There will be a talk of interest to gardeners, naturalists and artists alike on Wednesday, Nov. 9, as Marianne Webb presents Paints from Plants at the Botanical Garden's Sparling Pavilion in Sechelt at 7 p.m.
Webb is an expert art conservator who recently moved to the Sunshine Coast. For 30 years she has been the decorative arts conservator at the Royal Ontario Museum, and has the fascinating career of conserving (repairing) lacquer objects, many extremely old, from Asia, Egypt and the Western world.
You'll hear about the wide variety of tree resins traditionally used to produce Asian and Western lacquers and paints. Asian lacquer is produced from the sap of the Japanese lacquer tree and other trees, and is extremely durable. It is applied to objects such as boxes to create a deep lustrous sheen. Europeans turned to their own painting and varnishing traditions to imitate the radiance of Asian black surfaces. Tree resins were the key. Mysterious-sounding materials such as dragon's blood and sandarac, gum anime and copal resin - these are plant products that led to advances in the decorative arts.
A surprising bonus feature of Webb's lecture is "Why I love horsetail." It seems this native plant, so often a problem in gardens, is very good for something! She is also experimenting with the sap from cherry trees.
Webb has lectured widely on conservation of lacquerware. Her book, Lacquer: Technology and Conservation, is the leading work on both Eastern and Western lacquerware. She was recently elected as a director of the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden.
Admission is by donation at the door ($5 to $20 suggested). Parking is at the main (north) gate. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. For further information, visit www.coastbotanicalgarden.org.
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