Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The biggest exhibition of coloured pencil artwork in the UK

When I was talking to Susan Christopher Coulson last Thursday, she commented that there was a big increase in coloured pencil art in the Annual Exhibition of the Society of Botanical Artists this year.

I'd also noticed a significant increase in coloured pencil art in the same exhibition last year and, after hearing Susan's comment and seeing the exhibition for myself, I'd decided that at some point I'd do a count up of artists and work.

Susan Christopher Coulson with her suite of five botanical drawings in coloured pencils
copyright the artists / photographed with permission of the SBA

Well this morning I did that count - and I am now officially dumbfounded! The 24 artists listed below are displaying a total of 73 artworks.

Which actually means that the SBA Annual Exhibition is currently providing the largest display of coloured pencil artwork in the UK in the last 12 months (although obviously not an exhibition which is a dedicated display of coloured pencil art.)

Artists using coloured pencils for botanical art and flowers depicting flowers and gardens are:
  • Elizabeth Andrews (1 CP drawing)
  • Vivien Burgess ARMS SBA HS SFP (1 CP drawing)
  • Fiona Burkeman (1 CP drawing)
  • Susan Christopher-Coulson SBA SFP GM CBM (5 CP drawings)
  • Mary Dearing SBA (3 CP drawings)
  • Diane Gould (4 CP drawings)
  • Brenda M Green Assoc SBA (4 CP drawings)
  • Amber Halsall SBA (1 CP drawing)
  • Margaret Hatherly-Champ FCPGFS (3 CP drawings)
  • Sue Henon SBA (4 CP drawings)
  • Charlotte Hodgson (2 CP drawings)
  • Marilyn Hughes (4 CP drawings)
  • Mary Lasserson SBA (4 CP drawings)
  • Sue Manton (1 CP drawings)
  • Rachel Munn SBA (5 CP drawings)
  • Dawn Munns SFP (2 CP drawings)
  • Janet O'Connor Assoc SBA (4 CP drawings)
  • Janie Pirie SBA UKCPS SGM (5 CP drawings)
  • Susan J Puttick (1 CP drawing)
  • Fusako Sakaoka SBA (5 CP drawings)
  • Ann Swan SBA GM CBM (5 CP drawings)
  • Katherine Tyrrell (2 CP drawings) - that'll be me!
  • Janet Wilkinson Assoc SBA (4 CP drawings)
  • Jan Wilson (2 CP drawings)
I'm convinced that Ann Swan and Susan Christopher Coulson between them are personally responsible for much of this explosion in the use of coloured pencils for botanical artwork! I also know that some of the artists who are now displaying work and achieving awards and recognition are former students from their workshops. I do know that I was bowled over and inspired by the quality of their work when I first visited this exhibition back in 2006.

It's also good to know that both SBA publications (The Art of Botanical Painting and The Botanical Palette: Colour for the Botanical Painter) plus the Distance Learning Diploma Course also formally recognise coloured pencil as a medium used to produce botanical art.

If you're particularly interested in coloured pencil art and seeing what can be achieved when using coloured pencils, I highly recommend a visit to the exhibition, which closes on Sunday. I can certainly vouch for the fact that actually getting to see coloured pencil artwork 'face to framed work' (as it were) after only seeing the artwork of other coloured pencil artists in books or online is an extremely enlightening experience.

Plus seeing the artwork of coloured pencil artists who in the past have won gold medals (denoted as GM above) for botanical art from the Royal Horticultural Society is something else again!
Note: For those following my technology woes - the verdict from the engineer at 6.30am this morning was that the motor on my washing machine had burnt out and had 'taken out' the digital 'doings' as well. Which makes the repair too expensive for a 10 year old machine. Which means that's the 4th dead appliance in 3 weeks and I now need a new washing machine to go with the new computer and the new TV and the major repairs to the car and laptop in the last three weeks. I've done an hour on the web searching for a suitable replacement and decided that I needed another dose of botanical art to cheer me up! Which I'm also getting this afternoon when I meet up with Felicity Grace (Felicity's Philosophies and Other Curiosities) at the exhibition. Which means Doris Joa that I can now take a photo of your work! :)
Links:
Previous posts about this exhibition on Making A Mark
Information sites about botanical art
Posted by Making A Mark on Wednesday, April 29, 2009
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