How artists can participate in the Ukraine Support Pledge

A number of botanical artists participated in the Artist Support Pledge during the recent pandemic. Today I'm highlighting:

• the Ukraine Support Pledge - which started this month.
• why the sunflower is important to the Ukraine
  
• my version of support and sanctions
  

Study of Sunflowers 14" x 11", pen and ink and coloured pencil on Arches Hot Press (copyright Katherine Tyrrell)

The Ukraine Support Pledge - for Artists and Art Lovers - has been launched by

• Artist Support Pledge founder Matthew Burrows MBE and
•  artist curator Zavier Ellis of Ellis Smith Projects 
• see https://www.instagram.com/ukrainesupportpledge/
• see https://artistsupportpledge.com/#jp-carousel-1767

It follows the same principles as the Artist Support Pledge which Matthew initiated during the pandemic - but this time ALL the money raised will be DONATIONS to a charity supporting people affected by the war.

How to participate in the Ukraine Support Pledge

You can make art or buy art - or both!

• You can make work for the campaign or just your regular work. 
• Your aim should be to raise donations to support the charity helping people affected by the invasion of and war in Ukraine
• Artist Support Pledge will keep you updated on progress.

To participate and support the people of Ukraine, please follow the guidelines below. 

🔵   Post images of your artwork on Instagram to sell for a suggested DONATION of £200 ($200, €200, A$300, C$300, ¥20000) each.

🟡   Add the USP, text and QR code tiles. This tells people what it is and how to take part (use a repost app, screen shot or copy from the website www.artistsupportpledge.com).

🔵   Include the hashtags #ukrainesupportpledge and #artistsupportpledge.

🟡   Ask buyers to DM (message) you to purchase the work.

🔵   Payments should be made 

• DIRECTLY to Global Giving Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund 
• via the Ukraine Suuport Pledge Just Giving page (which (you can add this to your bio)
  
• https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/UkraineSupportPledge 

🟡   Request that the donor message or email you a screenshot for proof of donation as well as their shipping address.

🔵   Ship artwork to the donor.

That's it!

For more information on your donations, please go to: 
https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/ukraine-crisis-relief-fund/
Use these hashtags #ukraine #standforukraine #stopwar
@ukrainesupportpledge @artistsupportpledge @matthewburrowsstudio @zavierellisstudio @ellissmithprojects
@globalgiving

Ukraine's national flower: the sunflower
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You may think a subject suitable for artwork is the sunflower - as this is the Ukraine's national flower. The sunflower (Helianthus), called “sunyashnikiis” in Ukrainian, has become a symbol of solidarity and resistance.For further information see What to Know About the Meaning of Sunflowers in Ukraine | Time Magazine

BELOW is a note about my drawing of sunflowers at the top of this post - from the post it was originally published in Flowers in Art: Van Gogh #2 - Sunflowers and the value of repetition

My study of sunflowers is not a still life study in the conventional sense in that the flowers are not arranged like this. As with the dahlias earlier, I had four stems of sunflowers and I just kept revolving them until I got a pattern I was happy with. Each found its 'natural' position (interm of what was interesting about that stem) and then found its place on the paper. I completed the drawing in pen and ink (using my new Edding 1800 profipen 0.3 which is lightfast and has pigment ink) and then decided that it might look better with some yellow. I used the new lightfast Prismacolor 'Canary Yellow'. I also used Rembrandt Polycolour 'Lemon' and 'Light Chrome'(!) and a Faber Castell Polychromos 'Light Ochre' pencils. I must find out what pigments Lyra Rembrandt actually use for the Chrome Yellow pencil!

Drawing the same subject repeatedly creates a knowledge and an ability to draw more quickly the next time, sometimes to know when it is possible to leave things out - and when to heighten certain aspects which are intrinsic to the 'being' of the object in question. Repetition is a very valuable exercise in creating art.

Ukraine's Botanical Artists
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The most recent Exhibition of Botanical Art was held at the National Science and Natural History Museum of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv, between September 11 to January 31 2022.

I'm trying to identify Ukraine's leading botanical artists so I can include them on this website irrespective of whether or not they meet my conventional criteria for inclusion.

Your help would be much appreciated if you can tell me about names and URLs (website or social media)

To date I've identified:

• Botanical Art Ukraine | Instagram
• Flora of Ukraine | Botanical Art Worldwide​

Note about Russian Botanical Art and Artists
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I've decided that I'm not removing any content about any Russian botanical art and artists from my Botanical Art and Artists website.

HOWEVER I have decided that I will not be posting anything NEW about Russian botanical art and artists until such time as the aggression / invasion / war in Ukraine has completely stopped. I recognise this may be some time.  I did think about just doing this and saying nothing. However I feel that we can all in small ways make a difference - and this is my way and my version of sanctions.