EYE ON NATURE, Artists Explore the World of Plants and Animals

My drawing of the female kestrel is on view, as is this wonderful Diamondback Terrapin turtle shell, a  new work, in the Eye on Nature show. The markings remind me of Arabic calligraphy.

Female Kestrel (Falco sparverius), graphite and Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin), watercolor ©DonnaMiskend

Kestrels are in the Falcon family and are one of the smallest birds of prey. They can be found in cities, and their diet includes insects and small rodents. Eliminating the use of pesticides makes sense as they become part of these bird's food source. It's also far more cost effective to use nature's food chain.
The Diamondback Terrapin is found in the eastern U.S. coastal habitats in waters that contain some salt such as salt marshes, tidal creeks, estuaries, bays and coves. They come ashore to lay their eggs. Not surprisingly, they are threatened by development, cars as they cross roads to find nesting sites, and pollutants. Rising sea waters are also a factor making the brackish mix of salt + freshwater habitats over saturated with salt. Their diet includes crabs, and are often caught in  crab box nets where they drown.

Also included - more mushrooms! Some creature started to make a meal of this one.

Yellow Bolete (Boletus, sp.), watercolor ©DonnaMiskend

The exhibit, EYE ON NATURE, Artists Explore the World of Plants and Animals closes on October 27th.
venue: Poe Park Visitor Center, 2640 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY
hours: Tues. - Fri. 9 - 5   Sat. 8 - 4     tel: 718.365.5516
accessible by subway: D and 4 to Kingsbridge station or Metro North Fordham station

Hop over to my Conversations blog to read interviews with the participants and check back in October as I add more related to the exhibit.

Exhibit News

Multicolor Gill Polyspore on Yellow Birch
(Lenzites betulina on Betula alleghaniensis) ©DonnaMiskend2018

I'm fascinated by mushrooms! This piece is on view at the Trail Conference Headquarters from August 29 - October 27, 2018

VENUE: New York New Jersey Trail Conference Headquarters:
 600 Ramapo Valley Rd
Mahwah, NJ 07430-1199
  Open M - F from 9AM to 5PM  Saturdays April-November 9AM to 5PM
(201) 512-9348 
https://www.nynjtc.org/content/darlington-schoolhouse
Learn about all the trails available in NY and NJ website

"WALK WITH US" - Participating artists from TRI-STATE BOTANICAL ARTISTS:
Mary Christiansen, Gaye Grossman, Donna Miskend, Elizabeth White-Putz, Tammy McEntee, Louise Cecio, Sarah Wry, Jeanne Reiner, Rose Marie James, Jean Galle, Amy Silberkleit, Nicola Johnson, Anastasia Traina, Katy Lyness, Susan Sapanara, Dick Rauh,  Monica Ray, Monika DeVries Gohlke, Dixon Rohr, Kathie Miranda

Rose Elementals (Detaail)
(Rosa sp.) ©DonnaMiskend2016

  EYE ON NATURE, artists explore the world of plants and animals, on view September 1 - October 27, 2018

VENUE: Poe Park Visitor Center, 2640 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10458.   https://www.nycgovparks.org/events/poe-park-visitor-center
Tues - Fri 9-5, Sat 8-4  

Opening reception Saturday, Sept 8 at 12:45 with an artist panel discussion and guest speaker, Stephen P. DeVillo author of The Bronx River in History & Folklore

Common Fig, Calmyra
(Ficus Carica) ©DonnaMiskend2018

 National Heirloom Expo, Santa Rosa, CA
Art of the Heirloom

On view September 11, 12, 13

And finally, Strindberg Repertory Theatre's production of Creditors, as part of the Dream Up Festival.
August 27, 28, 29 September 1, 4
Theater For The New City
155 First Avenue, NYC
smarttix.com

Gustav (Robert Homeyer), professor of antiquities and ex-husband of writer Tekla (Natalie Menna), pours poison in the ear of her current husband, the painter Adolph (David Kubicka*). 
Tekla returns from a book tour and flaunts her polyamorous ways to Adolph with fatal results - but fatal to whom? - in Creditors, August  Strindberg's scandalous successor to Miss Julie !
Read my 2014 interview with the Artistic Director, Robert Greer 

Prints are available of all my work. Subscribe to this blog (see sidebar) and Conversations... blog with interviews of people in the arts.

EYE ON NATURE

On view September 1 - October 27, 2018 

Julia Ruth, Jennifer Deutscher, Maria Giuliani, Donna Miskend

I've curated a new exhibit, EYE ON NATURE, ARTISTS EXPLORE THE WORLD OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS. Along with my own work, on display will be illustrations by Jennifer Deutscher, Maria Giuliani and Julia Ruth. 

