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BOTANIC ART & CLASSES
Fruit by S Reynolds | 
CONTACT DETAILSFriends of RBG Melb
Gate Lodge
(opposite the Shrine)
100 Birdwood Avenue
Melbourne 3004
Map references
Melways page no 2F
Melways grid ref K 12
UBD page no 283 UBD grid ref M1
For all enquiries and bookings -
Tel: (03) 9650 6398
Fax: (03) 9650 7723
Email: friends@frbgmelb.org.au
www.rbgfriendsmelbourne.org | What is Botanic Art?Botanic Art or the art of botanical illustration is a highly specialised artform, in which plant portraits combine finely observed detail with artistic expression. Interest in this artform has greatly increased over the years and currently the Friends hold a number of classes conducted by their experienced Botanic Art teachers - Dianne Emery, Mali Moir and Helen Burrows. See below for more information on our classes and teachers. return to top Botanic Art Classes and Workshops | 
Peony painting by Dianne Emery
| Botanic Art ClassesEnquiries are welcome for TERM 1, 2010
(For more information download an Application form) (PDF). Botanical Art classes are held on - Monday: 10am -12.30pm (Intermediate - Mali Moir)
- Monday: 1pm - 3.30pm (Mixed including Beginners - Mali Moir)
- Tuesday: 6.15pm - 8.45pm (Mixed including Beginners - Dianne Emery)
- Wednesday: 10am - 12.30pm (Advanced - Dianne Emery)
- Wednesday: 1pm - 3.30pm (Intermediate/Advanced - Dianne Emery)
- Wednesday: 6.15pm - 8.45pm (Mixed including Beginners - Helen Burrows)
- Thursday: 1pm - 3.30pm (Mixed including Beginners - Helen Burrows)
- Friday: 10.30am - 1.30pm (Intermediate/Advanced - Dianne Emery)
- Saturday: 10am - 12.30pm (Mixed including Beginners - Mali Moir)
- Saturday: 1pm - 3.30pm (Mixed including Beginners - Mali Moir)
Classes are held in the Whirling Room Studio located in the Observatory Gate Site at the RBG. Please dowload a map showing the location of the Whirling Room Studio.
Cost: 2.5hr classes $255 Friends $215 (incl GST)
3hr classes $295 Friends $255 (incl GST) For more information on all Botanical Illustration Classes and Workshops please download an application form (pdf) or telephone our office on 9650 6398. To take advantage of the Friends' members rates please Join the Friends. return to top | 
Botanic Art Class
| Summer WorkshopsBOOKINGS OPEN 1 DECEMBER. All classes will be held in the Whirling Room Studio, Observatory Gate, RBG Melbourne Beginners' Workshop
with Dianne Emery
4,5,6,7 January 10.00am to 4.00pm
Cost: $295 (Friends $250) Illustrating Plant Dissections
with Mali Moir
11,12,13 January 10.00am to 3.00pm
Cost: $205 (Friends $160) Drawing Workshop
with Dianne Emery
18,19,20,21 January 10.00am to 4.00pm
Cost: $285 (Friends $240) Oil Painting
with Anita Mertzlin
27,28,29 January 10.00am to 3.30pm
Cost: $250 (Friends $205) Vellum and Watercolour
with Mali Moir
14,15 January 10.00am to 4.00pm
Cost: $175 (Friends $130) | 
Tulips
Mali Moir
Fritilaria
Dianne Emery
| Botanical Illustration Calendar 2010 and Greeting CardsThis just released beautiful production contains 12 botanical illustrations by members of the Botanical Illustrators. To order please download an order form. The Botanic Art 2009 Seasonal Greeting Card has just been released. It features a full colour detail from Jennifer Wilkinson's painting of Rhododendron 'David'. To order please download an order form The Friends' have just released a set of 5 botanic art cards (blank inside) available from the Friends' Office 
Set of 5 Botanic Art Cards return to top | 
2010 Calender by the Friends' Botanical Illustrators
Rhododendron 'David'
Jennifer Wilkinson
| Botanical IllustratorsWho are The Botanical Illustrators?A group of Members of the Friends' who meet regularly to paint, take classes and workshops, and put on exhibitions of their work. One group of Members called the Whirlybirds meet every Tuesday. WhirlybirdsThe Whirlybirds group of botanical artists meet every Tuesday, in the Whirling Room Studio, to paint and exchange ideas. Members of this friendly group range from beginners to professionals, and there is no instructor. Rather, members encourage each other in their artistic endeavours, discuss works-in-progress, offer advice, and occasionally, work on a group project. Following the success of illustrating the oaks in the RBG they are now working on the eucalypts. Any member of the Friends is welcome to join the Whirlybirds, for a small weekly fee, either to pursue their own botanical art interests or select a eucalypt to illustrate. If you would like to join the Whirlybirds please contact Sandra Sanger on 95989532. | 
The Whirlybirds
| Cranbourne Botanic Illustrators' GroupThe Cranbourne Illustrators meet on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month from 10.00am to 3.00pm in the Maud Gibson Room (which is near the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens Office). It is a small, friendly group and anyone interested is welcome to call in and visit us during that time or contact Margaret Holloway on 5998 5382 for further information. Exhibition We are holding an exhibition, "Nature Illustrated", at the Wine Justice, 26 Waltham St Sandringham. The exhibition runs from February 23 until April 14. The exhibition is to be opened by Roger Elliot at 6-30, Friday 26th February.Opening hours are Monday to Saturday 10-30am to 6-00pm and Sunday 11-00am to 4-00pm. The exhibition will be a mixture of botanical and insect paintings. The public is also invited to meet the artists at work each Thursday between 1-00 and 3-0opm. Botanic Art Classes at Cranbourne
Botanical Art Classes will commence in February 2010 with Margaret Holloway as the tutor. Margaret has had considerable experience teaching art at secondary, tertiary and community levels. She has won several awards with her botanical work and is represented in several collections, including the State Collection.
