UGCC Head participates for the first time in Synod of Bishops of Catholic Church

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SOURCE:  Website UGCC

This Papal Synod is also attended by two UGCC bishops who were selected as representatives during the UGCC Synod of Bishops last year, which took place in Brazil: Bishop Taras (Senkiv), the Apostolic Administrator of Stryj Eparchy and Bishop Dionysus (Liakhovych) Apostolic Visitator for Ukrainian Greek –Catholics in Italy and Spain. As was communicated, Archbishop Nykola Eterovych, General Secretary Of the Synod of Bishops, was following an earlier approval by the Holy Father, delegated experts and observers to this Synod meeting. Among the experts is also Sister Luiza Tsiupa SSMI, the vice-chair of the UGCC Catechetical Commission .

His Beatitude Sviatoslav thinks that the assembly is a significant event in the Catholic Church, since “in this way the Holy Father administers the Church together with the bishops.” This is an example of the bishops’ collegiality according to which today’s Church lives and acts,” explained UGCC Primate (audio)

In commenting on this year’s topic of the Papal Synod, His Beatitude Sviatoslav noted “Discussions will center on how with new methods and new passion to transmit Christian faith and the values it engenders in the new globalized post-modern culture that is forming in the world.”

It is important to note that His Beatitude Sviatoslav is taking part in such an assembly for the first time since becoming UGCC Head. “For me this is an opportunity to personally communicate with the Holy Father and with delegates from other parts of the world. Therefore, we will be able to present different contexts of the Preaching of God’s Word in UGCC and to refer our propositions to the Synod Fathers in order to make the proclamation of the Word of God more effective both in Ukraine as well as beyond its borders”, stated the Primate.

It is interesting to note the composition of the 262 participants of the Papal Synod: 103 - Europe, America – 63, Africa – 50, Asia – 39, Oceana – 7. There are 6 patriarchs, 49 cardinals, 3 major archbishops, one of which is a Cardinal, 71 archbishops, 120 bishops and 14 priests.

Due to their service, the Fathers of the Synod are 10 heads of Eastern Catholic Churches, 32 presidents of Bishop Conferences, 21 representatives of the Roman Curia, 211 ordinaries and 11 bishop assistants.

UGCC Department of Information

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Глава УГКЦ уперше бере учаÑ�Ñ‚ÑŒ у ХІІІ Звичайній Загальній Ð�Ñ�амблеї Синоду ЄпиÑ�копів Католицької Церкви (SOURCE:  UGCC Website)

13:33 08.10.12 13:33

- 28 жовтнÑ� 2012 року у Ватикані відбуваєтьÑ�Ñ� ХІІІ Звичайна Загальна Ð�Ñ�амблеÑ� Синоду ЄпиÑ�копів, приÑ�вÑ�чена темі «Ð�ова євангелізаціÑ� длÑ� передаваннÑ� віри». Серед деÑ�Ñ�ти Глав Східних Католицьких Церков, Ñ�кі беруть учаÑ�Ñ‚ÑŒ у цьому форумі, - Блаженніший СвÑ�тоÑ�лав (Шевчук), Глава УГКЦ.

Від УГКЦ у Пап�ькому Синоді також беруть уча�ть два владики, �кі були обрані дл� цього �пільним голо�уванн�м на Синоді Єпи�копів УГКЦ минулого року, що відбув�� у Бразилії: Владика Тара� (Сеньків), �по�толь�ький адміні�тратор Стрий�ької єпархії, та Владика Діоні�ій (Л�хович), �по�толь�ький візитатор дл� українців-греко-католиків в Італії та І�панії. Як �тало відомо, �рхиєпи�коп �икола Етерович, Генеральний �екретар Синоду Єпи�копів, пі�л� попереднього затвердженн� Св�тішим Отцем призначив ек�пертів та �по�терігачів на це �инодальне зібранн�. Серед ек�пертів та �по�терігачів Синоду є також �. Луїза Цюпа, С�ДМ, за�тупник голови Катехитичної комі�ії УГКЦ.

Ð�а думку Блаженнішого СвÑ�тоÑ�лава, ХІІІ Загальна Ð�Ñ�амблеÑ� Синоду ЄпиÑ�копів Ñ” надзвичайно важливою подією в житті Католицької Церкви, адже «Ð² такий Ñ�поÑ�іб СвÑ�тіший Отець управлÑ�Ñ” Церквою разом із єпиÑ�копатом». «Ð¦Ðµ Ñ” прикладом єпиÑ�копÑ�ької колегіальноÑ�Ñ‚Ñ–, відповідно до Ñ�кої Ñ�ьогодні Ð’Ñ�еленÑ�ька Церква живе Ñ– діє», − поÑ�Ñ�нив ПредÑ�тоÑ�тель УГКЦ ( Ñ�лухати).

ГоворÑ�чи про тематику цьогорічного ПапÑ�ького Синоду, Блаженніший СвÑ�тоÑ�лав зазначив: «ÐœÐ¾Ð²Ð° буде йти, зокрема, про те, Ñ�к новими Ñ�поÑ�обами Ñ– з новим запалом передавати хриÑ�тиÑ�нÑ�ьку віру та цінноÑ�Ñ‚Ñ–, що з неї випливають, у нову глобалізовану поÑ�тмодерну культуру, Ñ�ка Ñ�ьогодні формуєтьÑ�Ñ� у Ñ�віті», − зазначив Глава УГКЦ.

