Welcome to NESBA! We, the Board of Directors, are very happy you have chosen to be part of NESBA and want you to meet us! Our Board consists of members that have been involved in NESBA for a long time and some very recent. We want you to become acquainted with us so you can feel free to contact us with any questions, ideas or comments.
New England Society of Botanical Artists
Board of Directors: 2019-2021
PRESIDENT
Diane Piktialis
BIO: Diane studied botanical art under Sarah Roche at the Friends of Wellesley College Botanic Gardens. She is an active participant in Brookline Open Studios and has exhibited her work in the Brookline Public Library, Eastern Bank, RHS Gallery and HC Studio. Her work can be found in private collections in New England, New York, and Florida. Diane is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists and of the New England Society of Botanical Artists.
INSPIRATION: A lifetime gardener and nature enthusiast, my love of botanical art was sparked when I came across an exhibit by the New England Society of Botanical Artists at the annual Boston Flower Show. As they often say, the rest is history. Today, many years later, NESBA has grown from a relatively small group to over 160 members. This success brings many challenges as well: engaging members who are dispersed geographically and often with disparate interests. I'm fortunate and honored to lead a wonderful and talented Board of Directors. With their help and that of our members, I hope to bring NESBA to new heights with robust digital capabilities and to build a vibrant future for the organization.
First Vice President (Membership)
Susan Fulton
BIO: Even though I was a history major in college, I always had an interest in art —studying in addition art history, drawing and painting. Following a career in banking, after staring a family, and seeking an outlet, I was pointed once again in the direction of exploring art. For years as an oil painter I experimented with landscapes, still lifes and portraits, finally finding botanical art and watercolor quite by accident and never looking back. It was the combination of layering paint and the intense focus of recreating a plant that inspired me. Eventually working bigger than life size was my way of prolonging what I considered the most fun part — layering large swaths of paint to duplicate the vibrancy of a subject.
INSPIRATION: Being on the board of an organization designed to inspire and connect botanical artists in New England and beyond has been both challenging and exciting. The pandemic has forced many organizations to be more creative, ours included, about how to connect with members and provide value. Members now, in addition to having access to an improved newsletter, Facebook group, and website, have access to weekly or biweekly Zoom sessions with well-known botanical artists. These meetings have created valuable links between members and artists all over the world and enabled NESBA members to learn from experts and perfect their craft from the safety of their own homes. It has been a privilege to work on a board with very talented, motivated individuals who are interested in improving communication and creating a stronger more vibrant organization.
Second Vice President (Programs)
Vicki Rellas
BIO: Vicki’s career spans 24 years of consulting, marketing and business management. She has been an executive in the financial services industry and then an entrepreneur owning franchises and creating new businesses. Her degree in education continues to influence her as she works as Program Director for NESBA to foster ways to engage and inform it’s members. She has used her creative skills to uncover new and exciting ways to bring botanical art to life. Along with her 3 dogs, 2 beehives and family, she keeps herself quite busy and uses her home and garden/farm activities to explore the plant world through her art. She is currently a student of the Certificate in Botanical Art & Illustration Program through Wellesley College Botanic Gardens.
INSPIRATION: The introduction to NESBA began with a walk through the Boston Flower Show! Never one to miss an opportunity to explore something new, I quickly joined and began to recognize what an incredible way to foster my creativity and meet new friends. Quite frankly its the people I have met through NESBA that continue to enrich my life and drive me to find new ways to enrich theirs through the NESBA programs. I am constantly inspired by our members and how some have become great friends and share such a wonderful passion with me. I feel privileged to be part of NESBA as it has allowed me to belong to a community of wonderful and like minded individuals.
Recording Secretary
Tara Connaughton
BIO: Tara is an artist & art instructor living on the coast south of Boston, MA (where she finds much of her inspiration). After many years in digital media and advertising, she turned her focus to art, family, and volunteering. She is a student of the Certificate in Botanical Art & Illustration Program through Wellesley College Botanic Gardens. Her botanical and nature-inspired paintings have earned multiple awards, and she has exhibited her work through local and regional galleries and venues. She uses her passion for painting and love of nature to inspire others to create and connect with the world around them.
INSPIRATION: I found NESBA through my botanical art classes at Wellesley College, and loved the sense of community that it brought to an otherwise individual pursuit. Meeting so many other people who are passionate about art and nature has been motivating and nourishing. When the opportunity arose to be on the Board of Directors, I joined without hesitation so that I could better connect with our amazing members and be a part of influencing the future of NESBA.
Treasurer
Rita Edmunds
BIO: I worked many years in libraries and graduate admission offices, living not only in the United States, but also the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Spain. Traveling for work and pleasure in Latin America and Asia, I always sought out the botanical gardens in each country. I started taking botanical art classes to combine my love of botanical gardens, gardening and photographing flowers, and to develop my skills in drawing and painting. I’ve enjoyed learning about the many techniques and media, studying the botanical aspects of each plant I draw or paint, and especially working in a community of talented and generous artists.
