NEWS about Botanical Art and for Botanical Artists

RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show 2023

23/3/2023

The RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show 2023 opens at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea on 16th June and continues until 9th July 2023.

So you have just over three weeks to view the latest exhibits and the RHS medals awarded.

Interestingly, this year it is NOT scheduled to coincide with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show which is, of course, held in May every year (normally).

Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea (just off the Kings Road, near Sloane Square Underground Station)

Things you need to know:

The exhibition is open from 10am to 6pm each day
Tickets must be booked via the Saatchi Gallery website - but are not yet on sale. In previous years the way it works is that Entry is £5, however....
If the arrangement is the same as previous years: Admission will be free for members of the RHS and the Saatchi Gallery - on production of your membership card. You need to insert the code provided by RHS in the appropriate space on the booking page to get free access. (The code is usually provided in emails about upcoming events and the RHS Magazine sent to members and is sent to members only - but I've just checked and there have been no email about this as yet).

Viola atropurpurea Nigel Pickering (1957-2021), RHS Gold medal and Best Botanical Art Exhibit 2022. Subsequently purchased for the RHS Botanical Art Collection

Charlotte Brooks, the Art Curator and Secretary of the Picture Committee which selects artists for the exhibition gave a very interesting talk on 400 Years of Botanical Art last week (for Julia Trickey Talks) - about the RHS Botanical Art Collection. She commented on:

how the RHS Art Collection has been enhanced by purchasing artwork exhibited at the RHS Botanical Art Show to fill gaps in the collection - such as one of the paintings by Nigel Pickering (1957-2021) highlighted above (which formed part of the Best Exhibit at the 2022 Show.
there are plans to have various events associated with the Show - which I understand may well include another talk. Sounds like a tour of the exhibition to me!

I'll provide updates - either on this blog or my Facebook Page - on what more is happening on the ticketing front and other events as and when I'm notified or find out.

For more about the RHS Botanical Art Shows - past, present and future - see various dedicated pages on my website. You can read about the process leading up to being selected for the Exhibition - plus information and tips for potential future exhibitors - from RHS Gold Medal Winners! (eg. the deadline for entries for this

RHS Botanical Art Shows
ARCHIVE: RHS Botanical Art Shows 2007-2022
Exhibit Titles at RHS Botanical Art Shows - which helps you understand what's been done before
Tips from RHS Botanical Art Gold Medal Winners (in EDUCATION)
Calls for Entries - Open Exhibitions

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REFERENCE Previous posts about the RHS Botanical Art Show

2022:

RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show 2022 - I was unable to personally attend this one as I was still mobilising on one leg!
RHS Botanical Art Awards 2022
RHS Gold Medal Winners - Botanical Art Show 2022
RHS Silver Gilt Medals - Botanical Art Show 2022
RHS Silver Medals - Botanical Art Show 2022

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Three New Exhibitions at Kew Gardens announced

22/3/2023

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On the 1st April 2023, three new exhibitions open at The Shirley Sherwood Gallery in Kew Gardens:

The Wonderful World of Water Plants - botanical art and illustrations
Plants of the Qu'ran - a series of 25 botanical paintings by Sue Wickison
All the Flowers Are for Me - two installations by Anila Quayyum Agha

Brief descriptions of each are below.

The exhibitions are on from 1 April to Sunday 17 September 2023.

The Wonderful World of Water Plants

This exhibition in Galleries 5 and 6 comprises botanical art about plants that live their lives in water. It includes artwork from the Shirley Sherwood Collection about world-class water lilies, lavish lotuses, fascinating ferns and sensational sea grapes! ⁠

I'll be highlighting the botanical artists whose work is in this exhibition when I review it. I'm certainly expecting to see artwork by Beverley Allen, Pandora Sellars, Phansakdi Chakkaphak, Katherine Manisco and Lucy Smith.

