Primula vulgaris on kelmscott Vellum, SBA exhibition 2012

I've been working on this painting of Primula vulgaris on vellum for what seems like weeks ....it's finally  finished..... well almost!I hope to exhibit it at the SBA show, when I'll be applying for full membership in Feb 2012. Here's a few detail photos and the preparatory graphite work. I should have taken more photos of the process but forgot, sorry.

Finished! Primula vulgaris on Kelmscott vellum

Original graphite....spot the difference. I added an extra flower in the gap on the right....works better! also the roots. Poor plant was pulled from its pot and suspended in a retort stand for this. Love roots!

The slightly labourious tonal graphite is time well spent when it somes to painting. the continuous tone technique is not so different from thae dry brush methof used when painting on vellum

I'm goint to use these two for my business cards!

Love that little bit of pink...It's little things like that that make the painting...in my opinion

The Meconopsis

Several years ago Dr Evelyn Stevens, co-founder of the Meconopsis Group, gifted me some seeds for a cross pollination experiment. I raised a fairly large number of Meconopsis plants but far too many for my small garden, so passed on a number to the Cruickshank Botanic Garden at the University of Aberdeen, keeping just a small number at home. I've been trying to get around to painting them for the past 3 years - a few weeks ago I finally made a start, although in fairness it had taken 3 years prior to this to produce any flowers and some still refuse to flower! Anyway so much time has passed that one of the plants has recently been reclassified! (see description below)
Here is just one of the preparatory watercolours towards the series of Meconopsis paintings. They're quite tricky because the colour of the petals changes so quickly with age. The final pieces will probably be painted on vellum.....but that will have to wait until next year.

Meconopsis baileyi
Discovered in 1913 by Col. F.M. Bailey in Rong Chu, SE Tibet, the Tibetan blue poppy was named Meconopsis baileyi in 1915 from a herbarium specimen. Ten years after Col Bailey's discovery, Frank Kingdon Ward collected substantial samples of herbarium material and seeds from the same area. From this seed M. baileyi, or Bailey's blue poppy, was introduced into western gardens.
 
However,  it was discovered that a similar plant had been previously been discovered, in 1886, by Pere Delavay in NW Yunnan. This plant was described and named, M. Betonicifolia in 1889. It was not introduced into cultivation. When George Taylor published his monograph of the genus in 1934, he maintained that the two taxa, were conspecific, therefore the name M. betonicifolia had priority having been published at the earlier date, thus, M. baileyi became a synonym.

In June 2009, Dr Chris Grey-Wilson, of Kew,  published a paper in The Alpine Gardener which identified more than 8 distinct features that justify separation of the two taxa, as a result the original two species were reinstated. M. betonicifolia endemic to NW Yunnan and M. baileyi endemic to SE Tibet. You can read more about the history and classification on the Meconopsis Group website.

More leaves exhibited in Scotland, McEwan Gallery

Painting has resumed again after a few glitches. The problem at this time of year is that there are just too many plants to choose from and not enough time to paint them. It's hard to decide what to do first and the end result always seems to be that I attempt too many pieces and flit from one thing to another, finishing only one or two. Every year I decide to be more organised..... 

Now with all this choice and such a limited season it seems ridiculous to be painting dead leaves but that's what I've been doing. This behaviour was inspired by my recent purchase of the exhibition catalogue from Rory McEwen's 1988 retrospective 'Rory McEwen 1932-1982, The Botanical Paintings' - it has 24 colour plates of his works including some of his incredible leaves, there are still a few copies around through book dealers for those willing to search for it. This mahonia leaf was my latest challenge and caused me to abandon the poor Meconopsis that I've been promising to paint for 3 years! Below are some of the other dead leaves completed over the past year..... I'll finish the meconopsis next week.I do love leaves!

Mahonia on vellum 6 x 4

Horse chestnut on vellum 10 x 12

Maple on vellum 8 x 10

Beech on vellum 6 x 4 ( not exhibited at the McEwan) a gift for my lovely boss when I left the Council's education dept after 4 years

Cherry on vellum 6 x 4

Copper beech with skeleton 4 x 7

All of the leaves are on vellum, most of these these were exhibited and sold at the McEwan Gallery, Ballater. I've been exhibiting there since I moved to Scotland around  1989! It's a lovely gallery in a beautiful surrounding

SBA 2011 Annual Exhibition and Graduation....oops I missed it!.

