Blazing Star Herbal School:March 2022 Edition
So, I made it to the Orchid Show at the NYCBG and can't help wondering why I have never been before. As a person who is inspired by colour it was a dream come true. I was in AWE. I was quite blown away by the vision of designer Jeff Leatham! WOW That's all. The photo above was taken by a woman who insisted she took my photo after asking me to photograph her a zillion times.
This pansy orchid was my favorite find, she looks watercoloured!
As well as loving the show. I was blessed by an absolutely beautiful warm Spring day so I was able to walk on grass barefoot and have a snack under a cherry blossom tree, I may have even napped for a few moments in the sun!
In general April has been cool and wet and I must say I am looking forward to warmer days ahead. This newsletter is a little shorter that usual as I am eager to get it out before the weekends May Day Craft Fair.
Hope to see many of you there,
Green Blessings
Tony(a) Lemos
https://linktr.ee/TonyaLemosArts
So very excited to have so many great herbalists and artists joining us for our first ever May Day Fair. I think if we offer this again next year we will add some free apprentice led workshop!
Details:
Sunday MAY 1st 11-4pm
Free and open to the public
292 Thompson Rd
Conway MA 01341
Artists/Healers who will be vending:
Devon Green @HedgerowHealingArts
Lizz Ziter @MuddyJane
Tynne Love @herbal_deva
Misa Chappell Artist @misachappel
Joanna Gabler http://naturetransfigured.com
Helene Uprichard @uprichardhelene
Jennifer Goodheart @violet.hill.botanicals
Nancy Haver @nancyhaverart
Leslie Chaison @Peoplesmedicineproject
Megan Smithers Owl Studios @megansmithers8
Lainie Burgess @Virago
Nola Snyder @oakandroseherbal.
Emmy Howard Winding Path Herbs
Jim Markham Summit Sound Health
A.T. Gibson Claywork https://atgibsonclaywork.bigcartel.com
Lilian Jackman wilderhillpress.com
Carolyn Walker www.CranberryHillHealingArts.com
Leslie Chaison. @peoplesmedicineproject
Denise Beaudet https://www.facebook.com/denise.beaudet/
Nathalie Lewis Handmade Books
Amy Solidago Botanical Arts
and myself Tony(a) Lemos @365artlog
(Herbal tinctures from one of our newest vendors Solidago Botanical Arts from VT)
I have made a sharable Facebook event page
I have made some collages sampling everyones work! see below. Please feel free to look them up on instagram, follow them and send them some love.If you are a vendor please please please share the also
Cyanotype 101
A One Day Workshop
Sat June 11th
11-4 pm
$160 (including all materials)
The cyanotype (Prussian-blue image on a white background) also known as ferro-prussiate or blue print process or simply sun prints, was invented and named by Sir John Herschel in 1842 and is one of the oldest photographic processes. It was popularized by Anna Atkins, one of a handful of women working in photography in the mid-1800s. Atkins also had the first published book (in1843) using images made with the cyanotype method, called 'Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions, Cyanotypes of British and Foreign Flowering Plants and Ferns.'
It is one of the easiest printing techniques you can do at home without expensive equipment or a photography darkroom. The chemicals needed are easy to find and inexpensive (because there are no precious metals involved) While this was a very popular printing process for engineers well into the 20th century, it is becoming increasingly popular with photographers and artist wanting to expand their creativity with printing.
In this workshop participants will make dry cyanotypes from found plant material, and digital negatives* as well as experiment with wet cyanotypes using suds and kitchen spices. At the end of the we’ll also discuss toning and staining cyanotypes, and how the process can be adapted to other surfaces.
Who is this workshop good for?
Any creatives – who want to jump into the world of alternative photographic printing techniques. This is one of the easiest printing techniques for photography. All levels welcome
Cyanotypes are amazing for making one-of-a-kind prints and collage papers for mixed media art. Sometimes results are predicable, sometimes they are not. We will work with the sun as our UV light source, and the sun and weather at the time will determine the intensity and sort of cyanotype prints we produce.
NEW DATE! NEW DATE! NEW DATE! NEW DATE! NEW DATE! NEW DATE!
