We thought our members might be interested in this new competition, although the deadlines are rather close!

Jackson’s (the art supply website) are celebrating Botanical Artists by running a free, international, digital competition: ‘Plant Life: Botanical Illustration’. They are offering the 3 winners watercolour prizes worth a total of £300 RRP, donated by Winsor & Newton, along with promotion across their 9 social media channels and blog which has a readership of over 50,000 people a month.

read more…

The SSBA’s Second Annual Exhibition – ‘The Colours of Nature’ opens at the Stirling Smith Gallery and Museum,  Dumbarton Road, Stirling FK8 2RQ, on Saturday 3^rd September till Sunday 22^nd October.

Open Tuesday to Saturday 10.30 – 17.00, Sunday 14.00 -17.00

Closed Monday

Free admission

Once again this year, a prize of £50 will be awarded at the Preview to the winner of the picture deemed ‘Best in Show’ by a panel of three expert judges.  In addition, the visiting public will also be able to vote for their favourite picture for the People’s Choice Award. 

Visitors can vote for their favourite picture from the Preview opening on Saturday 2^nd September, till Saturday 7^th October, when the winner will be announced at the SSBA’s ‘Afternoon Tea Event’, and the prize awarded.

We are very grateful to Barrie Scott and Co. (Chartered Accountants) of Falkirk for sponsoring this extremely popular award.

We also have two Meet the Artists days, on Saturday 9^th and Saturday 23^rd September from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.(11.00 – 15.00) when two exhibiting artists will be on hand to talk to visitors about the paintings in the exhibition, and explain and demonstrate some of the painting techniques used in botanical art.  Visitors will also be able to see the paints, brushes, paper and other equipment used in our art, as well as view a painting ‘in progress’.

We also hope to be able to have a special ‘Autumn Leaves’ event for children on Saturday 21^st October, when children can come along to the Gallery and Museum, learn how leaves change colour from green to the wonderful autumn hues, and have the opportunity to draw and colour them in, showing these amazing colours.  Information about this class will be available nearer the date, through the Gallery.

Last year’s ‘People’s Choice’ award recipient, Sharon Fox, receiving her award from Clive Scott, of Barrie Scott and Co. (Chartered Accountants)

Sharon with her winning painting, Lupinus ‘Excelsior’

Botanical art ranges from very specific botanical illustration – with tightly defined style and approach, through to artistic representation of fungi, flowers, seaweeds and all things botanical. Botanical artwork using embroidery/ needle painting is one of many approaches welcomed by the SSBA. Differing styles abound from the very formal and traditional Chinese embroideries through to representations of gardens.

It would be marvellous to have examples of a wide range of media and styles in our exhibitions. Please encourage your friends, relatives and colleagues who do any forms of botanical art to join us in The Scottish Society of Botanical Art and help it achieve its aims.

GETTING COMPOSED – BOTANICAL ART WORKSHOP
With Fiona Strickland and Robert McNeill
Saturday 8 April 2017
10am – 4pm
The Burgh Halls, Linlithgow

Deadline for booking – 10 March

Information and booking form

BOTANICAL ROOTS – BOTANY WORKSHOP FOR BOTANICAL ARTISTS
With Anne Carlaw and Aileen Friis-Jorgensen
Saturday 6 May 2017
10am – 4pm
The Art Room, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

Deadline for booking – 7 April

Information and booking form

Let us know about your events 
The SSBA newsletter offers the opportunity for you to inform a wide audience about relevant exhibitions and events.

We also are pleased to accept small adverts for items for sale/ wanted, and also offer advertising space to businesses at the small fee of £10 per 1/8 page adverts. Contact the editor on newsletter@thessba.org

Newsletter archive

Our regular Wednesday drop-in days, hosted at the Scottish Arts Club (24 Rutland Square, Edinburgh, EH1 2BW) were a great success last year, so we’ll keep up the good tradition in 2017!

They are a great opportunity to meet fellow artists of all levels, swap tips while you work, and enjoy a good cuppa.

There is a £10 charge each day, payable on the day, and if you would like to book lunch please let either Hazel Morris (for February and March bookings) or Aileen Jorgensen (all later bookings) know well in advance by email.

10.00-16.00

8 February
8 March
12 April
10 May
14 June
12 July
13 September
11 October
8 November

Some dates for  your calendar

We received the invitation below to submit work for an upcoming exhibition, and would like to share it with our members.

Botanical Beauty: Botanical art open (25 February – 1 April 2017)

Deadline for submissions: Monday 2 January 2017

Submissions by post only to: Botanical Beauty, Orleans House Gallery, Riverside, Twickenham, TW1 3DJ.

Through its annual open exhibition opportunities, Orleans House Gallery in Twickenham helps artists locally and nationally to showcase their work in group exhibitions at Orleans House Gallery and Stables Gallery in Twickenham and the Riverside Gallery in Richmond.

Botanical illustration is the art of depicting the form, colour and details of a plant species. Although scientifically accurate, studies are often artistic and aesthetically pleasing. This tradition of marrying art with science goes back to the 6^th century when the first botanical illustrations were created. The heyday of botanical art was from the 17^th to the 19^th century. In recent years, there has been a renaissance in this genre. This open exhibition showcases contemporary British botanical illustrations in a variety of styles.

Artists can submit up to 5 works. Artworks must be submitted as A4 good quality print outs. In addition, please save the images onto a CD or memory stick as jpeg files.

Original artwork or emailed submissions will not be accepted.

Please clearly label each submission with: artist’s name, title of work, date, media, approximate size and sale price (to include the gallery’s 40% commission + 20% VAT on the 40% commission). Please enclose contact details including email and postal address and contact telephone numbers, an artist’s statement and CV. Please complete and return the accompanying submission form.

There is a £10.00 administration charge (which contributes towards exhibition costs); £7.50 concessions (students, retired, unwaged, benefits). Please include proof. Please make cheques payable to ‘L.B.R.U.T’. You can also pay by card by calling the gallery on 020 8831 6000. Your submission will not be accepted without payment. If you would like submissions returned, please enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope. Successful artists will be contacted by phone or email about a week after the deadline.
Queries to curator Mark De Novellis at m.denovellis@richmond.gov.uk

Submission form (PDF): botanical-beauty-submission-form

We had a very successful event on Saturday 15th October, when members were able to take time to meet up and discuss the exhibition while enjoying afternoon tea. There was also an opportunity to talk about upcoming exhibitions and to give suggestions for the direction and future of the Society.

Members who were unable to come along were invited to pass along their suggestions via email.

Congratulations to Sharon Fox for winning the ‘People’s Choice Award’, sponsored by Barrie Scott and Co.

Sharon Fox with her award-winning painting

Congratulations also to our members whose work was selected as highly commended:

Nicola Macartney

Anne Carlaw

Hazel Morris

Aileen Friis-Jorgensen

Also, our congratulations to Kathy, whose painting was voted the best in the George Forrest category by the jury.

Kathy Munro

‘Enchanted Forrest’ at The Park Gallery, Callendar House, Callendar Park, Falkirk, FK1 1YR, from Monday 12th September to Sunday 16th October

Plants discovered by George Forrest, Falkirk-born botanist and plant collector

Application to Exhibit