Returned home yesterday after visiting the 2011 SBA exhibition  at Westminster Halls on Saturday 16th April. After sharing the train with the Manchester United  and City supporters I was pretty relieved to finally arrive at Westminster albeit quite late in the day.  There's so much to take in at the exhibition and I should have been there for longer to do the show justice. As always the standard was high with lots of amazing work which included a central display dedicated to illustrations of various plants from all corners of the globe titled 'The World of Plants' - A few of my favourites this year include:  Jacky Jousson - for me he's one of the best botanical painters and the way he handles the light is truly amazing! Fiona Strickland's use of colour is fabulous, Julia Trickey's paintings are technically perfect and very beautiful, Billy Showell's  design based botanicals always bring something that's very refreshing to the genre. I also saw Sigrid Frensen 's work for the first time and it really is lovely - particularly the Pelargonium sidiodes.
I had 4 works on display, three of which were assignments from the SBA course. Next year I hope to paint something specifically for the exhibition....but what?

My Ceritficate for the SBA Diploma

It was also the graduation for course 6 of the SBA Distance Learning Diploma Course on the 15th at the Art Workers Guild in Bloomsbury. Unfortunately this didn't go to plan and I missed it! After a hectic week visiting family in Staffordshire I headed to London but for some reason convinced myself that the graduation was later than the time printed on the invite! This wouldn't have mattered too much but I also managed to miss the earlier train, then got lost! Logistics are not a strong point! I finally arrived a bit red faced and almost 90 mins late! just enough time to have a quick chat with Margaret Stevens and collected my diploma before heading back feeling rather stupid.....never mind some things just aren't meant to be!

     

Moving on - exhibitions 2011, SBA Associate Membership!

Running up to the end of the SBA Course the exhibition calendar kicked off early in 2011 in the cafe gallery at the Charles Rennie Mackintosh designed, House for an Art Lover, situated in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow. It's a lovely venue and I felt privileged to be invited to exhibit alongside four Scottish botanical artists, Fiona Strickland, Jenny Matthews, Lynne Henderson and Mary-Clare Cornwallis.  

Exhibited at House for an Art Lover, Glasgow, Horse Chestnut on Vellum

SBA Associate Membership!
In February I had five works accepted by the Society of Botanical Artists for inclusion in their annual show, the World of Plants, 8th - 17th April at Westminster Central Hall, London. I've been putting odd works into the SBA shows on and off since 2002 but this was the second consecutive year that all five works had been accepted and secured election as an Associate Member of the SBA. Last year I was awarded a Certificate of Botanical Merit and highly commneded for the Joyce Cumming Award.

The next deadline is looming - to produce 8 paintings of native plants on vellum for inclusion in the BISCOT (Botanical Images Scotia) annual exhibition. The exhibition is a collaboration between the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society. It's the first time I've exhibited with BISCOT after having work accepted by their committee last year.  The exhibition is held at the Gardening Scotland show at Ingleston,  Edinburgh, from 3rd - 5th June. Work is then transported to the RBGE, and forms part of their Botanical Art Bonanza exhibitions. BISCOT work will be on show at from 8th -24th June in the Fletcher Building.

Any artist interested in exhibiting at BISCOT 2012 must submit work by the 24th May 2011.

Exhibited at House for and Art Lover, Digitalis purpurea on vellum. My largest work to date on vellum. I grew the plant in the garden

Diploma Portfolio, SBA Distance Learing Diploma Course

Posted the final 3 portfolio pieces and sketchbook this week! I will update this post with images when they have been marked.
The requirement for the Diploma Portfolio is: 

• Botanical illustration
• Fruit or vegetable
• Mixed Study

The deadline for submission was brought forward by one week, the deadline 12th March...my birthday!. 

Graduation and the SBA Associate Membership
Graduation for the SBA Distance Learning Diploma course 6 is on the 15th April at the Artists Guild, Bloomsbury, which coincides with the SBA annual show, 'The World of Plants'.  I hope to head down to London for this event. I also have 5 paintings included in the exhibition ( submitted in February), which is some of the work that I completed outside the course. I'm applying for Associate membership this year as It will be my 2nd year submitting 5 paintings and look forward to seeing the wide variety of work - last year over 700 paintings were on show!

