Considering Shadows and Shade: 3 day Workshop with Dianne Emery
In this three-day workshop, we will look at the importance of shading in graphite and paint when creating a convincing ...
Illustrating Plant Dissections: 3 day Workshop with Mali Moir
This workshop is designed to give artists an idea of what is required when drawing plant dissections to support botanical ...
Documentary on six Australian Botanical artists, produced by Botanical artist David Reynolds
Over the past two and a half years David has been writing, directing and filming an hour long documentary on ...
The Florilegium; A unique publication to celebrate 200 years of history
A unique publication to celebrate 200 years of history The Florilegium The Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney Celebrating 200 years A beautiful, 224 page ...Flora of Australia:
A Botanical Art Worldwide Exhibition
The Botanical Art Society of Australia has produced a beautiful printed full-colour catalogue of the 109 works that were chosen to hang in this exhibition which was held in Canberra from 18 to 27 May 2018. The catalogue is available for sale for A$25 plus packaging and postage by downloading this Order Form for the Catalogue and sending via email to: president@botanicalartsocietyaustralia.com
Or via mail to:
BASA
PO Box 1799
Bowral NSW 2576
Australia
You can see the 40 Australian works selected for displaying internationally on the YouTube channel and read more about this exciting exhibition here.
Calendar of Botanical Art Events
This workshop is designed to give artists an idea of what is required when drawing plant dissections to support botanical artwork. Basic botany and plant structure will be covered. Along with preliminary drawing, page layout and how best to enlarge or reduce plant details. Handling, storing and recording of plant specimens. We will be working mostly with large flowers. However, please bring your own microscope for smaller specimens. References will be made to some of the visual language needed in line and illustration art. You may choose your own medium to work in, be it painting, graphite or coloured pencil.
Students will need to apply for a materials list.
Bookings essential
Book online
In this three-day workshop, we will look at the importance of shading in graphite and paint when creating a convincing illusion of form. We will also look at rendering form using colour, the usefulness of cast shadows as a compositional device and creating space in your work and that always tricky thing shading in white and yellow fruit and flowers.
In response to the popularity of the Margaret Flockton Award, Lesley Elkan and Catherine Wardrop, Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust illustrators, will be conducting a two-day workshop in black and white scientific botanical illustration.
With tuition on plant research and identification, pencil sketching, microscope dissections, scale and composition, students will then render their drawings with ink techniques suitable for reproduction. Suitable for beginners and experienced students.
Australia’s leading contemporary botanical art exhibition Botanica has returned to the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, exploring the complex and remarkable relationship we humans have with plants. The annual showcase, now in its 20th year, features work by some of the best Australian and international established and emerging botanic and natural history artists, Botanica is considered one of the foremost exhibitions of its kind.
Botanica is a beautiful art exhibition and encourages the sale of all its artworks. Proceeds from the sale of original and limited-edition prints go to the artists and to Foundation and Friends of the Botanic Gardens, helping the not-for-profit organisation to continue its support of the horticulture, conservation, scientific research and education programs within your Botanic Gardens.
The Margaret Flockton Award is unique amongst international art awards, focusing exclusively on contemporary scientific botanical illustration, as distinct from botanical art.
Illustrators from around the world submit scientifically accurate drawings that accompany the published taxonomic description of the plant, clearly highlighting all of the distinctive features of the species. Original taxonomic illustrations are highly detailed black and white drawings primarily undertaken in pen and ink, pencil or digitally rendered.
Submission dates: Mon 14 – Tue 29 January 2019 EST
First prize: AU$5000; second prize: AU$2000; 3 x Highly Commended.
The Margaret Flockton Award commemorates the contribution Margaret Flockton made to Australian scientific botanical illustration. The Maple Brown Family and the Foundation & Friends of the Botanic Gardens sponsor this annual, international award for excellence in scientific botanical illustration.
When: Saturday 30 March – Sunday 14 April 2019, daily 10 am – 4 pm.
Where: Joseph Maiden Theatre, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney – enter via Woolloomooloo Gate on Mrs Macquaries Road
Saturday 8 June – Sunday 28 July 2019, Mon – Fri 10 am – 4 pm and selected weekends
The Australian PlantBank at The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan
Friday 9 August – Sunday 15 September 2019, daily 9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Visitor Centre at The Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah
Cost: Free entry – selected works for sale direct from the artist
Information was sent out to all members with the latest newsletter
All entries must be received by Wednesday 13th February 2019. Late entries cannot be accepted.
In accordance with the BASA Constitution, the Society strives to pursue excellence in botanical art. As with all previous exhibitions, the committee will endeavour to hang all framed entries, however, space constraints will dictate what will be displayed. The balance of framed work will be displayed or reserved at the discretion of the Exhibition Committee.
Anyone whose entry is in doubt, based on the information provided, will be contacted. However, the BASA Committee further reserves the right to decline any artwork which they believe was not faithfully represented upon sighting and does not meet the selection criteria.
Each member can submit up to 4 framed works.
Maximum size of artwork (including the frame) permitted is 80cm wide by 80 cm high.
Please indicate the size of the artwork on the Entry Form as this will be used by the Committee when assessing how to hang all the works.
Unfortunately, due to restrictions imposed by the Show management no prints or cards can be displayed or sold.
A four day contemporary botanic art class with multi-award-winning artist Beverly Allen
Working with one plant subject, this class will build your skills by the demonstration of techniques from initial washes to dry brush detail and finishing, and through individual instruction. The emphasis will be on close observation, accurate drawing, the many subtleties of colour and use of light to create a three dimensional painting. Suitable for intermediate to advanced students, or those with drawing skills and experience in other media.
Includes lunches on the Foundation & Friends terrace
About the tutor: Beverly Allen
Beverly worked as a graphic designer and illustrator before moving to botanical art in 1997. She has shown annually at the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney ‘Botanica’ Exhibition since 1999, and exhibits internationally. Her work is held in private collections including the Shirley Sherwood Collection and the Isaac and Alisa Sutton Collection, as well as at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation USA, the Royal Botanic Gardens Herbarium Library at Kew Gardens, the Royal Horticultural Society Lindley Library, the Highgrove Florilegium for the Prince of Wales’ Charitable Trust and the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust Sydney.
Beverly was awarded a Gold Medal at the Royal Horticultural Society’s exhibition in 2007 and in 2010 was awarded the inaugural Gold Medal for Botanical Art by the New York Botanic Gardens.
She co-founded and is president of the Florilegium Society at the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney.