Saturday, April 21, 2012

Certificates of Botanical Merit at SBA 2012

The Society of Botanical Artists awards a coveted Artist's Certificate of Botanical Merit for works in its Annual Exhibition of strictly botanical merit.  Each year this aspect of the annual exhibition prizes is judged by an expert on the botanical field.

For the 2012 exhibition the judge who selected works for a Certificate was Maureen Lazarus from the Department of Biodiversity and Systematic Biology at the National Museum Wales who acts as the Curator of Botanical Illustration.

The Certificates of Botanical Merit (and other awards) were presented by Elizabeth Banks DL who is the President of the Royal Horticultural Society.

Elizabeth Banks, RHS President, presents Ann Swan with her Certificate of Botanical Illustration
The eight artists who this year were awarded Certificates of Botanical Merit are listed below - together with their award-winning artwork.

I cannot emphasise enough that photographing the work in no way does it justice and that the only way to appreciate it properly is to visit the exhibition - which is at Central Hall Westminster until Sunday 29th April. (Admission free)

  • Marika Aikawa SBA CBM 11 #03 Banksia integrifolia (pencil).  This work is amazingly intricate and I should imagine required much work under a magifying glass.
Banksia integrifolia 
pencil (£500)
© Mariko Aikawa
  • Gaynor Dickenson DipDBA(Dist.) SBA SFP CBM 09 for #166  A Year in the Life of a Magnolia x soulangeana Tree.  Although highly realistic in its rendering, this picture is of course an impossible botanical 'reality' insofar as it represents all the stages of the life cycle in one image.  This illustrates very neatly the advantages of botanical illustration over photography.
A Year in the Life of a Magnolia x soulangeana Tree
watercolour (£3,250 - sold)
© Gaynor Dickenson
  • Margaret Jones DipSBA Assoc SBA SFP - #304 Rubus fructiosa (pencil)  I appear to have missed this one so I'll take a photo on my next visit.
  • Asako Kiwajima AssocSBA - Malus domestica "Alps Otome" This work was also beautifully presented with a double mat in a neutral colour and a frame in a neutral colour which complemented the colour of the bark.  Such an approach allows the artwork to shine.
Malus domestica "Alps Otome"
watercolour (£600)
© Asako Kumajima
Arum maculatum
watercolour (£220)
©  Janet Pope
  • Ann Sheppard #550 Ash: Autumn/Winter  This work demonstrates that it's not necessary to find great flowers to create work of botanical merit.
Ash: Autumn/Winter
watercolour (£420)
© Ann Sheppard 
  • Fiona Strickland DA SBA GM CBM 09 and 11 # 596 Iris 'Action Front'  This is an absolutely amazing painting of an iris.  Find our more about it in my interview with Fiona Strickland next week
Iris 'Action Front'
transparent watercolour (£5,000 - sold)
©  Fiona Strickland
  • Ann Swan SBA GM CBM 11 for #607 Walnut Life Cycle.  This botanical illustration demonstrates the value of mixing coloured media with pencil when telling the story of the life cycle of a plant.
Walnut Life Cycle
coloured pencil (£1,500 - sold)
©  Ann Swan

Links: 2012 Exhibition

Makingamark's Botanical Art Resources [August 2016 - updated]



Posted by Making A Mark on Saturday, April 21, 2012
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1 comment:

  1. Sarah MellingTuesday, April 24, 2012

    This work is simply exquisite. I can only imagine how gorgeous it must be in person!

    ReplyDelete

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