Варто зазначити, що Блаженніший СвÑ�тоÑ�лав уперше бере учаÑ�Ñ‚ÑŒ у такому форумі Католицької Церкви з моменту його обраннÑ� Главою УГКЦ. «Ð”лÑ� мене це нагода оÑ�обиÑ�то поÑ�пілкуватиÑ�Ñ� із СвÑ�тішим Отцем та делегатами з інших країн Ñ�віту. Таким чином ми зможемо предÑ�тавити різні контекÑ�ти проповідуваннÑ� Божого Слова в УГКЦ Ñ– звернутиÑ�Ñ� із Ñ�воїми пропозиціÑ�ми до Ñ�инодальних отців, щоб Ñ�пільно підвищити ефективніÑ�Ñ‚ÑŒ проголошеннÑ� Божого Слова Ñ�к в Україні, так Ñ– за Ñ—Ñ— межами», − Ñ�казав Блаженніший СвÑ�тоÑ�лав.

Цікавим є те, що із 262 уча�ників, �кі беруть уча�ть у Пап�ькому Синоді, вихідц�ми Європи є 103 о�оби, �мерики - 63, �фрики - 50, �зії -39 та Океанії -7. Уча�никами Синоду є 6 патріархів, 49 кардиналів, 3 верховних архиєпи�копи, один з �ких є кардиналом, 71 архиєпи�коп, 120 єпи�копів та 14 �в�щеників.

З огл�ду на виконуване �лужінн�, отц�ми Синоду є 10 Глав Східних Католицьких Церков, 32 президенти Єпи�коп�ьких Конференцій, 26 керівників дика�терій Рим�ької курії, 211 ординаріїв та 11 єпи�копів-помічників.

Ukrainian (Russian) or English in the Divine Services?

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I was away on holidays when this was first published...and forgot to post it upon my return. Thanks to Deacon Peter Filipowich of Holy Eucharist Parish in Toronto for bringing it to my attention...ak

SOURCE:  CNEWA
12 Sep 2012 – By Barb Fraze

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (CNS) — Many Ukrainian Catholic leaders serving the faithful outside the homeland face a dilemma: Do they serve the needs of the new immigrants and elderly by using Ukrainian in liturgies, or do they minister in English to keep younger people coming to church?

Ukrainian “has revived a little with the new immigrants,” who want their native language used in church so their children will know how to speak it, said Archbishop Stefan Soroka of Philadephia. Some places, he added, place an “inordinate emphasis” on Ukrainian- language liturgies.

Yet, especially among teens and younger Americans, “even those who speak Ukrainian don’t want to go to a Ukrainian service,” he said. Parents tell priests they are tired of arguing with their children about going to a service they do not understand.

“You don’t hear them protesting — they just walk away,” he told Catholic News Service.

In large Ukrainian Catholic parishes, liturgies are offered in Ukrainian and English. Of his 67 parishes, he said, only two would not offer bilingual homilies.

But the Philadelphia Archdiocese’s situation is even a bit more complicated: Many immigrants are from Eastern Ukraine, and their language is Russian, so priests minister to them in their native language. This upsets Ukrainian nationalists, Archbishop Soroka said, “but we can’t hold back evangelization because of Ukrainian nationalists.”

“If we don’t reach out to them,” Russian-speaking Ukrainians will go to Orthodox or evangelical churches, he said.

In Chicago, which has a large ethnic Ukrainian population, some fourth-generation Ukrainians still speak their homeland’s language, and many young people are forced to learn it, said Bishop Richard Seminack.

Yet after about age 15, “you become adapted to the American culture” and lose the language, he said. If liturgies are offered only in Ukrainian, young people “leave the church or go to the Roman Catholic Church or no church at all.”

Bishop Seminack, whose diocese includes the whole Western United States and extends into Hawaii, said in other Midwestern communities and along the West Coast, parishes have adapted English into the liturgy. But in Chicago, three of the Sunday liturgies at the cathedral use only Ukrainian, and only one is celebrated in English.

In the diocese that includes Great Britain and Ireland, “We still don’t have liturgies in English ... in all our churches,” said Bishop Hlib Lonchyna.

“It’s a problem and it’s a blessing,” he said. “It’s a blessing’ because — especially in London — new immigrants feel at home in the church.

But some parish priests cannot speak English well enough to celebrate English-language liturgies, and some elderly Ukrainian Catholics “get very tense when things get celebrated in English,” he told Catholic News Service.

“Because of this mentality, we have lost a lot of people,” he added.

This day in history: UOAC formed in Kyiv, 1921

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1921: An All-Ukrainian Church Council takes place in Kyiv to form the Ukrainian Orthodox Autocephalous Church headed by Metropolitan Vasyl Lypkivsky.(Source:  ДЕНЬ)

(SOURCE:  Ukrainian Orthodoxy - Українське Православ'я)  Metropolitan Vasyl Lypkivsky was born in 1864 in the village of Poludni in what is today the Cherkasy oblast. He was the son of a priest, Fr. Konstantyn. He decided to follow in his father’s footsteps, as was customary in priestly families. He completed his theological education at the Kyiv Theological Academy and was appointed to serve the community in Lypivtsi in the Kyiv gubernia. He helped organize schools in his community and actually served as principal of one of them. He was later appointed to a pastorship and educational work in Kyiv.

In 1919 the government of the Ukrainian National Republic passed a law declaring that the Orthodox Church in Ukraine must become Autocephalous as was befitting the Church of a sovereign state. This was motivated by the tragic fact that the Orthodox Church under Moscow frequently served as an agent of the Moscow empire. This adherence to the Church of Moscow would obviously not assist the growth of a sovereign Ukrainian state, which arose to reflect and serve the aspirations of the people of Ukraine after three centuries of submergence in the above empire.

Fr. Vasyl was one of the clergy who actively worked for the Ukrainianization of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. This did not endear him to the hierarchs and clergy who remained faithful to the Church of Moscow. His serving of the Liturgy in the literary Ukrainian language, instead of the “canonical” Church Slavonic, further exacerbated the situation. In October of 1921 a Sobor was convoked at the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. It consisted of priests and delegates from parishes throughout Ukraine. No hierarch of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine would or could attend the Sobor.

Therefore, the Sobor delegates decided upon a radical step: two candidates for Bishop selected by the Sobor would be consecrated by the laying-on of hands by the community as a whole, as the Body of Christ. These two Bishops would then follow the traditional order of ordaining other Bishops in the regular manner. Fr. Vasyl consented to be the first so ordained and so became the Metropolitan.

At first the Bolshevik regime looked with some approval upon this event, mistakenly perceiving it as a weakening of the power of its ideological enemy, the Orthodox Church. (Communism opposed any religion except its own quasi-religion of dogmatic Marxism and the veneration of the Communist state and its leaders). Besides, the early years of the Communist regime in Ukraine were marked by a policy of Ukrainianization. This did not last long. Metropolitan Vasyl had to struggle hard to serve his flock. He did so until the Communist authorities forced another Sobor to “relieve him of his duties”. In 1930 the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church was declared liquidated.

Metropolitan Vasyl lived for a time in poverty and intense persecution until he was arrested for the last time, quickly tried and shot. He poured out his life as a sacrifice, interceding for his beloved people of Ukraine before the Lord Who shed His Blood upon the Cross for all mankind.

Today there is a monument on the cemetery in Kyiv where Metropolitan Vasyl’s remains may have been hastily interred. Panakhydas have been served for the repose of his soul throughout the world. A street has been named in his honour in Kyiv and there have been conferences dedicated to his work.

May the Lord hear his and our prayers and grant His peace and harmony to the people of Ukraine in the homeland and throughout the world. Amen.

See also The people’s metropolitan

+Bishop Roman Danylak - Outspoken defender of Catholic education

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by Thaddeus Baklinski, SOURCE: LifeSite News

TORONTO, October 11, 2012, (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Most Reverend Bishop Roman Danylak of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Toronto passed away on Sunday, October 7, 2012.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops notes that Bishop Danylak was born on December 29, 1930, in Toronto, Ontario, and ordained to the priesthood in Saint Josaphat’s Seminary Chapel in Rome by Archbishop Maxim Hermaniuk, C.Ss.R., on October 13, 1957. Bishop Danylak was ordained to the episcopate in St. Michael’s Cathedral, Toronto, on March 25, 1993.

Bishop Danylak was a true hero of the pro-life movement in Canada and an outspoken promoter of the restoration of Catholic teaching in the Canadian Catholic School system.

Bishop Danylak saw the problems developing in Catholic education many years ago and warned that, despite dedicated teachers and expensive programs, children were not adequately instructed in moral issues, and recognized that much of the blame was due to “gravely flawed” instructional material.

One program the bishop criticized severely is the Ontario Fully Alive “family life” series which Bishop Danylak said “is woefully deficient in its treatment of moral principles.”

“The Fully Alive program is not a program for formation in Christian virtue but a program of imparting sexual knowledge to children,” he said.

The bishop recommended that the program be scrapped in all schools, noting, “The proper authority in the area of family life education should be with the parents.”

Regarding AIDS education, which was mandated in all schools by the Ontario government in 1986, the Bishop commented on both the program current at the time, “Education About Intimacy, Education About AIDS,” and the proposed course entitled “AIDS: A Catholic Educational Approach to HIV.”

Bishop Danylak rejected the current program with its questionable treatment of homosexuality and said that “proper AIDS education does not ignore the frightful nature of HIV in its ultimate origin in illicit sexual intercourse and contact.”

The bishop’s prescient warning almost 15 years ago that “the new AIDS course recommends that PFLAG, a homosexual advocacy group, be invited into the classrooms to talk to our children,” and condemnation of it as “an abomination,” has proven true with the recent mandate forced on Catholic schools to establish “gay-straight alliances” by the Ontario government.

“The best possible AIDS program is to promote chastity and its guardian modesty. To follow the Church’s teaching on chastity would be to eliminate AIDS from the face of the earth,” Bishop Danylak said.

Jim Hughes of Campaign Life Coalition said Bishop Danylak’s commitment to improving education, especially Catholic education, was a core issue that the bishop fought for throughout his life.

