Tonya Lemos – November 12-14
Website: https://linktr.ee/TonyaLemosArts
A life long environmentalist and plant person, Tony(a) Lemos is a biophiliac, process based conceptual artist who works at the intersection of art and herbalism. Her work centers around nature, wellbeing, creativity, connection and co-existence. She believes art and creativity to be an integral part of the healing process.
Presently her work includes eco-printing, photopolymer printmaking as well alternative photography methods, often combining mixed media and found objects into artist books. She likes to explore symbolism from her ancestry (Greek/Middle East) and her deep connection to her present sense of place on Pocumtuc/Nipmuc territory,Ashfield/ Conway, MA. She believes there to be such healing when we connect (art+health) materials to place, and has found by using materials from a particular place to help establish a relationship with it.
She currently runs Blazing Star Herbal School and teaches at conferences all over New England including The Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University, the New England Botanical Gardens and The Provincetown Art Museum.
In-person and Virtual Lecture: Tuesday, November 11, 9:30 am:
Art That Breathes: Deepening Our Connection to Plants through Art
Throughout history, women have drawn inspiration from the natural world as a primary source for their creative expression, and have incorporated elements like landscapes, plants, animals, and natural phenomena into their work across various mediums and styles. Working with plants in one’s art practice is a way in which we can deepen our understanding and partnership with plants and the natural world which can lead to feeling more rooted and a deeper sense of place and inner understanding of interconnectedness between people and their environment.
We will also survey some pioneering artists who drew inspiration from the natural world such as Hildegard Von Bingen, May Morris, Anna Atkins, Maria Sibylla Merian as well as a few contemporary artists creating unique works
In-Person Workshop: Cyanotype Papers and Embellished Tunnel Book
Nov 11 – 1:00pm – 4pm (CT)
Nov 12 – 9:30am – 4pm (CT)
Nov 13 – 9:30am – 4pm (CT)
• Cyanotype is a photographic process that uses iron based chemicals, sunlight, and water to create uniquely blue images. This course will focus on both traditional and experimental methods of cyanotype (camera-less photography), covering a variety of approaches to explore the possibilities of this historic process through an experimental lens. In this class we will explore botanical cyanotypes both wet and dry methods. Each participant will have the opportunity to create multiple prints, which may be used to create art, collage, greeting cards, wall hangings, bookmarks and artist books.
• A Tunnel Book is a unique type of artist book in which the pages are viewed as if looking through a window, or a “tunnel” and often incorporate paper cuts. These structures are great for creating visual narratives – when you look into a tunnel book, you are looking through an opening into a 3D world. The book is made up of layers of pages or panels that are parallel to each other. The completed pages are attached to accordion folds or concertina binding by hinges, which allows the book to be folded up or opened up for viewing. There are several options for hard and soft covers. In this class we will embellish our “windows” with simple embroidery!