Teasel for Finches, Copyright 2017 Yanny Petters

As all our members know, the ISBA is about supporting and encouraging all our artists and members as they practise and learn more about botanical art and illustration. Our projects and exhibitions to date have been based on this approach and we don’t generally feature awards as an integral part of our exhibition process.

But! we are always delighted when our members’ work is valued by their peers and by independent juries and in this post we’ve rounded up some of the awards and accolades received by our members over the last few months. We’re proud to see how well ISBA artists are doing both at home and abroad. Congratulations to all of them!

Most recently, Yanny Petters learnt that her Verre Eglomisé painting, Teasel for Finches–which was acquired by the Dr. Shirley Sherwood Collection last year–will be part of a new exhibition, ‘Abundance – Seeds, Pods and Autumn Fruits’ at Kew Gardens, London, from now until March 2018. Visit the Kew Gardens site for more information.

Earlier in the Autumn, Shevaun Doherty‘s painting on vellum of Prunus domestica ‘Victoria’  was awarded the Joanna Craig McFeely Cup for Botanical Illustration, a Certificate of Botanical Merit and a Highly Commended for the Joyce Cumming’s Award, all at the (British) Society of Botanical Artists annual exhibition in Westminster London in October. This same painting was awarded Best in Show and a Gold Medal earlier this year at Bloom in the Park Botanical Art exhibition (scroll down to see the other awards at Bloom).

Phormium tenax, Copyright 2017 Mary Dillon

Across the Atlantic, Mary Dillon was awarded the Best in Show by her peers at the American Society of Botanical Artists annual exhibition – “From Garden Gate to Golden Gate” for her painting of  Phormium tenax  for which she also received the Anne Marie Carney Award for best painting in an inaugural international exhibition.

Bloom in the Park , 2017 – Awards

Gold Medal
Shevaun Doherty  – Prunus domestica ‘Victoria’
Siobhán Larkin – Gerbera x hybrida
Holly Somerville  – Magnolia x soulangeana ‘Black Tulip

Silver Gilt Medal
Lynn Stringer – Chamerion augustifolium

Silver Medal
Holly Somerville – ‘Turning’
Nayana Sandur – ​Cocos nucifera

Prunus domestica ‘Victoria’  by Shevaun Doherty at the Bloom Botanical Art Exhibtion, June 2017

Bronze Medal
Siobhan Larkin – Papaver somniferum
Lynn Stringer – Rosa ‘William Lobb’
Shevaun Doherty – Citrus reticulata
Jane Stark – Sarracenia leucophylla

Best Painting in Show
Prunus domestica ‘Victoria’ – by Shevaun Doherty

And see also our post earlier this year about a collective ISBA entry being awarded a silver medal at the RHS Malvern show.