity of colour and form…..In short, it is designed to celebrate their hidden world. Painting such small and intricate creatures can be difficult because of the challenges thrown up by their size. On this course, participants will be using high-powered microscopes and other magnification equipment, such as hand-held magnifying glasses, as well as macro photographs from Cath’s own collection, as well as Cath’s own collection of fascinating insect specimens

March 21st and 22nd 2015 – Royal West of England Academy/Bristol Drawing School. “How to Paint a Butterfly”. More details soon.

11th and 12th April 2015 - Nature in Art. “A Fascinating & Unique Insight into the Secret World of Butterflies, Beetles and Bees”

This sketching workshop is for all skill levels and for those who love insects and want to find out more about their fascinating anatomy. Using microscopes, participants will discover insects’, diversity of colour, form, and shape…..In short, it is designed to celebrate their hidden world. …Cath’s courses are totally unique and completely absorbing. Do come along and enter a fascinating and unseen world……More details to follow.

18th and 19th April 2015 – Slimbridge Wetlands Trust – “Painting and studying Insect Lifecyles” - The process of metamorphosis is an amazing biological feat. This two-day course will study this process in all its beautiful and mystical detail and then use the medium of art to produce a unique and detailed piece of natural history painting.

 FRIDAY MAY 15TH – SUNDAY MAY 17TH 2015 – Minchinhampton Market House “Painting Plants and their Pollinators” 

An art course tutored jointly between Cath and RHS Gold Medal winning Botanical Artist, Julia Tricky. Cath and Julia invite you to come and push the boundaries of Botanical Art, by spending time with each artist studying and drawing both flowers and their pollinators.

This course is mixed media, with your choice of pencils, pen & ink and watercolours or coloured pencils – A materials list will be provided.

June 12th 2015 – Painting and Understanding Insect Lifecycles. – Painswick Rococo Gardens. More details to follow……   

“July 10th 2015, Friday 2015 – Slimbridge Wetlands Trust - “Beautiful British Bees – Paying homage to the hidden detail of bees using art”. Where would we be without pollinators and particularly bees? This sketching course will use microscopes and beautiful specimens to study the hidden anatomical beauty of bees and will then use art to pay homage to them by producing a unique and intricate sketch. Something very special and totally unique. More details to follow……..

More dates and venues to follow………

Tate Galleries ask me to comment on their Insect Art for National Insect Week.

23–29 June is National Insect Week, a bi-annual celebration of all-things creepy crawly.....Click to see my comments on 12 pieces of artwork in either The Tate Modern or Tate Britain, that feature insects.  http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/blogs/pictures-national-insect-week ......so pleased to be asked and great fun to do!




King Edward and the Colordo Beetle - Mark Wallinger 2000

"Reviled or revered, how do artists who feature in Tate’s collection, treat these mysterious minibeasts? Wildlife and Natural History artist Cath Hodsman explores this question within the captions of her handpicked slideshow."

Just completed another Countryfile magazine commission for their July 2014 edition.

 

I am lucky to be asked to write and paint for several publications, including Countryfile Magazine. This is my latest effort. Countryfile asked me to write a wildflower painting tutorial for their July 2014 edition. Here is my finished watercolour study of a Ragged robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi, “Jenny) and a Seven Spot Ladybird, (Cocinella septempunctata) Look out for it in your nearest Newsagents………

For purchase information, click here. http://www.cathhodsmanwildlifeartist.com/?p=2849&preview=true

Cirencester Hare Festival, 2014. A great way to showcase my work and raise money for Butterfly Conservation

 

I was so pleased to be asked to take part in the wonderful community project, The 2014 Festival of the Hares in Cirencester. This is “Mariposa”,  my bright and breezy butterfly hare, featuring decoupage of all of my butterfly and moth paintings……Auction proceeds in October 2014 will be donated to Butterfly Conservation.
 

So chuffed!! The Natural History Museum, in London are dedicating a Spotlight page to my work!!

The world's best museum has recognised my work by dedicating a Spotlight Page to it on their website, as well as selling my images on their Picture Library service. For me, the pinnacle of my world of natural history lies in the famous London Natural History Museum. I am so pleased that they like my work enough to give me my own space on their fantastic website. Click on the link for details...    http://piclib.nhm.ac.uk/cath-hodsman.asp

"White tailed Bumble Bee and Papaver orientalis". One of my watercolour studies that they have chosen for the Spotlight Page.





