Thursday, July 25, 2019

Award winners at the RHS Botanical Art Show 2019

Botanical artists from all over the world who compete for medals at the Royal Horticultural Society's Botanical Art equivalent of the Chelsea Flower Show have to work very hard for their medals and have five years from being approved to exhibit to get it right for a 2.5 day exhibition.

Judges are not satisfied with one painting. They want six - on a theme, botanically accurate and correct, constructed using artistic skills and with a visually aesthetic appeal.

View of some of the exhibits of six (typically watercolour) paintings of plants on a theme at the RHS Botanical Art Show

BELOW are images of the Major Awards

You can also
The Gold Medals were split between:
  • 5 UK Artists (4 English and 1 Scottish)
  • 4 Japanese artists 
  • a group of Russian Artists

The exhibition at the RHS London Botanical Art and Photography Show is open today and closes at 5pm. It's in the RHS Lindley Hall in Elverton Street in Westminster.

Best Botanical Painting 2019


Mariko Ikeda (GM 2017 and Best Exhibit 2017) - Pandanus tectorius of Micronesian Atoll (Watercolour on vellum)

Mariko lives in Tokyo. She has a Ph.D. in the Sciences of Art (2009) and has been a Botanical Art Instructor in Tokyo since 2006. In terms of previous awards she has
  • won 1st Prize (twice) at the Botanical Art Competition run by the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo.
  • won a Gold Medal for her exhibit of Pandanus at the RHS Botanical Art Show in 2017 and was also awarded Best Exhibit in show.
  • this year won another Gold Medal and Best Painting.
Best Botanical Painting: Mariko Ikeda : P.Tectorius ‘En Khelen’

Mariko Ikeda GM (2017 + Best Exhibit, 2019 + Best Painting) Pandanus tectorius of Micronesia

Best Exhibit 2019


Naomi Gumma (Japan) - A Gift from the Gods: The Life Cycle of the Shimonita Welsh Onion (Tempera on paper)

This is Naomi's first visit to RHS and she has won a Gold Medal and Best Exhibit!  She also dressed in sync with her plant!

Best Botanical Art Exhibit 2019: Naomi Gumma GM (2019): The Lifecycle of the Shimonita Welsh Onion



Judges Special Award 2019

Betsy Rogers-Knox: Exploring the Seasons at Beckley Bog

This was awarded because of the significant educational value of Betsy' watercolour paintings about bog plants growing in a specific environment.

Exploring the Seasons at Beckley Bog - The Botany and Beauty of Vascular Plants and Bog Benefits
Betsy Rogers-Knox

Judges’ Special Award 2019: Betsy Rogers-Knox

[NOTE: Most of my writing about botanical art is now on my Botanical Art and Artists website - and I'm currently writing up this year's awards - and TIPS -  from the RHS London Art and Photography Competition 2019 on my news blog - which you can subscribe to if interested]