Banner art, above, was designed by Alice Fredericy, using art created by OBA members.​​
We welcome and support artists of all levels of skill and knowledge, as well as supporters of botanical art and those who celebrate the importance of plants in the world.

Above: Some of the fine art on view at the Coos Art Museum
Images above by Elise Bush, Kristine Mackessy, Hollye Maxwell, Amy O'Neill, Robin Phillips Occhipinti, and Zebith Thalden

Photos courtesy of GNSI

OBA MEMBERS AT COOS ART MUSEUM EXHIBIT

Congratulations to the OBA members who were accepted into the Coos Art Museum exhibit "Changing Tides: The Art of Environmental Stewardship".  Members with art in this show include Elise Bush, Kristine Mackessy, Hollye Maxwell, Amy O'Neill, Robin Phillips Occhipinti and Zebith Thalden.  The exhibit also features art by The Guild of Natural Science Illustrators - Northwest Chapter and Pacific Northwest Botanical Artists.  

When: July 8 to September 22, 2023

Where: Coos Art Museum, in the Atrium Gallery, 235 Anderson Avenue, Coos Bay, OR  97420

Museum Hours: Tuesday - Friday 11am-5pm, Saturday - Sunday 1-5pm
Closed on Mondays and holidays.

Artist Spotlight: Janene Walkky

Picture
A page from the Liberty Hill Camas Bluff sketchbook, © J. Walkky
Janene Walkky is one of the founding members of OBA. After a career as a garden designer, she took the prestigious course in botanical illustration from the UK Society of Botanical Art. The image above is a "sketchbook" page from Janene's recent study of plants at the endangered Liberty Hill Camas Bluff. Read on for more information about this important work and Janene's journey in botanical art.

OBA: You grew up next to a nature preserve. What kind of plants and wildflowers do you remember seeing there? Can you recall the very first time that you sketched a flower or plant?
Janene: I remember my brother and I marveling at the huge, neon yellow flowers of skunk cabbage blooming in the wetlands that we often explored together. The flowers look like elegant lanterns glowing in the shade. Their name does not do them justice since I have never noticed a stench from them. The other plant I remember clearly is stinging nettle. We learned to identify it early on in our explorations, for obvious reasons.  
I believe I was in my early 20’s the first time I sketched a plant. I was living in Amsterdam in crowded conditions on a canal barge which had been converted to housing. I felt the need for the comfort and solace of nature so keenly that one day as I passed a vacant lot I sat down and spent the afternoon drawing the only plant in sight, a weed. I still remember it with fondness, it was broadleaf plantain or Plantago major. I’ve since read that its leaves and seeds are edible and have nutritional value, but on that day, just drawing the plant was food for my soul.

OBA: Before serious study of botanical art, you had a successful career as a garden designer in Portland, Oregon. Did you design both private and public gardens? Are there any local gardens where we might experience your designed space?
Janene: I mostly designed private gardens so unfortunately, they would not be available to the public.  

OBA: In 2013, you received a diploma with distinction from the Society of Botanical Art in the UK. Had you completed drawing and painting classes before taking on this very challenging program?
Janene: I took a few drawing or painting classes over the years but the biggest impact besides the SBA diploma program, was a sketching on location workshop taught by the artist and landscape architect, Richard Scott that I took in 2009. His method of a quick sketch in pencil or ink, then applying simple watercolor washes, gave me a way to improve my drawing skills and become more comfortable with watercolor, without the pressure of producing a finished ‘work of art.’  I started sketching regularly and posting urban sketches on my blog at least once a week.  Later in 2009 I found out about a newly formed local sketching group which later became part of the worldwide organization, Urban Sketchers. Sketching on location each month with a group of fellow enthusiasts helped keep me inspired. The confidence gained through sketching gave me the courage to apply for admission to the SBA program.

OBA: Recently, you completed an important sketchbook project at the Liberty Hill Camas Bluff. Can you tell us about the project? Did you approach the Friends of Liberty Hill with your idea to illustrate the flora? How long did your project take? Are there plans to print a book of your drawings? 
Janene: In March of 2020, I began a study of a threatened, rare wildflower meadow on Liberty Hill Camas Bluff located outside of St. Helens, Oregon.  My goal was to use sketches to document the flora of the meadow and surrounding woodlands through the seasons over the course of a year.  I wanted to illustrate the beauty and complexity of the meadow to raise public awareness of the importance of preserving it. I believe that images can move people more deeply than any number of facts and figures.
When the first European explorers arrived in this area, they were awe-struck of the vast wildflower meadows. An early survey documented over one million acres of meadows in the Willamette Valley alone. The predominant flower in early spring was Camassia quamash or Camas lily. The blue Camassia blossoms were so abundant that one explorer mistook the valley to be an immense lake from a distance. The Camassia bulb was an important food source for indigenous peoples. They maintained the meadows by using controlled burns, which prevented the encroachment of Douglas firs. Oregon white oak trees could withstand the fires, so their stately forms dotted the meadows.
Now only a few small meadows remain due to development and agriculture. The meadow on Liberty Hill Camas Bluff is a rare ecosystem due to the abundance of Camassia and other wildflowers. It is owned by a major corporation, which has leased it to a gravel mining company. This company was awaiting the approval of a permit to begin blasting at the site last year. The Friends of Liberty Hill led a campaign of letters to the permitting agencies to preserve the site. This is one of many attempts over the years to purchase or otherwise preserve this rare meadow. So far, the approval of the mining permits was delayed until the permits expired, but the permits can be reapplied very easily. I am a member of Friends of Liberty Hill, and the group has been very supportive of my project.
I’ve had the privilege of making a presentation of the story of the meadow, illustrated by my sketches and photos several times over the last couple of years. I have no plans to print a book of my drawings but am open to any publisher who has an interest!

OBA: What are your current projects? Will you be exhibiting your work anywhere this year?
Janene: Currently I am working on some paintings of native plants using the medium of watercolor on Kelmscott vellum. I have been fascinated by carnivorous plants in the Pacific Northwest, so plan to feature them in one of my paintings.
I am privileged to have work in the American Society of Botanical Artists’ exhibition named Abundant Future: Cultivating Diversity in Garden, Farm, and Field. The show has travelled to several venues over the past 3 years and is currently at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation in Virginia until the end of October.

You can see more of Janene Walkky's work at jswbotanicalart.com.
Upcoming Educational Opportunities and Member Exhibitions:

See ​Upcoming Events on the News/Calendar page: www.oba-artists.com/news--calendar.html
​L I N K S
 American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA)
 Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI)
 ArtPlantae
 Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation
 Pacific NW Botanical Artists (PNBA)
 Native Plant Society of Oregon
 Hardy Plant Society of Oregon
 The Hoyt Arboretum
 The Audubon Society of Portland
 Tryon Creek Nature Center
 Leach Botanical Garden
 The Oregon Garden
  Portland Japanese Garden
 Portland Chinese Garden
  Fibonacci YouTube video
 Bosky Dell Native Plant Nursery
Above: Sketchbook Exchange, Round 5.
All images on this website are copyright of the artist. ​