NEWS about Botanical Art and for Botanical Artists

The 20 Most Popular Pages about Botanical Art

31/12/2019

Today I'm sharing the 20 most popular pages on Botanical Art and Artists (excluding specific artists) over 2018-19.

See if you can predict what will be popular.
Do tell me if you're surprised by any of the rankings. I know I was! It's made me rethink some future plans - and also identified pages I need to work on some more.

One of the ways I try to improve Botanical Art and Artists is by paying attention to what interests visitors to the site. That's why I regularly look at the website statistics. Periodically I pull a pdf file of Google Analytics and take a look at which pages which get the most traffic and which pages which get the lowest and the highest bounce rates.

I've decided to limit the timeframe for the count to 2018 and 2019 as I've introduced quite a few new pages since it started, over 4.5 years ago, in April 2015. However sorting out the ranked order based on my Google Analytics data was not at all easy and I ended up using an Excel spreadsheet and sorting on two data sets!

BELOW:

Check to see if there are any popular pages you've missed on a website which now has well over 1,000 web pages and blog posts.
Visit the pages - links are embedded in the titles of the top 20 web pages ranked below in order of popularity

1. Past Masters of Botanical Art & Illustration (1500-1900)
This one is way out in front and has been ever since I created the site. It gets more hits than the home page! This particular page is really interesting as it highlights and summarises some of the famous botanical artists and illustrators and Past Masters - between 1500 and 1900 - from the UK, France, Netherlands / Flemish, Germany & Austria, Italy, Australasia, Africa - specifically South Africa, North and Central America and South America. Plus and other notable artists working within botanical art and illustration. (Note Famous Asian Botanical Artists (600 - 1500) from China, India and Japan are on a separate page - and I probably need to create a seperate page for Europe too)

2. NEWS about Botanical Art and for Botanical Artists
My News Blog started after the main site was created but has become very popular ever since. The number of subscribers also continues to climb

3. Tips and Techniques
Extremely popular right from the beginning. A good tip for any botanical artist wanting to create traffic to their website is to provides tips and techniques - for free - on your website or blog or social media site. People love them. Next best tip is alert me to your tip and if it's good enough then I'll add it into this resource page and you'll get even more traffic!

4. Best Botanical Art Instruction Books
A very popular page because I only list the books I rate and I also provide lots of reviews - and some of them are in-depth. This is a VERY long page with LOTS links to sub-pages which review books by specific people

5. What is Botanical Art?
The perennial question - hence the ranking. I try to provide an answer by quoting others on this topic. I add to it when I find a great new comment or insight.

6. Scientific Botanical Illustration
How to draw plants to scientific standards. This page includes basic instruction on what to do and what not to do when illustrating plants to scientific standards; drawing aids which promote accuracy in measurement and rendering in scientific illustration links to practical tips and techniques for botanical illustration from leading scientific botanical illustrators and organisations providing support for scientific illustration. Plus articles about the history of scientific botanical illustration and the development of contemporary Flora.

7. Botanical Artists and Illustrators UK
This page highlights artists and illustrators creating contemporary botanical art and illustration of distinction who are based on or born in the UK - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This page which has way more artists than any other continent or country in terms of people who qualify for the listing.

8. Plant Names and Botanical Latin
When recording a plant name wrong can affect the colour of medal you receive at an RHS Botanical Art Show it's worth making an effort to understand how plant names are constructed and how to write them. (There's a few artists who wish growers made the same effort!). Plus it's a topic which does not get a lot of coverage online!

9. How to draw and paint leaves and trees
I've been saying for a long time, botanical art is not just about painting flowers! The second thing I've remarked on more than a few times is there is a major market for the author who writes the definitive book on how to paint plants and trees. I get asked by publishers for names of artists I'd recommend for specific topics. If you're interested contact me.

This page is the "top tips" page dedicated to tips and techniques for how to draw and paint botanically correct trees and leaves. Drawing and watercolour painting instruction includes step by step demonstrations, videos and books. I'm currently working my way through an analysis of every instruction book in terms of how good it is in providing instruction for leaves and/or trees.

10. Contemporary Botanical Artists and Illustrators
This is the gateway to all the pages about the contemporary botanical artists and illustrators listed on this website who draw, paint and print plants and flowers AND have been recognised for their excellence and mastery of their individual approach to botanical art and illustration [Note Continent / country listings are not definitive. They're being updated all the time]

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Where can you find a botanical art course in England, Scotland and Wales in 2019?

21/1/2019

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My directory of short courses, classes and workshops in botanical art and/or illustration in England, Scotland and Wales has been updated to include all those being held in 2019 that have been:

notified to me and/or
are being venues which had courses last year.

