The first of two botanical art workshops conducted by Australia’s leading botanical artist, Jenny Phillips, was held at West Winds Community Centre at Woodbridge from 14-17 February 2017.

Jenny shared with 16 participants fundamental drawing and watercolour painting techniques through the ability to translate structure and colour as well as revealing many of nature’s secrets through close examination of flowers.

The end of the workshop had some participants renewing their approach to achieving botanical art and all felt confident of pursuing, with great vigour, this wonderful art form.

Botaniko members welcome the opportunity to be part of the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens Bicentenary commemoration in 2018 by exhibiting botanical artwork reflecting some of the significant botanical specimens grown in the Gardens over the last 200 years.

The Gardens are the second oldest in Australia, established in 1818. The land was acquired by Governor Sorell and had its origins as the Lieutenant-Government’s garden. The Gardens played a vital role in the early establishment of the colony for the introduction and dissemination of food producing plants throughout the settlement as well as interstate and overseas.

This is the major project for Botaniko in 2017 and with the list of over 20 significant plants, including plants from the historic collections, we are looking forward to working with Gardens staff and presenting an exhibition of botanical illustrations.

Following of the success of Part 1, in  2015, members of Botaniko were invited to return, to continue the theme of portraying  plants introduced to the Port Arthur penal settlement in the 1800s,  this time identifying those that were grown for having  culinary, medicinal and industrial significance at the time.

The  exhibition was opened on Saturday, 28 January 2017 by Dr Jane Harrington, Director of Conservation and Infrastructure at the Port Arthur Historic Site.

In her opening address, Dr Harrington spoke of the necessity of these culinary, medicinal and industrial plants to those early settlers,  who would have had survival foremost in their minds. They needed timber for shelter, food for sustenance and essential medicines. The works in the exhibition cover  all these areas.

The exhibition is on display in the Asylum, Port Arthur Historic Site until 23 March 2017.

Six members of Botaniko visited Melbourne on 24 and 25 October for a series of botanically-related activities.

First was a visit to the Rippon Lea Estate where Naomi Jeffs guided us through the historic gardens giving us a narrative of its origins. This was followed by a  visit to the home and gallery of Jenny Phillips, an internationally renowned Australian botanical artist.

The second day was as equally exciting as the first. In the morning we were given a tour of the thirteenth biennial botanical illustration exhibition The Art of Botanical Illustration: A New Direction presented by the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens. On conclusion, we visited the Whirlybirds, a group of botanical artists who meet regularly to paint  in the Whirling Room at the Botanic Gardens.

The two days were very inspirational and we returned to Hobart with renewed enthusiasm for our botanical works.

The art of Botanical Illustration: A New Direction

The magnificent gardens of the Rippon Lea Estate.

Historic Gardens of Rippon Lea Estate

Recent:

13 Dec 2016: Second visit to Gould’s Farm  to paint medical herbs

28 Jan.  2016:  Members were invited to return to Government House to draw the summer flowering plants within the grounds.

Past:

8 Sept. 2015: Members were invited to Government House to paint the first flush of Spring in the Gardens.

25 Mar. 2015: Members toured the gardens at Government House.

4 May 2014:  Members participated in the Heritage Month at Port Arthur Historic Site, with a demonstration of botanical art techniques and a display of work.

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