NEWS about Botanical Art and for Botanical Artists

Botanical Artists Group on Facebook is 10 years old!

8/8/2021

Banner for the Botanical Artists Group of Facebook

The Botanical Artists Group on Facebook celebrates its 10th Birthday this month.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND membership to all practising botanical artists on Facebook. It's very informative and helpful plus well regarded group.

This month marks the 10th anniversary of the Botanical Artists group, which was created by Sigrid. Although we did have a small group prior to that date as some of you will recall. Now we are all much older and wiser? (of course) and it's a huge group with over 12k members, which is testament to the continued popularity of botanical art and illustration.

I'm posting to say thanks to Sigrid and all who have contributed to the group over the years. The group kind of runs itself due to the input from you all. It has been a great way of making contact with other artists around the globe and for sharing the love for botanical art.
Dianne Sutherland Ball

Here's a few facts about it:

founded by Dutch artist Sigrid de Vries (Facebook Page)
run by Sigrid and UK artist and tutor Dianne Sutherland Ball (Facebook Page)
it now has 12,200+ members
- most of whom are practising botanical artists
- they include numerous professional and semi-professional botanical artists - including many who are leading artists who are known internationally.

PURPOSE

GROUP DESCRIPTION: This group is about Botanical Art and illustration. It was established to bring together botanical artists to support and inspire each other by providing a forum for discussion, sharing work, practice and for the appreciation of the art form. A botanical artist combines scientific accuracy with aesthetically pleasing depictions of plants, so, it's not just about painting flowers but about botanical art in the wider context as an art form.

The comments by existing members are a tribute to the help and support that members have had from fellow members in their quest to develop their botanical art.

WHO CAN BE A MEMBER

WHO IS THIS GROUP FOR: Botanical Artists are welcome here and also people who have an appreciation for botanical art. Artists of all levels are welcome. Note: There is a Botanical Art for Beginners Group so if you are just starting out and this might be appropriate for you too.

Everybody is welcome - who sticks to the rules.

WHAT CAN BE POSTED - and what should NOT be posted

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Iceni Botanical Artists Exhibition + Nature in Art

17/8/2018

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Iceni Botanical Artists Exhibition

An exhibition by the Iceni Botanical Artists group opened this week (on 14th August) and continues until 9th September at The Apex, Bury St. Edmunds. IP33 3FD. The exhibition is open 10am - 5pm Monday to Saturday and then 10am - 4pm on Sunday. Admission is free and all paintings are for sale.

Iceni Botanical Artists are a group of artists from East Anglia. They've recently published a book about Breckland Wild Flowers of the Heaths and Grasslands.

Simon Williams at Nature in Art

Simon Williams, the Director of the SBA's Distance Learning Diploma Course is the Artist in Residence at Nature in Art in Gloucester this week (until Sunday 19th August) - and he's got his RHS Gold Medal winning exhibit of Nepenthes with him! Nepenthes are carniverous plants!

I'm sure he'd be delighted to talk about either - or botanical painting with goauche!

Nature in Art is 2 miles north of Gloucester at Twigworth on the A38 (SatNav Postcode: GL2 9PG)

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"The Amazing World of Trees" exhibition in Bath

6/10/2017

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Tulip Tree by Maureen Seed

Trees are the largest plants on earth and some of the oldest. Bath Society of Botanical Painters (BSBP) took on the daunting challenge of capturing their strong forms and delicate beauty for their NEW exhibition The Amazing World of Trees.

It opened yesterday in Bath - details below.

Venue: The Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution, Queen Square, Bath BA1 2HN
Dates: 5 - 23 October 2017 (Closed Sundays) 10am - 4pm daily

This exhibition builds on themes we have explored over recent years, and combines our passion for botanical art with an equal passion for exploring and conserving the environment. Trees play a vital role in helping to balance the world’s ecosystems: did you know that trees can communicate with other trees, ward off predators and protect their seedling offspring?

Preparing for an exhibition

In preparation for the exhibition, BSBP ran a number of workshops in different aspects of drawing and painting trees with different tutors ahead of the exhibition in order to get members attuned to the particular demands of representing a tree - given they are a subject not always pursued by all botanical artists. Sounds to me like a great way of developing skills in member artists and a great exhibition at the same time!

Exhibition event

Alan Power, Garden and Estate Manager for Stourhead and BBC Presenter, will be giving a talk entitled My Life with Trees and Theirs with Me on 13th October at 7.30. Details of how to book this event on the exhibition page of the website

Bath Society of Botanical Artists

This is a small local botanical art society based around Bath in the west of England.
Key features of this society are as follows:

all members share a passion for painting plants
many started with little or no knowledge of botanical art
members meet and paint weekly in Winsley, a small village near Bath
some members have studied for and gained a qualification in botanical art
a number of members now exhibit at the RHS in London and have been awarded been awarded Gold, Silver Gilt or Silver Medals.
You can see the names of members and view their work on the Gallery Page of their website

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Annual exhibition - SBA Feedback on Selection

16/9/2017

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This year, for the first time, the Society of Botanical Artists has provided feedback on the selection process for their Annual Open Exhibition.

