BOTANICAL ART & ARTISTS
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  • HISTORY
    • What is Botanical Art?
    • What is Botanical Illustration?
    • Botanical Art History Books >
      • The Art of Botanical Illustration (Blunt)
      • Book Review: Treasures of Botanical Art
    • Herbals
    • Florilegia and Flora
    • Patrons of Botanical Art >
      • About Leonhart Fuchs
      • About Basilius Besler
    • Past Masters - Botanical Art and Illustration >
      • About Maria Sibylla Merian
      • About Elizabeth Blackwell
      • About Georg Dionysius Ehret
      • About Franz Bauer
      • About Sydney Parkinson
      • About Pierre-Joseph Redouté
      • About Marianne North
    • Famous Asian Botanical Artists (600-1900)
    • 20th & 21st Century Botanical Artists >
      • About Arthur Harry Church
      • About Margaret Mee
      • About Mary Grierson
      • About Raymond Booth
      • About Rory McEwen
      • About Pandora Sellars
    • Botanical Photographers
    • Botanical and Herbal Art Online
  • ARTISTS
    • Botanical Artists in the UK
    • Botanical Artists in North America
    • Botanical Artists in Europe
    • Botanical Artists in Australia and New Zealand
    • Botanical Artists in Asia
    • Botanical Artists in Africa
    • Botanical Artists in Latin America
    • Botanical Printmakers, Photographers, Sculptors et al
    • The Jill Smythies Award
    • Botanical Artists on Facebook
    • Botanical Art Blogs
  • Exhibitions
    • Calls for Entries - OPEN exhibitions
    • RHS Botanical Art & Photography Shows >
      • ARCHIVE RHS Botanical Art Shows 2007-2025
      • Exhibit Titles at RHS Botanical Art Shows
      • RHS Portfolio Photography (Botanical / Horticultural)
    • The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art >
      • ARCHIVE: Shirley Sherwood Gallery Exhibitions
    • Hunt International Exhibition of Botanical Art & Illustration
    • Margaret Flockton Award
    • UK >
      • Permanent Collections (UK)
      • Botanical Art Exhibitions at Major UK Galleries & Museums >
        • ARCHIVE: Major Gallery Exhibitions
      • Botanical Art Exhibitions in England and Wales >
        • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in the UK
        • ARCHIVE: Reviews of Annual Exhibitions by the Society of Botanical Artists
      • Botanical Art Exhibitions in Scotland >
        • ARCHIVE: Scotland - Botanical Art Exhibitions
    • North America >
      • Permanent Collections (USA)
      • ARCHIVE Past ASBA Exhibitions in the USA
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in the USA
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in Canada
    • Europe >
      • Permanent Collections (Europe)
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in Europe
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Exhibitions in Germany
      • ARCHIVE: ​Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in Ireland
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Exhibitions in Russia
    • Australasia >
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in Australasia
    • Asia >
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in Asia
    • Africa
    • World Wide Exhibition of Botanical Art 2025 >
      • ARCHIVE: World Wide Exhibition of Botanical Art 2018
    • Online Exhibitions >
      • ARCHIVE: Online Botanical Art Exhibitions
  • Education
    • NEW BOOKS about Botanical Art and Illustration >
      • NEW in 2020: Books about Botanical Art & Illustration
      • NEW IN 2019: Books about Botanical Art & Illustration
      • NEW in 2018: Books about Botanical Art & Illustration
    • Best Botanical Art Instruction Books >
      • Best Instruction Books by Botanical Art Societies >
        • The Art of Botanical Painting - review
        • The Botanical Palette - review
        • Botanical Sketchbook - review
      • Best Instruction Books about Botanical Illustration >
        • Botanical Illustration - Books by Bobbi Angell
        • Botanical Illustration (Oxley) - review
      • Best Instruction Books by top Artists / Teachers >
        • Books By Billy Showell
        • Books - the Eden Project
      • Best Botanical Drawing Instruction Books (Pencils) >
        • Botanical Painting with Coloured Pencils - review
      • e-Booklets / digital guides
    • Tips and Techniques >
      • Tips from RHS Gold Medal Winners
      • Preparation and set-up
      • Botanical Sketching and Sketchbooks
      • Design and composition
      • Colour
      • Pen and Ink
      • How to draw and paint trees and leaves
    • Botanical Art Video Tips >
      • Video Tips: Watercolour Painting
      • Video Tips Coloured Pencils
      • Video Tips: Pencil drawing
      • Video Tips: Painting Flowers
      • Video Tips: Painting Leaves & Trees
    • Online Botanical Art Instruction >
      • CHECKLIST: FAQS about Online Learning
      • ONLINE TIMELINE
    • International Directory: Botanical Art Teachers
    • International Directory of Botanical Art Courses >
      • UK: Botanical Art Courses
      • North America: Botanical Art Courses
      • Europe: Botanical Art Courses & Holidays
      • Australasia: Botanical Art Courses
    • Artist Residencies, Scholarships, Grants and Bursaries
    • Diplomas and Certificates >
      • SBA Diploma Assignments
    • Distance Learning Courses
    • Talks, Lectures & Tours
    • Botanical Education on Facebook
  • Materials
    • Paper
    • Vellum
  • Groups
    • National & Regional Botanical Art Societies
    • Florilegium Societies & Other Groups
    • Finnis Scott Foundation: Botanical Art Prize
    • Botanical Art Groups on Facebook
  • Botany
    • Why botany matters to artists
    • Botany Books for artists >
      • Botany for the Artist (Simblet)
      • The Art of Plant Evolution
      • The Concise British Flora in Colour (1965)
    • Scientific botanical illustration
    • Plant Forms and Anatomy
    • Plant Evolution and Taxonomy
    • Plant Names and Botanical Latin
    • Botanical Dictionaries
    • How to Identify Plants
    • Recording a Plant / Sketchbooks >
      • Plant Pressing for your own Herbarium
    • Botanic Gardens & Herbaria >
      • Global and National Networks
      • Herbaria, Seed Banks and Fungaria
      • Old Botanic & Physic Gardens in London
      • Botanic Gardens in the UK
      • Botanic Gardens in Ireland
      • Botanic Gardens in Europe
      • Botanic Gardens in the USA
      • Botanic Gardens in Canada
      • Botanic Gardens in Asia
      • Botanic Gardens in Australia
    • Blogs about Plants and Flowers
  • Contact
    • About Katherine Tyrrell
    • About Reviews
    • Privacy Policy

