Jacqui Pestell-Canavan MBE

Jacqui Pestell MBE, BA (Hons), Director of Botanical Illustration at RBGE

Many congratulations to Jacqui Pestell who was awarded an M.B.E. in the New Year's Honours List for her contribution to Botanical Art Education in Scotland.

Jacqui is the Director of Botanical Illustration at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

She has developed and is the Course Director for the very successful RBGE Diploma and RBGE Certificate Courses  in Botanical Illustration.

​The New Year Honours are announced formally in the London Gazette - in this case in Gazette 61803 for the New Years Honours List 2017 - see below for the specific announcement for Jacqui.

Extract from the New Years Honours 2017 listing in The London Gazette

Jacqui Pestell (Centre) with Claire Banks (left) and Sharon Tingey (right) representing the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Botanical Illustration Courses at the 2016 RHS Botanical Art Show

​Below a few words about Jacqui and the courses...

​Jacqui is relatively quiet online - even if the delivery of one of her courses relies on technology called Propagate which facilitates a Virtual Learning environment. She doesn't have a website, doesn't tweet (she's done two to date) and is fairly quiet on Facebook!

She started at the RGBE in 1997 as Artist in Residence. The handbook for the Diploma Course she runs provides a brief about course tutors - including Jacqui - so here's the official version - which now needs some editing at the end! :)

​Jacqui Pestell trained at Trent Polytechnic and Goldsmiths in London, majoring
in textile and fashion, and Education of Art and Design. After working as a
textile designer for four years, she qualified as a teacher working in schools in
London while developing her reputation as a freelance illustrator, artist and
mural painter. Jacqui became the Artist in Residence at the Royal Botanic
Garden Edinburgh in 1997 where she has established a reputation as a first class
teacher and botanical artist. Jacqui has helped to develop the classes in
Botanical Art and is now become the permanent Arts Education Officer within
RBGE. Jacqui is also responsible for developing the new Edinburgh Diploma in
Botanical Illustration. 

Back in 2004, the RGBE's bulletin was announcing that

​The botanical art classes have become one of the most popular fixtures on the Garden’s Adult Education programme

Nowadays I often find Jacqui popping up in posts about projects being undertaken by the RGBE - such as the recent Floral of Nepal botanical illustration project and exhibition.

As you'd expect from a teacher who is delivering courses which support online learning, Jacqui is not averse to doing a video!
​
Below are a couple of videos involving Jacqui - from which you can see she's very much up for exploration and trying new things - including practices and media associated with other countries when it comes to botanical art.

​The first is a video of Jacqui painting on Lokta paper during a visit to Nepal for the Flora of Nepal project recently undertaken by botanical artists based at RGBE.
​

Daphne bholua: Painting on Lokta paper (Flora of Nepal) from Wild Leaf Reels on Vimeo.

The second is a video of how she and Sharon Tingey produced a 'Thangka' after their visit to Nepal. It's the Nepalese version of an ancient Herbal - a way of identifying plants from simple portrayals.
​

Painting the Thangka | थान्का (Flora of Nepal) from Wild Leaf Reels on Vimeo.

Jacqui is also a member of The Edinburgh Society of Botanical Artists - which acts as an Alumni Association for graduates of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh's botanical illustration diploma course.

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The RGBE Diploma, Certificate and Short Courses in Botanical Illustration
​

If you'd like to find out more about the two courses click the links below:

• RBGE Certificate in Botanical Illustration 
• RBGE Diploma in Botanical Illustration (as either a class-based course or distance learning course via technology. The latter enabled students from all over the world to enroll for the Diploma)

You can also read and review current handbooks for the two courses

• Certificate: 2016 -17 Applicants' Handbook (pdf - 457 kB) for the Certificate Course
• Diploma: 2016-18 Attended Course Applicants' Handbook (pdf - 595 kB) OR 2016-19 Distance Learning Course Applicants' Handbook (pdf - 663 kB)

Alternatively, there are a range of short courses in botanical illustration available throughout the year. 

​This is the Facebook Page for the RGBE Diploma in Botanical Illustration