NEWS about Botanical Art and for Botanical Artists

Remembering Janet Pope

20/11/2020

Janet Pope with her medal winning exhibit at the RHS Botanical Art Show in 2019.

I learned last night that Janet Pope MA (RCA), DipAD, FLS, FSBA, CPFGS, IAPI has passed away.

Janet has been very seriously ill in recent years. When I met her with her Potatoes exhibit at the RHS Botanical Art Show in 2019 we had a very long chat. She knew full well that her condition was terminal and that she had limited time left - and she was VERY determined to make the most of it!

I remember being so very pleased for her that she could get to exhibit one of her favourite subjects at the prestigious RHS Botanical Art Show show - and win a medal. I took a photo of her to record the event - and I think both she and I knew I was very likely to use it in this sort of post.

Her extremely unusual and refreshing exhibit of Potatoes - shoots, roots, skin, flesh - Solanum tuberosum ( ‘Red Emmalie’, ‘Highland Burgundy Red’, ‘Pink Fir Apple’, ‘Violetta’, ‘Shetland Black’ and Salad Blue’. ) can be seen below - and on her website. She won an RHS Silver Medal for her exhibit

Potatoes - shoots, roots, skin, flesh - Solanum tuberosum - by Janet Pope (RHS Silver Medal 2019)

About Janet Pope

I know relatively little about Janet beyond her SBA biography, her website and what I've written about her in the past. She always seemed a very private person to me - but she was also a lovely person to get to know and talk to in the last few years.

Education and Work

Janet graduated from the Royal College of Art London in 1973, followed by a British Council Scholarship for 18 months to study traditional textile arts and crafts in Romania. Returning to England, she started a knitwear company, then a special-interest tour company, followed by a womens’ tailoring business. In 2009 Janet joined a local botanical painting class, which led to the SBA Distance Learning Diploma Course graduating in 2012, and her current interest in botanical painting.

Botanical Art and Illustration

Janet was an extremely skilled botanical artist. She had studied initially for a Diploma in Art and Design and then graduated from the Royal College of Art, London with an MA in 29173. She had also been awarded a British Council arts scholarship to to study traditional textile arts and crafts in Romania. On her return she demonstrated her entrepreneurial flair by establishing first a knitwear company, then a special-interest tour company, followed by a womens’ tailoring business.

Her interest in botanical art was stimulated by a local botanical painting class followed by the SBA's Distance Learning Diploma Course. She graduated from that in 2012

She lived and worked in rural Herefordshire where gardens, orchards and hedgerows provided her with an endless supply of plant material. Her botanical art was painted - with great attention to detail and growth habit - in watercolour.

She was also a

Fellow of the Society of Botanical Artists;
an Artist Member of the Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society - which is where I saw her last
a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London (elected 2015) and
a member of the Institute for Analytical Plant Illustration.

Below I'm going to record Janet's achievements in the world of botanical art beyond her RHS Medal - and my photos of her exhibits. Janet was never ever one to boast - but I think she was secretly delighted when others recognised and publicly acknowledged her artwork and achievements - and it's in that spirit that I write this post.

Society of Botanical Art Awards and Certificates

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VIDEO: "Paradise Lost" exhibition by Jan Hendrix

14/11/2020

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Today a video and virtual tour of the exhibition Paradise Lost by Jan Hendrix at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art in Kew Gardens was made available to view on the Facebook Page of the Shirley Sherwood Collection.

You can view that video below

I saw this video - which is very impressive - at a Virtual Private View for the Exhibition and have been waiting for this video to be made more widely available - but forgot to check when it finally reached YouTube!!

If you prefer to watch FULL SCREEN via YouTube (in 1080HD), this is the link to the same video

Below are links to the website page for the exhibition plus my previous post about this exhibition - which I've not yet seen (due to the fact I'm having to be careful and prefer my journeys on the London Underground to be as short as possible at the moment).

Exhibition: https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/paradise-lost-jan-hendrix-exhibition
My blog post: Banks 2020: Jan Hendrix at Shirley Sherwood Gallery Kew

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40th Anniversary of the School of Botanical Art & Illustration at Denver Botanic Gardens

9/11/2020

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This is a lovely video about the activities of the School of Botanical Art & Illustration at Denver Botanic Gardens. It was made to celebrate:

its 40th anniversary
the 30th anniversary of its certificate program.

I think it must be the oldest botanical art school in the world. I'm hard put to think of one which is older. (Any suggestions?)

Below is the video on the (public) Facebook Page for the SBAI but if you prefer to view on YouTube this is the link

The video highlights how the School is only the third group to win an RHS Gold Medal (in 2017) in the history of the Royal Horticultural Society - and I was extremely pleased to be able to photograph Mervi Hjelmroos-Koski, Ph.D., D.Sc. at the time. Mervi led the School as Manager for the last 13 years until her retirement earlier this year. Much of what I have admired about the School has been down to initiatives by Mervi.

