NEWS about Botanical Art and for Botanical Artists

Coronavirus, Courses and Cancellations

27/2/2020

The extensive coverage of the Coronavirus by news media and responses locally, nationally and internationally might suggest that it's time to panic.

I absolutely disagree.

Below are CHECKLISTS for both course providers and students of some of the sensible things you can do to ensure your course goes ahead and you avoid problems with both bookings and cancellations.

Digital rendering of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus protease as a target for antiviral drugs.

I'm hearing stories about nervous individuals deciding that they don't want to travel - who are cancelling bookings for art courses.

I would argue that proper preparation is infinitely preferable to panic - for all concerned.

Firstly a bit of perspective is needed.

This is NOT a pandemic.
Although this virus is nasty, over 80% of people only experience a mild illness for a few days and 98% recover.
The virus is only marginally nastier than the flu viruses we have every winter.
Like flu, those most at risk are those who are very young and very old and frail.
Scientists expect the coronavirus will start to disappear as the weather warms up - in the same way that flu does.
It's extremely unlikely that the whole world is going to go into "lockdown"!

Next if everybody is following sensible booking practices as both instructors and students then there is absolutely no reason for panic.

Might I suggest that now is the time for some calm and sensible reappraisal of

HOW you plan for and book botanical art courses and botanical art holidays
BY both course providers and students

Below are my suggested checklists of practical actions and precautions to promote continued bookings!

For Botanical Art Teachers / Instructors / Tutors

Potential students need helpful communication in order to feel confident about booking.

If you are an independent Course Provider and you don't already have a very clear and explicit set of Terms and Conditions for your courses / classes / workshops / holidays covering Cancellations by either provider or student can I suggest you get one sorted ASAP!

If you do have one, you might want to reflect on whether it is really obvious on all relevant pages of your website and/or communication with course participants.

BASIC POINTS

A booking is a contract
- Contracts all need terms and conditions. These govern disputes.
- These should always be documented and not just verbal.
Terms and Conditions:
- It's good practice when communicating details of courses to provide a pdf file of Terms and Conditions for download - and to make this obvious on your website.
- If your Term and Conditions are only included as a footer, I recommend you make this much more obvious if you want to continue to encourage bookings. I'd suggest you have a downloadable pdf copy available on every course page.
- Do you also send a copy of Terms and Conditions to all those enquiring about courses - and record when this was sent?
- Do you date Terms and Conditions - so you know who has got the current statement?
- Do your Terms and Conditions provide for these to be updated?
Terms and Conditions MUST cover Cancellations and Refunds - specifically:
- basis for refunding deposits and/or whole cost of course. Provisions need to be spelt out in terms of written notification in relation to a defined time period - in terms of a precise number of days or weeks
- the basis for refunding deposits is usually different to that for refunding the whole cost of a course. These can vary. They should be reasonable.
- Terms cannot be imposed or changed after the booking (i.e. contract) has been made - unless both parties agree or unless the contract (Terms and Conditions) provides for this to happen (i.e. arbitrary change is not allowed and provides scope for legal challenge)
- Students should be advised about THEIR need to ensure that they have personal insurance to cover the cost of cancellation and curtailment of the course BEFORE they complete a booking.
Booking Forms: Does your booking form ask students to confirm that
- they have read the Terms and Conditions relating to the Booking - including the stated provision re cancellations and/or curtailment of courses?
- they have taken out personal insurance re cancellation / curtailment etc (it always helps to remind students yet again of their own responsibilities re insurance and covering costs of cancellation!)

We strongly recommend that at the time of booking a comprehensive travel insurance policy is purchased which includes cancellation and curtailment cover.
A prominent statement on one tutor's courses website

For Botanical Art Students booking instruction

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Ask an expert: botanical art surgery - with Deborah Lambkin at Kew Gardens on 1st March

23/2/2020

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Next Sunday there's another Botanical Art Surgery with an expert at Kew Gardens - and the expert this time is Deborah Lambkin - winner of the prestigious Jill Smythies Award in 2019.