BOTANICAL ART IN-STUDIO PROGRAM
beginning on Friday May 20th
Course covers:
Basics of eco-printing (paper and fabric)
Botanical Dyeing
Botanical Paper Making
Intro to Printing (monotype/gel/relief)
The language of plants
Creating herbariums
Alternative processes in Photography (Anthotypes + Cyanotypes)
Seed and Earth Art
Getting + Staying creative (practices)
The Art of Seeing
Finding and developing your unique style
Finding inspiration from the world around you
Learn "new" ways to connect with the magic and medicine of plants. Our ancestors drew health, strength, nourishment, and meaning from their relationship to the natural world, and yet today most of us have lost that vital connection leaving us ungrounded and lacking a deep sense of place. There is such healing when we connect materials to place, I use found materials from a particular place to help establish a relationship with it. The result has me feeling more grounded, content and spiritually freer. We will explore a series of ideas working with nature—in its widest sense—to nurture our creativity, inspire us, make us more sustainable as artists, and breathe back energy and flow when our artistic streams run dry. The study of nature through art allows the “student-artist” to experience, observe, value, analyze, synthesize and express their understanding of, and relationship to, nature, the environment and elements.
Creativity in and of itself is important for remaining healthy, remaining connected to yourself and connected to the world," says Christianne Strang, a professor of neuroscience at the University of Alabama Birmingham and the former president of the American Art Therapy Association."Anything that engages your creative mind — the ability to make connections between unrelated things and imagine new ways to communicate — is good for you," says Girija Kaimal. She is a professor at Drexel University and a researcher in art therapy, leading art sessions with members of the military suffering from traumatic brain injury and caregivers of cancer patients.In 2010, the American Journal of Public Health published a review titled, The Connection Between Art, Healing, and Public Health The creative process relieves stress, encourages creative thinking, boosts self-esteem, and provides a sense of accomplishment.
This is a journey to find new creativity through our connection with the natural world and is suitable everyone who is curious about the world around. No prior herbal experience necessary.
Studio Class Dates: Alternative Fridays beginning MAY 20 (8 classes total + 9th for show and tell of final projects)
Class times: 10am-4pm
Cost: $850 (plus $80 materials fee payable in cash on class 1) Deposit of $200 holds your spot.
For more info BOTANICAL ART IN STUDIO PROGRAM 2022
Coming soon! A Queer Garden Party!
A private concert with the amazing local hero "Doctora Xingona" (Diana Alvarez) and all the way from the Bay Area, Genesis Fermin, opening the will be our own Zoe Lemos! To make a reservation please contact Diana (see flyer) Tix are very limited!
So happy to be collaborating with Diana on this one!
Being a Virgo, I love Lists so much so its not a newsletter without one 7 Things which are (presently) Inspiring me! and making me happy.
(Please do share your lists with me and I will post them in further newsletters)
1) Everything Cyanotype, Lumen or CyanoLumen related!
(a Cyanolumen being prepared)
2) Everything Hildegard Von Bingen, everything that came out of her mouth! She was such a Visionary and well before her time, born in 1179. I am looking forward to a deeper dive into her work with plants and healing! especially what she called Veriditas! the intrinsic power of human beings to grow and to heal.
“The earth which sustains humanity must not be injured. It must not be destroyed!” – Hildegard of Bingen
And we created the first Earth Day in 1970!
3) This NYT recipe and many variations of it (that came my way from my good friends Lisa and Andi. SO easy and so yummy.
4) Just got the heat press up and running for the Season and looking forward to all the plant experiments that will follow
5 ) The Bloodroot- long been a favorite of mine. The flower such perfection!
6) My apprentice group of 2022- we have only had one class so far but know we are going to have a GREAT year together. Let the adventure begin!
7) My daily art challenge for 2022 @365artlog
CLASSIFIEDS:
****** All past apprentices are welcome to send in related classified ads. We love to grow our community*****
TALKING PLANTS
The Lonely Herb-Nerd memes really are hilarious … because they are so true!
I count myself lucky that my partner can spot some of my favorite neighborhood friends (mullein, meadowsweet, burdock), and once in a while, he even suggests that we go for a drive to look for them.
But when I start rhapsodizing about my relationship with holy basil, or try to explain why there is mushroom slurry spattered on the walls, and birch bark in my hair … I get a blank stare.
And Yet!
Talking about plants — in every facet, in all their glory — is one of my favorite things to do.
You, too?
Herbalist Tina Louise (Boon Botanics) and I are starting a monthly herbalist meet up at the Common Folk Artist Collective in North Adams, MA, starting Tuesday, April 12th, from 5-7.
We will meet on the 2nd Tuesday evening of each month at the Common Folk Artist Collective in North Adams, MA. .
The format is casual, drop-in, and open to all.
Email xomisa@gmail.com and visit our website at www.commonfolk.org.
Misa Chappell is a BSHS alumna class of 2020. She is also a visual artist, librarian, and curator at the common folk artist collective in the northern Berkshires
Thanks for reading!
See you all next time
xoxo Tony(a)