The Miller's House at Flatford Mill - now a Field Centre offering workshops and short courses

Where can you find a botanical art course in 2019?

The list is organised geographically.
Each area is prefaced by a list of botanical art tutors listed in that section.
Each course is delisted after it has been held - hence now is the best time of year to get an insight into the short courses on offer.

Places with courses, classes or workshops in 2019 include include:

England

London
East Anglia - Cambridge, Essex, Suffolk
Midlands - Birmingham
North - Cheshire, Derbyshire, North Yorkshire
South and SE England - Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey, West Sussex
South West England - Bath, Bristol, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire

Scotland - Edinburgh

Wales

Cardiff,
Gwynedd,
Powys,
Vale of Glamorgan,
West Glamorgan

Hassop Hall Hotel in Bakewell, Derbyshire

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For your information

I can only list what I'm told about or find about - hence I don't pretend that this list is comprehensive.

This page ONLY lists Botanical Art & Illustration workshops, classes and courses

by Organisations
and/or at Educational Centres in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
and NOT in a private home.

(i.e. it's a reasonably safe bet that they comply with all relevant legislative and regulatory requirements for having third parties on their premises). I'm much less sure of compliance by domestic premises - hence why they are typically excluded.

Tutors and tuition providers can tell me about their course (if it has not been included) by providing the information requested at the bottom of the page and using the dedicated form for UK Course Information.

Reputable UK-based tutors are listed in the International Directory: Botanical Art Tutors (along with tutors around the world)

West Dean College in West Sussex

For Tuition in Other Countries

I'm also updating the courses in other countries and would appreciate updates.
See separate pages for Botanical Art Tuition offered in:

North America - USA, Canada and Caribbean
Australasia - Australia
Europe and North Africa - Austria, France, Ireland, Italy, Morocco Netherlands, Romania and Spain

These also have a form at the bottom of the page for tuition updates.
Courses in Africa, Asia and South and Central America will be added on separate pages in due course

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Botanical Art and Artists: looking back, looking forward

1/1/2019

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Today seems a good day to

look back at the momentous year for botanical art in 2018 and
look forward to what's happening in 2019 for botanical art and artists around the world

First I'd like extend all my readers my very best wishes for your botanical art and travels in 2019.

May your paper work properly, your brushes not drop hairs, your paints behave as they're supposed to, your pencils sharpen and keep their points, the frames arrive on time, your artwork not get lost on its travels post - and for you to discover new plants and tutors who inspire you to do more superb botanical artwork!

Botanical Art and Artists in 2018

I must confess I absolutely and totally ran out of steam re. covering botanical art towards the end of 2018 and had a very quiet few weeks towards the end of the year - despite a pile of books to review (which will now be reviewed this month - for all of you with money to spend from Christmas)!

Botanical Art Exhibitions

So much had been happening during the course of the year in relation to botanical art exhibitions around the world that I had to race to keep up - metaphorically speaking - for most of the year. (More literally, there was a point during the year when I could barely walk!). There were exhibitions I wanted to see that I just couldn't get to and ones which I've seen which I still need to write about....

Some of the Catalogues from the Worldwide Exhibition of Botanical Art currently on display at Kew

One of the main reasons for all this was the HUGELY successful Worldwide Exhibition of Botanical Art in 2018.

I LOVED seeing all the photos and videos about their exhibitions that people posted to Facebook and their websites. It really felt like a huge community effort by the botanical art community across the world.
I also loved writing the blog posts about all the exhibitors in the exhibitions (for which I had information). It was great to make contact with so many new groups (for me). I also learned so much about botanical artists worldwide - and all those who were listed in a blog post got a link to their website from mine!
In addition, it helped me write about a lot more artists across the world for my leading artist pages on the website

Decals decorate the exterior of the Gallery to mark the decade since it opened in April 2008.

Four other highlights were:

the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at Kew and its one millionth visitor - see One millionth visitor to the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art!
the visit by the Florilegium of RBG Sydney artists in April - for the exhibition of their work at Kew. See"The Florilegium: The Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney" exhibition at Kew Gardens and List of artists exhibited in "Down Under II: Works from the Shirley Sherwood Collection". It was a simply stunning exhibition and I met some lovely ladies for the first time - and I very much enjoyed what I now call "Australia Day" (which reminds me I still need to upload all those photos of the artists and Herbarium visit to Dropbox for you!)
the largest ever RHS Botanical Art Show in July - at which 16 GOLD MEDALS were awarded(!!!) - see RHS London Botanical Art Show 2018 - Awards and Medal Winners. Hye Woo Shin went one better than her previous Best Exhibit Award and received a Judges Special Award for her exhibit of "Plants of Dokdu Island"