Here are the final diploma portfolio works:

Beetroot drawing

Vegetable Study
I grew this beet myself and completed this a while ago and decided, due to lack of time, that it was OK to submit as the fruit or vegetable piece.  So I didn't actually do it for the diploma just as part of other work  during the course. This isn't actually the final version - I added an extra leaf at the top to cover a small mark made just before putting it into the envelope! I prefer this version. There could have been a bit more contrast on the leaves to give the glossy appearance and to separate the leaves on the right hand side. I was happy with the beet and the roots though and the composition was good apart from that extra leaf. (final mark 23.1/25). 

Iris reticulata for the Botanical study

Botanical Illustration

Difficult to photograph this one because of the light pencil work - there's a bit more to it which includes the reproductive parts x 1.5 on the right hand side but it didn't show up so I cropped the image. Again perhaps a bit more contrast on the pencil work would have benefitted this one. (Final Mark 23.8/25).

Mixed Floral Ttulips and Anemone

Mixed Floral, a last minute dash to the finish line

Having had a few 'out of the blue' things to deal with in Feb and March, i.e. my grandson in intensive care! I had spent some time away from home, as a resut I found myself with only 3 days left to complete my final diploma piece! It seemed inevitable at one point that I'd have to defer until next year, but following encouragement from Margaret Stevens, I picked up one of the few remaining bouquets from the supermarket on my way home from the hospital, I'd driven the 8 hour trip home and this was all that was left in the Aberdeen Tesco store - it was the middle of the night!   It had a very limited palette and I'd no idea what variety of tulips they were - but decided it was the only option and to give it my best shot! I tracked down the very helpful tulip grower via email and he helped me to identify the flowers.  It did the trick and I managed to get it in the post on time.  There's a slight misalignment on the stem on the right hand tulip, which probably cost me - I'll correct this at some point. The judges particularly liked the detail and tone in the central anemone. I would never have chosen this but hey ho! (final mark 23.6/25)

Finally some tips for future students
If I was going to make any recommendation to new students it would be to do plenty of additional work around the course materials. You never know what might happen that will leave you short of time! The time- frame for the submission of assignments is very lenient so there's no excuse not to do extra work. 

Assignment 12 Mixed Flowers

There was nothing decent left in the garden when I finally got round to assignment 12, so had to resort to cut flowers for this one. This assignment was pretty challenging, and, like assignment 11, it isn't something I'd normally do. The protea didn't have any leaves, which was a real shame and the red rose was a tough subject.  Such tight petals and a rich colour. Also the maximum size of approx A3 is a bit small for something like this, it really doesn't allow much scope and ends up a bit cramped in terms of white space but I think I got there in the end with the arrangement.  There's another mixed floral for the diploma portfolio so I'm hoping to have a bit more choice of subject.  I've just about finished the other two portfolio pieces - the vegetable or fruit study and the botanical  illustration and will post when the final piece is finished....less than one month to go now, so nearly made it!
I've been seriously neglecting the blog and need to get back on track! Sorry the picture isn't great - seems anything white or red is difficult to photograph - I'll try again later.

Mixed floral, this is an updated photo, the original wasn't good. Margaret Stevens went of the purchase this one from me for a presentaion to someone...no idea who.

I tried to work with movement, balance ( colour balance too) and used the rule of odds and rule of thirds to create an arrangement. I took lots of photographs and made sketches but actually drew all the component part separately and arranged using tracing paper.  I didn't learn those things from the course though they were things I'd picked up over the years and put into practice for this assignment.

On to the Diploma bu

Assignment 11.Working from photographs, My Garden

The 'working from photographs' assignment required a floral painting suitable for a card design. I attempted a looser style of painting, which isn't really my thing and it felt a bit awkward and not very botanical. I found this to be a pretty awful assignment which wasn't anything to do with botanical art.

Above  detail from what turned out to be a more illustrative approach....this was a lot of work!