Expert: Deborah Lambkin
Venue: Main Gallery of the Shirley Sherwood Art Gallery, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew
Date: Sunday 1st March 2020
Time: 11am - 3pm

I’m doing the next Botanical Art Surgery in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery @kewgardens next Sunday 1st March. I’ll be painting a bit and chatting about botanical art mostly. Will show a few bits and pieces that I am working on too. 11 til 3. pic.twitter.com/uvymD9HoU2
— Deborah Lambkin (@DeborahLambkin) February 22, 2020

About Deborah Lambkin

Deborah Lambkin after being presented with the Jill Smythies Award 2019 | Permission of The Linnean Society of London

Some facts about Deborah Lambkin:

born in Ireland but now lives in London
trained at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin
official orchid artist for the RHS Orchid Committee since 2005 - and has painted over 200 different orchids
winner of the Linnean Society's Jill Smythies Award in 2019
an artist member of the RHS Picture Panel which judges exhibits at the RHS Botanical Art Shows
One of only two Irish artists (to date) to win a gold medal at the RHS exhibition, the other being Wendy F. Walsh.
She won an RHS Gold Medal for her collection of eight paintings of nerines in 1999.
Contributes paintings to Curtis's Botanical Magazine regularly.
This is an article she wrote about Dealing with plant specimens – Deborah Lambkin

Social Media Accounts

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Call for Entries - Margaret Flockton Award 2020

19/2/2020

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Entries are now being accepted for the Margaret Flockton Award for Excellence in Scientific Botanical Illustration 2020.

Illustrators from around the world are asked to submit:

original scientifically accurate taxonomic illustrations completed since March 2018
These are highly detailed monochrome (black and white) drawings primarily undertaken in pen and ink, pencil or rendered using digital software.
They must clearly highlight all of the distinctive features of the species - as highlighted in the published taxonomic description of the plant .

All submissions must be in a digital format.
The deadline for digital online entry is Monday 2nd March 2020 (EST)

You can read more about it on:

the Margaret Flockton Award page on the RBGS website
the page about The Margaret Flockton Award for Excellence in Scientific Botanical Illustration on this website - where I break out and summarise all the important things you need to know if you want to enter - on one page

Crop of one small part (less than 25%) of the scientific botanical illustration which won first prize in 2019

The Margaret Flockton Award is unique amongst international art awards. This is because it

focuses exclusively on contemporary scientific botanical illustration (as distinct from botanical art) - which must be monochrome and 2D
commemorates the contribution Margaret Flockton made to Australian scientific botanical illustration.

The award is sponsored by The Maple Brown Family and the Foundation & Friends of the Botanic Gardens.
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Margaret Flockton Award Prizes 2020
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Most taxonomic botanical illustrators enter this award competition because of the credibility "awarded" to those selected for the exhibition. This is, of course, enhanced for all those who win the award or come second or get a "highly commended"

However the cash award for this international botanical illustration competition are significant.

First prize: AU$5,000;
Second prize: AU$2,000;
3 x Highly Commended.

In addition this Award brings additional benefits. First it is low cost

entry is free and
there are no costs involved in submitting your illustrations because it is all digital!

Plus you can also sell a print of your illustration direct to interested parties with no commission deducted. Those selected for the exhibition can sell prints of their work direct from their websites or email addresses to the public and collectors (meaning no commission is deducted by RBGS).

Overall it's a "win win" award for all concerned!

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Margaret Flockton Award 2020 - Exhibitions
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The exhibition will be held in the three different gardens which make up the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney.

Royal Botanic Garden Sydney - Joseph Maiden Theatre (Saturday 9 May - Sunday 24 May 2020, daily 10am - 4pm) enter via Woolloomooloo Gate on Mrs Macquaries Road
The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan - The Australian PlantBank (Tuesday 2 June - Friday 31 July 2020, weekdays 10am - 4pm)
The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah - Visitor Centre (Tuesday 3 November - Sunday 13 December 2020, daily 10am - 4pm)

I'll be doing further blog posts about the artists selected for the exhibition and the prizewinners.