The website now has a page titled "How is artwork is selected for the exhibition?" and a piece written by Gael Sellwood, one of the Vice Presidents of the SBA.

I've summarised it below - in my own words
The points are ones which other art societies/groups might like to review and discuss.

I've then added my own personal commentary on art society exhibitions generally based on common themes I've detected again and again relating to annual exhibitions by national art societies in general.

The images are from last year's SBA annual exhibition. I've no idea who's been selected for this year's exhibition so don't read anything into the work you see on the walls!

A view of part of the annual exhibition of the Society of Botanical artists in 2016

Selection Feedback - Key Points

The key points in "How is artwork is selected for the exhibition?" include the following - paraphrased by me in my own words.

More artwork is submitted than can be hung - so selection and rejection for some is inevitable
A maximum of 500 works can be hung in the exhibition - which means sometimes work will be rejected on space alone
The exhibition only accepts work of the highest standard - from both members and non-members
The standard for ALL works hung is 'Gallery Standard' i.e. this is a piece of work which could be hung by a commercial gallery exhibiting botanical art. The details of the standards expected are set out in the submission documents.
Every piece hung must have achieve a minimum of 5 out of 6 available votes cast by experienced members of the Selection Committee. The bar is set high.
Artwork must be capable of being sold to help recoup the costs of the exhibition. Whether or not a piece is likely to sell is a factor borne in mind when selecting work to be hung.
The "accepted not hung" category has been eliminated following digital submission for all. This means that work is no longer selected but not hung and sits in a cupboard for a few weeks, when it could be being hung elsewhere in other exhibitions. This also eliminates travel/courier costs for submitting work that is not hung.
Former students do not have a guarantee that their work will be hung. Successfully completing the Diploma is not the same as completing work of gallery standard for exhibition. Candidates for full membership must meet the exacting requirements by submitting work that is consistently good.
Being hung in the past is not a guarantee of being hung this time or in the future. Bottom line, the issue is about achieving the standard required in terms of art and sales.
Being rejected is normal for an artist. It happens to everybody at some time or another and it "goes with the territory" of choosing to be an artist.
Artists can always improve what they do - one of the ways being to recognise that continued professional development is normal for a professional artist. This includes developing an ability to critique your own work in a realistic way. Also visiting the exhibition and reviewing the standard of work hung is another excellent way of learning more about the standard of work required.
SBA is looking at how best to support the developing artist. More info. to come on this tomorrow!

One of the walls in the annual exhibition of the Society of Botanical Artists in 2016

My entirely unofficial commentary on art society annual exhibitions

As many people know I've reviewed an awful lot of art society exhibitions in the last 11+ years on Making A Mark.

I've found that the same themes relating to survival and success occur again and again across national art societies (of all types) in relation to their annual art exhibitions.

The following are conclusions I've drawn after seeing 100+ exhibitions by art societies over more than decade.

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Korea Botanical Arts Cooperative

19/8/2017

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I've added the Korea Botanical Arts Cooperative to the List of National and Regional Arts Societies on the Botanical Art and Artists website.

Plus added their KBAC Facebook Page to the List of Botanical Art Groups on Facebook

Home Page of the KBAC website

I like the fact that the website translates well into English if you use the translate option on the Chrome browser - which is what generated the image of the website in English above.

Korea Botanical Arts Cooperative (KBAC) is a cooperative founded by botanic artists from Korea in 2015 to promote the development of botanical arts and to provide various opportunities for artists. It is a business organization that meets the cultural and economic needs and desires of the botanical arts through voluntary and democratic participation and management of the members, and contributes to the development of the local community.

You can see the artists participating in the website on the Artists Page which also has some excellent images of their artwork. If you click the MORE button, underneath the names of some artists, you get taken to where they post their artwork online.

They also have a blog and their last blog post was about the 19th World Botanical Conference (Shenzhen, China) IBC 2017 XIX International Botanical Congress Shenzhen China in July. The exhibition there included artwork by KBAC members Kim Soo Yeon, Shin So Young, Li Hwi Yeon, Jimi Yeon, Choi Ji Yeon and Chun Yeon Hee.

I think their next exhibition is at the Beijing Botanical Garden (English version) in September this year

If your botanical art group's website or Facebook Page is missing from my website please contact me with the details and I'll review them for inclusion

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From Halesworth to the Himalayas - Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker Bicentenary Botanical Art Exhibition

30/6/2017

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Today (Friday 30th June 2017) marks 200 years since the birth of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, one of the greatest British botanists and explorers of the 19th century.

From Halesworth to the Himalayas: A Legacy of Reality - a botanical art exhibition to mark the bicentenary of Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker - opens tomorrow in Halesworth in Suffolk. The main focus of the exhibition is paintings and drawings by contemporary botanical artists of plants discovered by and named after Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker.