“Certainly in terms of the pro-life movement,” Hughes said to LifeSiteNews.com, “Bishop Danylak believed that faith was the centre piece for everything, and that once a strong faith foundation was established, one could reach out from there to work to once again restore the culture of life in Canada.”

“Bishop Danylak was a man who sought the truth,” Hughes observed. “He said that today, though it may be very difficult to find the truth, if we are not seeking the truth we won’t find it, and we have to work very diligently to find and recognize what is the truth.”

“He was a wonderful man and I thank God for the contributions he made over the years,” Hughes concluded.

Bishop Danylak’s funeral took place today at St. Josaphat Cathedral, Toronto.

Biden, Ryan discuss Catholic faith, abortion in VP debate

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SOURCE:  Catholic Culture

Photo: Vanity Fair

Towards the end of the debate between Vice President Joseph Biden and Republican candidate Paul Ryan, moderator Martha Raddatz asked:

This debate is, indeed, historic. We have two Catholic candidates, first time, on a stage such as this. And I would like to ask you both to tell me what role your religion has played in your own personal views on abortion.

Please talk about how you came to that decision. Talk about how your religion played a part in that. And, please, this is such an emotional issue for so many people in this country … please talk personally about this, if you could.

Ryan responded:

I don't see how a person can separate their public life from their private life or from their faith. Our faith informs us in everything we do. My faith informs me about how to take care of the vulnerable, of how to make sure that people have a chance in life.

Now, you want to ask basically why I'm pro-life? It's not simply because of my Catholic faith. That's a factor, of course. But it's also because of reason and science.

You know, I think about 10 1/2 years ago, my wife Janna and I went to Mercy Hospital in Janesville where I was born, for our seven week ultrasound for our firstborn child, and we saw that heartbeat. A little baby was in the shape of a bean. And to this day, we have nicknamed our firstborn child Liza, "Bean." Now I believe that life begins at conception.

That's why - those are the reasons why I'm pro-life. Now I understand this is a difficult issue, and I respect people who don't agree with me on this, but the policy of a Romney administration will be to oppose abortions with the exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. What troubles me more is how this administration has handled all of these issues. Look at what they're doing through Obamacare with respect to assaulting the religious liberties of this country. They're infringing upon our first freedom, the freedom of religion, by infringing on Catholic charities, Catholic churches, Catholic hospitals.

Our Church should not have to sue our federal government to maintain their religious liberties. And with respect to abortion, the Democratic Party used to say they wanted it to be safe, legal and rare. Now they support it without restriction and with taxpayer funding. Taxpayer funding in Obamacare, taxpayer funding with foreign aid. The vice president himself went to China and said that he sympathized and wouldn't second guess their one child policy of forced abortions and sterilizations. That to me is pretty extreme.

Biden replied:

My religion defines who I am, and I've been a practicing Catholic my whole life. And has particularly informed my social doctrine. The Catholic social doctrine talks about taking care of those who - who can't take care of themselves, people who need help.

With regard to - with regard to abortion, I accept my Church's position on abortion as a - what we call a de fide doctrine. Life begins at conception in the Church's judgment. I accept it in my personal life.

But I refuse to impose it on equally devout Christians and Muslims and Jews, and I just refuse to impose that on others, unlike my friend here, the - the congressman. I - I do not believe that we have a right to tell other people that - women they can't control their body. It's a decision between them and their doctor. In my view and the Supreme Court, I'm not going to interfere with that.

With regard to the assault on the Catholic Church, let me make it absolutely clear, no religious institution, Catholic or otherwise, including Catholic social services, Georgetown Hospital, Mercy Hospital, any hospital, none has to either refer contraception, none has to pay for contraception, none has to be a vehicle to get contraception in any insurance policy they provide. That is a fact.

That is a fact. Now with regard to the way in which the – we differ, my friend says that he - well I guess he accepts Governor Romney's position now, because in the past he has argued that there was - there's rape and forcible rape. He's argued that in the case of rape or incest, it was still - it would be a crime to engage in having an abortion. I just fundamentally disagree with my friend.

The discussion continued:

RYAN: All I'm saying is, if you believe that life begins at conception, that, therefore, doesn't change the definition of life. That's a principle. The policy of a Romney administration is to oppose abortion with exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother.

Now, I've got to take issue with the Catholic Church and religious liberty.

BIDEN: You have on the issue...

RYAN: ... why would they keep - why would they keep suing you? It's a distinction without a difference.

RADDATZ: I want to go back to the abortion question here. If the Romney-Ryan ticket is elected, should those who believe that abortion should remain legal be worried?

RYAN: We don't think that unelected judges should make this decision; that people through their elected representatives in reaching a consensus in society through the democratic process should make this determination.

BIDEN: The court - the next president will get one or two Supreme Court nominees. That's how close Roe v. Wade is. Just ask yourself, with Robert Bork being the chief adviser on the court for – for Mr. Romney, who do you think he's likely to appoint? Do you think he's likely to appoint someone like Scalia or someone else on the court far right that would outlaw (inaudible) - outlaw abortion? I suspect that would happen. I guarantee you, that will not happen. We picked two people. We pick people who are open-minded. They've been good justices. So keep an eye on the Supreme Court...

