Category: Limited Edition Prints

Posted on by

The Iceni Botanical Artists (IBA) Fullers Mill Garden Exhibition is now up and running – Bury Guildhall, Bury St Edmunds

Another wonderful report from Doreen Taylor, IBA Member (and see Exhibition itinerary and a few photographs below:)

Preview of Iceni Botanical Artists Annual Exhibition at The Guildhall Bury St Edmunds “Fullers Mill Garden – A Jewel in the Forest”

After more than two years of dedicated and fascinating study, Iceni Botanical Artists were proud to present a very special exhibition—a celebration of all the beauty and calm of Fullers Mill Garden.

Three years ago Iceni were invited by Fullers Mill to record the flora and fauna of Bernard Tickner’s beautiful garden and we have been working on this unique project ever since. Twenty five artists, each with their own individual style, were given complete freedom to choose whichever plants they would like to paint from a list compiled by Fullers Mill.

Just like the garden itself the completed collection of artworks is a kaleidoscope of colourful plants and wildlife which have come together in one delightful and satisfying exhibition. In addition, most of these paintings have been made into a very beautiful and well designed book, with an interesting text written by Rod Leeds, a great friend of Bernard Tickner and his garden and additional script by Tina Bone (editor).

Our President, Isobel Bartholomew, opened the exhibition, explaining how the whole project came into being and invited Rod Leeds to present the first of three awards.

First, our prestigious Val Hesmondhalgh Trophy (a beautiful glass vase) for Botanical excellence was awarded to Isobel herself (and richly deserved) for her painting of the “Cardiocrinum giganteum var. yunnanense” (Giant Himalayan Lily). Rod commented that this life-size study in watercolour and graphite was a work of outstanding botanical accuracy showing every detail of the plant’s structure and life cycle.

Rod also mentioned the painting of Broussonetia papyrifera Laciniata (Paper Bark Mulberry), painted by Georgie Kuna saying that the overall composition was unusual and remarkable but also that Georgie’s depiction of this very complicated plant ran a very close second to Isobel’s work. He was most impressed with all the artwork in the exhibition and congratulated IBA artists on their wonderful achievement.

Then Isobel gave a very special award of a bouquet of flowers to our Chair, Tina Bone, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to Iceni Botanical Artists. This was not only for all her hard work since taking the helm but above all for her highly professional work as project manager of our study of Fullers Mill garden and the creation of our beautiful accompanying book.

The third award, ‘The People’s Choice’ is in the hands of our visitors who have the opportunity to vote for their favourite painting. It is always exciting to see who will win.

So our project is complete and we can all now enjoy welcoming visitors to the exhibition, hoping it gives them as much pleasure as it has given IBA artists to study and paint all these wonderful plants. And above all it may inspire everyone to visit Fullers Mill garden and make it their own very special place.

Doreen Taylor, Saturday 28th June 2025

Cardiocrinum yunnanense (Giant Himalayan Lily) by Isobel Bartholomew which won IBA’s Botanical Excellence Award – the Val Hesmondhalgh Vase (chosen by Rod Leeds).
Broussonetia papyrifera (Paperbark Mulberry) by Georgie Kuna – a very close runner-up to Isobel’s painting.
Tina Bone’s stand showing a few draft versions of IBA’s new book about Fullers Mill Garden, as well as one of her own River Friend Series of published books all about rivers: “Drying Up”, with 5 versions of text and various illustrations used in her book.
Jan enjoying a coffee after a hard day’s toil on the exhibition floor!
Francesca and Louis ready to “pour” for the visitors.
Rosemary and Alison at the helm – in charge of the money, book and catalogue sales.
“Rob’s Corner” dedicated to our dearly departed member, Rob Dyke, who passed away in March 2025 after having completed 20 artworks for the Fullers Mill Project. Rob’s family were in attendance and had very kindly given permission for his paintings to be on display and for sale at this exhibition.
There are over 500 cards on sale as well as just 25 limited edition copies of IBA 2026 calendar commemorating this exhibition and project.
The fabulous Banqueting Hall showing half the collection of artworks during a lull in visitors!
Just a few of the fabulous paintings on show in the Court Room, where during the exhibition, the one-day workshops and demonstrations will also be taking place beneath the “Judge’s” seat.
Posted on by

Only two days until Iceni Botanical Artists’ wonderful Book Launch at Fullers Mill Garden Friday 6th June 2025

IBA’s second publication, “Fullers Mill Garden A Jewel in the Forest”, will be available to purchase after 6th June 2025 in the Garden shop. See some of the beautiful paintings which have been done specially for the book below

IBA’s 2025 selling Exhibition at Bury Guildhall follows the book launch and showcases all the paintings done for the project. The new book will also be on sale here. The exhibition begins on Saturday 27th June and ends on Saturday 12th July 2025 (Open every day from 10.00am till 4.00pm). We also have a fabulous (posh) printed catalogue available as a visitor memento for £10.

