STUDIO UPDATE

WELCOME TO GUTH ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN!
WINTER 2008

WE HAVE A NEW PRESIDENT!
Not just the USA, but the GNSI as well! I am beginning to learn the ropes as the new President of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators; there is a lot to learn, and quite a bit to be responsible for. So far, so good; the challenges have been interesting, and varied, and I and my Board of Directors are beginning to work on a few “pet projects”, like updating the GNSI website to be more dynamic, and finishing our conference and workshop handbooks so our volunteer hosts have a clearer picture of their tasks. The GNSI is an international association of professional and aspiring scientific illustrators. Go to www.gnsi.org to find out more about this great group.

2009 GNSI CONFERENCE AND WORKSHOP:
The 2009 GNSI Annual Meeting will be held July 5-11 in Fort Kent, Maine, way up at the uppermost tip of that lovely state. I am looking forward to seeing my colleagues and friends, and spending a week immersed in the local Acadian culture, learning some new art techniques, and sketching in the north woods.

Our 2009 workshop will be all digital this coming spring, March 27-30, at the Smithsonian, on beginning Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop illustration techniques. The workshop will occur at the beginning of the Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.. a great time to visit.

ART WORKSHOPS:
I regret to have to cancel my nature art workshops at Binder Park Zoo workshops for this coming fall due to family obligations. I hope to be back up and running in the spring, so check back here or on the Binder Park Zoo website (www.binderparkzoo.org) for future schedule information.

ONGOING AND COMPLETED PROJECTS:
Work continues on illustrations of birds for a professional guide. There are three other artists working on this large project, and we have been enjoying a good supportive relationship online via email; it’s fun collaborating on a project with other professionals.

In mid-spring, I finished my illustration project for the Developmental Studies Center, a California publisher of learning materials for classrooms. We worked on a revised series of spelling cards, primarily for elementary students. Some illustrations were simply updates of earlier versions, but for the rest it was quite a challenge to come up with a new image that would accurately represent the letter sounds, and do so in a culturally-sensitive manner (it’s harder than it sounds!). The DSC people were wonderful to work with, and the project was fun.

NEW IMAGES ADDED!
I have added a few new images to my Illustration page. The first two are watercolors, the third and fourth are mixed media pieces (watercolor, opaque watercolor, and colored pencil). Please take a moment to look them over, and feel free to email me with your opinions and comments. Many of my images are available as prints; I produce them myself on my lovely Epson 1280, and can create a print up to 13” x 18” on beautiful matte stock. Today’s ink jet inks are extremely durable and prints can last many years if properly framed and kept out of direct sunlight. Please contact me if you are interested.