Botanical Art Worldwide - Basic Principles

The second Botanical Art Worldwide Project will focus on and celebrate biodiversity in the crops that have been closely associated with the human species over thousands of years. The theme is designed to draw attention to the vast variety of food and useful plants available, in contrast with the relatively few varieties currently used in mass cultivation. Plants eligible for inclusion are those cultivated for food, textiles, building, energy, and medicine

Artists around the world are working on this project to:

• - build partnerships between artists, institutions, scientists, and the public.

• - raise awareness of the worldwide renaissance in botanical art.
• - acknowledge and build upon the increasing ease of communication and connection between botanical artists wherever they might live and work.
• - increase appreciation and understanding of crop diversity around the world.
• - engage in a project to document some of the world’s diverse crop plants.

Botanical Art Worldwide in the UK (England, Wales and Northern Ireland)

Botanical Art Worldwide 2025

The second Botanical Art Worldwide Project will focus on and celebrate biodiversity in the crops that have been closely associated with the human species over thousands of years. The theme is designed to draw attention to the vast variety of food and useful plants available, in contrast with the relatively few varieties currently used in mass cultivation. Plants eligible for inclusion are those cultivated for food, textiles, building, energy, and medicine.
Currently, many heritage species and varieties are only cultivated in small quantities by specialist growers on a limited scale. It is vital to promote this genetic diversity in a world challenged by a growing population, changing climate, and habitat losses.
Botanical Art Worldwide Website

What is The Jill Smythies Award?
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A medal and £1,000 to a botanical artist for outstanding, diagnostically relevant, published illustrations
Established in 1986 by the late Mr B E Smythies FLS, in honour of his wife, the late Florence Mary Smythies ("Jill"), whose career as a botanical artist was cut short by an accident to her right hand. Awarded to a botanical artist in recognition of excellence in published illustrations in aid of plant identification, with the emphasis on botanical accuracy and the accurate portrayal of diagnostic characteristics.

Nominations
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• We do not accept self-nominations

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has launched a new Digital Collections platform, allowing anyone to access 10,000 library items and herbarium specimens online for free. 
RHS launches digital library of over 10,000 items, including rare treasures from their collections

Tulipa cultivar white and red attributed to August Wilhelm Sievert (1705-1751) | Part of Hortus Florum Imaginum (Sievert album) | RHS Lindley Collections | Repository Royal Horticultural Society Lindley Library

Artist in Residence for "Plant Review"
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​"The Plant Review" magazine is launching a competition to find an artist to provide the fabulous frontispieces that kick off each issue.

Cover of the June 2023 edition of "The Plant Review" published by the RHS

How to enter the competition to be 'Artist in Residence'
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Some pointers to consider are:

• Choose a plant or associated assemblage of plants to illustrate but not, for instance, a garden scene
• Pick a plant or plants you are fond of to illustrate, think what it is you like about it/them and try to bring that out in your artwork
• The Plant Review is a magazine read by gardeners who love plants. Try to offer them a picture that will whet their appetite and fire their enthusiasm
• Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and break some of the ‘rules’ of botanical art. The judges are looking for an artistic interpretation of a plant as much as a botanical representation

RHS Best Botanical Artwork 2023: Hoya Latifolia G.Don. / Bold under (Sun) Stress by Eunike Nugroho (Indonesia)

The RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show 2023
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Entrance to the Saatchi Gallery - just off the Kings Road in Chelsea

​RHS Botanical Art Awards 2023

The Director of the Saatchi Gallery welcomes people to the third RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show at the Saatchi Gallery.

Nina Mayes receiving the RHS Best Botanical Art Exhibit Award 2023