NEWS about Botanical Art and for Botanical Artists

Video Interview with Kathy Pickles

19/8/2018

Between 1991 and 1996, Kathy Pickles exhibited every year at the RHS Botanical Art Show. Each year she won a Gold Medal for her exhibit.

In 2015, after nearly 20 years, she returned for a sixth time - and won a sixth Gold Medal. This time she managed to display 16 paintings - eight of Fritillaries and eight of Hellebores.

I've been sorting out my videos of interviews with botanical artists and realised that I'd never made a video of an interview with Kathy in 2015 into a 'proper' published video.

So below you can find my video interview with Kathy Pickles on 27 February 2015 at the RHS Botanical Art Show in the Lindley Hall Westminster - which has now been uploaded to my new Botanical Art and Artists Video Channel on YouTube

In it she advises on why it's always a good idea to go and view botanical art in person - especially at the top shows.

In 2017, Kathy returned for a seventh time and won her seventh Gold Medal for her display of paintings of Clematis. The Judging Panel happened to include the renowned clematis grower Raymond Evison!

Kathy Pickles with her seventh Gold Medal in 2017

Three of Kathy Pickles's paintings of clematis in 2017

To find out more about Kathy Pickles - or even ask her a question you can find her at:

her website http://www.kathypickles.co.uk
her Facebook Page: Kathy Pickles Botanical Art
as a regular participant in the Botanical Artists Facebook Group

Many thanks to those who visit and consult Botanical Art and Artists.
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TOP TIPS from RHS Gold Medal Winners 2017

14/8/2018

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When I interview the botanical artists who have just won an RHS Gold Medal at the RHS Botanical Art Show, I always ask them for tips for those aspiring to do the same.

In 2017 I was rewarded - more than I can say - by hearing from Mariko Ikeda who won the Best Exhibit prize at the RHS London Botanical Art Show 2017. She wanted to thank me profusely for everything I've written before as it really helped her with preparing her exhibit!

Pandanus by Mariko Ikeda at the RHS Botanical Art Show 2017 (photo Katherine Tyrrell)

Pandanus by Mariko Ikeda - Gold Medal and Best Exhibit at the RHS Botanical Art Show 2017 (photo Katherine Tyrrell)

Then Kate Barling, another exhibitor, found me to thank me for the tip about how to mount the work - and I collected another tip from her which you'll find below!

So the bottom line is what goes around comes around.

You can benefit from the tips I've identified to date and...
...in future I might be asking you what's your top tip!

Note: Unfortunately last year I started this post but forgot finish it. But it's never too late to pass on a few more tips!
READ ON for my very belated post about the top tips from the RHS Gold Medallists in 2017 - which is now complete!

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TOP TIPS from RHS Gold Medal Winners 2018

14/8/2018

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Today I have some of the Tips I received from my interviews with the RHS Gold Medal Winners at last month's RHS Botanical Art Show.

AND

Later this week you will also have tips from the RHS Gold Medal Winners in 2017 too! This is because although I drafted most of it last year for some reason I didn't finish the post and publish it!

This is a LONG POST with lots of content - so you might want to get a hot drink and a notebook before you start to read!

It's been my habit, for some years, to ask each of the Gold Medal Winners who speaks reasonable English to tell me what would be the three tips they'd like to pass on to people aspiring to exhibit at the RHS Botanical Art Show. Some include ones I've heard before - but good tips are always worth repeating.

I have however omitted

tips relating to painting and art materials as these tend to become repetitive and have been covered in previous tips posts (see end for reference)
tips related to the actual transport of material and how to get your exhibit to stick to the display boards - see my two previous posts last month (listed at the end).

TIP: Focus on what you are passionate about

AGM Dryopteris: species and cultivars of Dryopteris ferns with an Award of Garden Merit - Laura Silburn GM (2013, 2014)

Recommended by Laura Silburn and various artists. More than one artist told me this - in various ways. Variations include:

Be yourself
Know your subject really well
Love your subject
Choose something that inspires you

It is so much easier to complete a major project - such as a portfolio for an RHS Botanical Art Show if you are in love with your subject matter.

TIP: Being a grower helps a lot!

Simon Williams - Nepenthes

Recommended by Simon Williams Nepenthes 
Simon Williams told me he has been growing carniverous plants since he was 16 - and loves them. He's invested in heated greenhouses. The advantages of being a grower are that you get to see your plants through a complete life cycle and can watch them through every season.

TIP: Keep a sketchbook

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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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How to get your art exhibit there and back - safe and secure

17/7/2018

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This is about the different ways that some of the botanical artists exhibiting at the RHS Botanical Art Show 2018 took their work home after the show closed last Thursday evening.