Opening Reception: Saturday, September 8th at 12:45pm, an artist panel discussion followed by a talk about flora and fauna of the Bronx River by Stephen Paul DeVillo, author of The Bronx River in History and Folklore who also conducts ramblings throughout the year along it's banks. (Read our interview ) 

And read my interview with one of the artists in the exhibit Jenn along with other botanical art students that appeared in the Botanical Artist Journal in 2016 (click here to read). For the latest about her work, hop over to my Conversations blog for a short Q & A update. 

I'll be including new print etchings, along with graphite and watercolors.

venue: Poe Park Visitor Center, 2640 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY
hours: Tues. - Fri. 9 - 5   Sat. 8 - 4     tel: 718.365.5516
accessible by subway: D and 4 to Kingsbridge station or Metro North Fordham station

ASBA - article

This is an interview I did with students across the country learning the art of botanical illustration. (Article originally appeared in The Botanical Artist quarterly journal of the American Society of Botanical Artists, used with permission of ASBA)
Jenn's work will be on view September 1 - October 27, 2018 at my newest exhibit, EYE ON NATURE, artists explore the world of plants and animals at Poe Park Visitor Center, 2640 Grand Concourse, Bronx NY. 

Article originally appeared in The Botanical Artist quarterly journal of the American Society of Botanical Artists, used with permission of ASBA, written by Donna Miskend.

Artists: Jennifer Deutscher  http://www.alithographica.com

Alex Harrison https://www.instagram.com/alex.usnea/

Holly D'Oench  https://www.watercolornaturalist.com/blog

Charlotte Ricker https://www.rickerstudio.com

American Society of Botanical Artists http://www.asba-art.org

Click to See some of Jenn's work that will be on display at the exhibit and read about her process. 

EDGAR ALLAN POE FESTIVAL

Catching up and finally posting some photos taken by Beata Szpura (curator) from the exhibit at the German Society of Pennsylvania that ran during and after the fall Poe Festival.

©2016/17 individual artists (right: part of my series from Silence and The Tell Tale Heart, linocuts)

©2016/17 individual artists, Dave Kopka (see my interview under Edgar Allan Poe Illustrated exhibit)

©2016/17 individual artists, (right: Nancy Doniger, The Tell Tale Heart, mono prints)

Curated by Beata Szpura, the contributing artists: Anna Rich, Janusz Skowron, Valerie Sokolova, Madeline Sorel, Beata Szpura, Judith Wilde,  and including selected pieces from my Edgar Allan Poe Illustrated exhibit: works by (Carol (Klio) Burrell, David Kopka, Nancy Doniger and myself.
Exhibit information

Next exhibit: Eye On Nature, more info soon.

Environment - EARTH DAY

Plastic is everywhere. It sits in our landfills, fills our oceans, and threatens wildlife and plant species. It can be overwhelming to think about. Here is ONE simple thing we can all do - ditch polyester clothing and switch to natural fibers.

This isn't to say that growing and manufacturing natural fibers isn't fraught with its own environmental issues such as increased water usage with for example, cotton plants. Changes in theses industries does need to be more widespread to safeguard the environment. And as you can see with this example alone, there will be ecologically responsible and irresponsible companies. Everything is connected.

But for the moment, let's focus on PLASTICS. As a consumer, we have a powerful voice. Asking for, and supporting the natural fiber industry, and more specifically eco responsible farmers, manufacturers, designers and retailers, will help to reduce the use of polyester, a plastic fiber. Plastic material we know takes years to break down and, as it does, presents even more of a threat to plants, animals and us as it enters our food chain. And, with even smaller pieces of plastic entering our environment, it becomes more difficult to clean up. Switching to natural fibers for our clothing, bedding and other home textile goods is a great start. Examples of natural fibers include: cotton, hemp (yes, from the cannibus family, but with a chemical makeup different from marijuana cannibus), linen (made from flax plant fibers), and bamboo. These fabrics are available, and will become more so if you as a consumer opt to buy products made with natural fibers.

Morgan Book Project

This year the Morgan Book Project has expanded! Students from grades 3-12 participate, there are more schools, more books to judge and more judges.

As always, the books are quite wonderful. Subjects align with common core curriculum.

The books are judged on art, writing and technical skill.

Some of the subject matter can be quite moving such as in this example where the student was writing about coming to this country as a new immigrant.

This year the final 12 books plus the Director's Choice award will be on exhibit for one month (previously 2 weeks). The special awards will be announced at the award ceremony on May 11 and will be posted online.

