NEWS about Botanical Art and for Botanical Artists

Nominations for the Jill Smythies Award 2024

16/8/2023

Yesterday, I received an email from somebody at the Linnean Society asking me for nominations for the Jill Smythies Award. I was very flattered as you can imagine.

However I can also highlight that you too can make a nomination. Find out more below and on:

The Jill Smythies Award | The Linnean Society
The Jill Smythies Award | Botanical Art and Artists

I've just sent off the names of three people and asked whether they might be considered suitable - in which case I'll need to complete a nomination form!

What is The Jill Smythies Award?

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.

These are the names of the Previous Winners - so you can see the calibre of the people involved

2020-2029

2023 - Sue Wickison
2022 - Andrew Brown (UK) - see Andrew Brown awarded Jill Smythies Prize 2022
2021 - no award - see 2020

2010-2019

2020 - Alice Tangerini (presentation of the award has been postponed until 2021 because of the Pandemic)
2019 - Deborah Lambkin (Ireland / UK) - see The Linnean Society presents The Jill Smythies Award 2019 to Deborah Lambkin
2018 - Niki Simpson (UK) and Juliet Williamson - see Niki Simpson and Juliet Williamson win Jill Smythies Award 2018
2017 - Karin Douthit (USA) and David Williamson
2016 - Anita Barley (Australia / UK) - see Anita Barley wins 'Jill Smythies Award'
2015 - Claire Banks (RBG Edinburgh)
2014 - Esmee Somers Winkel (Netherlands - Naturalis Biodiversity Center)
2013 - not awarded
2012 - not awarded
2011 - Margaret Tebbs (RBG Kew)
2010 - Susan Sex (Ireland)

2000-2009

2009 - Halina Bednarek-Ochyra (Poland)
2008 - Patricia Eckel (Missouri Botanical Garden)
2007 - Jan van Os (Netherlands - National Herbarium)
2006 - Bobbi Angell (USA)
2005 - Lesley Elkan (Australia - RBG Sydney
2004 - Lucy Theres Smith (Australia/UK - RBG Kew)
2003 - Maya Koistinen
2002 - Jenny Brasier
2001 - Juan Luis Castillo (Spain - RBG Madrid)
2000 - Bo Mossberg (Sweden) and Jean Annette Paton

1990-99

1999 - Pandora Sellars (RBG Kew)
1998 - Rodella Anne Purves (Scotland)
1997 - Celia Elizabeth Rosser (Australia - Monash University)
1996 - Bent Jonsen
1995 - Rosemary Wise (Oxford BG)
1994 - Joy Claire Allison Dalby (1994) - taught Jill Smythies in 1979
1993 - Caroline Mary Bates (RBG Edinburgh)
1992 - John Mark Fothergill
1991 - Dale Edna Evans
1990 - Gillian Condy (South Africa - SANSI)

1988-89

1989 - Christabel King (RBG Kew)
1988 - Ann Farrer

Nominations

Nominations are now open.
Nominations will close on 30 September 2023
Awardees are invited to the Linnean Society’s Anniversary meeting in May 2024.
NOTE THE EMPHASIS ON PUBLISHED SCIENTIFIC BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATIONS
This page - about The Jill Smythies Award
- highlights what you need to do
- Plus provides the link to the Nominations form
You need to send your completed form to [email protected] by 30 September 2023.

PLEASE NOTE: SELF-NOMINATIONS ARE NOT ENTERTAINED.

We do not accept self-nominations

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RHS Digital Collections

23/7/2023

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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

Great progress has been made in digitising the collections in the RHS Lindley Library - of garden history and science - over the last five years. Below I cover

what is now available
the Terms and Conditions of Use
how I suggest you explore what's available to see

The project started in 2018 and was helped by funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thousands of botanical artworks have been photographed, including Nellie Roberts’s Orchid Award Committee paintings

Have you explored the RHS Digital Collections yet?