Plants of the Qu'ran (Gallery 1 and 2)

The top half of my invitation to the Private View

sGalleries 1 and 2 will provide a world premiere of a newly completed series of 26 botanical paintings about the Plants of The Qur’an by Sue Wickison - plus a showcase of preliminary drawings and a video about the project (see below).

In search of accurate reference for the plants mentioned in the Holy Qur’ān, Sue has travelled to a number of countries including the UAE from the Empty Quarter in Abu Dhabi, into the deserts in Sharjah and to remote mountain farms in Oman to see heritage plants that have been grown for generations.

Developed in collaboration with Kew Botanist Dr Shahina Ghazanfar, this unique exhibition highlights the cultural, agricultural and botanical significance of a variety of plants referenced in the Qur’an.

Prior to moving to New Zealand, Sue Wickison was a botanical illustrator working for Kew for nine years on a variety of publications and has achieved a number of notable achievements - including this one.

Sue is also doing a talk about the project as part of Julia Tricket Talks on 27th April. I'm also personally looking forward to meeting up with Sue again very soon and having a long chat with her about this project and exhibition - and a few other things....

REFERENCE:

All the Flowers Are for Me

The large Gallery 3 has an exhibition of contemporary art which showcases two stunning pieces by the Pakistani-American contemporary artist Anila Quayyum Agha

Anila Quayyum Agha (b. Lahore, Pakistan) received her BFA from the National College of Arts, Lahore and an MFA from the University of North Texas.

All the Flowers are for Me is a large, laser-cut steel cube suspended from the ceiling which is inspired by patterns used in Islamic art and architecture. This will fill the gallery space with elaborate floor-to-ceiling shadow patterns - as you can see if you click the link in the title of the piece.

Stealing Moments (After Morris and Dürer), I and II, is a new work. It is receiving its UK premiere at Kew Gardens. This wall-mounted piece, constructed from stainless steel, is inspired by Great Piece of Turf , a watercolour by the pioneering botanical artist Albrecht Dürer. It is intended to demonstrate the constant evolution of botanical art forms, and highlights how traditional botanical painting remains a source of inspiration for contemporary art.

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Spring 2023 Banner: Primula Auricula by Pierre-Joseph Redouté

1/3/2023

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Today is the first day of Meteorological Spring - and it's time to change the banner on this website and my Facebook Page.

I try to keep the plant relevant to the season where I live, so the new banner is based on Primula auricula var. by Pierre-Joseph Redouté - which is plate 139 of Choix des plus belles fleurs (The most beautiful flowers).

Below you can find out more about both flower and the book.

PicturePrimula Auricula by Pierre-Joseph Redouté - which is plate 139 of Choix des plus belles fleurs (The most beautiful flowers).

Primula Auricula var. by Pierre-Joseph Redouté - plate 139 of "Choix des plus belles fleurs" (The most beautiful flowers).

About Primula auricula

The plate is titled (lower right) Primula auricula var.
On the lower left is the phrase "Oreilles d'ors" aka Bear Ears and the 'signature' of Pierre-Joseph Redouté

Primula auricula, often known as auricula, mountain cowslip or bear's ear, is a species of flowering plant in the family Primulaceae, that grows on basic rocks in the mountain ranges of central Europe, including the western Alps, Jura Mountains, the Vosges, the Black Forest and the Tatra Mountains.

About 'Choix des plus belles fleurs'

I have a reproduction of Choix des plus belles fleurs in my HUGE "The Book of Flowers" by H Walter Lack with illustrations by Pierre Joseph Redoute published in a multilingual edition by Taschen. (see my page dedicated to Redoute for my summary review of it - and what you need to know before you order a copy!)