Congratulations to ALL the participants. Your extraordinary work made it enormously difficult to decide on only 12.

Thank you to everyone at the Museum for making this possible and especially to Jennifer for hosting us and keeping us on track.

To see the books on exhibit, visit The Morgan Library and Museum.

You can view previous posts about this program by searching my blog.

UPDATE: Link to the Special Awards on view at the library in May

IRISH ARTS CENTER BOOK DAY RECAP

One of the best things about New York is that so many different people come together and celebrate each other's culture with great enthusiasm and interest. On this year's St. Patrick's Day, in association with the New York City Council, New York State Assembly, Literature Ireland and El Museo del Barrio, hundreds of books by celebrated Irish, Caribbean and American authors' books, including Irish authors' works translated into Spanish, were given away for free through the Irish Arts Center Book Day throughout the five boroughs.

I was scheduled to be at 42nd street and Park, but the stand closed early when they ran out of books. That's a good thing! I'm passionate about promoting the arts, literacy and reading, so I hopped on the bus to the west side station. It was fun to direct passers-by to our table, where people like this woman chose kidlit and adult books for her family.

After choosing their books people came back to me to say they were looking forward to reading them, and expressed their thanks over and over again for a wonderful program. Here are a few of the books that were available:

Young adult by Elizabeth O'Hara who writes in English and Irish, fiction by Tom O'Neill that weaves in Irish folklore, and selections from The Stinging Fly, a literary magazine.
 The Irish Arts Center offers a variety of programs and classes on Irish language, music, dance and more.

IRISH Arts Center BOOK DAY, March 17

Come say hello to me on St. Patrick's Day at 42nd and Park Avenue from 1-4 and pick up a FREE BOOK by Irish authors! 

And for a little cross cultural bridge, we'll have some books translated into Spanish.  Presented by Irish Arts Center in association with the New York City Council, New York State Assembly, Literature Ireland, and El Museo del Barrio, look for books by Spanish, Caribbean and American authors as well. 

Genres: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Poetry, Mystery, Adult, Young Adult and Childrens

AUTHORS:

Mary Arrigan, John Banville, Tara Bergin, Mary Branley, Lynn Cahoon, Moya Cannon, Marina Carr, Mary Carter, Mollie Cox Bryan, Adam Crothers, Mackenzie Crowne, Victor Hernandez Cruz, Judi Curtin, Kit De Waal, Junot Díaz, Emma Donoghue, Jennifer Egan, Patricia Falvey, Michele Forbes, John Freely, Brian Friel, Carlos Fuentes, Brian Gallagher, Karl Geary, Matt Griffin, Seamus Heaney, Kevin Jared Hosein, Cormac James, Marlon James, Maeve Kelly, Mary Pat Kelly, Kathleen Anne Kenney, Richard Killeen, Conor Kostick, Ann Margaret Lim, Morgan Llywelyn, Kathleen MacMahon, Dorothy Mcardle,  Eimear McBride, Colum McCann, Karen McCarthy Woolf, Molly McCloskey, Malachy McCourt, Frank McGuinness, Lindsay McKenna, G.A. McKevett, Staci McLaughlin, Larry McShane, Paula Meehan, Kei Miller, Edgar Mittleholzer, J.R. Moehringer, Mervyn Morris, Alan Nolan, Edna O’Brien, Conor O’Clery, Rebecca O'Connor, Carlene O'Connor, Mary O'Malley, Michael Schulman, Nicole Sealey, Ian Somers, Matthew Sullivan, Alice Taylor, Patrick Taylor, Matt Thomas, Colm Tóibín, Kevin Toolis, Stuart Woods, Tiphanie Yanique, William Butler Yeats

Check out The Irish Arts Center for information about classes and events they have on offer.

Note: this station will close when we run out of books, so check the web site for other locations in all boroughs. 

SCHOLASTIC WRITING AWARDS

I'm delighted to have participated again as a judge for the Scholastic Writing Awards. Each year, this national program honors teens in grades 7 - 12 in several categories of writing. Students who receive  awards may be eligible for scholarships (see general information). Congratulations to everyone who entered! It was a pleasure reading your work.
Click on this link for further information about HOW TO ENTER  .

Writing can be a part of your teen's life throughout the year. There are many writing programs available for kids to hone their skills and pursue their passion. A great place to consider is the national organization, Writopia Lab. Locally there are branches in New York City, Brooklyn, Westchester, Rockland County and New Jersey. Click HERE for further information.

By the way, Scholastic also offers awards for young artists. Click on this link for general information about the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards HERE .