Chance to learn botanic illustrating

Autumn is the perfect time to benefit from guidance by award-winning botanical illustrators holding a range of courses at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens.
Botanic Gardens Trust executive director, Dr Tim Entwisle, said botanical illustrations at the Gardens began with the establishment of the Herbarium in 1901, a place where over a million plants have been described.
Many of the Gardens early illustrations were done by noted artist Margaret Flockton, who came to Sydney from England at the age of 19 and lived at ‘Tulagi’, Tennyson (a suburb adjoining Gladesville) until she died just before her 92nd birthday.
Flockton commenced work at the National Herbarium at Sydney’s Botanic Gardens in 1901. She worked alongside JH Maiden, director of the Gardens, on the Forest Flora of New South Wales and the Critical Revision of the Genus Eucalyptus.
Her drawings, lithographs, and coloured sketches, including enlargements on dissections in the best traditions of botanical art.
Her last day of service at the Gardens was March 24, 1927.
Margaret Flockton was a member of the Royal Art Society, which exhibited 33 of her paintings. Flockton also had a high reputation as a lithographic artist at a time when she was Australia’s only female exponent of the art.
She also independently published a book called Australian Wildflowers, containing plates of coloured lithographs, and produced decorative borders for a souvenir book called Greetings from Australia.
Botanical illustration helps not only plant scientists, but anyone who needs a precise identification of a plant – like park managers, bio prospecting companies, environment departments and nature enthusiasts.
“Botanical illustration is the main way of representing plants in botanical publications,” Dr Entwisle said.
“When describing new species, illustrators produce drawings that accurately portray features of plants not achievable through photography,” he said.
Plants are described in both words and drawings, with botanists preparing a detailed description of the plant and the artist producing an accurate illustration.
“Both are equally important,” Dr Entwisle said.

Details of courses: Monday April 28 – Monday June 23.
Botanical Illustration Evening Courses
Learn the basics of botanical illustration with Catherine Wardrop. 6pm – 9 pm Mondays, Education Centre $380. Bookings 92318134.
Friday May 2 – Friday May 23.
Botanical Illustration – Daytime courses
The Right Green – the exactitudes of leaf painting with Barbara Duckworth: 10 am – 4 pm Fridays. Education Centre $380 Bookings 9231 8134.
Saturday 3 May – Sunday 4 May.
Botanical Illustration – weekend course
Find your Inner Flockton – scientific botanical illustration with pen and ink, taught by Catherine Wardrop; Lesley Elkan. 10 am to 4 pm Saturday; Sunday. Education Centre. $190. Bookings 9231 8134.