RYAN: Was there a litmus test on them?

BIDEN: There was no litmus test. We picked people who had an open mind; did not come with an agenda.

Additional sources for this story
Some links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Transcript: Vice Presidential Debate (CNN)
• Biden-Ryan debate likely to touch on candidates' Catholic beliefs (CWN, 10/11)

Barbara McKee at Boulder Arts & Crafts Gallery

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(watercolor by Barbara McKee, please click to enlarge)
Yesterday evening Boulder Arts and Crafts Gallery had opening reception featuring Barbara McKee's playful botanical art. If you are in Boulder please visit this exhibit, it is absolutely recommended.  
(From Boulder Daily Camera, July 6, please click to enlarge)Denver Botanic Gradens' Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration (http://www.botanicgardens.org/pageinpage/botanicalillustration.cfm)

2012 BI get together at the Martin's

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(Please click to enlarge)BI get together at Vanessa Martin's beautiful home has become an annual event. Vanessa has a large backyard with lots of beautiful flowers, trees and bushes to sketch, draw and paint. See some more pictures from this pleasant event last Saturday by clicking here. Some 10-15 people participated this year. Vanessa is a student in our Botanical Illustration Program.
Thank you Vanessa!Denver Botanic Gradens' Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration (http://www.botanicgardens.org/pageinpage/botanicalillustration.cfm)

GNSI 2012 Conference in Savannah, GA 2012

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(Marjorie Leggitt's sketching kit and sketches from the techniques sharing session, please click to enlarge)The Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI) 2012 Conference and Annual Meeting was held in Savannah, GA. It was hosted by Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) with Kristie Bruzenak as the conference chair. The three first days were packed with presentations mostly with three equally interesting parallel sessions making my life really busy while running in between the different talks and trying to triplicate myself.  The first keynote speaker was prof. Jodie S. Holt from University of California, Riverside. She took up the common problem of "plant blindness"  in her presentation titled "Do you see plants?". Dr. Holt was also the botanical science consultant on the film Avatar and she described her experiences while the imaginary environment was created. Other highlights were the talks by  Juan Velasco and Oliver Uberti, both from the National Geographic Magazine. It was really interesting and fascinating to hear what hides behind the exclusive illustrations in the magazine. Tania Marien had a informative talk about Rumphius, the first person to document and describe the plants found on Ambon, Indonesia in the 17th century. Mark Catesby and his art was discussed in another session, as was Hoefnagel and many others. The digital methods were touched in many informative ways and the old traditional methods including camera lucida were not forgotten. We learned how to compile children books and make dummies. As always, the GNSI meeting was inspiring, with the added benefit of meeting old friends and new. This meeting was extremely well organized and the program was superb. The three conference days were followed by three days of workshops and field trips. Unfortunately I needed to return to Colorado. In the annual meeting we had the opportunity to announce Denver Botanic Gardens' juried exhibition for GNSI members. For the preliminary information about that, please click here or the image below.


For more photos from the conference please click here or go directly to the BI-facebook.. Denver Botanic Gradens' Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration (http://www.botanicgardens.org/pageinpage/botanicalillustration.cfm)

Wild Flowers - a sketchbook by Charles and John Raven

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Cirsium heterophyllus by Charles Raven. Drawn in Vihti, Finland July 21, 1934. 
Wild Flowers - a sketchbook by Charles and John Raven. Edited by H.J. Noltie.- Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburg. -ISBN 978 1 906129 85 9 
This attractively bound publication reproduces for the first time, 137 color drawings from a remarkable collection of 3860 watercolors and represents 2109 species in the British flora. The drawings were made between 1930 and 1955 and are largely the work of a remarkable father-and-son team: Charles Raven (1885 – 1964) a theologian, naturalist, historian of science and Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University, and his son John Raven (1914 – 1980) who  specialized in Greek philosophy and an outstanding botanist. Their plan was to paint and document the entire British flora, which they completed over a period of 25 years. 
In 1942 the Ravens wrote ten chapters (Charles wrote eight and John two of them) which were intended to accompany a selection of their drawings and explain how the collection was made. It started as a family holiday project which became something of an obsession, with Charles painting, and John traveling round the country collecting specimens. These writings are included in the current book. As a curiosity nine of the chapters describe the flora and travels on the British Islands and one of them, chapter eight is a description of “An Idyll of Suomi – Finland 1934”.
Charles participated in a conference in Finland and was invited to stay afterwards a couple of days at a lake in Vihti, “small for Finland, very large to an Englishman” (p.147) with the bishop because his sons were also interested in plants. An interesting detail is that the 13-yr old Samuel didn’t yet know English, and Charles didn’t know Finnish or Swedish, so the conversation was carried out by using Latin, which Samuel had learned primarily from the scientific names of his herbarium specimens (!) -  This chapter is the only one to have been previously published. It was included in the book because the plants in Finland appeared to be very similar to those in Scotland (”The structure of the land is exactly like that strange corner of Scotland…”, p. 144)In addition to the 137 color drawings/paintings the book includes a selection of the 53 surviving letters from John to Charles Raven plus a substantial introduction on the Raven family and the drawings written by Henry Noltie.
This is a very interesting work of 216 pages recording and describing not only the British plants but also the culture and environment, and is warmly recommended. At the moment this book is available only at the publisher, Amazon does not give any date for its expected availability in the US.  
Denver Botanic Gradens' Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration (http://www.botanicgardens.org/pageinpage/botanicalillustration.cfm)