I decided to paint a corner of my garden working from a number of photographs taken this year - I would have liked to try something a bit more creative but the garden was handy and I was a bit short of time due to work, children and grandchildren.
The agapanthus was the obvious choice for a feature - there wasn't much left that looked half decent because high winds had flattened everything else! I made  lots of colour notes - the reproduction in the photographs is a little inaccurate so some care had to be taken. The painted lady butterfly was a regular visitor to both the agapanthus and the lavender and added a bit of interest. I  assembled the sketches and traced the whole image which was transferred to my watercolour paper (roughly A3 size). I took about 3 days from start to finish. Valerie Wright was my tutor for this assignment. I think this is the worst thing I've done so far....not my thing.

My Garden, not happy with that loose background but it'll have to do

Only one more assignment to go, then the Diploma Portfolio. It's just flown by in a fairly uneventful way so far, can't believe I'm nearly at the end of the assignments. Still no contact with tutors, just the sheets back, some give more feedback than others. I honestly don't think I've learned anything from this experience.

Working in the Field, Assignment 10, Coastal Flowers

Assignment 10. Working in the Field.
I chose to work at a coastal site, Gardenstown, which is just a few miles from my home on the north east coast of Scotland. I had studied the site for my biology dissertation a few years ago so was pretty familiar with the habitat. Five species were required for this assignment, one had to show surrounding vegetation/ habitat and one cross section/dissection. Simon Williams is the tutor.

I chose Parnassia palustris (grass of parnassus), Succisa pratensis ( Devil's bit scabious), Prunella vulgaris(self heal)  Trifolium pratense (red clover) and Rhinanthus minor (yellow rattle), which had gone to seed.   I think I could have made the Parnassia dissection larger....oh well too late now. Loved doing  this one! but not happy with the result. I don't know why on earth I decided on this layout, probably because of the size of the paper.... I can see how it should be laid out now! I had quite a lot of domestic problems at this time but plodded on - it looks a bit rushed and unfinished to me.

Detail from the Scabacious, unfinished, needs a wash over the leaves etc.

Simon liked the work he was complementary but agreed that it needed a bit more work and general finishing including the wash on the greens,,,,,not sure why I didn't do that it was an easy option but I was rushin, he was spot on in his observations on this one. The mark was good enough, but I could have done a much better job of this. I was a bit disappointed in myself for failing to find the time. My error and a kick up the backside for me:)

I havent contacted any of the tutors yet, not sure if I should or not. I'm just kind send off the stuff and read the feedback and get on with it. Not sure if that's how it's suposed to be or not.

Botanical Illustration Assignment 9

Assignment 9. The Botanical Illustration. Pulsatilla vulgaris. Playing a bit safe really because I've painted it a few times. Again this assignment is worth more in marks with 15 marks.

This one is all about accuracy, not that the others aren't but there's more to measure. All assignments are marked with the same criteria, including on botanical accuracy but also on technique, composition, line and form, tone and colour. labelling of course has to be accurate too. This one will be scrutinised no doubt!  My turor Reinhild Raistrick who I had met at the SBA seminar in London and discussed the plant choice, she told me that Pulsatilla grow wild in East Anglia, where she lives and that she has painted them in situ many times, so perhaps I set myself a hard task choosing a plant she is very familiar with!  I wanted to paint a native species, it makes labelling compared to all those difficult to identify cultivars, but that's not the real reason, I just prefer native plants I guess..... and they're pretty important!

Detail showing all the fine hais on the flower stem and leaves, to add hais use a pale botanical grey mix against the white of the paper and add titanium white for hairs against the plant

I included side view opening bud, front view, seedhead leaves and enlarged reproductive parts and individual enlarged seed. Reproductive parts are lined up along the bottom and labelled neatly with pecil using a 'x' rather than a scale bar.  I think I could have included a rear view and closed bud but it's not essential.

The complete illustration, showing different aspects

My tutor said that the hue on these flowers is difficult particularly with the hairs but felt I had an accurate match.
The drawing she said was accurate and showed off the nature and shape of the subject to perfection!
She thought the botanical accuracy was 'professional'
For technique the washes and hairs she said were excellent...I've got a red face and big head now!
Composition well balanced and clean with labelling kept to a minimum on the front, as it should be.

The only suggestion was a possible light wash on the leaves to reduce the business.

Wow I was pretty pleased with that feedback and a good mark!

To be fair this is mypreferred  type of work , and I  should be ok with  dissection, measuring and the likes with being trained in Biology.  When it comes to mixed florals and card designs I will be in a bit more trouble!