The Easter art exhibition and sale, to open the University of Bristol’s Botanic Garden 2010 season, will take place from Good Friday, April 2 to Easter Monday, April 5 from 10 am to 4.30 pm. Pictures, prints, cards, light refreshments and this year, for the first time, unframed mounted original works will be on sale.
There will around 100 paintings and drawings by over 30 local artists and at a range of prices, with the maximum price for artwork at £250.
Three of the artists taking part in the four-day exhibition are Annie Morris, Dr Chris Thorogood and Di Western.
Annie Morris has a degree in Botany from the University and is a full-time botanical artist and teacher. She is a member of the Society of Botanical Artists and the Society of Floral Painters and exhibits with both societies annually. Her work is held in the Lindley Library of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and in the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation in Pittsburgh, as well as in many private collections. She has been awarded three Silver Gilt medals by the RHS for her illustrations. Annie teaches regularly at the University’s Botanic Garden and in 2009 her work featured on the cover of their ‘Index Seminum’.
Dr Chris Thorogood is a botanist and research associate at the University. He produces diagrams and illustrations for scientific papers, as well as paintings in oil and watercolour. His work was recently featured in the international JMBA Global Marine Environment magazine, and Devon’s local Margins magazine. Chris is particularly interested in unusual plants, and combines his passions for science and painting to produce botanically accurate illustrations.
After qualifying at UWE in the late l990s as a mature student, Di Western has mainly concentrated on illustrative botanical paintings and atmospheric landscape. She is interested in the incorporation of floral vegetation into landscapes and has been influenced by Monet’s, ‘A Field of Poppies’ (1873) and the magnified details of flowers by American artist Georgia O’Keefe. For the last four years she has solely concentrated on oils using an impressionist style. Besides solo exhibitions, Di has exhibited at the Bristol Guild, Friends of the RWA and Clifton Art.
Members of the public will also have the opportunity to visit the Botanic Garden over the weekend from 10 am to 4.30 pm. After Easter the Garden will be open every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday plus Saturdays in June, July, August and September.
Triumphs over the winter include Bristol winning a gold medal in the South West Britain in Bloom 2009 competition and the Botanic Garden was deemed ‘a significant element in the city’s success’. Bristol will now automatically be entered into the national competition for 2010.
Nick Wray the Garden Curator said: “There are going to be some wonderful botanical paintings and drawings on display. Last year’s exhibition was a great success with £1,500 donated to the Garden by the artists.
“In the Garden visitors will be able to see a new South African display, new developments in the Chinese Herb Garden and many spring flowering plants including anemones, narcissus and hellebores.
“We look forward to welcoming everyone over the Easter weekend. There are lots of interesting plants to see, and spring is such a great time to come and explore the Garden.”
The Easter art exhibition and sale at the University Botanic Garden will be open from 10 am to 4.30 pm on Good Friday 2 April until Easter Monday 5 April. Entry to the Garden and exhibition is £3.50 for adults; free to University staff, Friends of the Botanic Garden, students and children under 16.