SBA Membership and RHS Malvern Paintings

It's been a busy few weeks! Exhibited at the Society of Botanical Artist annual exhibition at Westminster Halls 20-29th April. It was a succesful exhibition and sales were up considerably this year, so great news for the Society. Also collected my very large SBA membership diploma certificate at Westminster Halls on 2nd May - see the shocked expression at the thought of having to carry it around London for the day! fortunately they agreed to post it and I had a great afternoon indulging in the Lucian Freud Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery and at the National Gallery, where I took  the opportunity to scrutinise the select number of Dutch botanicals by Jan van Huysum and Rachel Ruysch. Also great to Titian's Flight into Egypt.

I'm currently exhibiting the leaf paintings at the Malvern Gardening Show as part of the RHS botanical Art display until Sunday 13th May, photos to follow. Was awarded an RHS silver medal for the leaves. Feels like I've been away for months! Next up: BISCOT, Botanical Images Scotia at the Gardening Scotland Show and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh at the beginning of June...phew!

Collecting my SBA membership in London at the AGM. I think I already posted this .....but I'm still excited about it!

 

Below the 6 leaf paintings exhited at Malvern RHS, 2012 All on vellum. Awarded silver, not a strong enough theme apparently....oh well try again

Decaying lime 1

decaying lime 2

Cappadocia

Red maple

Cherry

Horse chestnut

Twelve months on from the SBA Diploma, Full Membership!

Since graduating in spring 2011 from the Society of Botanical Artists Diploma course,  I've not   really managed to get back into the swing of painting as well as I would have liked to, probably due to all the other distractions and disruptions in life and a bit of burn out!
However I did somehow manage to continue to produce work, most of which has been on vellum.  In February for this years SBA show at Westminster, 'Botanical Celebration'  I submitted another 5 and was fortunate enough to have all 5 paintings accepted for the third year running.  I didn't take the fast track membership because I had already started down the path and this was quicker for me.The exhibition starts next week on the 20th April. On the 12th March ( my birthday)  I received a letter from SBA informing me that I had been elected a full member of the SBA, which was just the news I needed to give me a good kick and get painting again!  I travel to London on the 2nd May to pick up my membership certificate/ Diploma.  It's not unusual for artists to suffer from these frustrating periods of nothingness and they usually coincide with the low points in life but they always pass.  

One of the 5 paintings exhibited at the SBA Show, 2012, Primula vulgaris, on vellum, sold at the opening along with two other pieces on vellum. It was highly commended for the Joyce Cumming award.

Very large membership certificate! See the 'now where am I going to put this!' expression!

Over the last few weeks I think (hope) some progress is being made and I've managed to produce several new leaf paintings on vellum. These paintings will be exhibited May 10 -13th at the Malvern Gardening Show as part of the RHS botanical exhibition. 

Here's work in progress on a decaying lime leaf painted on vellum which I collected from the grounds of Duff House in Banffshire.

Decaying Lime Leaf on vellum or Malvern RHS show

Decaying Lime Leaf 2 on vellum for Malvern RHS show