"Botany for Artists"

Crowood Press, 2011, ISBN. 978-1-84797-278-1

This book was written in response to the many questions that were posed by the botanical artists of the Hampton Court Palace Florilegium Society and many other talented botanical artists. it became apparent to Liz that there is a botanical knowledge gap due to the demise of botany as part of the school curriculum and as part of a well-rounded education. Consequently, she started to teach artists about various botanical topics and this in turn has led to her writing this book.

In this book she sets out to address this knowledge gap in a user-friendly way, from her perspective as both a botanist and an artist, to help artists recognize important features and to therefore achieve more accurate paintings of their plant subjects.

This book includes an introduction to most of the main groups of plants and fungi, together with unique, carefully devised, observational helpsheets for most plant groups. Their purpose is to guide observations and to help in the artist’s development of the recognition and identification skills, of important features in a plant.

The book also includes over 350 photographs, botanical paintings and line-drawings. Many of the paintings are by members of the Hampton Court Palace Florilegium Society and the author.

Also included are advice and tips on topics of relevance to botanical artists e.g. scale bars; naming plants accurately; choosing a representative specimen; classification; useful equipment; and an easy to understand glossary.

In summary, the book is an accessible introduction to the world of plants which is aimed at anyone who is interested in plants and flowers, but especially at those who wish to draw or paint them without sacrificing technical accuracy to aesthetic quality. It addresses the intricacies of plant and floral structure, and form and behaviour. It explains basic biological concepts, to enhance the understanding of observed features, and encourages a more confident approach to botanical painting and illustration.

publishers website: www.crowood.com