The books have arrived and are all sitting patiently in their boxes under my staircase waiting to be distributed and sold. I noticed the desk on which I had piled them was sagging in the middle, so had to take most of the boxes off!!!! Fortunately, it did regain its shape:

Here are some of the stunning artworks published in the book and which will be for sale at the Bury Guildhall Exhibition from 28th June to 12th July:

Posted on by

Iceni Botanical Artists 2025 Annual Exhibition of Fullers Mill Garden Saturday 28th June to Saturday 12th July 2025 – Bury Guildhall IP33 1PR

Along with 165 beautiful paintings of the flora and fauna in Fullers Mill Garden, IBA have a new book coming out on 6th June 2025.
The paintings and new book will be for sale at IBA’s Annual Art Exhibition at the Bury Guildhall, Guildhall Street, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP33 1PR.

Exhibition Programme
28th June to 12th July 2025

Opening and Preview day Saturday 28th June 2025
ALL WELCOME. Exhibition opens from 10.00am to 4.00pm
Join us for drinks from 11.00am
Award of the Val Hesmondhalgh Trophy for Botanical Excellence
Prize for the favourite painting of the Special Guest
Vote for your favourite original painting

The Exhibition is open 10.00am to 4.00pm every day
except final day, 12 July, open from 10.00am to 2.00pm.

WORKSHOPS AND DEMONSTRATIONS BY IBA MEMBERS

Tuesday 1st July: Water Colour Workshop 11am to 4pm fee £40.00—“WHAT WATER COLOUR PAINT CAN DO FOR YOU” Rosemary Dodgson. Click for further information and to Purchase your Ticket

Friday 4th July: Coloured Pencil Workshop 11am to 4pm fee £40.00—“NATURAL FINDS IN INK AND COLOURED PENCIL” Vicky Hallam. Click for further information and to Purchase your Ticket

Saturday 5th July: Coloured Pencil and Ink Workshop 11am to 4pm Fee £40.00—“BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION IN GRAPHITE AND COLOURED PENCIL” Vicky Hallam. Click for further information and to Purchase your Ticket

Monday 7th July: Demonstration 11am to 1.30pm—“MEET THE ARTIST” Jan Toomer.

Wednesday 9th July: Demonstration 12 noon to 4pm—“FANTASY HARES AND SLEEPING WARRIORS” Sandra Pond.

Friday 11th July: coloured pencil workshop 11am to 4pm— “Painting in Coloured Pencil Using Solvents to Blend” Matthew Peace. Click for further information and to Purchase your Ticket

Exhibition duration: Non-selling exhibit—“THE BOOK PRODUCTION PROCESS”, and “LOOK TO PUT SOME PIECES IN THE FULLERS MILL JIGSAW PUZZLE” Tina Bone.

Below are some artworks in the exhibition and details of the book

IBA’s new book: “Fullers Mill Garden—A Jewel in the Forest” is a 200-page volume with over 160 illustrations. Hardback, 8″ x 11.5″, thread-sewn with ribbon marker retails at £36.99. The artwork of this project, and shown at this exhibition, showcases the flora and fauna of Fullers Mill Garden (West Stow, Suffolk). It is intended for anyone interested in gardens, flowers, and nature, and has been written and designed to appeal to a wide range of public—from watercolourists to home gardeners and horticulturists, to local historians, and those interested in botanical art. And of course those who just love the tranquil Fullers Mill Garden itself. Note the Epigraph to the book:

A truly magical and very special garden in a most inspiring setting, every corner of which reflects the passion and dedication of those who work to maintain and develop it. Fullers Mill Garden is a place to find peace and tranquillity amongst an array of interesting and beautiful plants at any time of the year; its atmosphere is truly unique. Simply a gardener’s paradise!”

Posted on by

People’s Favourite Painting at Autumn RAS Exhibition 2023

Site logo imageROYSTON ARTS SOCIETY

Exhibition success & half-price membership offer

Royston Arts Society held its Annual Autumn Exhibition in Royston Town Hall over the weekend of 29th September to 1st October as part of the Royston Arts Festival. From all points of view, the event was the most successful in a decade. We displayed a total of 330 paintings and 515 greeting cards created by 65 artists. Sales amounted to almost £4000 and two thirds of the exhibiting artists sold something.