Art Courses for 2014

Me and lovely participants at a course I ran this Summer at Stratford Museum in the Park.


I am now well ahead of organising painting and sketching courses for 2014......Lots of variety of subject and medium. They are all set in fab venues......... from wetlands to beautiful historic gardens. If there is anything that you like the look of, please get in touch or give me a ring to have a chat. 

7th February 2014  -  9.00 a.m – 1.00 p.m - ” A Microscopy Taster Session…..” - A unique chance to see into the secret world of Lepidoptera and other Invertebrates. A joint venture between Butterfly Conservation and Cath. 50% of all course proceeds will be donated to Butterfly Conservation.

28th March 2014 - Centre for Science and Art, Stroud. "A Fascinating Insight into the Secret World of Bees" This microscopy sketching course is run by Cath, in association with The Society of Biology. It also pays homage to bees, but has a much more scientific approach. Students will be dissecting and preparing their own  bee specimens for sketching purposes. Learn more.....Society of Biology/Cath Hodsman Bee Sketching and Dissection Microscopy Course .......and for those who this is relevant to, this course is also worth 18 CPD points


25th April 2014 - "How to Paint a Butterfly" - WWT Slimbridge This water colour painting day is a unique and absorbing course aimed at both lovers of painting and of entomology, especially butterflies! You don't have to be an expert at either, but you need to be fascinated by both!

6th June 2014  - Painswick Rococo Gardens,   The course is called "Beautiful British Bees"  A painting and microscopy course. Click on the links for more information.

11th July 2014 - "How to paint Dragonflies" - WWT Slimbridge This water colour painting course will pay homage to one of the oldest and most mysterious insects - dragonflies and damselflies. Stunningly beautiful and awesome hunters, participants on this course will study this insect in all of its glorious detail and beauty, whilst producing an intricate and unique water colour painting. 

Friday 3rd October 2014. 9.00 - 4.00 -  "How to Paint Lepidoptera" A water colour painting day - A joint venture with Butterfly Conservation - 50% of all course proceeds to go to this great conservation group. This course is aimed at Lepidoptera experts who would like to learn how to pay homage to these wonderful insects through the medium of art.

Reflecting on my Summer activites and looking forward to new Arts/Insects events.......

I had such a busy Summer. My Artist-in-Residence at Slimbridge was so enjoyable, that Slimbridge and myself are keeping our connection going.

 

                             Insect Arts and Crafts Events for Children

 

 



We are planning more insect craft events for children for next Spring/Summer and also plan to run at least another two painting courses - The subject??.......... My beloved insects of course. I have just purchased a batch of new high powered microscopes and plan to use them for new microscopy courses in 2014........

I have used them in a limited way at events Slimbridge and also Stratford Museum in the Park, but for 2014, I will be running courses that are based around what participants can see through the microscopes. The anatomy and physiology of fab insects like bees and butterflies can be explained much more clearly with the support of the microscopes, making for a much more fascinating experience.......I can't wait to see the art that is produced as a result!! One date is already fixed for 2014. On the 6th June 2014, I am running a course at the famous Painswick Rococo Gardens called "Beautiful British Bees" .  I am also planning similar painting and microscopy courses at Nature in Art, as well as Slimbridge. Watch this space for dates.....

Artist-in-Residences

 

 

My relationship with Painswick Rococo Gardens begins with a spell as Artist-in-Residence from 10th - 16th February, during their ever popular snowdrop season. I am really looking forward to this. My theme for the week will be"New Beginnings" as the season wakes up after the winter and I plan to paint a collection of early emerging British butterflies and moths.....hoping for twenty in the study....that will keep me quiet!!

 

This is a watercolour study I did of an early emerging butterfly - the gorgeous Brimstone (one of my favourites) on one of its favourite food sources, Bluebells. Did you know that it is commonly believed that the term "Butterfly" comes form this wonderful butter-coloured butterfly??

 

Further Artist-in-Residences are planned at Nature in Art and others, still under negotiation. Watch here for date confirmation.......

                                                                   

                                          Conservation Events



 



So, lots planned for next year. I am also planning a couple of exhibitions and will be attending my usual conservation shows, such as the annual Butterfly Conservation AGM and Members' Day on the 16th November 2013.