Katherine Tyrrell
Making a Mark ​on Botanical Art

My name is Katherine Tyrrell and I created 'Botanical Art and Artists'

​The top compendium of botanical art past and present 
​
for botanical artists & illustrators of today & tomorrow

I'm a writer who writes about art for artists and art lovers
  • online - on websites and blogs
  • in print - in books and articles for magazines and scholarly publications.

My main art blog Making A Mark has a large readership around the world (22.5 million+ page views in the last 19 years).

I've been very interested in and reading about botanical art for a long time. I've also written about it and highlighted relevant contemporary and historical botanical artists and botanical art exhibitions on a regular basis for the last 18 years. As a result, I've developed a following around the world.


As a trained educator, I'm very keen to support those who want to learn about botanical art and illustration in more ways than one.
Picture
Katherine Tyrrell - giving a Zoom talk in June 2021
I created Botanical Art and Artists in 2015 to fill a gap.
​
I realised that while a number of websites provided an insight into part of the story of botanical art, there w
as no one website which
  • covered botanical art in a comprehensive way and/or
  • provided a compendium of resources about botanical art and
for botanical artists, students of botanical art and all lovers and collectors of botanical art around the world. 

​This website is a compendium which continues to develop and grow every month. It now provides signposts to other key resources - in terms of botanical artists and illustrators, websites, organisation and botanical art tutors/instructors
Botanical Art and Artists is now the TOP compendium website about botanical art and artists in the world 
(according to Alexa).