They will be held in the Maude Gibson Room from 10-00am to 3-00pm on the first and third Friday of the month. As the class size is small, Maximum of ten students, it will be suitable for beginners or those with some experience.
Fees will be $180-00 per term for members of the Friends and $200-00 for non members.
Visitors can park in the Australian Garden carpark and follow the directional signs to the Maude Gibson Room.
For further information contact Margaret Holloway on 59985382 Inland Botanical Gardens Trip
The Cranbourne Illustrators organised a trip to Neds Corner Station in September. We had a wonderful time there and even managed to get a few paintings done. There were six of us and we each had our own little painting corner at the station. In the morning, some of us went out for a walk to the Murray - to get some exercise, new specimen for drawing and passing the time before the generator would be switched on. Because only then could we have our first cup of tea and shower! Apart from some beautifully delicate plants we saw plenty of wildlife - enough to make us want to go back there and paint again. On our way back we also stopped off at the Inland Botanical Gardens in Mildura where we were the artists in residence for the day. It was too windy to paint outside but we were very well looked after in their beautiful shearing shed.
Margaret Holloway painting in the Shearing Shed at the Inland Botanical Gardens with one of the lovely volunteers who looked after us
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Rough Poppy - Papaver hybridum
Arnolda Beynon
Joan Mason at her desk in one of our little painting corners on the Inland Botanic Gardens Trip | Friends' Botanic Art TeachersDianne Emery
Born in the United Kingdom, Dianne studied art at the National Gallery School in Melbourne followed by a diploma of Education. She worked as an artist and a teacher for many years, teaching at secondary, TAFE and tertiary levels. Always interested in plants and horticulture Dianne enrolled part-time at Burnley Horticultural College where later she began teaching short courses in Botanical Illustration. This was followed by later courses taught at Swinburne University, Melbourne CAE, Royal Botanic Gardens and workshops in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and regional Victoria. She currently works at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, where she has been running workshops and classes since 1996. Dianne has exhibited widely both here and interstate, including, since 1994, The Art of Botanical Illustration at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. Recent exhibitions include: Botanica 2008, ‘Nature + Art’, Natural History at Woodbine Gallery, Malmsbury, ‘The Forgotten Flora’ travelling show from the National Herbarium Melbourne, Botanica 2006 ‘The Masters Exhibition,’ Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney: 2005, Red Box Gallery, The Herbarium, Sydney; a solo show at Woodbine Art Gallery, Malmsbury, Victoria. Dianne has won the Celia Rosser medal twice, in both 2002 and 2004. Her works are held in the Victorian State collection, Geelong Regional Gallery, Esso Collection and in private collections in Australia and overseas. return to top | 
Peony
Diane Emery
| Mali Moir
Working at the National Herbarium of Victoria as botanical illustrator for many years, Mali has combined botanical and horticultural knowledge with artistic skills contributing pen and ink drawings for the Flora of Australia, Flora of Victoria, Mulleria and other scientific publications. Working closely with botanists in this area Mali understands the importance of scientific accuracy, the fundamentals of precise measurement and thorough depiction of detail. She also teaches botanical illustration at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. Gold Medallist at The Royal Horticultural Society London and invited exhibitor to the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation USA, recipient of the inaugural Celia Rosser Medal, finalist in the Waterhouse Art Prize and first Australian to receive FON Purchase Award New York State Museum. Mali exhibits widely in Australia and internationally and has produced many works for private, public and corporate collections. Mali has a keen interest in the artistic interpretation of natural history themes. She approaches her work with traditional techniques whilst developing a fresh contemporary look. Mali executes works on paper with the consummate skill of a dedicated artist as she combines her fascination for science and natural history with an active desire to render works of art with beauty, character and scientific merit. return to top
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Hippeastrum amaryllis 'Apple Blossom'
Mali Moir
| Helen Burrows
Helen’s botanical watercolour illustrations are represented in the Victorian National Herbarium collection, The Government House Florilegium Project, The Illustrated Garden Collection, The National Library of Australia, The Huntington Library (California), The Hunt Institute of the Carnegie Mellon University (Pennsylvania), the Lindley Library Royal Horticultural Society (London), galleries and private collections throughout Australia and overseas.