Hye Woo Shin and her Special Judges Award for her RHS exhibit "Plants of Dokdu Island"

New Pages in 2018

There were a number of new pages on the website in 2018 - and there are lot more in draft. Probably the new pages are of most interest to students of botanical art are the ones about

Online Botanical Art Courses. I'll be looking to developing this further in 2019.
NEW Books about Botanical Art and Illustration - new Instruction books will remain on this page for 12 months after publication

Traffic growth

Growth in traffic to my website has been exponential in 2018.
Traffic has been on a marked upward trend since the website started in 2015. However, traffic is now three times more than that in 2016.

Botanical Art And Artists Traffic in 2018: No. of unique visitors (blue) and pageviews (green) per month

In 2018 my website received (see chart below)

654,354 pageviews (green column)
469,482 unique visitors (blue column) to my website

At one point this summer, I started to think I might make it to 1,000,000 visitors to my website by the end of the year! However although this didn't quite happen - it will be happening very soon - probably end of February/March! (you can see my counter in the right hand column). I must think of some way of celebrating!

This year I need to get into training so I don't run out of steam!

Botanical Art and Artists in 2019

I'm looking forward to some more great things for botanical art and from botanical artists in 2019. I'm going to say a few words below about

my plans for my website in 2019
exhibitions in 2019

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Sarah Jane Humphrey - being a botanical illustrator

13/12/2018

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Sarah Jane Humphrey in her studio

In this video, Sarah Jane Humphrey is interviewed by Melanie Chadwick about her career and how she found her way into a career in illustration and her own botanical illustration niche.

Sarah Jane Humphrey GM is a botanical and natural science illustrator, author, tutor and now shopkeeper.

2018 has been a big year for Sarah Jane

in June 2018, her book Botanical Art with Scientific Illustration was published. READ my REVIEW: Botanical Art with Scientific Illustration by Sarah Jane Humphrey for more details
in July 2018, she won her first RHS Bold Medal Gold Medal by the RHS for Medicinal Fruits and their symbiosis with Pollinators (after a previous Silver and then Silver Gilt).
in November 2018, she opened her own shop in Falmouth called Botanical Atelier at 19A Arwenack St. Falmouth. TR11 4AS where she is delivering botanically oriented events and workshops.

To date her career has involved

graduating from Falmouth University with an Honours Degree in Illustration.
becoming represented by the Wildlife Art Company for illustration work. She was their very first female Scientific and Natural History Illustrator.
securing contracts for botanical, natural history and scientific illustration work from a variety of clients and publishers
delivering workshops on Botanical Illustration in Cornwall

View the video to find out more about how she developed her career to date.

Websites:

Portfolio https://www.sarahjanehumphrey.com/
Botanical Atelier https://botanicalatelier.co.uk/

Botanical Art with Scientific Illustration by Sarah Jane Humphrey

The video is part of Melanie Chadwick's series of interviews called Creative Conversations on YouTube.

Each episode we chat about running a business, struggles and successes as well as sharing tips and advice which may be helpful to others working in the creative world. Pull up a chair and enjoy!

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NEW Guide to Online Botanical Art Courses & Tuition

27/11/2018

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A NEW GUIDE to Online Botanical Art Courses

Today I'm announcing the launch of my BRAND NEW WEB PAGE Guide to Online Botanical Art Courses and Tuition

Before today, there was nowhere on the internet that offered a comparative analysis and evaluation of the available online tuition and tutorials for those wanting to learn more about botanical art and illustration - in different art media - but now there is!

Online tuition for botanical art is a growing marketplace because

people are becoming more used to using technology routinely in their daily lives
it's possible for a tutor anywhere in the world to deliver tuition to a student living the other side of the world.
it's very often cheaper than some of the alternative courses available - which is really good news for students!
some online courses also allow people to have more control over the pace of a course - and to stop and start when life has a habit of getting in the way

This page covers:

OVERVIEW of Online Botanical Art Courses - indicating different types of tuition and course and providers
CHECKLIST of questions for prospective students - to be used when evaluating alternative options. It's really important to know what you're buying before you hand over the money - and to know whether you can get your money back if it doesn't suit you.
LIST of Online Providers of Botanical Art Tuition - a summary of information about the course tutor, course delivery and pricing. This is based on the information provided on the various websites.

