This is an annual international award  for excellence in scientific botanical illustration.
The annual exhibition in Sydney includes scientific botanical illustrations from around the world.

The Margaret Flockton Award for Excellence in Scientific Botanical Illustration
​

​The Margaret Flockton Award commemorates the contribution 
Margaret Flockton ​made to Australian scientific botanical illustration.​
This page covers:
  • ​The 2018 Exhibition
  • Call for Entries for the 2019 competition
  • Information about the exhibition in 2016 and 2017
  • an Archive of information about previous exhibition.
  • ​an Archive of previous winners and highly commended
Information includes the names of those winning prizes and highly commended - and the plants they portrayed - plus links to where you can see the images (where available).

Margaret Flockton Award (MFA) Exhibition 2018
​

AS entries are digital. The images selected for exhibition were printed on high quality paper and framed in standard exhibition frames - arranged by the organisers.

Selected works are for sale direct from the artist

Prizewinners 2018

Picture
Lapidia apicifolia by Natanael Nascimento (Digital illustration)
Prizes
  • First prize - $5,000 - Lapidia apicifolia            by Natanael Nascimento from Brazil. Digital illustration
  • Second prize - $1,000 - Gunnera mexicana  by Edmundo Saavedra Vidal from Mexico. Pen and ink
​
Highly Commended:
  • Highly Commended - Drosera albonotata       by Alastair Robinson from Victoria, Australia. Pen and ink.
  • Highly Commended - Theobroma cacao                by Juan Luis Castillo from Spain. Digital illustration.
  • Highly Commended -  Vernonia echioides           by Alice Tangerini, Washington, D.C., USA. Pen and ink.
​SYDNEY
  • Venue: Joseph Maiden Theatre, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney - enter via Woolloomooloo Gate on Mrs Macquaries Road. This is the original National Herbarium on the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney site where Margaret Flockton worked closely with J.H. Maiden inspiringly illustrating thousands of species of plants.
  • Dates:  Saturday 21 April - Sunday 6 May 2018, daily 10 am - 4 pm.
  • Cost: Entry to the exhibition is free - selected works will be available for sale direct from the artist
MOUNT ANNAN
  • Venue: The Australian PlantBank at The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan
  • Dates:  Friday 18 May – Sunday 29 July 2018,  Mon – Fri 10am – 4pm and selected weekends
MOUNT TOMAH
  • Venue: Visitor Centre at The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah
  • Dates:  Saturday 11 August – Sunday 23 September 2018,  daily 9.30am – 4.30pm

Call for Entries - 2019
​

This annual, international award is for excellence in contemporary scientific botanical illustration, as distinct from botanical art. It commemorates the contribution Margaret Flockton made to Australian scientific botanical illustration. ​
The Margaret Flockton Award is unique in art awards in that it recognises and promotes scientific botanical illustration as opposed to botanical art.
With the above in mind, the evaluation of entries is based on the following criteria:
  • - Accurate interpretation and portrayal of plant characters and diagnostic features noted in the
    - Botanical description
    - Technical merit
    - Reproducibility
    - Composition
    - Artistic merit 
  • A Guide to Scientific Illustration: Some of the criteria for evaluation noted in the entry reqquirements
The exhibition results from the competition which invites entries from botanical illustrators around the world. They are asked to submit scientifically accurate drawings that accompany the published taxonomic description of the plant, clearly highlighting all of the distinctive features of the species.
The format for the images are original taxonomic illustrations - typically highly detailed black and white drawings primarily undertaken in pen and ink, pencil or digitally rendered.
Prizes:
  • First prize: AU$5000;
  • second prize: AU$2000;
  • 3 x Highly Commended.
The Call for Entries for 2019 has not yet been published.

However based on previous competitions the following may be assumed to be part of the terms and conditions
  • Entries are to be submitted during February​
  • all submissions must be digital
  • original artworks will no longer be exhibited or sold at the Margaret Flockton Award Exhibition.
  • ​All sales will be via reference to the artist's website or email address - to be supplied with submission.
Below is my summary of the terms and conditions and method of entry.  I've organised the information differently from the way it is laid out on the website
You MUST check all details with the website if you wish to enter.
Who can enter:
  • ​Those entering this competition are typically professional botanical artists from around the world. Very often these botanical illustrators work with/for botanical gardens and produce scientific botanical illustrations on a regular basis.
  • Those who are not need to be aware they must reach the same standards as those who are!
Nature of the entry - subject
  • Works must have been produced after February 2016.
  • ​Highly detailed, scientifically accurate and original taxonomic illustrations clearly highlighting all of the distinctive features of the species. 
  • Full plate illustrations ONLY. (inclusive of habit study and diagnostic features of the species).
Nature of entry - technical
  • Monochrome - primarily undertaken in pen and ink, pencil or digitally rendered.
  • Image area MUST be no larger than A3 (295 mm x 420 mm) and no smaller than (180 x 250 mm) - EXCLUDING legend. 
  • Illustrations MUST be "ready for publication" and capable of being reduced to 67% of the original size without loss of detail.
  • ONLY high resolution digital scans of black and white (done in e.g. pen and ink, graphite or scraper board) illustrations and/or monochromatic digital illustrations, either published or unpublished, will be considered.
  • Inclusion of scale bars highly recommended.
  • A typed taxonomic description (either published or unpublished) must be provided with each illustration. It must be submitted electronically with the completed form and image
Assessment
Submission / Deadline
Biographical Information

Margaret Flockton Award (MFA) Exhibition 2017
​

AS entries in 2017 were digital. Images selected for exhibition were printed on high quality paper and framed in standard exhibition frames - arranged by the organisers.