  

The exhibition was very well received by the visitors and the favourite picture award was won by Tina Bone for her painting entitled “Blue and Gold Macaws and Swamp Hibiscus” (see picture).

Members of Royston Arts Society can enter paintings into both the Autumn exhibition and the Online Members’ exhibition plus the ongoing exhibition in Royston Library.

They can also attend painting sessions twice per month and an art demonstration given by a professional artist most months.

At the moment, new members can join RAS for half price; £12.00 for adults and £7.00. This membership will run until 31st March 2024 giving new members ample time to sample the art demonstrations and painting sessions; also to exhibit some work in Royston Library.

For joining details click HERE

Posted on by

1501 Macaws voted People’s Favourite 1st October 2023!

Thank you so much to all those lovely people who voted for my Parrot painting as their favourite in show at Royston Arts Society Annual Exhibition in the Town Hall at Royston this last weekend. Wonderful – I am on “Cloud 9”!

…UPDATE 1st October 2023: This painting was hung in Royston Town Hall as part of the Royston Arts Festival and Royston Arts Society Annual Art Exhibition. It was voted the Favourite Painting – lovely!

Also available as a 1,000 piece traditional jigsaw puzzle (part picture – see below). If interested, please message me.

Save

This painting first came to life in February 2015. I hoped to finish it by the first weekend in July 2015 so that it could be displayed at my Cambridge Open Studios (COS) Exhibition when my studio was open all four weekends in July. However, it was displayed sparsely-done at COS because several commissions and other artwork for exhibitions meant that it had to be put on the back burner for most of 2015. I started painting it again in January 2016 – it was not completed until 7th July: several commissions, too much golf, darts, tennis, badminton and bowls!

It is a fun picture, designed completely in my mind’s eye, using a very useful resource photograph courtesy of my golfing friend Martin Johns (two lower right birds), and a couple of my own resource pictures taken in 2014 at Banham Zoo. The background is how I would imagine a jungle to be, although I did look up the swamp hibiscus as I felt the painting needed a bit of red with all that blue, yellow and green! It was a relief to finish it, but it left a bit of a hole as it was great fun painting it. I have tried to capture the individuality of each parrot – even though they all look the same, every facial pattern is different (like a thumb print in humans). Macaws are “zygodactyl” which means they have four toes, the first and fourth of which point backwards, and the middle two frontwards. Toucans and Woodpeckers also share this characteristic – a bit of information for your next natural history quiz!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Design & paint an Illuminated Letter Workshop: 12 October 2023, The Lady Chapel, Ely Cathedral

I shall be holding a one-day workshop during the Iceni Botanical Artists annual exhibition in the Lady Chapel, Ely Cathedral on Thursday, 12th October 2023 10.00am to 3.30pm. So if you have a special alphabet letter that is dear to you personally, and would like to design and embellish it with simple, traditional floral and animal (zoomorphic) patterns, this will make a nice day out for you. This is the link to book via the Ely Cathedral booking system:

BOOK THE ONE-DAY WORKSHOP

Here are some examples of Illuminated letters in different styles:

Posted on by

BCN Wildlife Trust, Cambourne Christmas Fair – sold lots of new jigsaw puzzles!

The Christmas Fair at the Manor House, Cambourne to which I was invited by the Wildlife Trust was a very busy affair. Stallholders arrived from 1.00pm and had until 2.30pm to set up. The Fair opened to the public at 3.00pm and the four hours of opening flashed by in an instant – albeit with lots of mulled wine, mince pies and visitors. I had a great time meeting everyone and was so happy that my new range of jigsaw puzzles sold extremely well. I am sure the event raised some much needed funds for the Trust, and it was mentioned that the raffle raised the largest amount yet. All too soon we had to pack away, say our goodbyes and Christmas salutations and said “See you next year!” Thank you to everyone who came and supported the event – it was just great!

Whilst setting up and taking our stuff into the building, we had to pass this beautiful pond. It still has water plants growing (now out of season). But a nice scene to pass by several times as we carted everything inside.
I had two tables – one for jigsaw puzzles, the other for cards, calendars, prints and artwork.
Some superb raffle prizes were on offer, including two bumper hampers (one food, the other gin!).
Lots of Wildlife Trust goodies at their special table – just out of shot to the right is the camera-selling table.
Another perspective to my table: people kept asking how much the framed artworks were on the walls. But of course, these are display photographs of the Trust and there is some really beautiful work amongst the pieces. A great day.
Posted on by

St Mary’s Exhibition, Comberton: I said goodbye to The Shires (Artist Code 1517)

Said goodbye to this one of a pair over the weekend (18-20 November 2022). The art and craft exhibition at St Mary’s Church, Comberton was the best yet. The standard of work was exceptionally good and the whole experience was such a pleasure.