I'm looking forward to meeting up with her again when Covid lets her husband and her embark on their retirement tour of Europe!

Mervi Hjelmroos-Koski, Ph.D., D.Sc. with the RHS Gold Medal winning exhibit

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REFERENCE LINKS: The School of Botanical Art & Illustration at Denver Botanic Gardens

If you'd like to know more about the School these links tell you a lot.

WEBSITE: https://www.botanicgardens.org/education/school-botanical-art-illustration
FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/SchoolOfBotanicalArtAndIllustration/
BLOG: Botanical Illustration - which has always been open access in the past but now seems to be open to invited people only. (I'm rather surprised as I always thought his blog did the most amazing job of marketing both the school and its Diploma in Botanical Illustration and Foundation Certificate.

For educational organisations interested in submitting an exhibit to the RHS Botanical Art Show as a Group, can I refer you to:

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Dare to be Square - available to view online

26/10/2020

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Dare to be Square - the non-juried virtual exhibition of small works of botanical art by members of the American Society of Botanical Artists attending ASBA's virtual conference is now available for all to see online on YouTube (see below)

The Small Works Online Exhibition Premiere slideshow premiere of "Dare to be Square" occurred at the Welcome Reception on Wednesday, October 14th

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Marianne Hazlewood: Fine Hair, Soft Nibs - Depictions from a Shady Bed

23/10/2020

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Tomorrow is the last day of Marianne Hazlewood: Fine Hair, Soft Nibs - Depictions from a Shady Bed exhibition at the Open Eye Gallery, 34 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh EH3 6QE.

It's just made the "hot list" Guide in The Times printed in Scotland - in the visual arts category.

This is a solo exhibition by Marianne Hazlewood of

one plant - Ariseamas - and
- 6 botanical watercolour paintings - a series which won an RHS Gold Medal in 2019.
- 12 Japanese ink paste drawings - botanically correct illustrations with a distinctly abstract and contemporary quality; and
- 5 screenprints - exploring a third medium for her passion for Arisaemas.

plus

6 watercolour paintings of ferns (Dryopterus, Asplenium, Phlebodium and Platycerium)

You need to book to gain access to the exhibition. The exhibition is open until 5pm tonight and then from 11am to 4pm tomorrow.

In addition the online exhibition is also comprehensive and provides excellent thumbnails and (if clicked) larger images of her artwork. It will also remain online under previous exhibitions after it closes in the Gallery.

READ Fine hair, Soft Nibs, depictions from a shady bed by mariannehazlewood to find out more about the exhibition. The link embedded in the title shows you the virtual exhibition - with details of titles, media, sizes and prices.

The exhibition arises out of having Marianne having won the VAS 2019 Open Eye Gallery award in 2019 - see Marianne Hazlewood wins award at Visual Arts Scotland - Alight 2019

Marianne Hazlewood with her series of six watercolour paintings of Arisaemas - at the RHS Botanical Art Show in 2019 when this exhibit won a Gold Medal.

More about Marianne Hazlewood

Website https://www.mariannehazlewood.co.uk/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mariannehazlewood/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Marianne.E.Hazlewood/
My blog posts
- RHS London Botanical Art Show 2019 - Awards and Medal Winners (July 2019) - when Marianne won her first Gold Medal (I'm sure there will be more)
- Marianne Hazlewood wins award at Visual Arts Scotland - Alight 2019 (February 2019)
- Marianne Hazlewood in Society of Scottish Artists Exhibition - opens TODAY! (December 2018) - one of a very few botanical artists who exhibits in the annual exhibitions of national art societies which show a range of fine artwork.
- Marianne Hazlewood - first solo exhibition (August 2018) - at the Pittenweem Festival on the coast of Fife in Scotland.
- RBGE Diploma Graduation Show 2017 - where Marianne won the the Eve Bennett Award for Botanical Illustration (September 2017)

PS With profuse apologies to Marianne for not posting this earlier!

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A Major Exhibitions UPDATE - in art galleries and online

6/10/2020

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After a very long time when it seemed like there might not be another botanical art exhibition, suddenly there are a lot all at once.

I'm going to be writing more about some of those listed below but felt the need to alert you all to what's on to look at right now.

I'm differentiating between

those exhibitions which are in galleries i.e. you can actually visit and
those which are online - which continues to be a popular option for many!