Search over 9000 objects including artworks, books, photos, herbarium specimens and more

500 years of gardening history, digitised and free to explore online for the first time □

□https://t.co/zXSc1WA1Bx pic.twitter.com/T9y4qwCKGB
— Royal Horticultural Society Libraries (@RHSLibraries) June 29, 2023

WHAT IS NOW AVAILABLE IN THE RHS DIGITAL COLLECTIONS

You can now access digital images of the following online via RHS Digital Collections

Archive: 661 Records
Artworks: 7485 Drawings and paintings in the RHS Art Collection - which can be interrogated by a limited number of genus:
- Narcissus
- Malus
- Prunus
- Pyrus
- Vitis
- Rosa
- Fragaria
- Cucumis
- Ribes
- Ananas
- Pyrua
- Rubus
Bookplates: 1352 Digitised Records - which can be interrogated by Genus
Herbarium Specimens: 8295 Records - which can be interrogated by Genus

Here's an example - which can be downloaded - together with the detail which can be identified and listed if republished.

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

The Collections include:

Treasures

Themes

Gertrude Jekyll: Gertrude Jekyll and Gertrude Jekyll's Scrapbook
Growing up in the garden
RHS Garden Wisley
William Robinson

Some plants have "everything we've got on"

Record type

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

You can find the Terms of Use here. Clear distinctions are drawn between:

material out of copyright
orphan works - where the name of the originator is not known
material that is copyrighted to the RHS but published under a Creative Commons Non-Commercial Licence

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RHS Plant Review needs an "artist in residence" in 2024

19/6/2023

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One surprise at the Private View for the RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show was an announcement about a new competition and opportunity for botanical artists.

I'll explain below.

Artist in Residence for "Plant Review"

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

The Plant Review highlights details about the competition on https://www.rhs.org.uk/competitions/artist-in-residence-competition

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

How to enter the competition to be 'Artist in Residence'

WHO CAN ENTER

The competition is open to both amateur and professional artists.
To enter the competition you must be resident in the UK and aged 18 years or over.

WHAT YOU CAN ENTER

a picture of a named plant of their choice in any medium and in any style.

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

JUDGEMENT & JUDGING CRITERIA

The winner will be selected by a panel of four judges selected by the RHS.

In relation to the artwork submitted, these are the judgement criteria

Technical elements – Draughtsmanship, colour and composition:

How well observed is the plant and is the drawing accurate?
Are the forms well modelled?
Is the colouring sufficiently varied and appropriate to the aimed-for effect?
How well has the colour been applied?
Is the composition well arranged?

Plants – Botanical details and garden appeal:

Within the aimed-for effect, is the treatment of botanical details consistent and accurate?
Are the horticulturally important characters of the plant displayed?

Overall presentation – Aesthetics and innovation:

Is the artistic impression aesthetically pleasing?
Does the picture offer new ways of interpreting the subject?

HOW TO ENTER

Artwork

Pictures should be
- portrait orientation and
- show a single named plant
- or, alternatively, a composition of a group of associated named plants
Submit a scan or high-quality photograph of your picture as a jpeg file, 2MB–5MB in size, to [email protected]
Name the file submitted in the following format: plantrevcomp23artistnameplantname

Administration

Terms and conditions apply
One entry only per person
Entries should be sent electronically to [email protected]
All entries must be accompanied by an email including the name, address, telephone and email contact of the entrant - and any notes you wish to add
IF YOU WIN you will be asked to participate in an interview and provide a photo of yourself for publication.

TIMELINE

The deadline for entries is 10am, Monday 2 October 2023.
The winner will be notified by 1 November 2023 via the contact details they provide with their entry

COMPETITION OUTCOMES

The winner will receive:

A commission worth £1,000 to illustrate the frontispiece for all four issues of The Plant Review published in 2024 (subjects chosen by the editor, deadlines 1 February, 1 May, 1 August, 1 November)
Free copies of the issues in which their artwork appears

The winning picture will also appear in the December issues of The Plant Review and The Garden magazine. In print and online, the winning design with the name of the artist and the town/city of the winner.

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RHS Botanical Art Awards and Medals 2023

18/6/2023

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The RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show opened at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea last week. Below is a list of all the 23 botanical artists and illustrators whose exhibits were

assessed by the RHS Picture Panel for Botanical Art and
whose RHS medals and awards which were announced on Thursday 15th June 2023.

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

My posts later this week will look in more detail at the different categories of awards and medal winners - and the artists winning them.

My post about the RHS Gold Medals will review:

the artists
images of the exhibits and how they came about
AND how you can get in touch with the artists and/or see more of their artwork.

Plus the same aspects for (1) Silver Gilt; and (2) the Silver and Bronze Medals - but in less detail.

The RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show 2023

Entrance to the Saatchi Gallery - just off the Kings Road in Chelsea

Venue: Saatchi Gallery Duke of York's HQ, King's Road, London, SW3 4RY
Dates: Friday 16th June - 9th July 2023
Hours: open from 10am to 6pm each day (last entry 5.30pm)
Admission: Tickets from £5. Terms and conditions apply

Saatchi Gallery & RHS members go free (Booking required with the code provided by the RHS.)
Standard Tickets £7;
Concessions £5;
Children Under 6, Free;
Children Aged 6-16 years, £6;
Family ticket £17.

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.

Best Botanical Art Exhibit:
Nina Mayes for Macrophytes in the Emergent Zone of Britain's Fresh Waters

Nina Mayes receiving the RHS Best Botanical Art Exhibit Award 2023

Best Botanical Artwork:
Eunike Nugroho for Hoya Latifolia G.Don. / Bold under (Sun) Stress

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Book Review: "Plants of the Qur’ān: History and Culture"

11/6/2023

"Plants of the Qur’ān, History and Culture" is a unique book. It's the first serious illustrated botanical, historical and cultural study of plants of the Middle East named in the Qur’ān.

The outer cover of the book

I've got an extremely extensive library of books about botanical art across a range of topics. Some are scientific, some focus on plants relating to a particular place, some relate to notable past masters of botanical illustration.

However, I don't think I've ever seen one before which is

rooted in an ethnobotanical survey looking at how the plants have been used in daily lives in different places for different purposes over time
grounded in scientific, taxonomic and etymological research by a leading botanist - Dr Shahina Ghazanfar, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, (Linnean Medal (Botany) 2021)
beautifully illustrated by a notable contemporary botanical illustrator working from life. Sue Wickison is an award-winning botanical illustrator who recently received the Linnean Society's Jill Smythies Award for Botanical Illustration in 2023.

Read more about their project and partnership below.

The main section of the book highlights thirty of the plants most prominent in the Qur’ān, with details on where the plant is mentioned in the Qur’ān text, detailed etymology, cultural history, and botanical description.

The Qur’an is a religious text that influences the lives of some 1.8 billion people who adhere to the Islamic faith. The main section of the book highlights thirty of the plants most prominent in the Qur’ān, with details on where the plant is mentioned in the Qur’ān text, detailed etymology, cultural history, and botanical description.

While the contents of this new book are extremely well researched and very learned ( with a very impressive reference section and bibliography) it is worth noting that it is also extremely accessible to a wider audience and in particular those interested in

the botany of plants of the Middle East - notably in relation to familiar food plants including ginger, garlic, dates, pomegranate, olives, grapes, onions, lentils etc.
the history and role of plants in Islamic culture and the Qur’ān
their use in relation to food, medicine, beauty, fragrance and shade.
the development of a record of native plants

As such it's going to have a very wide audience - way beyond the scientists and botanical art fans.

This is currently reflected in the popularity of the associated exhibition at The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at Kew. Since it opened at the beginning of April, there have been lots and lots of visitors to see Sue Wickison's botanical paintings, in part driven by the wide coverage the exhibition has received in the press and on social media.

The comments book at the front desk is also very complementary and conveys how impressed people are by the paintings - and the context in terms of culture, history and place.

"I was in heaven as I walked through Sue Wickison's Plants of the Qur'an. Outstanding!"

"Absolutely beautiful paintings with lots of information. Thoroughly enjoyable."

visitors to the exhibition

UPDATE
"Plants of the Qur’ān, History and Culture" has won the Garden Book of the Year Award - sponsored by Stihl and organised by the Garden Media Awards (November 2023

A collaborative enterprise in art and science

Two women are responsible for this project and this book. Special mention must also be made of Dr Gwilym Lewis of Kew Gardens who was the 'matchmaker' for this very productive partnership.

Their collaboration over the last six years has resulted in a very impressive exhibition and a very impressive book.

This stunning book brings the plants of the Qur’ān to life. Combining art and science, the plants are beautifully portrayed by artist Sue Wickison, and their fascinating stories revealed by botanist Shahina Ghazanfar.
Dr Shirley Sherwood OBE

Dr Shahina A. Ghazanfar (Linnean Medal (Botany) 2021) and Sue Wickison (Linnean Society Jill Smythies Award fir Botanical Illustration 2023)

The book has been written by an accomplished botanist, natural historian and field naturalist with a distinguished publication record. Dr Shahina A. Ghazanfar (Linnean Medal (Botany) 2021) is a Senior Botanist and an Honorary Research Associate at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and a Gibbs Fellow at Newnham College, University of Cambridge.