The online providers of botanical art tuition and courses are split into THREE GROUPS:

Recognised Institutions - providing distance learning courses using web-based instruction. They vary enormously in terms of levels and sophistication of teaching delivery.
Online Tuition via Video Tutorials - these are essentially subscription based step by step video based courses with support materials (and a support group). The providers have generated a LOT of videos. Note that access to these videos is almost always for streaming i.e. you do got get to download and keep them. Access lasts for as long as you pay your subscription.
Online Tuition via individual tutors - these are more course based with more emphasis on written guides and/or worksheets/ebooks with videos used as support for learning - and the use of Skype for feedback. Generally it's a more individualised and personal approach

It's important to say that all courses - although similar - are also different.
One of the main purposes of my new page is to try and tease out those differences.

There is a Stage Two Development planned for this page where I assess each website and public information provided and cost against a standard set of questions - but that's for 2019. There's a lot of new websites for online tuition planned for a launch in 2019 so better to do it after these have bedded down!

At the present time, I'm still tweaking the context so if you spot any typos and mistakes please give me a shout-out!

Your Feedback

Your feedback is very important to me. Many of you helped me build this page - by telling me what you wanted to know about the courses and how they are provided. I've tried to develop the page based on that feedback.

I'd now very much appreciate if it you can help me develop it further by telling me how it can be improved. Let me know what you think.

Does it satisfy your needs?
Do you need to know more?

Anything you like - just leave a comment or contact me

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Botanical Art Diploma Course Announcements

9/11/2018

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Below are a couple of announcements about the Botanical Art Diploma Courses run by the Society of Botanical Artists and the Chelsea School of Botanical Art.

SBA Distance Learning Diploma Course

Simon Williams, Director of the Distance Learning Diploma Course run by the Society of Botanical Artists has asked me to remind those interested in the course that the application deadline for the SBA/DLDC Course 16 is 30 November 2018

Work by the Final Year Diploma students is exhibited every year at the Annual Exhibition of the Society of Botanical Artists

The application date for the Distance Learning Diploma Course is fast approaching.

If you are inspired by botanical painting and would like the opportunity to learn the disciplines of botanical art through a wide range of course assignments, download and send in your application now.

The Course covers many exciting aspects of botanical painting from initial graphite drawing, line and wash (new to Course 16), botany, plant portraits and fruit studies. It also includes assignments on working from photographs and mixed studies to open up a learner’s skill set into the commercial avenue of botanical art.

Please make your application to the Course Director - details on the application form

Course 16 commences on 1 January 2019

The Course is open to students anywhere in the world and there are currently students from Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, the Republic of Korea, South Africa, Brazil, Canada and the USA as well as Europe and the UK. The Course lasts for 27 months and the fee includes a student subscription to the Society for the duration of the Course.

CSBA: Botanical Illustration and Painting Diploma 2019

The Botanical Illustration and Painting Diploma run by The Chelsea School of Botanical Art is currently being overhauled (the page is currently offline) and rescheduled.

It will restart in September 2019 (in line with the academic year) and is based at the Chelsea Physic Garden

More about Diploma & Certificate Courses in Botanical Art & Illustration

The Diploma & Certificate Page on this website contains:

Guidelines on how to assess and choose a course from available options; and
Listings of Diploma and Certificate courses in Botanical Art - in the UK and USA.

The best course for YOU is the one that best meets your interests and needs. I recommend you use the Guideline checklists of questions to work out which one you want to pursue.

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REVIEW: Botanical Art with Scientific Illustration by Sarah Jane Humphrey

8/8/2018

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HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Botanical Art with Scientific Illustration by botanical artist/illustrator and tutor Sarah Jane Humphrey is PACKED full of content relevant to the artist and illustrator who aspires to a professional career in botanical art and illustration - a lot of which is not covered in other books.

It will be getting a more in-depth review on Botanical Art and Artists in the near future - including a review of the ebook version!

Botanical Art with Scientific Illustration by Sarah Jane Humphrey (Published by Crowood Press July 2018)

Overall, I'm impressed with this book. It very much comes across as the work of a full time professional botanical artist/illustrator/tutor who earns her keep from her work. Well worth a look for those who aspire to becoming a professional rather than just painting good botanical paintings.

This book was published on the first day of the RHS Botanical Art Show last month - at which Sarah Jane Humphrey, the author, won an RHS Gold Medal. Not a bad week! ;)

Sarah Jane Humphrey with part of her Gold Medal winning display of Medicinal Plants at the RHS Botanical Art Show (July 2018)

What distinguishes this book is that Sarah Jane has reconfigured the "what do you need to know to be a botanical artist" instruction book.

This is emphatically NOT a "how to paint" step by step book.
This is a book which is more suitable for all those who have acquired some skills and competence in drawing and painting - and now need to move up a gear. It's written in a conversational style which I think a lot of people will find very accessible.