Film Pencils on Drafting Film

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(Cabbage leaf in process on Oce and the zinnia on Grafix by Beth Bradford, both with polycarbonate pencils, please click to enlarge)
This technique uses pencils formulated for use on translucent drafting film to achieve high degrees of shading and contrast in an illustration. A film pencil (polycarbonate pencil) is made from a combination of carbon and polymers which gives great adherence to the film and is non-smearing. The pencil leads are graded from hard to soft in degrees indicated by numbers (lower numbers indicating a softer lead).  Although the pencils have been made by major drafting companies; Mars Staedtler, (Mars-Duralar, K series) and (Mars-Dynograph, N series) pencils and leads, and Berol Turquoise (Filmograph pencils and leads, E series), they have been discontinued in the later part of 1990.  The Pentel Company has discontinued its film leads as of 2009 (the P series).  The remaining batches of leads and pencils may still be found at art and drafting stores or online  in art supplies categories.  The reason for the discontinuance is that the computer has usurped the trades of engineering drafting and architecture which was originally the market for these tools.
Last weekend our BI-program was introduced for this medium and method. We used all the above brands on Oce 868320011 Double Matte Drafting Film (Oce North America) and Gafix double frosted drafting film, 3 mil (Note: not Duralar). The instructor was Alice Tangerini, National Museum of National History, Smithsonian.Please see photos of the student work by clicking here.
Denver Botanic Gradens' Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration (http://www.botanicgardens.org/pageinpage/botanicalillustration.cfm)

Exotic Botanical Illustration with the Eden Project

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Exotic Botanical Illustration by Rosie Martin and Meriel Thurstan is the fourth book in the Eden Project series. This time the focus is on unusual colors and complex textures of exotic plants which might challenge the botanical illustrator/artist. This book guides you through each stage of the illustration process with abundance of exercises and step-by-step projects. It primarily concentrates in water media but has a short section also for colored pencil.There is something for beginners and more experienced botanical illustrators alike, ranching from bananas and pineapples to complex orchids, passion flowers and carnivorous plants. Including plenty of worksheets, sketches, color swatches and finished illustrations (note: especially the green colors have not always been reproduced correctly) this work gives something to everyone and is warmly recommended to botanical illustrators of all levels.At the moment the book is available only in England and New Zealand, Amazon in the US is predicting it to show up in the market in September.Denver Botanic Gradens' Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration (http://www.botanicgardens.org/pageinpage/botanicalillustration.cfm)

Kingdom of Plants by Will Benson

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Kingdom of Plants. A Journey Through Their Evolution by Will Benson
In the last 500 million years, plants have undertaken an epic journey that has not only spanned the ages but has altered the very make-up of the planet. It was a journey that began in a dark and barren world, and has culminated in a planet that is draped in rich colours, and overflowing with a diversity of mystifying orchids, exploding seed pods and snapping carnivorous plants.
But plants are far more than just beautiful and bizarre. Through the chapters of this book we uncover how plants first began to live on land, how they have become linked with a multitude of animal and fungi partners, and how ultimately they have shaped both landscapes and cultures. The book also includes a chapter about Fungi  which are believed to be the first organisms to venture onto land in the form of lichens 1.3 billion years ago. There are believed to be up to 5.1 million different species of which only 5 % have been found.  And we are still discovering and naming some 2000 new species of plant on Earth each year.


The 256 pages includes the latest scientific insights, it is extremely well written and certainly proves that science does not necessarily need to be dry. Warmly recommended for everyone to read because without plants there wouldn't be humans. Just be careful when you start reading - you do not like to finish reading until you reach the last page. The book is published by HarperCollins Publishers, the accuracy of the information is checked by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The Foreword is by Professor Stephen Hopper, the director of Kew. Unfortunately it looks to me that Amazon is only planning to publish a kindle version of this great book.Denver Botanic Gradens' Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration (http://www.botanicgardens.org/pageinpage/botanicalillustration.cfm)

The Art of Nature Journaling at The Gardens with Maria Hodkins - Rare opportunity

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September 7 - 9, 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Explore the artistic, scientific and reflective pursuit of keeping a nature journal at Denver Botanic Gardens. Delight in the environment as you observe and record its details. Observing deeply, sketching and noting the features of plants, flowers, birds, animals, sky and land formations will reveal to you insights that you might never discover in the rush of daily life or studio practice.
Learn basic techniques in graphite and colored pencil pen and ink wash and watercolor. Enjoy instruction in attuned observation, writing in reverie, field sketching, color, and creating “encounter maps.” Whether you are new to the nature journal or an advanced naturalist/artist, you will deepen in your skills and develop an artful daily practice for your life through all of the seasons.
This workshop is open for everybody with no pre-requisites -
(For more information and to register, please click here)

Maria Hodkins is a professional free-lance journalist of 35 years, a former naturalist for Colorado State Parks, a multi-media artist, and poet. She has taught field/nature journaling programs and workshops for Colorado State Parks, schools, college environmental studies classes, botanical gardens, interpretive organizations, art centers, and private groups.
Maria teaches illustrated journaling, creative non-fiction writing, and bookbinding.

