Bristol University Botanic Garden Illustrated lecture to the Gardeners of North Devon

Or the story of Alan Titchmarsh and his Ladies wearing Jimmy Cricket Wellingtons... let's paint a flower darling. All things considered it was a successful evening.

I was asked to give a Lecture on Botanical Illustration and Bristol University Botanic Gardens to the Combe Martin Gardening Association on Thursday 12th May. Therefore, with my recent redundancy radar twitching, I set off with many preconceived ideas and a spare set of Jimmy Cricket wellingtons.

Dressing for comfort, not speed….

Gardening is for life, not just for potatoes….

Constable, not Cy Twombly….

My work with Bristol University and the Botanic Gardens has been a voluntary affair, which began with me being asked whilst lying under my sketchbook, amongst some ferns one sunny Sunday, if I would draw at the Easter Exhibition in the garden in 2012. I have been drawing and exhibiting in the Garden since then and was artist in residence at the Easter Sculpture Exhibition in 2012 and 2013.  I also drew bees at the Bee and Pollination festival in 2015 and helped illustrate a Cookery book.

 

The lecture was an introduction to the Botanic Garden and also an attempt to show what can be achieved with a pen and paper, whilst sitting on a tree stump or lily pad in the sunshine, like an enormous beard-free leprechaun.

It was a tough crowd - Imagine 30 or so people of pensionable age with sandals and stern faces who knew their ‘Euphorbia sikkimensis’ from their elbow.

On the other hand, I know nothing of the scientific nature of plants and my fingers are only green when covered in paint. My love is drawing an unusual or beautiful organic form. However, the gardeners of North Devon were kind and appeared enthused by my overview of the Botanic Garden and clapped (if not wildly but audibly above the hum of the electrically challenged extension lead). I even managed to tempt the group to a creative ‘masterclass’, drawing and painting flowers from life whilst waiting for me to judge the ‘Beautiful Blooms’ competition and draw the raffle. The over-60s can be a pretty scary bunch (bunch geddit?) however, as you can see from the results, some of the work was excellent, particularly as some students last held a paintbrush when Elvis actually had a pelvis.

Since my visit to Combe Martin, I found out that apparently due to my enthusiastic and entertaining talk, Enormous Rod (6ft 8) has organised a coach trip to the Bristol Botanic gardens on Wednesday June 8^th and I also won the raffle. Therefore, I can stuff my face with homemade shortbread biscuits as I write this.