Facts about Redoute and this publication

Choix des plus belles fleurs was issued in 36 parts between 1827 and 1833
It contains 144 hand-colored stipple engravings of fruit as well as flowers which are superb quality in terms of printmaking
Redouté (1759-1840) was 68 when the book began being published
Its full title is extremely long according to Walter Lack - Choix des plus belles fleurs prise dans differentes famililles due regne vegetal et de quelques branches des plus beaux fruits: Dédié à LL. AA. RR. les princesses Louise et Marie d'Orléans
its preface is used by Redouté to reflect on his long life and many noteworthy achievements.

Full title of the Choix des plus Belles Fleurs

Writers in old age frequently resolve to publishing, as 'selected works', a number of their most successful texts. Through this they are able to refresh their reputation and to obtain royalties that may assist them financially in their twilight years. Pierre-Joseph Redouté too, it seems thought of doing such a thing when he decided to publish his own selection, his Choix, at the age of 68.
H. Walter Lack in a retrospective comment on Pierre-Joseph Redouté's selection

This publication was a luxurious book and was is, in effect, part of the "greatest hits" section of his very celebrated career:
- in mid career he focused on multi-volume folio scientific monographs (the roses, the lilies, the succulent plants)
- in his later years he focused on elegant quarto albums that featured selections of the more beautiful or striking plants.
- the same method of printing the engravings in color and expertly finishing them by hand was used for this later work as for his highly celebrated Les Liliacées and Les Roses
- plant depictions still display many of the characteristics of his style e.g. leaves often shown front and back,
It's regarded by many as a masterpiece of his later years.
the book was dedicated to his pupils Louise and Marie d’Orléans, daughters of the Louis-Philippe who became King of the French in 1830.

The plates include

several plants recently introduced to Europe, among them
- one of the giant heathers from the Cape of Good Hope and
- a new hybrid magnolia Magnolia x soulangeana developed in France about 1820.
The irises and the roses - which echo the contents of Redouté’s two most celebrated books Les Liliacées and Les Roses.

Choix des plus belles fleurs - in its 36 original parts (from The Library of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Baron Fairhaven) was auctioned by Sotheby's in 2022 with an estimated valuation of £50-70,000.

REFERENCE

About Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759-1840)
This page is about the eminent botanical artist and royal flower painter Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759-1840). It includes

a timeline of his life and career
reference links to biographies and books about his life and work.
online galleries of images and exhibitions which display his work

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Auction of Vicki Matthews Collection of Botanical Art

28/2/2023

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Vicki Matthews is a distinguished British botanist, writer and botanical art collector. Tomorrow her collection of botanical art will be auctioned to benefit Vicki in her care home.

Vicki Matthews was

the Andrew Carnegie research associate University Edinburgh, 1966-1974;
curator herbarium of cultivated plants Royal Botanical Garden, Edinburgh, 1974-1986;
editor The Kew Magazine, 1986-1993;
editor The New Plantsman, Royal Horticultural Society, London, 1993-1995;
international clematis registrar, from 1995.

She was married to another botanist, Robert Brinsley Burbidge, and together they worked at the Fairchild Tropical Garden and Denver Botanic Garden.

She is also a member of the Linnean Society London and her published books include

Lilies (1989),
Contemporary Botanical Artists (1996) and
Gardening with Climbers (1997).

The Vicki Matthews Collection of Botanical Art covers lots 116-147 of the catalogue.
which includes:

a hand-coloured engraved plate by Georg Ehret
a watercolour by Mary Grierson (1912-2012) - one of the botanical illustrators at Kew
an etching and aquatint by Rory McEwen
a pair of colour printed aquatints by Rory McEwen
a painting of cowslips by Kathy Pickles

These are the details of the auction of her collection
Auctioneer: Dominic Winter Auctioneers
Link to auction embedded into title below
Title of Auction PRINTED BOOKS & MAPS NATURAL HISTORY & ORIGINAL ART ROYALTY POSTERS & PLAYING CARDS
Online Catalogue: https://dominicwinter.blob.core.windows.net/catalogue-pdf/DW_1March23.pdf
Date: 1 March 2023
Starts: 10am

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Plantae 2023: How to exhibit at the SBA's Annual Exhibition

24/2/2023

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This is a guide to Plantae 2023 the Annual OPEN Exhibition of the Society of Botanical Artists (SBA) in 2023 PLUS prizes - which includes one from me!