Prizewinners 2017

  • First prize - $5,000 - Calamus sp. nov. “pintaudi” by Lucy Smith, Kew, United Kingdom
  • Second prize - $1,000 - Monanthotaxis pynaertii by Esmee Winkel, Leiden, The Netherlands
​
Highly Commended:
  • Highly Commended - Drosera magnifica sp. nov. by Rogerio Lupo, Brazil
  • Highly Commended - Dracaena draco subsp. draco by Juan Luis Castillo, Spain
  • Highly Commended -  Echium wildpretii subsp. wildpretii by Juan Luis Castillo, Spain
Picture
WINNER OF THE MARGARET FLOCKTON AWARD 2017 Calamus sp. nov. “pintaudi” by Lucy Smith
See my blog posts
The exhibition is curated by curated by current illustrators working at the RBG Sydney.

Sponsors of The Margaret Flockton Award: The Maple Brown Family and the Foundation & Friends of the Botanic Gardens 

Margaret Flockton Award (MFA) 2016
​

‘This year there was a large section of really beautiful work, but at the top end the final images were so tight that the judges had to reconvene three times, finally agreeing to award a shared second-prize, reflecting the hair-splitting argument for each piece. They believe that both artists deserved their share of the winnings. Considerations of minute scientific accuracy balanced against those of technical and artistic merit. 
Judges' Commentary on 2015 prizewinners

Prizewinners 2016

​
Highly Commended:
The Margaret Flockton Award (2016) Exhibition
Venue: Joseph Maiden Theatre, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney 
Dates: Saturday 9 April - Sunday 1 May 2016, daily 10 am-4 pm
Picture
WINNER OF THE MARGARET FLOCKTON AWARD 2016 Pellaea falcata P. nana by Pauline Dewar

Archive : Margaret Flockton Award Archive 
​

This is an archive record of the names of previous prizewinners and the plants they illustrated.
​Many thanks to the diligence of Mervi Hjelmroos-Koski in making a record on the blog of the Denver Botanic Garden School of Botanical Illustration as otherwise some of these names and awards would be lost to the internet!

Completing the listing of past prizewinners and those highly commended is not easy hence this is a work in progress.
There's a dearth of proper records available online - hence this attempt to create one.  If you can fill any of the gaps please let me know.

Previous prizewinners 2015

​In 2015 entries included submissions from artists living in: Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland

Prizewinners:
  • First prize ($5000)  - Syngonium podophyllum By Edmundo Saavedra Vidal from Mexico (who also won the competition in 2011 and came second in 2014)
  • Joint Second prize ($1000) - Adiantum hispidulum By Pauline Dewar
  • Joint Second prize ($1000) - Doryopteris concolor  By Klei Sousa
​
Highly Commended:
  • Genus Thompsonella By Edmundo Saavedra Vidal
  • Vriesea carinata By Klei Sousa

Previous prizewinners 2014

In 2014, 33 entries were submitted from Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and Canada. 

Prizewinners Highly Commended: 
REFERENCE:
Picture
WINNER OF THE MARGARET FLOCKTON AWARD 2014 Lucy T Smith NFS Kew, United Kingdom Nepenthes petiolata Pitcher plant pen and ink on bristol board

Previous prizewinners 2013

Prizewinners
  • First winner Vellozia perdicipes  sp.nov. by Rogerio Lupo, Brazil  
  • 2nd prize Lecomtella madagascariensis by Lucy T Smith from Kew, UK
Highly Commended:  
​See Winners for Margaret Flockton Award 2013

Previous prizewinners 2012

Prizewinners
  • First winner Mimosa acustistipula by Klei Rodrigo Sousa from Brazil
  • 2nd prize  Lepisanthes senegalensis by Anita Walsmit Sachs from the Netherlands 
Highly Commended:   See Congratulations to Klei Sousa
Picture
WINNER OF THE MARGARET FLOCKTON AWARD 2012 Mimosa acustistipula by Klei Rodrigo Sousa

Previous prizewinners 2011

31 entries from 

​Prizewinners Highly Commended:   ​See Margaret Flockton Award 2011

Previous prizewinners 2010

Prizewinners Highly Commended:  ​

Previous prizewinners 2009

Prizewinners Highly Commended:  ​

Previous prizewinners 2008

Prizewinners Highly Commended:  ​

Previous prizewinners 2007

Prizewinners
  • First winner Aristolochia gigantea, Giant Pipevine, Pen and ink, Lesley Randall (USA) - subsequently exhibited at the Hunt
  • 2nd prize  
Highly Commended:

Previous prizewinners 2006

Prizewinners
  • First winner 
  • 2nd prize 
Highly Commended

Previous prizewinners 2005

Prizewinners
  • First winner 
  • 2nd prize 
Highly Commended

Previous prizewinners 2004

Prizewinners Highly Commended
  • ​