This last few weeks, last weekend in particular and the next few weeks from the end of May through June are – for me – dominated by BOTANICAL ART.
This post is about a very busy time for botanical art and artists – and me – with three major exhibitions (two in London) involving international botanical artists and illustrators during May, June and July.
So far we’ve been
- celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society (CPGFS) – of which I’m the Treasurer – and holding the AGM (Accounts and Treasurer’s Report)
- getting ready for the a display by CPGFS at the exhibition for the 40th anniversary of the Society of Botanical Artists (see below)
Botanical Art Worldwide 2025
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| View of the part of the activities in the Nash Conservatory at Kew Gardens last Sunday |
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These three are multiple RHS Gold Medal winners and renowned botanical artists and teachers About to give the final talk of the day at Kew last Sunday Ann Swan, a legend in botanical art in coloured pencils, so many people have been taught by her Julia Trickey who developed a completely novel response during Covid and Julia Trickey Talks just seems to get bigger and better!
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- 31 countries around the world – in North and South America, East and West Europe, Africa, Australasia and Asia – all got together and coordinated a celebration of botanical art at the same time
- all celebrating with events and activities on The Worldwide Day of Botanical Art on Sunday 18th May 2025
- organised by a number of botanical art societies and other groups – led and managed predominantly by women (Yay!)
- see Botanical Art Worldwide 2025 – Exhibitions and Events in the UK
- SUMMARISED by me on ONE PAGE of my website!! (See link above. It took 3 days!)
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| All the Countries participating in Botanical Art Worldwide 2025 – with new countries this year highlighted |
Plantae 2025 – Annual Exhibition of the Society of Botanical Artists
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| It’s going to be momentous, not least because…. |
The RHS Botanical Art Show
It’s a unique exhibition where people don’t enter one (or maybe two artworks) but
- first have to qualify to be able to enter artwork for the exhibition
- then get five years to prepare their submission
- followed by entering an entire suite of six artworks on a theme related to plants – preferably with a strong botanical theme. It’s very much an exhibition for botanical artists and illustrators and NOT for conventional flower painters per se (should anybody have perked up at the idea of entering their flower paintings!)
That’s when I’ll be heavily involved with meeting all the botanical artists who will arrive from all over the world – and interviewing all those who have won a Gold Medal.
It’s usually a minimum of two visits and probably three – which include photographing and videoing the exhibition to show people around the world what the standard of art looks like.
I’m pleased to say I first started covering RHS Botanical Art in 2007 when it was a few stands at the back of the RHS Lindley Hall during one of their plant shows. After which I was hooked and carried on covering it every year – and before long I started noticing that the exhibition kept getting bigger and bigger…..
You can read more about The RHS Botanical Art Show in the dedicated sections on my website
It turns out that showing people what exhibitions look like – and telling them how to find the details of how to enter has a very significant impact on how many artists start entering!
I highly recommend that art societies around the world think long and hard about whether they show enough pictures of exhibitions to people – if they want more visitors…
The exhibition has grown and grown – and I now very much emphasise to people that you need to aim for a Gold Medal at your very first attempt. It has to be your very best art – and it needs to look like it was a major project!
…….so somewhere in the middle of all of that there might be my next operation – and THEN I’ll be doing some of this swanning around with my left arm in a sling for six weeks!!
