The SBA Course 13 program materials have arrived!

On December 21, I received an early holiday present when a HUGE package arrived from the UK containing all of SBA program materials. It was very exciting to open the box, which included a thick course manual containing all of the assignment and program information, a sketchbook (ring-bound drawing paper), a copy of Bebbington's "Understanding the Flowering Plants,"  a packet of watercolor paper, all of the cardboard mailers to send in my assignments, and a large wonderful black portfolio to keep all of my work in - very clearly marked and already organized.

Needless to stay, I began reading immediately, and am starting to think about what I will be doing for my first assignment, due mid-February. The first two assignments are focused on developing expertise in graphite. Assignment 1 includes three projects: a line drawing of a simple in-season plant in pencil or ink, a stippled ink illustration of a single flower on a stem with a leaf, and a tonal study of a sprig with berries or a small plant or pine branch with cone. At this point I think I will use Ilex opaca American Holly for the tonal study, but am still wondering about what to do about the other two plants. So little is seasonal right now, so off to the nursery/florist I will go!

Application to SBA

I applied to SBA in late September, finally having decided that I wanted to specialize in colored pencil rather than watercolor (the SBA diploma course is the only program that offers a diploma option designed for colored pencil artists; all others primarily emphasize water colors). My submission with my application was an Echeveria in colored pencil (Polychromos, Pablos and Prismacolors on Stonehenge paper). I received word in mid-November that I was accepted into Course 13, which begins January 1st 2016 and lasts 27 months. I am so excited, and nervous as well!