Sarcococca hookeriana var.digyna by Elaine Searle (Chelsea School of Botanical Art's course director), watercolour and graphite, 35cm high x 25cm wide, £1,200. Common plant name: Sweet box

This exhibition is:

by Amicus Botanicus - the official alumni society of the Chelsea School of Botanical Art
at the Halesworth Gallery , Steeple End, Halesworth, Suffolk IP19 8LL
from Saturday 1st July to Wednesday 19th July 2017 (Monday to Saturday, 11am to 5pm, Sunday 2pm to 4pm).

Entry to the Halesworth Gallery is free.

About Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker

Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker in the Rhododendron area of the Himalaya. Mezzotint by W. Walker, after F. Stone, 185

There are a number of events and exhibitions this year to celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of the famous 19th century botanist and explorer, Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker OM GCSI CB PRS

He was born in Halesworth in Suffolk (The town is also marking his bicentenary with exhibitions, trails, talks and events.)
He travelled widely recording and bringing back plants from India, Africa, USA, Falkland Islands, Antarctica, Palestine, Morocco and the Galapagos Islands
He was a great friend of Charles Darwin and was approached to work on Darwin’s collection of plants from the studies on the Beagle
In 1865, Hooker was appointed Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He succeeded his father.
in 1873 he became President of the Royal Society in 1873.

Rhododendron barbatum | The rhododendrons of Sikkim-Himalaya - drawn by Joseph Dalton Hooker, lithograph by Walter Hood Fitch

Hooker sketched and coloured his drawings, produced on his travels, and sent them back to Kew to be painted by Walter Hood Fitch, whom Hooker had trained in botanical drawing. His discoveries have influenced the plants we have in our gardens today.

About the exhibition

The botanical illustrations and paintings in the exhibition, discovered by and named after Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (see examples in this post), are by Chelsea School of Botanical Art’s alumni (Amicus Botanicus), all of which will be for sale. Other botanical paintings will also be for sale

The exhibition will also include a demonstration of the process of creating a botanical painting through the coursework and projects of former and current students of Chelsea School of Botanical Art.

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Call for Applications - Finnis Scott Foundation Botanical Art Award

7/5/2017

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The Finnis Scott Foundation has announced a Call for Applications for its NEW Botanical Art Award worth £10,000 for organisations involved with botanical art.

A number of leading people in the botanical art world have been helping to get the award set up. Applications will judged by a sub-committee of experts with knowledge of botanical art.

Below is a briefing about this brand new award. [Please note minor modifications have been made since this was first posted as matters have been clarified]

This is a very long post so there's a READ MORE break inserted - so make sure you click READ MORE to read the complete post.

The Finnis Scott Foundation Botanical Art Award (£10,000)

I've been asked by Charlotte Brooks, the Botanical Art Award Secretary, to help promote this award - which I'm very happy to do.

Below I've tried to do my usual review of the terms and conditions for a "call for entries" and have created a digest, highlighting key facts and making some suggestions.

Any queries need to be addressed by emailing the Secretary: [email protected]

What is the Botanical Art Award?

The Finnis Scott Foundation is offering a NEW biennial award (every two years) valued at up to £10,000, to support and promote the practice of botanical painting.

The aim of the Award is that it should enable established botanical art groups to:

either extend their current practice
and/or create something new and exciting to do with botanical art.

It's important to note that it's expected that the funding from the Award will last for no longer than two years - hence if any project is to have a longer life it will need to secure recurrent funding from other sources before or during the project.

Suitable Projects

The award will fund

discrete projects that promote and encourage the practice and appreciation of botanical painting.

It enables dedicated botanical art societies and similar groups to apply for funding to develop projects they wouldn’t otherwise be able to carry out.

It encourages botanical artists, who often work alone, to collaborate and co-operate with other botanical artists with a view to promoting the practice of botanical art and and creating and outcome for those who appreciate it.

It recognises the contribution of those who have already helped raise the profile of botanical art and now want to further extend their reach to new audiences by enabling them to carrying out something 'extra-ordinary' (i.e. not just business as usual)

Obviously the nature of the project is up to individual groups to decide.

Projects might involve develop educational and creative opportunities e.g. developing

development of a new exhibition,
creation of study workshops or
a publication that will help raise the profile of botanical art.

The judges are looking to reward fresh ideas, original projects and new ways of working.

My thoughts, for what they are worth - in terms of what I think are "gaps" in botanical art activities in the UK - is that a project might be

an event focused on botanical art for the benefit of botanical artists (e.g. an educational conference/symposium)
development of a new sustainability focused Flora - in liaison with relevant botanists/botany groups
a non-garden based Florilegium e.g. one based on native plants found in specific habitats in the UK - with the aim that this should develop over time and attract future sponsorship through the use of the Award for initial output and as seed funding.

Next - the application process (who/what/how/when)!

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