Marias sketches were featured extensively in Artists' Journal Workshop (2011) by Cathy Johnson (staff writer for Artists Magazine and Watercolor Artist).
Please see the Artists' Journal Workshop Interview with Maria by clicking here. You can also see samples of Maria's Journals by clicking here.


Denver Botanic Gradens' Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration (http://www.botanicgardens.org/pageinpage/botanicalillustration.cfm)

From our August Courses -

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(Colorado Muchrooms by Nels Broste)
From mushrooms, alternate graphite to horologium florae and many more classes were completed during July - August in our Illustration program. Please see same samples of the student work by clicking here.  (Petal perfection by Susan Dorsey)Denver Botanic Gradens' Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration (http://www.botanicgardens.org/pageinpage/botanicalillustration.cfm)

Birds at El Charco del Ingenio

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(Secretary bird by Randy Raak, graphite on paper)

El Charco del Ingenio is a bird watcher’s paradise, but drawing birds can be a challenge. This course will cover the basics of drawing birds using graphite on paper. The students will learn fundamental drawing skills to develop accurate renderings of birds both at rest and in flight. Students will learn to sketch quickly and accurately through field studies. The direct live observation is essential in adding a dynamic feeling to an otherwise static image done from a photographic reference.Sketching from multiple reference photos will also be explained as another exercise in familiarizing the student with basic bird anatomy. The goal of this course is to produce a finished graphite drawing. It may depict anything from an impressionistic rendering of a hawk in flight to a detailed photo-realistic portrait of one’s favorite songbird.
Randall Raak has been interested in the natural sciences since his childhood. The lakes, rivers and forests of Minnesota where he grew up became an inspiration for his developing artistic talent. For most of his life, Randy has been a commercial artist and sculptor. Randy recently completed the Botanical Illustration Certification program at Denver Botanic Gardens. His art has been included in numerous juried national shows featuring both botanical and ornithological works. He also does plein air and portrait painting. To see more examples of Randy’s work, please visit his website by clicking here.To get more information and register for this illustration class, please click here.Denver Botanic Gradens' Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration (http://www.botanicgardens.org/pageinpage/botanicalillustration.cfm)

Art of Essay Writing

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I love essays! I enjoy reading them, checking them, teaching my students how to generate them, but most of all I enjoy writing them! You want to ask why. I hope after reading my article you will understand. And I so much believe that you will also fall in love with the incredible world of essays. Let's start our trip from a short background. The word "essay" originated from French word "essai" which means "attempt, effort, sketch". And this translation reflects the essence of the task you are assigned at your college. Really, it is your personal attempt to give a challenging sketch on some engrossing issue. Unlike other academic assignments, essay suggests freedom of your creative work. Its main advantage is that you can write it on any topic, in any style.

Essay is your own point of view on something you have heard, read, seen etc. The forefront of the essay is your personality, your thoughts, feelings and your life position. You have a unique chance to enter a reasonable controversy with other authors, as the teacher expects you to show your erudition in the subject. However, you should remember that regardless freedom of the writing process, it is not that easy at all. Because you are expected to find an original and capturing idea (even in the traditional context) and exceptional opinion on some problem.

The title of essay does not strictly depend on the essay topic: the title can also serve as a starting point in your reflection; it can express the relation of the whole and the parts. A free composition of essay is subject to its inner logic, it is an emphasized position of the author.

Essay Writing Paper

Format For Writing Formal Essay!

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There are two types of essays generally formal and informal, formal essays are identified by the seriousness of its purpose and the format, this is the reason formal essay writing paper is quite daunting and time taking because students are normally not able to distinguish between the format for informal and formal essays. There is nothing out of the world in the format for formal essays, the only thing you require is a guide and we are here to guide you through this.

Try the following simple format and write your formal essay in a correct format.

Simple format for formal essay writing


We would divide the format into three segments which will be discussed one by one and they are


1.Thesis statement


2.Body Paragraph


3.Conclusion


Thesis statement:

Thesis statement is a short statement that is perhaps the backbone of a formal essay, this statement is then defended by the essay writer in the coming formal essay paragraphs, writing a thesis statement is a difficult task because sometimes it becomes difficult to insert all the points in one statement that will be supported by the writer with facts, figures, examples etc. Basically, it serves a purpose of a topic for formal essay .

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Body paragraphs:


Body will contain all the points that were discussed in the introduction; it is advisable to divide it into several paragraphs depending on the need of the topic. It helps in justifying the thesis statement with relevant examples and evidences. While you are working on the body of the formal essay, make sure you are looking back at the thesis statement to see if you are not incorporating any contradictory statement.

Now, let me tell you some connotations for writing a perfect body for formal essay:

You must make use of paragraphs in the body of formal essay but you should remember that each and every paragraph should be associated with each and proving the same thing that is what you claimed in the thesis statement.

As you are writing a formal essay, then you have to make sure that the tone of your formal essay is also very formal because your target audience would be your teacher and classmates, you will have to show that you are professional in writing formal essays.

