CNPS 2009 Conservation Conference: Strategies and Solutions

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Botanical Illustration Contest

Call for Entries

The California Native Plant Society is now preparing for the CNPS 2009 Conservation Conference: Strategies and Solutions January 17-19 2009 at the Sacramento Convention Center, Sacramento California.

Among the many objectives of this conference is to “foment a greater understanding and appreciation of California’s unique flora”. A juried botanical art competition and exhibition will contribute to this goal.

Painting by Linda Ann Vorobik

• 1st Prize - $750, artwork published in Fremontia, & 2 complimentary tickets to Conservation Conference banquet.
• 2nd Prize - $500, artwork published in Fremontia, & 2 complimentary tickets to
  Conservation Conference banquet.
• 3rd Prize - $250, artwork published in Fremontia, & 2 complimentary tickets to
  Conservation Conference banquet.

“Conference Choice” - (voted on by conference attendees) Published in the CNPS 2009 Conservation Conference: Strategies & Solutions Proceedings.

Criteria Artists are invited to enter original artwork in any two-dimensional medium that reflects the beauty and uniqueness of California flora and adheres to high standards of botanical accuracy. All entries must depict plants indigenous to California (no introduced plants, please!). They must be botanically correct and species specific, accompanied by the scientific name.

Entry form specifics: Please download the Botanical Illustration Entry form (PDF 1MB) or request a form from: CNPS Botanical Illustration Contest, 2707 K Street, Suite 1, Sacramento, CA 95816. Please type or write legibly on the entry form. All fields must be completed including: name of artist, full mailing address, phone number with area code, email, brief description of subject matter, medium, title and dimension of framed or matted work.

Deadline for submission November 15, 2008

Digital Image Procedure:
Entries may include up to three digital images submitted on CD. A separate fee will be paid for each entry. All work will be juried using digital images sent in jpg; at least 300 dpi. It is crucial that your images be of the highest quality so our judges can fully appreciate and scrutinize your entry.

Entry fees: $20 per entry or $10 per entry for registered conference attendees.

Entry submission includes:

1. Entry form (one for each entry)
2. A CD with a digital image of your entry or entries labeled with your name and the title of the entry.
3. A check for entry fees payable to The California Native Plant Society. Please be sure to name the digital files with the same title used for each illustration entry on the entry form.
   Please note: An initial jurying process will be conducted to reduce the number of entries to the space available for hanging. These entries will be hung and available for viewing by conference attendees. Attendees will have an opportunity to vote for “Conference Choice” from those entries on display. Artists will be notified by Nov. 30th if their work has been selected for hanging in the show. These artists will then be given instructions on shipping procedures and dates. All shipping will be at the artist’s expense. All work for the show must be framed and wired for hanging and “glassed” with plexiglass (no glass please!). The show will be hung for the duration of the conference and security provided.

Awards: Winners will be announced at the CNPS 2009 Conservation Conference banquet at the Sacramento Convention Center on January 17, 2009. Prize winners will be contacted around December 15, 2008 to be given complimentary tickets to attend the banquet.

Judges’ Biographies

Geri Hulse-Stephens, Botanical Illustrator
Geri Hulse-Stephens graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara with a minor in art and entered into the world of scientific illustration through classes taught by Chuck Stasek at the Point Reyes Field Seminars. Her work was first published in Fremontia in 1982 in an article she wrote and illustrated. Her illustrations have appeared in books, government publications and articles since. She is a botanical consultant living in Mendocino County and has played an active role in the Sanhedrin Chapter of CNPS for over 25 years.

Kristin Jakob, Botanical Illustrator
Kristin has dedicated much of her life to the study, cultivation, and depiction of plants - in particular, her beloved California native species. Born and raised in Mill Valley, Marin County, she began drawing plants at the age of 12, when she joined CNPS. Essentially self-taught, Kristin has also studied in England, where in 1981 she received an M.A. from the Royal College of Art in London. Since returning to California, her botanical art has graced a wide array of books and periodicals, package designs, posters, prints and cards, and numerous group and solo exhibitions. Commissions include two major projects for CNPS: the poster "Wildflowers of the Sierra Nevada", and the set of four grass poster/placemats.
website: www.kristinjakob.com

Lee McCaffree, Botanical Illustrator
Lee McCaffree teaches botanical illustration classes and workshops and helped develop the Botanical Art Certificate Program at Filoli Gardens. She received Medals for her “Pinus” series and “Plants in Peril” series at the Royal Horticultural Society exhibitions in London. She serves on the Board of the American Society of Botanical Artists. She worked with the plant sale propagation team for EBCNPS. Publications include the posters for the EBCNPS Plant Sale and illustrations in Today’s Botanical Artists, and Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, Kew Gardens, England.