BELOW You can find summary details of exhibitions between now and the end of 2020:

13 botanical art exhibitions in art galleries (and one postponed until 2021)
6 virtual art exhibitions online

If I've left any exhibition out please do not hesitate to leave a comment below with details or contact me

â€‹You can find details of exhibitions all year round in my EXHIBITION section on this website - where you can also provide details for exhibitions you'd like to have listed at the bottom on https://www.botanicalartandartists.com/exhibitions.html

Botanical Art Exhibitions in Galleries

The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art has finally reopened after being closed for six months - after lots of risk assessments and with controlled entry and a one way system - with two NEW exhibitions - which both opened on saturday 3rd October and run until â€‹Sunday 14 March 2021.
â€‹

â€‹Paradise Lost
2020 marks the 200th anniversary of the death of Sir Joseph Banks on 19 June 1820.
â€‹See my blog post last year about the anniversary and this exhibition - Banks 2020: Jan Hendrix at Shirley Sherwood Gallery Kew.

Flowers Delight in the Detail
This exhibition of paintings from the collection of Shirley Sherwood comprises the work of botanical artists and illustrators who focus on the detailed aspects of plants from around the world. It includes artwork resulting from magnification and dissection.â€‹ Exhibiting artists include: Brigid Edwards (see below), Denise Ramsay and Liz Fraser.

crop of a King Protea by Brigid Ewards

Exhibition: â€˜Birr Castle Demesne through the Artistâ€™s eyeâ€™
Venue: Birr Castle - which includes award-winning gardens
Dates: Sunday 13 September to Saturday 24 October 2020
Hours: 9am - 6pm
Admission: FREE
â€‹All art is for sale.â€‹

Plants & Co. - Plants and Insects by Asuka Hisihiki and Maria Sibylla Merian
An exhibition in collaboration with the Kunstkabinett Strehler from Sindelfingen
Venue: Forum Botanische Kunst (Forum Botanical Art)
Obere HauptstraÃŸe 18, D-97291 ThÃ¼ngersheim (near WÃ¼rzburg in northern Bavaria)
Original dates cancelled due to Pandemic
RESCHEDULED Dates: October 3 to December 6, 2020
Participating artists: Asuka Hishiki and Maria Sibylla Merian

â€‹This exhibition presents:

over twenty original copper engravings and watercolors by Maria Sibylla Merian in very good condition.
original watercolors and prints by Asuka Hishiki

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UPDATED: Guide to Online Botanical Art Instruction & Courses

29/9/2020

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I've UPDATED my page which provides a Guide to Online Botanical Art Instruction & Courses - to take account of the many developments since the Pandemic started.

It's clear that face to face workshops and classes are going to be very few and far between for some time to come - and I hope all those that are running them have got adequate insurance!

In the meantime there has been a bit of an explosion of botanical art instruction on Zoom and Facebook Live and other platforms where it is possible to have interactive experiences between tutor and student.

I felt very challenged as to how make it simpler for people to understand the different - and proliferating - options on offer. At one point I thought a separate Zoom page was the answer - and then realised that Zoom is a vehicle and platform rather than a category in its own right.

So the page has now been revised, edited and re-categorised as follows.
Plus I've pushed it up the Education Menu as I think it's going to be used rather more often over the next year or so.

Content

This is what you can find on the page - and I make no apologies for providing a lot of explanation about how it all works at the beginning.

SUMMARIES of:

WHAT Online Botanical Art Instruction is
WHO benefits from online instruction
WHERE you can learn about botanical art online
WHO PROVIDES online botanical art instruction
HOW Botanical Art is taught online

+ FAQS CHECKLIST about Online Learning Options
This is based on Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS) by prospective students (from my Facebook Survey). I recommend students use this as a basis for evaluating alternative options 

OVERVIEW of Online Botanical Art Courses / Videos

This indicates the different types of provision.
While researching "who offers what" in relation to botanical art instruction online, I found that instruction, courses, tutors and fees payable are described in VERY different ways - hence the need to sort and categorise!

DETAIL

I then provide a detailed summary of every provider I know that is providing botanical art instruction online, with:

some detail about the provider
course offering
links to relevant websites
fees or subscriptions payable

Which means that if I've got the categories right, you can compare "like with like".

Who gets on - and stays on - depends on whether I am confident in their abilities and capability in terms of teaching online. That might be the next thing up for review

Keep up to date with Botanical Art Learning Opportunities
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Let me know.....

If you are a teacher
with a developed BOTANICAL ART instruction offering online and you are NOT on the list, then you can contact me.

PLEASE USE MY ADD my ONLINE course (for tutors) FORM - AFTER you have reviewed the information I need from you

If you are a botanical art student
PLEASE COMPLETE the Review of Online Botanical Art Courses form
It would help me greatly if you could:

EITHER Tell me what sort of course you'd ideally like to do online
AND/OR Tell me what you "need to know" before you choose an online course and decide to pay a fee or subscription.
AND/OR Provide feedback about any online courses you have paid for and taken. e.g. Why did you opt for online learning? Who provided the course? Did course delivery meet your expectations - based on information provided? What did you have access to and do? Did you find it helpful? What did you like/not like? Was any aspect disappointing?

PLEASE NOTE COMMENTS ARE NOT PUBLISHED ONLINE - unless you indicate permission to use them for testimonials.

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