You can follow the two botanical illustrators who administer this Award on their Instagram Page https://www.instagram.com/rbg_illustration/

View this post on Instagram

Last stop for the 2019 Margaret Flockton Award Exhibition @bluemountainsbotanicgarden, Mount Tomah. 9 August to 15 September. Enjoying the view whilst bumping in, but not the tangled nylon cords!! #scientificillustration #bluemountainsbotanicgarden #margaretflocktonaward #botanicalillustrationpenandink #botanicalillustration

A post shared by Catherine W & Lesley E (@rbg_illustration) on Aug 7, 2019 at 9:03pm PDT

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British Wild Flowers - botanical art exhibition at Easton Walled Garden

14/2/2020

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Botanical Art Exhibition: British Wild Flowers
This is an exhibition of 38 original botanical artworks about wild flowers found in Britain by Dawn Wright FSBA, Dianne Sutherland FSBA and Polly Sutherland.

The Sutherland Corner - watercolours on vellum by Dianne Sutherland and graphite drawings by Polly Sutherland

Venue: Coach House, Easton Walled Gardens
Dates: Saturday 15th February - Sunday 15th March 2020
(On usual open days: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays but not 12th March)
Hours: 11am - 4pm

It's open daily during snowdrop week (16th-23rd Feb)
After that, it's open on their usual open days (Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays) beginning 1st March until 15th March.
However, sadly it's NOT open this weekend as originally planned (Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th) due to the forecast of very high winds from Storm Denis (the Menace) and possible flooding.

Botanical watercolour paintings of plants with white blooms by Dawn Wright

The exhibition features work by botanical artists

Dawn Wright - painting in watercolour on paper. Dawn is a Fellow of the Society of Botanical Artists, a member of the Northamptonshire Botanical Artists' Society, the Eden Project Florilegium Society and the American Society of Botanical Artists.
Dianne Sutherland - painting in watercolour on vellum. Dianne was elected to membership of the Society of Botanical Artists in 2012 and is also a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists. She has been a regular exhibitor at RHS botanical art shows and with the SBA. She has work in the permanent collection at the Hunt Institute of Botanical Illustration in the USA and the Sydney Florilegium in Australia.
Polly Sutherland - working in graphite on paper. Polly graduated in both a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Lancaster University and an MA in Art in Science from Liverpool John Moores University. She specialises in detailed drawings of microscopic and botanical forms, working with both graphite and coloured pencil.
In addition, there are 3 joint paintings of dissections by Polly and Dianne in graphite and watercolour
All original artwork (except for 3 pieces) is for for sale. Plus limited edition prints, regular prints and cards are available.

Do please make an effort to visit as it's always very sad for artists when they create an exhibition - and then "life happens" and gets in the way. Dawn tells me that the paths are barked but it's wise to wear boots. Also the tea rooms are excellent, but 5,000 people visit during snowdrop week(!) so it can get very crowded that week. I'm planning to visit early in March.

By way of a bit of temptation, here are some more photographs of the exhibition and the artwork.

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RIP Hazel Morris (1945 - 2020)

31/1/2020

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Hazel Morris passed away peacefully yesterday morning. This is a post which aims to remember her - with words from her SSBA colleagues and friends and Hazel herself plus my thanks for the help she gave me.

Hazel Morris (21st June 1945 - 30th January 2020)

Yesterday I received a very sad email from Kathy Munro, Secretary of the Scottish Society of Botanical Artists .

It is with great sadness that I inform you of the death of Hazel Forsyth Morris who passed away peacefully this morning in St Columba’s Hospice.

Hazel had been unwell for sometime. She was positive about her illness and determined to carry on with as much of her life as possible, without sharing her anxieties with others.

Hazel was a founder member of the SSBA in 2014 and became a Trustee and Director. She was the first Chairperson, a role that she undertook for four years with dedication and pride. She continued contributing to the SSBA as a Director and Trustee during 2019.