A professional Graphic Designer, Helen has also worked in both secondary and tertiary education sectors teaching art and lecturing in Design and Graphic Communication.
Her passionate interest in gardening and horticulture has found expression in her commitment to botanical painting. return to top | 
Camellia reticulata
Helen Burrows
| Featured Botanic Artist JUDITH JARMAN
Having always been interested in drawing and painting, Judy joined the Botanical Illustrators group at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne when it was formed in 1989. Her botanical art lessons with Anita Barley, Jenny Phillips and Fiona MacKinnon were most enjoyable.
Judy has participated at the Art of Botanical Illustration exhibitions, and also at the Hamilton, Geelong and Benalla regional galleries and various other venues. She has been involved with the organization of all the major biennial exhibitions held at the RBG Melbourne (initially in Mueller Hall and, more recently, at Domain House) and has represented the Botanical Illustrators group on the RBG Melbourne Council.
Her “Talking Heads” watercolour developed when Judy left a few Crinum powellii ‘Album’ bulbils on top of her washing machine for several weeks. She was very surprised at their unusual development and humorous appearance.
'Talking Heads'
return to top | | Botanical Illustrators Quarterly Meeting The next quarterly meeting will be held on Tuesday 15 December at 11.00am. Details available in the Summer 2009/10 Botanic NewsAt our quarterly meeting on the 8th of September, Michael Stella of Deans Art Supplies gave the group a potted history of Deans art stores, and then showed us some of the newer and more unusual products that have become available to artists over the last few years.
First of all, Michael explained the three main types of paper, namely Hot Pressed, Cold Pressed and Rough and their three standard weights - 190gsm, 300gsm and 638gsm. The majority of the artists present were familiar with the major brands, so we were delighted when Michael distributed sample packs of different paper types and weights, as well as mini sheets of a few unusual papers. As he said, “Experiment and see what suits your style of art”! Michael also warned that some of the cheaper brands of paper are not “archival quality” and will deteriorate within a few years. Many cheap papers are adequate for sketching, but not for “finished” work.
New accessories included battery operated erasers and Texta Plates that are stippled, lined, wood-grained, etc., and can be used to create interesting textures in pencil drawings. Then there are new types of marker and watercolour pencil, as well as jars of liquid pencil (graphite that can be applied with a brush) and a range of pearlescent acrylics that got me very excited. Without a doubt, they were my personal favourites. Michael also introduced us to Holbein brand watercolours, inviting us to play around with half a dozen colours. This brand of watercolour has a different “feel” to the brand I normally use, but five of those six colours were absolutely brilliant and warrant further experimentation.
Undeniably, brushes are one of the artist’s most important tools, and the majority of artists will have a favourite brand or style of brush. Michael gifted each of us a new Roymac Taklon (synthetic) brush to try, and many who had not used this type of brush previously agreed it showed great potential. These brushes are significantly cheaper than the top brand of pure sable brush, but Michael says the life span is shorter. I like these brushes very much indeed and have been using them for approximately twelve months. They have a firmer point than the top quality pure sable brushes, but they do suit the manner in which I apply paint.
It had been many years since the Botanical Illustrators had a “trade talk”, so we were delighted to hear about these new products. Thank you, Michael, for a most enjoyable morning.
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Botanic Illustrators trying out the new brushes and watercolours
| Celia Rosser Medal The Celia Rosser Medal 2008Inaugurated in 2002 the Celia Rosser Medal is awarded to select Botanical Artists exhibiting in the Art of Botanical Illustration Exhibitions. At the 2008 Art of Botanical Illustration Exhibition Celia Rosser awarded three equal winners of the medal. - Jenny Phillips - Eucalyptus pryiformis
- Sandra Sanger - Doryanthes excelsa
- Jennifer Wilkinson - Rhododendron 'David'
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Eucalyptus pryiformis
Jenny Phillips
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Rhododendron 'David'
Jennifer Wilkinson return to top | 
Doryanthes excelsa
Sandra Sanger
| The Art of Botanical Illustration ExhibitionsThese biennial exhibitions are presented by the Botanical Illustrators and the Friends of the RBG Melbourne. For further information follow this Art Exhibition link or the Art Exhibition 2008 link in the left navigation bar. The next Art of Botanical Illustration Exhibition will be held in November 2010. An information session for intending Exhibition artists will be held in February 2010. Information for artists can be download here | | The Illustrated Garden This project was established in 2001 by artist members of the Friends to create an illustrated record, or florilegium, of selected plants growing in the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. The collection is held digitally and photographically by the Friends.
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Avicennia marina
H Simkin
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