She undertook in-depth research for this book which has led to new findings in relation to:

knowledge about the historical and cultural significance of these plants, and their traditional and present uses,
unpicking the taxonomy and etymology and hence the development of local as well as scientific names in relation to specific plants.

She has also provided

a detailed exploration of the context in which they are mentioned in the Qur’ān and other religious texts
scientific descriptions of what the plants look like - in terms of flora, fruit, leaves and morphological structures and forms

The plants and the book have been beautifully illustrated and brought to life by Sue Wickison who lives in New Zealand. She is a former scientific illustrator at Kew who has contributed to various scientific publications and has been awarded an RHS Gold Medal and, in 2023, the Jill Smythies Award for botanical illustration by the Linnean Society. (See Sue Wickison to receive The Jill Smythies Award 2023).

Sue... travelled to a number of countries including the United Arab Emirates from the Empty Quarter in Abu Dhabi, into the deserts in Sharjah and to remote mountain areas in Oman to see heritage varieties of plants that have been grown for generations. Paintings of the Qu'ran | quranicplants.com

Sue's paintings have been drawn from living specimens in the wild and cultivation - mainly from the United Arab Emirates and Oman - and at home in New Zealand where she was able to grow some of the plants from seed collected on her various travels.

One notable feature of her paintings is how much larger they are than conventional botanical paintings for scientific publications. You can appreciate the scale in my photograph below.

Video Tour of "Plants of the Qur’ān"

11/6/2023

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Below you can find a 25 minute Video Tour which I filmed with Sue Wickison in the exhibition of "Plants of the Qur’ān", her collection of 30 botanical paintings currently on display at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.

The Video I've made of that tour has now been uploaded to YouTube (and can be viewed below the page break below). In it Sue Wickison introduces a number of the larger paintings in the exhibition. It's particularly relevant to:

all those botanical art fans who cannot get to Kew to see the exhibition
all those interested in this significant ethnobotanical project who would like to hear more about
- her 30 large botanical illustrations covering the 25 plants highlighted in the Qur’ān;
- how they were developed as part of a project over a period of years
- features of individual paintings
- interesting stories about finding the plants - and why it's always best to work from botanical specimens collected in the field.

HOW WE DID THE TOUR

When the exhibition of botanical illustrations by Sue Wickison opened at Kew I visited it on three consecutive days - for two previews and then this video!

The third day was the morning before the exhibition opened to the public. The people who run the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art had very kindly agreed to open the gallery to Sue and me so we could make a video tour of the exhibition while Sue was in England.

Our plan was essentially that it should be a tour of the exhibition -pure and simple. However there is no script she and I are having a conversation which I'm filming on my iPhone as we move around Galleries 1 and 2.

You can

EITHER view the video via the link below
OR visit the YouTube website where you can then opt to view it at different (larger) sizes

The better the device you watch it on, the more you will appreciate the nature of this project and the work involved. As Sue says in the video, some of the paintings took hundreds of hours to research, develop and paint.

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Review: Plantae 23 - Annual Exhibition of the Society of Botanical Artists

17/5/2023

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Yesterday I visited Plantae 2023 - the Annual Exhibition of the Society of Botanical Artists at the Mall Galleries to view the exhibition and to choose the winner of award I sponsor.

I'll be going back tomorrow - when it will hopefully be a little less crowded - to review again the artwork and the winners of various awards and Certificates of Botanical Merit. There will then be three more posts after this one focusing on:

Exhibiting Excellence Winners
the Certificate of Botanical Merit
The Main Award Winners (SBA and sponsors)

I'll be focusing in this review on:

what's changed
the scope and quality of the exhibition

Here are the headlines for WHAT'S CHANGED

fewer artworks on the wall
a much more botanical emphasis
more artists from international countries
more younger artists exhibiting
many more people at the Private View
what's missing this year

I'll also be highlighting throughout what I particularly noticed which won't get a mention in other posts.

I'm also going to be uploading photos I took yesterday to my BA&A Facebook Page once this review has been published - and I'll include links here once that's been done.
(Now included below)

What's different about Plantae 2023?

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