Her major contribution was the establishment of the SSBA annual exhibitions through her Chairing and co-ordination of the Exhibitions Committee. Most recently in November 2019 Hazel was pleased to be asked to present Mary O’Neill with the ‘People’s Award’ from the Whitehouse Gallery Exhibition. An exhibition that was a result of Hazel's hard work and negotiations.

Hazel is known to many Botanical Artists whom she met at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh and classes held by Fiona and Robert McNeill. She also met many international artists through her work with the BISCOT committee that she joined in 2010 and was latterly the artist's contact person. She always acknowledged that she learnt so much about exhibiting from her BISCOT colleagues and friends.

Hazel loved snowdrops and tulips so I thought I would share with you her painting of a snowdrop that has been on the SSBA web site for some time.

Hazel on Hazel - her SSBA profile

You can see Hazel's profile in relation to her botanical art on the SSBA website. You can read what she has to say about herself and her botanical art below.

The image at the top of this post is of Hazel at the Callander Park exhibition where her iris painting was 'Commended'.

I began my adult working life as a Home Economics teacher, and painted in watercolours, mainly landscapes, as a hobby and a way of relaxing.

After marrying, I accompanied my civil engineer husband as he worked mainly abroad, making homes and living in a number of countries in the Far East before returning to the UK to care for elderly parents. It was only after these family commitments were discharged that I was able to start thinking about taking up painting again.

I had been very interested in botanical painting for a number of years, influenced mainly, I think, by the work of Elizabeth Blackadder whose botanical paintings I saw regularly in Festival art exhibitions, and was fascinated by, complete with coffee stains, obvious alterations, and other marks on them; and yet, the marks somehow far from detracting, seemed to add to their artistic integrity.

However, it was only after picking up a booklet for educational courses at the RBGE that the possibility of studying this fascinating and complex form of art became a reality. I have now been painting botanical art for about nine years and attend Fiona Strickland’s class weekly.

In 2010 I was asked to join the committee of Botanical Images Scotia (BISCOT) and this has afforded me the opportunity of seeing at first hand, some of the best and most original work being created in botanical illustration today.

Snakes Head Fritillaries by Hazel Morris

Hazel was a perennial member of the weekly botanical art class in Falkirk held by Fiona Strickland and Robert McNeill.

Hazel centre back of Fiona Strickland's Botanical Art Ladies in the weekly class at Falkirk

Hazel Morris - drawing a specimen in her sketchbook in class

I received a contribution (below) from Fiona this morning - plus photos of:

Hazel in her weekly botanical art class - and I've had many comments that she is a very fondly remembered member of that class.
a gorgeous photo of Hazel by Fiona taken at our very first post SBA Annual Exhibition dinner in London - at Carluccios.

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Denver Botanic Gardens: Illustrator in Residence 2020 - applications invited

30/1/2020

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Applications are invited from experienced botanical illustrators for the School of Botanical Illustration 2020 Residency Programme at the Denver Botanic Gardens.

It will interest all botanical illustrators who have completed a certificate in botanical illustration, like to travel to draw and paint new plants and are capable of teaching a workshop. The Residency offers a stipend of $4,000 to cover the essential costs (offset costs of travel and transportation, art supplies, and living expenses.) of the six week residency between June and October 2020.

The Illustrator in Residence Program is an exciting opportunity for illustrators to find inspiration in the natural beauty of Denver Botanic Gardens and further their practice with in-depth access to the Gardens’ extensive scientific collections. Residents will illustrate the Garden’s collections and landscapes with a focus on documenting plants native to the Rocky Mountain region, supporting the
Gardens’ dedication to preservation, conservation, education and biodiversity.

This file provides all the details of the Residency - which I also summarise below.

sbai_illustrator_residency_2020.pdf
File Size:	270 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

The deadline for submissions is Feb. 29, 2020 11:59 p.m. (Mountain Standard Time)

VENUE
Denver Botanic Gardens 1007 York Street, Denver, CO 80206

This page provides an overview of the Gardens
This is a link to a map of the York Street Gardens and facilities

Denver Botanic Garden from above

ARTISTS IN RESIDENCE
In recent years, the SBAI at Denver Botanic Gardens has had a number of botanical artists participate in their Residency Programme including:

2015: Ikumi Kayama (USA) and Benjamin Cardenas Valderrama (Colombia)
2016: Lauren Bassing (USA) and John Pastoriza-Piñol
2017: Katherine Rudebusch (USA) and Isik Guner
2018: Asuka Hishiki

READ about Isik Guner's experience during her residency in 2017 - Artist Residency in Denver Botanic Gardens

SEE EXAMPLES of the artwork produced in the blog posts by the School of Botanical Illustration a Denver Botanical Gardens.