LOOK AT THE NUMBERS: It now regularly gets
  • c.1,500-2,000+ visitors a day;
  • around 15 - 20,000 page views each week
  • c.50-60,000 visits each month
Since April 2015 it has had 
  • over 3.5 million visitors and 4.7 million pageviews
  • with c.750,000+ pageviews in 2020 alone!
​
You can find Botanical Art and Artists on Twitter - @botanicartists - although I'm most active on Facebook
I've also created a website about Art Business Info. for Artists after realising that very many of the artists I met needed help with the business side of their art endeavours - and that I could offer help and advice with that too.
I was commissioned to write a book about drawing and sketching by a Quarto imprint which was published internationally in 2015 (in the UK, USA and Asia - and probably a number of other countries too!)
Below is the expanded version!

About Katherine Tyrrell - and botanical art
​

I retired early in 2005. Since then I've been writing blogs, websites, books and articles
and advising artists - as well as making and exhibiting art ​- with more than a little success.
​

In addition to writing.....
​
I've been a huge fan of botanical art and illustration for very many years.
 As a child I used to love my mother's RHS Annual Desk Diary. It arrived in January every year filled with reproductions of artwork by famous botanical artists.  I used to pore over every single illustration noting the differences in approach and admiring all those who were excellent - and learning all their names.

​I'm also an artist and fan of sketching (see below). I won a national painting competition age 6, studied art at school but then did nothing for many years while being sensible and 'academic' and then working for the government!

I retired early and started drawing and sketching again in dry media and have exhibited my work as and when my eyes and arthritis allows. (see below). Now aged 70, sadly, the arthritis has won and I no longer create art.

I also have a degree in education and a continuing interest in promoting learning. 
My past life involved 
  • a degree in Education from Cambridge University,
  • an MBA from the London Business School;  and
  • two professional qualifications as both a teacher and an accountant.
I worked at a very senior level in management consultancy/inspection and public services in government before I retired. I've also examined and moderated for professional qualifications in my areas of professional expertise in the past. I've also been a Visiting Lecturer on business topics at an Art School in London. 

My current activities involve
  • researching and recording my findings - which led to the development of this website
  • visits to exhibitions and collections of contemporary and historical botanical art 
  • interviewing award-winning artists at RHS, SBA and other exhibitions in London
  • ​highlighting exhibitions around the world
  • highlighting relevant artists - past and present
  • researching the history of botanical illustration and botanical art
  • ​collecting books about botanical artists and the making of their art
  • ​advising owners and collectors of botanical art (on an exceptional basis)
  • and writing about all of the above on this website, in blog posts, on my Facebook Page and in articles for journals.​
​I've also delivered a number talks/webinars for ASBA, SBA, CPGFS and on Zoom for! (eg "How to be a business savvy botanical artist"!)

PLUS writing about art and the art business elsewhere on other sites

I'm doing less in recent years due to the need to address the needs of my arthritis - and I'm very sad about that.
Picture
I'm a big fan of the structures found in plants and love drawing them.
Picture
"Prelude" - a study of an allium bud bursting open (Katherine Tyrrell)


PRINT Publications:  
  • 'Authenticating a Rory McEwen Painting' by Katherine Tyrrell | Occasional Papers Lindley Library Volume 16 (2MB)
  • 'Authenticating a Rory McEwen Painting' - news article 'Authenticating a Rory McEwen Painting' by Katherine Tyrrell
  • Sketching 365 | Quarto - a a comprehensive, highly accessible guide to drawing and sketching
  • 10 articles about about Cost Effective Ideas for Artists commissioned by the Editor for The Artist Magazine in the UK
  • various articles for other magazines and publications.
Picture
I wrote an article for the Occasional Papers of the Lindley Library Volume 16 June 2018
EXHIBITIONS: In the past I've exhibited my own artwork at the Annual Exhibitions of the Society of Botanical Artists and Florum - but I no longer exhibit.

A combination of severe osteoarthritis and cataracts (now fixed but my near vision is still not at all good) and
tenosynovitis in my drawing hand has limited my ability to follow the strict technical version of botanical illustration - much though I love it. However I continue to explore other ways of working.