I'm focusing on five artists who all had different ways of carrying their artwork.

It's worth noting that the guidance to artists contained in the RHS's Botanical Illustration Exhibitor Factsheet (557kB pdf) advises as follows....

When choosing how best to display an exhibit, artists are recommended to take into account ease of transportation and hanging, methods for protecting artworks from potential damage, as well as the overall impression they want to create.

Portfolio and rucksack

It came as no surprise to me that one of the first artists to be packed and ready to go was Esmee Winkel - who has now won a Gold Medal three times..

Her mounted artwork is ALWAYS sized so that it fits easily into a portfolio case!

I've photographed her minimal approach to exhibiting before and very much commend her approach to all of you who like to work smaller than average!

Esmee Winkel with her exhibit packed up in portolio and backpack! (plus proud partner in the background!)

NEW! The Box on Wheels

Michie Yamada (who won Best Exhibit for her "Wild Roses in Japan’') chose to use a commercial box on wheels. In effect it's very much like a very large A1 Portfolio case - with wheels front and back just like a suitcase. Note also the carrying handle for getting it up and down any stairs.

For those who like to create a larger exhibit and must also fly into and out of the UK this seems a very sensible solution.

I've never seen a case like this before - and neither has Amazon UK! I'm going to ask Michie about her case but in the meantime went searching online and could find abolutely nothing in the UK!

However in the USA I found the Tranzporter website which has robust cordura portfolio cases and attacheable wheels. However, although the material is very robust they are still soft sided so would need something robust on the inside to create a buffer from any potential damage.

I also came across Rolling Art Cases and Porfolios which might be suitable for smaller exhibits. However there comes a point when you really wonder whether a suitcase might not do the trick! I'm very used to seeing people pack artwork into large suitcases.

Michie Yamada with her box on wheels - and Hiroe Horikoshi with a tough cardboard shipping box

On the left you can see 82 year old Hideo Horikoshi packing up his Gold Medal winning Chrysanthemum exhibit in bubble wrap and a robust cardboard shipping box for his return journey to Japan. This is also a typical method used by those flying out of the UK.

The DIY Custom Made Box on Wheels

I'm guessing that Bridget Gillespie has previously seen a box on wheels as she decided to build herself one to carry her framed artwork!

She told me she built her box on wheels by cannibalising all suitable materials she could lay her hands on! Going from memory I think she told me that the basic box started off as tough cardboard from large boxes. She then used robust black bin bags and LOTS of black tape to create a waterproof cover for the outside of the box - and the artwork. Wheels from (I think) a skate board were used for the bottom of the box. Velcro was used for tabs to seal the box and keep it closed and handles were fashioned for the side of the box for if it needed to be carried.

Her requirements for her wheelie box was that it be robust enough to survive a journey by taxi to Paddington Station and then a train journey to where she had her car parked - prior to her drive back to Yorkshire.

Her artwork was framed which of course made it heavier - but also made it rather more robust. Suitable wrapping was used for the artwork in the interior of the box

Bridget with her Gillespie Handmade Special

The wheels attached to the bottom

The DIY Custom Built Box #2 and 'Art Moves'

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How to get the exhibit to stick to the display panel - without falling off!

16/7/2018

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There are two particular aspects of the RHS Botanical Art Show that sometimes people forget about until a little late in the day. These are:

how to get the exhibit to stick to the display panel for four days without falling off
how to get the exhibit there and back - safe and secure - and without ending up with a back problem!

This post comprises my TIPS (from exhibitors) about the "sticky" aspect of exhibiting. Or how to avoid your exhibit and/or card holders ending up on the floor of the Lindley Hall! (Please also read the comments from those who have exhibited previously)

At the end of the show I also took photos of examples of how people had chosen to stick their exhibit to the panel.

What sort of sticky display tape?

The consensus seemed to be that Velcro provided the most reliable display tape.
I'm sure there are others in different parts of the world but most people seemed to have opted to use Velcro.

What size of Velcro? How best to use it?

Well it depends. There seem to be two basic approaches:

long strips of thin velcro
squarish strips of thick heavy duty velcro

The trick is to have

velcro which is robust enough to keep the exhibit hanging - no matter the weather (and last week exhibitors were having to contend with very hot and increasingly humid weather which was causing some watercolour paper to cockle!)
not so much velcro that it is impossible to get off the display panel without damaging the artwork!

Then there's the issue of whether to place the long strip horizontally or vertically - and how big a strip to cut!