The DEADLINE for entry is midnight on 4th March 2023. This guide covers:

prizes and awards
who can enter,
what you can enter
how to enter
- terms and conditions
- digital entry website
- timeline
- how to produce a digital image
- how to price artwork
- VAT payable
- how is artwork selected
- how much does it cost
Exhibition details
REFERENCE: Reviews of past exhibitions - which include images of artwork

FOR THOSE NEW TO THE SBA EXHIBITION

I've been visiting and reviewing the annual exhibition of the Society of Botanical Artists since 2006 - to start with on my art blog Making A Mark and latterly on this website.

If you've not submitted before and want to get an idea of the standard of work that gets selected, my blog posts contain a lot of images of artwork selected for hanging (See the end of this article for how to access my reviews.)

Prizes and Awards

Prizes and are awarded at this exhibition (see below).
These vary between:

Traditional SBA Awards - awarded for many years
Monetary Awards - which cover
- the new John Waterman Award
- plus the one I award - the Making A Mark Award!
Art Materials Awards
Certificates of Botanical Excellence
Exhibiting Excellent Awards (certificate)

Check out who won awards last year in the links to posts at the bottom of this article.

CALL FOR ENTRIES

The website for the digital entry is https://soc-botanical-artists.oess1.uk/

This also contains the Full Details, Entry Terms & Conditions in https://soc-botanical-artists.oess1.uk/Home/Index/375 - which is not printable and is only viewable onscreen.

The following terms and conditions which apply to the use of the OESS entry system are also relevant to this open exhibition - see OESS Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy

NOTE: I'd like to recommend to SBA - as I am doing to other art societies using OESS - that in future ALL relevant information about the open exhibition should also be contained in a downloadable print-ready PDF on the SBA website - as well as viewable onscreen on the OESS website.

Who can enter

THIS IS AN OPEN EXHIBITION - That means that any visual artist, anywhere in the world, can enter if they produce botanical artwork in two or three dimensions - which meets the eligibility criteria (see next section below).

You do not have to be a member of the Society of Botanical Artists to submit an entry.

Botanical artists from other countries around the world frequently submit entries to this exhibition AND get selected for exhibition. (However you do need to be familiar with the rules and regulations on importing artwork to the UK for sale)

What you can enter

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ONLINE Botanical Art Exhibitions updated + new ARCHIVE page

4/1/2023

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I've just completed a major update of Online Botanical Art Exhibitions listed on Botanical Art and Artists. You can find content on

the main page Online / Virtual Exhibitions of Botanical Art and Illustration
the NEW ARCHIVE PAGE - which contains links which enable access to past exhibitions which are still available online

I'm expecting these pages to become an increasingly important record of exhibitions of botanical art and illustration as more and more organisations examine how they can display artwork on an appropriate platform. I'm hoping to write further on this latter topic in a future blog post.

Online / Virtual Exhibitions of
Botanical Art and Illustration

This page details:

CURRENT/RECENT Exhibitions - Typically all exhibitions listed in the current calendar year
UPCOMING Online Exhibitions - if these are notified to me in advance of 'publication'. There is also a form which you can use to provide the information asked for a listing.
how to find the ARCHIVE LISTING - including exhibitions still available online
ADVICE & TIPS for organisations planning future online exhibitions - this provides
- information and advice about the relevant considerations and practical aspects related to online exhibitions
- rules associated with selling botanical art online - and then getting it safely to the buyer.
- I'm very happy to add in links to advice sheets or other information about how to make life simple for those creating online exhibitions. Do please contact me or use the form at the bottom of the page.

You can find this page listed as "Online Exhibitions" second from the top of the menu under Exhibitions in the top line menu of the Botanical Art and Artists website.

