A Bug's Life

Happy Halloween! Several conference attendees were in the spirit of the season and dressed for Halloween. This happens to be my roommate, believe it or not. She's the President of our local chapter of botanical artists and came appropriately dressed. The "glasses" are actually tea strainers that someone had used with a lot of creativity. Her lady bug hat is a small version of a WW1 helmet. Needless to say, she got a lot of comments today.

"A Bug's Life" © Kathy Dunham 2008

Pagoda of the Three Friends

Today I taught a class in the beautiful Chinese Garden at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA. We spent most of the day at the boat pavilion and had a spectacular view of the pond and the wonderful landscaping on the other side. This is the Pagoda of the Three Friends - the Bamboo, Pine and Plum. The plum because because it's the first to bloom, the bamboo because it's flexible and bends and the pine because is survives tough surroundings. The Chinese put much thought, feeling and meaning into the design of their gardens. This one is a spectacular place to meditate and be one with nature.

"Pagoda of the Three Friends" © Kathy Dunham 2008

Halloween Bug

I'm in Pasadena preparing for the annual conference of the American Society of Botanical Artists. We have artists from all over the world joining us for our three day event. This little critter, "Oncopeltus", is dressed out for Halloween. I found him at the Huntington Library earlier this year on his favorite plant "Scarlet Milkweed". I'll be teaching a journaling class later this week at the Huntington so you'll be seeing lots of pictures from the gardens.

"Halloween Bug" © Kathy Dunham 2008