Bridget Gillespie had framed paintings and decided to stick items that were heavier (cans of beans?) to the wall to see if they lasted three days before she made a decision as to how much velcro to use!

I took photos so you can see what sort of strips were hanging up what sort of exhibits (You may need to refer back to RHS London Botanical Art Show 2018 - Awards and Medal Winners to see the size of the exhibits)

Angela Lober - Native Food Plants of Australia
(Australia) used four narrow strips on the outside edges - used horizontally top and bottom on her smaller than average exhibits.

I think it was Angela who told me that she finds that you can lift by wiggling something sharp, flat and strong underneath.

Narrow white velcro strips on the reverse of Angela Lober's vellum exhibits

Sue Wickison GM (2008) - Plants of the Holy Qur'an (New Zealand) probably had the largest painting in the show - and below this is what it looked like from behind.

Four oblong heavy patches of black heavy duty velcro - three at the top and one at the bottom for this big painting

Below you can see how big the painting is based on how big the others were and compared to the size of Sue herself who was packing as I photographed

Sue Wickison packing her paintings - the smaller paintings had just three heavy duty oblong patches holding them to the display panel - plus two small ones for the caption/information

Maureen Hallahan (UK - Fruits in Illuminated Manuscripts) also used the wider velcro tape - but she used the white version (see below) - and you can see what she had used when her exhibit was removed from the display panel. The small patches are for the image captions/information.

Maureen Hallaran's display panels once the exhibits and captions have been removed

However - on closer inspection - it was revealed Maureen was taking no chances. She had stapled her velcro to the display panel!

Velcro plus staple - plus you can see the surface of the heavy duty velcro tape used and the tape width relative to a normal staple

I walked around at the end looking at the velcro left - or the marks it had left on the panels(!) - and I would say the majority of exhibitors opted for four oblong patches towards the corners of each exhibit

Those with smaller and/or lighter exhibits were using the narrower tape.
Most of those with bigger than average paintings were using the heavy duty tape. This was also used by those who just didn't want the worry of whether or not they'd walk in and find their exhibits on the floor!

Of those I talked to I'd say the majority had TESTED whether the exhibit tape would keep their exhibit hung for four days before they left home.

I RECOMMEND that you do what a lot of artists did and trial the tape to see what works best in terms of security of display of your particular exhibit PLUS the ease of getting it off the exhibit afterwards!

I DO NOT RECOMMEND long strips of the Heavy Duty Stick On Tape.
That's because the more you use the more difficult it is to remove - and I've helped out on an exhibit which was using long strips and it's not easy!

About Velcro display tape

Sticky display media comes in different forms (tape, strip, and pre-shaped 'coins'; different colours; different lengths and it can support different weights per specified size. Read on....

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Graphite for Scientific Illustration - a guide

15/2/2018

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Graphite for Scientific Illustration by Rogério Lupo is a new FREE guide intended for anyone interested in knowing or practically learning the fundamentals of graphite and who want to improve their knowledge and skills in the use of graphite for scientific illustration generally and botanical illustration in particular.

Basic understandings of observational drawing help the student, but are not indispensable to take the best out of the booklet.

Rogerio Lupo is a Brazilian Natural Science Illustrator who has won first prize in several competitions including the Margaret Flockton Award in 2010 and 2013. He graduated in biology from the Universidade de São Paulo. Much of his work is dedicated to the illustration of scientific botanical articles/papers. He has also researched different approaches to illustration and artistic techniques.

Bobbi Angell - also a leading Botanical Illustrator - kindly provided a technical and linguistic review of the English version translated from Rogerio's first version in Portuguese

The guide covers the following:

Methods for accurate observation of light and shadow and all their subtle nuances
Methods of sharpening, handling and moving the pencil for an improved application and filling with graphite
Use of delicacy in drawing for efficient use of time, good finishing and preservation of the integrity of the paper
Methods for total filling with shade in a gradual mode from light to dark tones
Practical rendering of textures and different colours of objects represented as shades of grey; recognising luminosities, reflections and contrasts; practical and fast forms for the rendering of hairs and thorns.
Prevention of errors, paper deformities and irreparable damages

How to download the Guide

You can see the first page of the guide below. Click this link to be taken to a page on slideshare where you can download the complete document.

Note that I have also included this view of the document on:

Education: Tips and Techniques (Pencil Art section)
Botany: Scientific Botanical Illustration

Graphite for Scientific Illustrations de Rogério Lupo

There is also an associated video (see below) - however this is in Portuguese - however the demonstrations will still make sense to those who have studied the guide. Plus you get to see Rogerio in action!

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