ARCHIVE 2018 - 2022:
Past Online / Virtual Botanical Art Exhibitions

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Two International Botanical Art Exhibitions

31/12/2022

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I've been remiss, for various reasons, in not highlighting two international exhibitions at the end of 2022 on this blog to date. These are:

ASBA: 25th International Exhibition - at Wave Hill (finished 30th December 2022)
SBA: Online Plantae 2022 (finishes 3rd January 2023)

One of the reasons is that they were held by two long standing and prestigious botanical art societies who do an excellent job of promoting their exhibitions, member artists and the artwork in an exhibition online via Facebook.

However to maintain a record, I'm writing this post to record those who participated.

25th International Exhibition
American Society of Botanical Artists

Website: 25th Annual International Exhibition (including The artwork)
Facebook Page: American Society of Botanical Artists
Facebook Group: ASBA Members

Some of the artwork from the 25th International exhibition displayed on the ASBA Facebook Page - in individual posts

44 artworks were selected from 200 entries submitted by ASBA botanical artist members from around the world. Artists in the exhibition are from the US, Canada, Czech Republic, France, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, and the UK. Eleven have never been in an ASBA International exhibition.

The Exhibition was held at Wave Hill between 19th November and 30th December 2022.

THE ARTISTS

Artists included are:

Aislinn Adams,
Anastasiya Arvest,
Margaret Best,
Claudia Campazzo,
Hyunjin Cho,
Mary Crabtree,
Jesssica Daigle,
Mary Dillon,
Crystal Driedger,
Jean Emmons,
Akiko Enokido,
Christiane Fashek,
Ingrid Finnan,
Jane Fisher,
Lara Gastinger,
Gaye Grossman,
Damodar Lal Gurjar,
Diane Harm,
Albina P. Herron,
Asuka Hishiki,
Wendy Hollender,
Vincent Jeannerot,
Katy Lyness,
Lucy Martin,
Angela Mirro,
Sandy Morrison,
Keiko Nibu Tarver,
An Suk Park,
Sengmany Phommachakr,
Dr. Dick Rauh,
Betsy Rogers-Knox,
Kathy Schermer-Gramm,
Kaori Shimura,
Liz Shippam,
Kim Spink,
Maryna Stasyuk,
Anna Suprunenko,
Faye Van Wert,
Catherine Watters,
Kerri Weller, and
Carol Woodin.

THE AWARDS

Wave Hill Best in Show Award $500
Mary Dillon Abundance Punica granatum ‘Nana’ Watercolor on paper

Eleanor Wunderlich Award $500
Damodar Lal Gurjar Papaya Tree Carica papaya (Tempera on paper)

Brooklyn Botanic Garden Award for a Print or Drawing $500
Kathy Schermer-Gramm Common Blue Violet Viola sororia (Graphite on paper)

Honorable Mentions

Jean Emmons: Full Tilt Boogie Iris, Iris “Full Tilt Boogie’ Watercolor on vellum
Lara Call Gastinger Winter Meadow Daucus carota, Rhus copallinum, Andropogon virginicus, Agrostis sp., Phragmites sp. Watercolor on vellum
Katy Lyness Oh! My Darlin’! Triptych Citrus x clementina Colored pencil, watercolor, and gouache on paper
Lucy Martin Madrone Branch Arbutus menziesii Gouache and watercolor on paper
Liz Shippam Madresfield Court Grapes Vitis vinifera ‘Madresfield Court’ Watercolor on paper

THE JURY

Eileen Jeng Lynch, Curator of Visual Arts, Wave Hill,
Karen Kluglein, botanical artist, and
John Pastoriza-Piñol

The ASBA also organised a Virtual Artists Talk about works in the exhibition - which you can see on YouTube (see above)

The Catalog for the Exhibition is available from the ASBA website

Society of Botanical Artists

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