Southern Ontario Nature and Science Illustrators

Newly discovered Burgess shale creature

sciartontario — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:40:51 +0000

Again, the CBC has an article on the Burgess Shale fossils. A stalked tulip-like creature has been newly described by University of Toronto and ROM researchers. It is evocatively illustrated by SONSI member Marianne Collins.

Charles Weiss in Toronto exhibit

sciartontario — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:46:54 +0000

Charles Weiss, SONSI’s newest member, is the featured artist in an exhibit at Wesburn Manor Art Gallery, 400 The West Mall at Burnamthorp Road. Charles has 12 paintings and wood carvings in the exhibit, which runs from January 18th until April 13.

The reception is Wednesday, January 18, 6 to 8 pm. Usual gallery hours are 10 am to 7 pm, everyday.

Karen Reczuch exhibits landscape at VAM

sciartontario — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:16:46 +0000

SONSI member Karen Reczuch, fresh from the success of her acclaimed children’s book, Loon, is also flourishing in a different genre. A landscape in pastels by Karen has been accepted into the 34th Annual Visual Arts Mississauga Juried Exhibition. This is a well-regarded show and the competition is stiff – congratulations to Karen! The show runs until February 25 at the Art Gallery of Mississauga.

Solo exhibit features orchids

sciartontario — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:58:11 +0000

Photo: Kathryn Chorney

An exhibit of botanical drawings by SONSI member Trish Murphy is showing at Richview LIbrary in Toronto. Some friends, including SONSI members Kathryn Chorney and Hall Train, gathered on Saturday to launch the show. Twenty-five drawings of cultivated orchids will be on display until January 30.

Foraminifera Sculpture Park in Zhongshan, China

sciartontario — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:13:15 +0000

The Smithsonian on-line magazine has a tantalizing but frustrating blurb about a park in Zhongshan, China, that features sculpture inspired by the forms of fossil and extant foraminifera. I wish the blurb was accompanied by more than just the one picture of what is a wonderful idea. Even more, I wish urban parks in southern Ontario could do something just as nifty with a science-based theme.

- Trish

Tropical Orchids of Toronto Exhibit

sciartontario — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:56:34 +0000

SONSI member Trish Murphy invites you to a reception for her art exhibit Tropical Orchids of Toronto, Richview Library Art Gallery. The reception is on Saturday, January 7th, 2012, 3:00 pm.

The exhibit runs from January 3 -30, 2012. Richview Library is located at 1806 Islington Avenue at Summitcrest Drive, Toronto. That’s just north of Eglinton Avenue. Free parking. The exhibit is open all hours the library is open: M – F 9 am – 8:30 pm, Sat 9 – 5, Sun 1:30 – 5. An illustrated catalogue of the exhibit will be posted online during January.

Potluck and Portfolio Sharing, December 10, 2011

sciartontario — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:20:33 +0000

Christmas Birds by Barry MacKay.

The tide of sweets and baking is ever increasing at the office, at lunchtime we all gather around the table and sample the day’s offerings while chatting about work and about personal things, the conversation tends to lead itself in any direction it pleases. Getting to know my colleagues in this way, not by directly working with them, has numerous benefits, an experience which is certainly diminished in the world of the freelance illustrator and many of the wonderfully diverse and intriguing careers that are associated with SONSI.

On December the tenth, SONSI members met for an evening of food, portfolio sharing, and that all-important conversation. Such a variety and vastness of information can be learnt from just one SONSI member, the areas of specialty and interest are very varied, and as we discovered, it is possible to find people with similar areas of interest. Sharing portfolios in person is also a much more personal way to view each other’s work, as you can ask your questions and offer praise straight away. All in all, it was a great evening of eating and learning about colleagues.

Thanks should go to all of those who attended for sharing such excellent food and portfolios. A very big thanks should also go to Barry K MacKay for allowing us to use his beautiful painting of Pine Grossbeaks for the invitation card.

- Elizabeth

On behalf of all the members and guests who attended the party, a big thanks to Elizabeth for organizing and hosting the event.

- Trish

Field trip to the Royal Ontario Museum

sciartontario — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:43:53 +0000

Kathryn sketching bear. Photo: Emily Damstra.

This past Sunday (November 20), amidst the festivities of the Toronto Santa Claus Parade, SONSI members made their second trip to the Royal Ontario Museum. This time, Marianne Collins, who has worked for the museum and has many of her models exhibited in the biodiversity gallery, was gracious enough to act as our guide.

After meeting in the austere and oddly vacant entrance – those who have visited similar museums might expect enormous artifacts or awe inspiring relics – your eye travels to the maze of different walls and the odd chair, the group moved swiftly on to the biodiversity gallery. The first stop was at the “Collins Case” inside which there are some beautifully modeled examples of fish and reef specimens. The specimens were chosen from what must have been the most breathtaking research trip to the Philippines. Marianne treated the group by bringing a variety of examples of her work from various stages of the modeling process, all of which resulted in models that are still on display. The explanations of how these models come to be are truly fascinating, as with all art forms, especially those that are so scientific and specialized, so much dedication needed to get that exact result. The final versions of these models are so lifelike that someone looking at them would barely even be able to consider, let alone appreciate, the skill and industry they take to create.

The Bat Cave and Woodland areas were the next of Marianne’s projects to be visited. These areas show the habitat in which the various creatures can be found. It is quite amazing to have heard about the thought and creativity that must go in to making something look so natural, from the “made in China” Maple leaves on the painstakingly modeled trees to the strobe lights and mirrors in the Bat Cave.

The rest of the afternoon was given to a little networking time (over the essential cafeteria food) and the even more essential sketching. The biodiversity gallery might leave people feeling a little numb but there are plenty of excellent, well-posed specimens, which offer the perfect opportunity for studying and drawing.

Thank you so much to Marianne for such an impressive and illuminating day.

Elizabeth.

For more photos from the trip, please link to photo gallery page.

Artistic by Nature Exhibit: write up in local paper

sciartontario — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:07:23 +0000

The Brampton Guardian published a brief article on the SONSO members’ Artistic by Nature exhibit which recently ended.

Themes of science and the natural world demonstrate how four women are artistic by nature…

To see full article, please link to the Brampton Guardian.

- Trish

Burgess shale creature illustration

sciartontario — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:38:11 +0000

The CBC website has recently posted a fascinating article on Tegopelte, an ancient creature known from the Burgess shale soft-bodied fossils. A curator at the ROM has linked a recently discovered fossil trackway to the creature.

SONSI member Marianne Collins provided the illustration of Tegopelte with which the article begins. At the bottom of the article, an awesome little animation of Tegopelte’s moving legs isn’t accredited to an individual, just to U of Saskatchewan/ROM.

Burgess shale fossils are Cambrian, which is to say, mind-bogglingly ancient. The fortuitous combination of events which has allowed scientists to discover, and artists to illustrate, the way a 500-million year old creature moved, is so improbable. This discovery is unique and wonderful.

- Trish