Formal essay writing hate one letter and that Is, I If you will use statements like I believe, I think then you will distract the attention of the reader and you will make yourself prominent. The use of "I" is common in informal essays.

Conclusion:

Whatever you discussed in the body of the essay, you will be providing a summary of it in a concise manner which will also connect back to the thesis statement depicting that you were right in your claim.

Therefore, the three categories for writing formal essays will help you get some good grades in your exams, just follow them while writing.

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Essay Writing Skills

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If you follow a few simple steps, you will find that the essay almost writes itself. You will be responsible only for supplying ideas, which are the important part of the essay anyway.

You may have no choice as to your topic. If this is the case, you still may not be ready to jump to the next step Think about the type of paper you are expected to produce. Should it be a general overview, or a specific analysis of the topic? If it should be an overview, then you are probably ready to move to the next step. If it should be a specific analysis, make sure your topic is fairly specific. If it is too general, you must choose a narrower subtopic to discuss.

Organize your ideas: the purpose of an outline or diagram is to put your ideas about the topic on paper, in a moderately organized format. The structure you create here may still change before the essay is completed, so don't worry over this. Decide whether you prefer the cut-and-dried structure of an outline or a more flowing structure. If you start one or the other and decide it isn't working for you, you can always switch later.

Compose a thesis statement: the thesis statement tells the reader what the essay will be about, and what point you, the author, will be making. You know what the essay will be about. That was your topic. Now you must look at your outline or diagram and decide what point you will be making. What do the main ideas and supporting ideas that you listed say about your topic? In the body of the essay, all the preparation up to this point comes to completion. The topic you have chosen must now be explained, described, or argued. Each main idea that you wrote down in your diagram or outline will become one of the body paragraphs. If you had three or four main ideas, you will have three or four body paragraphs.

Each body paragraph will have the same basic structure.

Introduction should be designed to attract the reader's attention and give her an idea of the essay's focus. The conclusion brings closure to the reader, summing up your points or providing a final perspective on your topic. All the conclusion needs is three or four strong sentences which do not need to follow any set formula. Simply review the main points (being careful not to restate them exactly) or briefly describe your feelings about the topic. Even an anecdote can end your essay in a useful way. Look at your paragraphs. Which one is the strongest? You might want to start with the strongest paragraph, end with the second strongest, and put the weakest in the middle. Whatever order you decide on, be sure it makes sense. If your paper is describing a process, you will probably need to stick to the order in which the steps must be completed.

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How to Write Better College Essays

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As college admissions become more and more difficult and applicants become more and more qualified, the college essay gains clout as a vital part of the application process. An outstanding personal essay, no matter how long, is sometimes the deciding factor for a prospective student. But it's not enough to show proficiency with the written word -- at least not anymore. Today's personal essays revolve around the sense of personality and style gleaned from each sentence, and it's your responsibility to harness those elements. The following tips will get you on your way to the acceptance pile.

BRAINSTORM EARLY

The most important part of a college essay writing paper is the actual topic, so you need plenty of time to mull over the choices. You'll want something interesting, but not cliché¬ significant but not trite. Consider the following questions during your brainstorming process:

1. What distinguishes you from others in your age group? Any special skills, talents, interests or attributes?

2. Have you engaged yourself in a fierce struggle for something? Did you succeed or fail? What have you learned?

3. What are your most concrete goals for the future? Where do want to be in 20 years and how will you get there?

4. What or who has been influential in your life? How or why?

NARROW THE TOPIC

Though it's tempting to ramble through your whole life story in a college essay, be careful to keep your topic narrowed. Write one sentence (a thesis, in a sentence) that sums up the point of your entire essay, and make each paragraph support that one sentence. Try not to get too lofty with your concept; find the point and stick to it.

FINE-TUNE THE OPENING

The opening paragraph is your first (and sometimes only) chance to grab firmly the attention of admission officials, so don't create a lazy intro that simply sums up what you'll discuss. Be vivid, clear and original; try piquing their interest with an anecdote or poignant question. Give your intro an element of mystery and intrigue -- really make the reader want to read more. This could be the most important paragraph in the essay, so devote plenty of time to crafting this well.

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Dissertation writing services – buy or not to buy?

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I am sure we will get ninety percent vote in the favor of getting dissertation writing service help for the student pursuing post graduate degree and finds it inexorably important to complete their research writing in order to get their degree in their hands.

Writing a dissertation is obligatory on every student who usually doesn’t get enough time to spend on the extensive researches on a specific topic, perhaps this is the sole reason why dissertation writing services will get high votes in the poll.

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Here, dissertation writing services takes the full responsibility in their hands to complete your research project with utmost professionalism giving you the peace of mind. Although, there are number of dissertation writing services over the internet which might confuse you a bit, for this, you should do a thorough research on their past record, read testimonials, go through the packages they are offering and if you find reliable enough, hire their services and enjoy working on your other projects.

These academic research writing agencies have professional authors working for you diligently to secure your degree and finishing you work on time. A professional dissertation writing service will never play with their image by leaving their clients unsatisfied and unhappy with their service as they have to maintain a level of credibility in the market.

Therefore, it won’t be a bad decision to invest in the dissertation writing services for you research projects. Above all, following are other benefits you can acquire from academic research writing agencies.

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