2018 Residency Artwork for the Denver Collection by Asuka Hishiki

SCOPE OF THE RESIDENCY
The scope of this residency features two key elements:

Creation of a body of work supporting the mission of Denver Botanic Gardens, particularly focused on plants native to Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region.
Leading one 3-day workshop for 12 students in the Gardens’ School of Botanical Art and Illustration. This workshop will focus on a technique or media that the resident specializes in, subject to the approval of the Gardens. Dates of the workshop will be determined based on the residency timeframe. PLUS interaction with visitors is optional though highly encouraged, promoting public understanding and appreciation of the natural world and offering an opportunity for visitors to see the Gardens through the eyes of an artist.

Opportunities could include:

Offering an open studio to share works in progress
Conducting demonstrations for the public
Writing blog posts for the Gardens’ website

DURATION OF THE 2020 RESIDENCY

six weeks between June 9 and October 9, 2020.
40 hours a week engaged in residency activities, ideally Monday through Friday although some flexibility is possible.
Optional professional development opportunities like lectures or programs may also be available to the resident during evenings and weekends.

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Four botanical artists selected for residency at Oak Spring Garden

28/1/2020

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Last August I wrote about the call for entries for the inaugural Botanical Artists in Residence Program (BAiR) offered by the Oak Spring Garden Foundation (see Call for Entries: Botanical Artists in Residence Program at the Oak Spring Foundation).

On Friday the Oak Spring Foundation announced that not one but FOUR botanical artists had been selected for their inaugural 2020 Botanical Artists in Residence (BAiR) program.

The botanical artists are:

Keiko Nibu Tarver (Japan/USA)
John Pastoriza-Piñol (Australia)
Maria Alice de Rezende (Brazil)
Fátima Zagonel (Brazil)

They were chosen through a competitive selection process in partnership with the American Society of Botanical Artists.

Below there's a brief bio of each of them and then an explanation of what happens during their residencies.

Four botanical artists in residence

Interestingly all but Keiko Nibu Tarver already appear in my listings of leading botanical artists on this website. (I plead the fact, as indicated, that the USA listing is still a work in progress and incomplete).

Links in their names go to either their websites or another web page about their work.

John Pastoriza-Piñol (Australia)

contemporary botanical artist based in Melbourne, Australia
completed his docturmiento in Botany at University of Vigo, Galicia, in Spain
Awards: Won an RHS Gold Medal (2005); received the ASBA Dianne Bouchier Award for Excellence in Botanical Art (2013) and a grant from The Australia Council for the Arts (2016) which enabled him to spend a 3 month residency in New York.
Collections: his work is held in numerous public and private collections around the world and is included in several major Florilgium projects including the Highgrove and Transylvanian Florilegia.
Currently represented by Scott Livesey Galleries, Australia.
Teaching: teaches intermediate/advanced classes at the Geelong Botanic Gardens and workshops around the world

Magnolia x soulangeana by John Pastoriza-Piñol

Maria Alice de Rezende (Brazil)

currently based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Graduated from the National School of Fine Arts at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
Works as an art teacher as well as a botanical illustrator on projects with researchers at the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden. Her current project is involves illustrating the biodiversity of the South Atlantic Islands.
Her main creative practice is her personal work of illustration of native species of Brazilian flora.
Awards: Margaret Mee Fellowship Programme Artist Scholar (2004) at the Royal Botanic Gardens in 2004
Exhibitions: her work has been exhibited in Japan, Brazil, the UK, and the US - including the 16th International Exhibition at the Hunt Institute in 2019.

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