INSPIRATION: It is because of my enjoyment of painting with teachers, friends, and classmates that I decided to join NESBA as a Member-at-Large. It felt good that I could give back in a small way to this supportive community. Now as Treasurer, I have seen not just the way that this organization promotes artists and sharing techniques, but also the way that members have generously come forward to support our efforts to reach members during this difficult time. I am hoping that NESBA will continue these outreach programs for as long as possible.
FOUNDING MEMBER
Sarah Roche
BIO: A product of a British military family, Sarah grew up in several different countries and climates and experienced a diversity of flora and fauna from a young age. Sarah attended the University of the West of England majoring in Botanical Illustration, and received her Post Graduate Certificate of Art Education from the City of Birmingham University. She has exhibited at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), receiving a Bronze and Silver Gilt Medal. Her illustrations are included in the Collection at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and have appeared in the Plantsman, an RHS publication. Her work is included in collections in the UK, Ireland and Europe as well as in the United States. After many years teaching and exhibiting in England, in 1995 Sarah moved to the east coast of America. Since then, has taught Botanical Art and Illustration at a variety of institutions, including the South Shore Art Center in Cohasset, Massachusetts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and the Wellesley College Botanic Garden, at the Wellesley College Greenhouses. In September 2006, she helped launch the Wellesley College (FOH) Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration Program, for which she continues to be Education Director. Sarah is also a Founding Member of the New England Society of Botanical Artists, a chapter of the American Society of Botanical Artists, where she has served as board member and Education Chair. She is a gallery artist at the South Shore Art Center in Cohasset, Massachusetts, and is an Artist Member of the Copley Society, the oldest art association in the USA. Most recently, Sarah contributed to an ASBA publication ‘Botanical Art Techniques, a Comprehensive Guide” which will be published in September 2020.
INSPIRATION: I was teaching a class in Botanical Art at the South Shore Art Center in Cohasset MA, when I attended my first ASBA conference in 2002, in Washington DC. It was a really inspiring meeting, with attendees from all over the States. Two years later, I persuaded a small group of students to come to Filoli with me, to meet artists with the same passion. On our return to Massachusetts, inspired by the energy of this national group, we started talking about forming our own chapter. Our inaugural meeting was at the South Shore Art Center, there were about 35 botanical artists, excited to talk about composition and pigments. That year we had a small exhibit at the New England Flower Show, the beginning of a long tradition. Since our inception we have grown quickly, always keeping to our original passions and mission. The growth of the program that I started through the Wellesley College Botanic Garden increased our New England Society of Botanical Artists’s membership and in 2011 our chapter hosted the ASBA Conference in Boston. This year with all its challenges has brought out the best in our members. We have reinforced our programs with virtual and online offerings. Talented members have stepped up to organize this amazing website, a weekly newsletter and ‘Beyond the Brush’ a virtual weekly meeting with guest speakers and demonstrations.
In this virtual new world our role is even more important and our membership has increased, at present our group includes 181 artists. Uniting and reaching out to our members, we are supporting our community of botanical artists, emphasizing the fragility of our natural world and publicizing the importance of botanical art in recording its transient beauty.
Sarah Roche
Founding Director
New England Society of Botanical Artists
Members at Large
MEMBER AT LARGE
Joan Strauss
BIO: Joan retired from a career in science and healthcare in September 2020. She worked in immunology research, immuno-diagnostic product development, project management in biotechnology and finally as a process improvement facilitator at MGH. She was a member of the MGH community for over 20 years and witnessed with pride how her colleagues rose to every challenge, especially COVID-19. Joan’s first class in botanical art was Sarah Roche’s Introduction to Botanical Drawing in 2013. She took workshops when possible and earned a distance learning Certificate in Botanical Illustration from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in 2019. Joan lives in Newburyport with her husband Mike and hound dog Shiloh.
INSPIRATION: I have always loved watercolor painting, but not always my results. Botanical art is like an oasis in which I can lose myself in painting while advancing my skill through time-honored methods. I am inspired by the rich history of botanical art and the stories of intrepid botanical explorers. I feel very lucky to have a vibrant community of artists so close to home, and look forward to contributing to the NESBA Board.
Immediate Past President
Nancy Savage
Board meetings: We also would like you to join our meetings so those will be posted on a regular schedule for all to participate. The Board of Directors shall meet a minimum of four times per year, one of which is an Annual Fall Meeting.
The election for Board members happens every two years at the Annual Fall Meeting. The Board of Directors shall consist of:
a. Officers
b. Founding Director
c. Representative for NESBA to the State of New Hampshire
d. six (6) Members-at-Large, and
e. other Board of Directors as deemed necessary to accomplish the purposes of the Corporation.