An Illuminated Day

My
ojourn
this past Thursday at the Getty was inspirational and rejuvenating. The Getty Center truly is one of great cultural attractions we have here in Los Angeles. Nestled in the Santa Monica Mountains, among groves of Coastal Live Oaks, expansive views, a fantastic collection of art, beautiful gardens AND free lectures.


One could arrive at opening time and leave at closing and still not experience everything offered within a single day. With my handy little Panasonic camera, a small notebook and container of water I made my way to the intended purpose of the visit. Sylvana Barrett was to demonstrate both Gilding and Painting in the Museum Studios. Currently I am enrolled in a two part class at the museum with Sylvana titled Miniature Painting. She is a fantastic teacher, presenting the information in a clear cut manner with lots of visual elements, as well as detailed handouts. The history and use of medieval painting techniques and pigments is fascinating. Although I am in the two day class, this demo went into some specifics not covered in the workshop. I find it's good to hear information a few times anyway, really sinks in that way. During the two hour long demonstrations, to a filled room, I jotted notes vigorously. There is something in the this process that has really struck a chord deep within. In art school I studied book arts and letterpress printing extensively, it was one of my passions. Later purchasing my own Vandercook flatbed letterpress in New York. I've also done quite a bit of gilding on my illustration work. The threads of book arts, illustration, botanicals and a love of historical techniques is evident in my life. Currently all these pieces are weaving themselves into an marvelous tapestry as they are put into place with Roxana Illuminated Perfume.
www.IlluminatedPerfume.com

Unbeknowest to me in June 2007 there was a "Known World Heraldic and Scribal Symposium" in which Sylvana taught a two class on Renaissance Illumination in the Style of Jean Bourdechon. Darn, I missed that one, and it was here locally! Perhaps there will be another.
I have also discovered that there is a Botanical Aritsts Guild with a chapter here in southern California. As an artist working in both the arena of visual art and botanical perfume this sounds worth exploring further.

The Getty Center
Sylvana Barrett
Known World Heraldic and Scribal Symposium
Botanical Artists Guild
A Blog for the Botanical Artists Guild