I would like to thank everyone who visited the exhibition, and an especial thank you to everyone who purchased my artwork, jigsaw puzzles, cards, calendars, and diaries. (And not forgetting all those other people who purchased other artist’s works and wares – to you also on their behalf a great big thank you.) But most of all a big thank you to the organisers of the exhibition and their little helpers, who made it all happen – all very much appreciated.

My next, and last exhibition for 2022 is the Christmas Fair at the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust headquarters at The Manor House, Broad Street, Cambourne CB23 6DH on Friday 2nd December, 3.00pm to 7.00pm. I hope you can make it – it will be a sort of Black Friday price gig!!!!

Artist Code 1517. “The Shires”.
Artist Code 1518. The other half of the “pair”. Hope I can find a home for this one too eventually.

Posted on by

St Mary’s Comberton Art Exhibition

Sent all my stuff up to the Church yesterday and look forward to seeing the Exhibition up and running from Friday 18th to Sunday 20th November 2022. Open from 10.00am to 4.00pm each day, the ambient atmosphere of the warm Church and its ancient pews, coupled with the sensitive exhibition boards nestled within, make a great few hours entertainment – FREE! Coffee and biscuits are also available; and it is not just an art exhibition, there are plenty of other goodies to peruse and buy (Christmas presents) and a very warm welcome into a community hub which is second to none. Please go along and enjoy the artworks and “prezzies” on offer.

I have some new “Nettie’s Nature Puzzles” (see below) as well as brand new little wooden 40-piece puzzles with pieces of all shape and size – a lovely, unique Christmas stocking filler. Diaries and Calendars are also amongst my wares, but other artists have jewellery, cards, and knitted artwork too, so there is something for everyone.

Puffins and Thrift 1000 piece traditional Jigsaw Puzzle
“Love at First Sight” 1000 piece traditional jigsaw puzzle
The Baths of Bath 1000 piece traditional jigsaw puzzle
“Ralph—No!” 1000 piece traditional monotone jigsaw puzzle—doubles the degree of difficulty!
“Sun’s up; time for bed!” 1000 piece traditional jigsaw puzzle
Posted on by

RAS Exhibition and Gransden Show

It is not easy to be physically in two places at once, but it is easy for artwork to be so!

It all started on Thursday evening: went to the Royston Town Hall with my artwork submissions and some cards and helped out with setting up the exhibition. I was assigned to checking in the paintings, and what a gorgeous assortment there was – all different paintings in many different styles.

Home and bed, then early Friday morning preparing last minute stuff for Gransden Show. This year we were allowed to set up our stands on Friday afternoon, and after hubby came home from playing golf we had a quick lunch and trundled off to Gransden with all the equipment for my stand. I thought it better not to take the paintings and cards etc., as overnight in a marquee makes things very damp. However, upon setting up the displays, and seeing that most other exhibitors were setting up all their goods, we decided to go back home and collect most of the stuff and bring it back, but leaving it in sealed boxes overnight (which still did not prevent a few things from “sagging” with the damp, but they recovered quickly.

Thank you to everyone who came to visit and especially those who purchased something – it is all much appreciated. It was a splendid day and my eldest granddaughter visited us in the afternoon and was very helpful when we had to pack away. She stayed for a Chinese takeaway afterwards, which ended a very nice day. Sales were down a bit this year – but that is the economic climate, so to sell anything is a bonus at the moment.

So all day Sunday, checking sales sheets and monies from Gransden at home. Then another trip to Royston Town Hall at 5.30 to help with packing down. When you help with an exhibition, it makes you realise just how much work goes into organising these events. I appreciate even more every chance I get to exhibit. Thank you RAS for the exhibition, and it was lovely to sell an original painting: “Autumn Leaves and Fungi, var. unknown”. I think it helped that this little painting was featured on the Exhibition poster! (The exhibition continues online until December)

NFS: Artist Code: 1811 Autumn Leaves and Fungi. Picture Profile

All-in-all a splendid weekend, and I now have to try and get a few more “Nettie’s Nature jigsaw puzzles” made for my next exhibition stand at Swaffham Arts Festival – it was lovely that I sold out of one: “Love at First Sight” (Kingfishers amongst the reeds and daisies)

Most popular “Nettie’s Nature Jigsaw Puzzle” this weekend (23-25 September 2022)