I love structures within plants, at a macro level, and in recent times have majored on drawing cacti and succulents. I'm told that my drawings has prompted those familiar with these plants to start looking at them more closely! 
Picture
The exhibition page on my portfolio website

About Art Business Info. for Artists
​

I spent many years working as a management consultant and inspector analysing / advising government organisations and others. Plus I also managed the support services for a £multi-million service.

For those interested in the business side of art, take a look at Art Business Info. for Artists.
  • This developed out of business basics associated with past experience,
  • This is a link to an Index of what it covers
Picture
Arising out of the Business side of Art I'm also
  • a Visiting Lecturer at the Heatherley School of Art​ - covering various business topics
  • the author of a series of 10 articles about Cost Effective Ideas for Artists - commissioned by the Editor of "The Artist" Magazine in the UK
  • a speaker/educator who has delivered workshops and talks for art organisations and art societies
  • I delivered a lecture on The Business of Botanical Art at the ASBA Conference in 2019​ and a follow up webinar on the same topic in June 2021.
  • I've provided analysis, information and advice to numerous clients - including artists who have benefited from my "5 minute freebies" (see below)
Picture
I'm in some very good company!
You may like me to provide some help e.g.
  • an art business talk or
  • a review of your business plan or
  • a review of your website
  • a review of your artist's statement and/or bio/CV
​I also offer what I call "five minute freebies" in response to a short query about a specific issue where an artist needs help.
For example, it might be a request to look at a potential commission or exhibition opportunity and say whether or not it seems to me like a real business opportunity they should consider. Contact me if you have a quick question.

About my book about drawing and sketching
​

My other big love is sketching and I'm the author of a book about drawing and sketching published in the UK, USA and Asia in January 2015.
​My book Sketching 365 (published by Quarto) includes a four page section on drawing and sketching plants and flowers.
Picture
The Facebook Page for the book is Katherine Tyrrell: 365 Tips for Drawing and Sketching
Picture
The exhibition page on my portfolio website
  • Paperback: 176 pages
  • rated 4.6 stars (out of 5) by 30 reviews in the UK and
  • rated 4.4 stars (out of 5) by 34 customer reviews in the USA
Sketching 365: Build your confidence and skills with a tip a day - from Amazon.co.uk
The book is also published (with a different cover) in the USA as Drawing 365: Tips and Techniques to Build Your Confidence and Skills from Amazon.com
A far cry from other dry, run-of-the-mill art instruction books, 365 Hints & Tips for Drawing & Sketching uses concise, easy-to-follow text to engage readers and guide them through each different technique, covering everything from how to hold a pencil to how to achieve depth and balance composition, as well as tips for tackling specific subjects

About my art blog - 'Making A Mark'
​

I started writing about art on Making A Mark at the beginning of January 2006. Since then:
  • I've written more than 3,700 blog posts
  • Making A Mark has had nearly 5 million visitors and 14.4 million pageviews.
A super comprehensive affair, Katherine Tyrrell’s blog is a go-to for punters and artists alike. Making a Mark includes useful annual itineraries of major UK art exhibitions (though the bulk are London-based) as well as a meticulous calendar of competitions for artists to enter. Expect in-depth news, analysis and a focus on fostering new talent
CreativeTourist - Top Art Blogs UK 2016
​Read more about me and my blog in this interview post Blogger Spotlight: Making A Mark and Katherine Tyrrell
Picture
Making A Mark - My 10th anniversary blog post in January 2016
Resources about  Botanical Art and For Botanical Artists
ABOUT: About the Author | Contact | Testimonials | Privacy Policy                  COPYRIGHT 2015-22: Katherine Tyrrell  all rights reserved.
NEWS 
News Blog about artists, awards, exhibitions etc.
HISTORY
- Best Books about Botanical Art History
- History of Botanical Art 
- Herbals
- Florilegia
- Patrons
​
- Past Masters - Botanical Art and Illustration
​- Famous Asian Past Masters (600-1900
- 20th & 21st Century Botanical Artists
- Botanical Art Online
CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS
- Botanical Artists around the world 