Importantly, much of what she talks about

clearly comes from her academic training (she has a degree in illustration from a good art school) plus practical and in-depth experience and learning she has accumulated in her career to date - working for a wide variety of clients.
includes in-depth comment on topics often only mentioned in passing - or not covered at all - in other books written by people who are good at painting and/or drawing.

This book offers great value for money! It is very dense in terms of content - and will definitely reward more than one read. I'd expect aspiring botanical artists to reference it many times.

Chapters which impressed me included those which talked about matters which sometimes get too little attention. It's not so much she is saying anything completely novel so much as covering all the aspects that people need to think about in more depth than often happens.

Chapter 3: Materials and Equipment - particularly the technical equipment often not emphasised elsewhere
Chapter 4: The collection and choice of specimens - the chapter oddly missing from very many botanical art instruction books
Chapter 5: Drawing and the importance of sketchbooks - includes practical tips for working in the field and drawing strategies for working with specimens in the field
Chapter 6: Observation and perspective - tackles foreshortening and perspective drawing relative to shapes in nature; plus tips relating to anatomy and dissection
Chapter 7: The use of monochrome - included some sub-sections which I rarely see elsewhere - especially that relating to the use of charcoal and large-scale drawing
Chapter 9: Principles of Composition - I've written about composition elsewhere - but enjoyed her explanations of the laws and rules of composition. Again something often not explored in detail in some other books.
Chapter 11: Techniques - includes some very practical and useful advice about making digital records and framing and storing artwork
Chapter 12: Professional Practice - 29 pages, dense with practical tips about how to promote your artwork, develop your professional reputation, find clients for your work and work to a brief, price artwork and commissions, generate products from artwork and develop an online commerce store.

I'd recommend botanical artists wanting to make a career from their art to buy this book on the strength of Chapter 12 alone - about professional practice. I've not yet seen any other book which provides comprehensive cover of contemporary professional BUSINESS practice for the botanical artist and scientific illustrator - including how much time needs to be invested in a multitude of activities and the other knowledge and skills you need to learn - other than drawing and painting - in today's digital world. Success is not all down to being the best painter you can be!

I was really surprised to find that the publisher's description understates the real value of this book - within the context of what else is on offer. I suggest they have a rethink!

Incidentally, I queried with the Crowood Press why they had published two books about botanical art and illustration at more or less the same time (see yesterday's post REVIEW: Botanical Illustration - The Complete Guide by Leigh Ann Gale) - and they said they were very different books - and they were absolutely correct! Both are packed full of information and both are good but for different reasons.

I've taken a look at the ebook version - and read it using Adobe Digital Editions. I've not yet seen the Kindle version. I can confirm it's constructed as a proper ebook with the ability to navigate via the table of contents. My personal preference is for the paperback - but then I like 'proper' books!

Publication date: 11 Jun. 2018 (Launched at the RHS Botanical Art Show!)
Publisher: The Crowood Press Ltd; Illustrated edition
Format: Paperback: 176 pages | 429 colour illustrations
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1785004190
Retail Price: £18.99
E-Book Edition: £14.99 (incl. VAT)
Price on Amazon UK: various - around c.£14 for both paperback and Kindle
Price on Amazon.com: c.$38; Kindle $19

Note: I was sent a copy to review by the publishers, having talked to Sarah Jane about the book at the RHS Botanical Art Exhibition.

About the author

Sarah Jane Humphrey is a botanical artist, a natural science illustrator, an author and a tutor. Graduated from Falmouth University with an Honours Degree in Illustration. In 2018 she was awarded a Gold Medal by the RHS for Medicinal Fruits and their symbiosis with Pollinators. She delivers workshops on Botanical Illustration in Cornwall . She is represented by the Wildlife Art Company for illustration work and has had a wide variety of clients for her illustration work.
Website: https://www.sarahjanehumphrey.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahjane.illustration/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahgalerie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahgalerie/

The Best Botanical Art Instruction Books

You can read more of my book reviews and find out which are the books I recommend in The Best Botanical Art & Illustration Instruction Books which covers:

The Society of Botanical Art Books developed for the SBA Diploma Course
Books about Botanical Art & Illustration - using Graphite and Coloured Pencils
Books about Scientific Botanical Illustration - and using pen and ink
Books by Leading British Botanical Artists & Illustrators and Educators

plus

in-depth reviews of various individual books
and seperate pages devoted to books by Billy Showell, Rosie Martin and Meriel Thurstan (Eden Project) and Bobbi Angell

a very small part of my book stacks!

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