EXHIBITIONS
-
Calls for Entries
- Exhibitions around the world
- Online Exhibitions
- RHS Exhibitions
- Hunt Exhibitions
​
ORGANISATIONS
- Botanical Art Societies - national / regional / local
- 
Florilegium & Groups
- Botanical Art Groups on Facebook

EDUCATION
- Tips and Techniques
- Best Botanical Art Instruction Books
- Directory of Teachers
- Directory of Courses
- Online Botanical Art Courses
- Diplomas and Certificates
​
- Talks, Lectures and Tours

ART MATERIALS (Paper / Vellum)

BOTANY FOR ARTISTS
-
 Scientific Botanical Illustration
- Best Botany Books for Artists
- Plant Names & Botanical Latin

BOTANIC GARDENS & Herbaria
​​​FEEDBACK 
Please send me . 
- news to share
- info. about exhibitions
- any suggestions for what you'd like to see on this website 

ADVERTISE
Contact me if you'd like to promote workshops and courses on this site.

​AFFILIATION 
This website is free to you but not for me! (See Affiliate Income below)

Cookies, Personal Data & Privacy tells you how this site relates to and impacts on you and your privacy - and your choices.
​

Product & company names may be trademarks of their respective owners
About Affiliate Income: This website has been created to share information not to make a profit. I am an Amazon Associate and earn from qualifying purchases (e.g. books from Amazon) which helps offset costs associated with maintaining this very large website.​
  • Home
    • Site Index
  • NEWS
    • NEWS blog subscription
  • HISTORY
    • What is Botanical Art?
    • What is Botanical Illustration?
    • Botanical Art History Books >
      • The Art of Botanical Illustration (Blunt)
      • Book Review: Treasures of Botanical Art
    • Herbals
    • Florilegia and Flora
    • Patrons of Botanical Art >
      • About Leonhart Fuchs
      • About Basilius Besler
    • Past Masters - Botanical Art and Illustration >
      • About Maria Sibylla Merian
      • About Elizabeth Blackwell
      • About Georg Dionysius Ehret
      • About Franz Bauer
      • About Sydney Parkinson
      • About Pierre-Joseph Redouté
      • About Marianne North
    • Famous Asian Botanical Artists (600-1900)
    • 20th & 21st Century Botanical Artists >
      • About Arthur Harry Church
      • About Margaret Mee
      • About Mary Grierson
      • About Raymond Booth
      • About Rory McEwen
      • About Pandora Sellars
    • Botanical Photographers
    • Botanical and Herbal Art Online
  • ARTISTS
    • Botanical Artists in the UK
    • Botanical Artists in North America
    • Botanical Artists in Europe
    • Botanical Artists in Australia and New Zealand
    • Botanical Artists in Asia
    • Botanical Artists in Africa
    • Botanical Artists in Latin America
    • Botanical Printmakers, Photographers, Sculptors et al
    • The Jill Smythies Award
    • Botanical Artists on Facebook
    • Botanical Art Blogs
  • Exhibitions
    • Calls for Entries - OPEN exhibitions
    • RHS Botanical Art & Photography Shows >
      • ARCHIVE RHS Botanical Art Shows 2007-2025
      • Exhibit Titles at RHS Botanical Art Shows
      • RHS Portfolio Photography (Botanical / Horticultural)
    • The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art >
      • ARCHIVE: Shirley Sherwood Gallery Exhibitions
    • Hunt International Exhibition of Botanical Art & Illustration
    • Margaret Flockton Award
    • UK >
      • Permanent Collections (UK)
      • Botanical Art Exhibitions at Major UK Galleries & Museums >
        • ARCHIVE: Major Gallery Exhibitions
      • Botanical Art Exhibitions in England and Wales >
        • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in the UK
        • ARCHIVE: Reviews of Annual Exhibitions by the Society of Botanical Artists
      • Botanical Art Exhibitions in Scotland >
        • ARCHIVE: Scotland - Botanical Art Exhibitions
    • North America >
      • Permanent Collections (USA)
      • ARCHIVE Past ASBA Exhibitions in the USA
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in the USA
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in Canada
    • Europe >
      • Permanent Collections (Europe)
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in Europe
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Exhibitions in Germany
      • ARCHIVE: ​Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in Ireland
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Exhibitions in Russia
    • Australasia >
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in Australasia
    • Asia >
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in Asia
    • Africa
    • World Wide Exhibition of Botanical Art 2025 >
      • ARCHIVE: World Wide Exhibition of Botanical Art 2018
    • Online Exhibitions >
      • ARCHIVE: Online Botanical Art Exhibitions
  • Education
    • NEW BOOKS about Botanical Art and Illustration >
      • NEW in 2020: Books about Botanical Art & Illustration
      • NEW IN 2019: Books about Botanical Art & Illustration
      • NEW in 2018: Books about Botanical Art & Illustration
    • Best Botanical Art Instruction Books >
      • Best Instruction Books by Botanical Art Societies >
        • The Art of Botanical Painting - review
        • The Botanical Palette - review
        • Botanical Sketchbook - review
      • Best Instruction Books about Botanical Illustration >
        • Botanical Illustration - Books by Bobbi Angell
        • Botanical Illustration (Oxley) - review
      • Best Instruction Books by top Artists / Teachers >
        • Books By Billy Showell
        • Books - the Eden Project
      • Best Botanical Drawing Instruction Books (Pencils) >
        • Botanical Painting with Coloured Pencils - review
      • e-Booklets / digital guides
    • Tips and Techniques >
      • Tips from RHS Gold Medal Winners
      • Preparation and set-up
      • Botanical Sketching and Sketchbooks
      • Design and composition
      • Colour
      • Pen and Ink
      • How to draw and paint trees and leaves
    • Botanical Art Video Tips >
      • Video Tips: Watercolour Painting
      • Video Tips Coloured Pencils
      • Video Tips: Pencil drawing
      • Video Tips: Painting Flowers
      • Video Tips: Painting Leaves & Trees
    • Online Botanical Art Instruction >
      • CHECKLIST: FAQS about Online Learning
      • ONLINE TIMELINE
    • International Directory: Botanical Art Teachers
    • International Directory of Botanical Art Courses >
      • UK: Botanical Art Courses
      • North America: Botanical Art Courses
      • Europe: Botanical Art Courses & Holidays
      • Australasia: Botanical Art Courses
    • Artist Residencies, Scholarships, Grants and Bursaries
    • Diplomas and Certificates >
      • SBA Diploma Assignments
    • Distance Learning Courses
    • Talks, Lectures & Tours
    • Botanical Education on Facebook
  • Materials
    • Paper
    • Vellum
  • Groups
    • National & Regional Botanical Art Societies
    • Florilegium Societies & Other Groups
    • Finnis Scott Foundation: Botanical Art Prize
    • Botanical Art Groups on Facebook
  • Botany
    • Why botany matters to artists
    • Botany Books for artists >
      • Botany for the Artist (Simblet)
      • The Art of Plant Evolution
      • The Concise British Flora in Colour (1965)
    • Scientific botanical illustration
    • Plant Forms and Anatomy
    • Plant Evolution and Taxonomy
    • Plant Names and Botanical Latin
    • Botanical Dictionaries
    • How to Identify Plants
    • Recording a Plant / Sketchbooks >
      • Plant Pressing for your own Herbarium
    • Botanic Gardens & Herbaria >
      • Global and National Networks
      • Herbaria, Seed Banks and Fungaria
      • Old Botanic & Physic Gardens in London
      • Botanic Gardens in the UK
      • Botanic Gardens in Ireland
      • Botanic Gardens in Europe
      • Botanic Gardens in the USA
      • Botanic Gardens in Canada
      • Botanic Gardens in Asia
      • Botanic Gardens in Australia
    • Blogs about Plants and Flowers
  • Contact
    • About Katherine Tyrrell
    • About Reviews
    • Privacy Policy