Welcome to Wales Society of Botanical Illustrators
2025 Update
Who are THE WSBI?
The WSBI are an enthusiastic group of artists and illustrators ranging from total beginners to accomplished and exhibited artists. We meet regularly for painting, drawing and socialising sessions. National Trust Wales has been very supportive of the WSBI and our continuing close association with Tredegar House offers the Society the opportunity to reach a wider audience.
We frequently present workshops by renowned Botanical and Natural History Artists. This year our presenters include, Billy Showell, Ann Swan, Jackie Isard and Laura Silburn.
We have some other exciting events coming up.
- From April 22nd and May 4th we return to Dyrham Park, a beautiful National Trust property, to help celebrate 'Tulip Mania'. WSBI Artists will exhibit their work through the historic house and hold artist in residence days.
- As part of World Wide Botanical Day we will hold an exhibition of the work of WSBI in the Pierhead building Cardiff Bay. This botanical artwork focusses on Heritage Plants. The exhibition opens on April 18th and runs through until mid May.
- The WSBI Summer exhibition takes place at Tredegar House from August 15th to 24th.
Activities
We offer the opportunity to people of any ability, from complete beginners to established artists to paint, draw, learn and socialise. We work in partnership with Tredegar House (National Trust Wales). If you would like to come and join one of our sessions please drop in to the Laundry Training Room or contact us via the website. We have welcomed visitors from across the UK and look forward to continuing to promote our interest and enthusiasm for the art of botanical art and illustration.
OUR LOGO IS THE SNOWDEN LILY. CRITICALLY ENDANGERED, IT IS THOUGHT THAT FEWER THAN 100 PLANTS ARE IN EXISTENCE.
Until recently Wales, unlike Ireland, Scotland and many English counties did not have a botanical illustrators’ society. We recognise that recently there has been an increase in popularity of this art form. If your interests involve botanical and natural history subjects, you may be interested in the work of our Botanical Illustrators’ Society. Our members are often gardeners, growers and plant lovers. Some of us come to the Society with an art background, but the majority are members who have a fascination for plants and who delight in learning more about both artistic techniques and botany. If this sounds like the ideal activity for you, drop us a line to find out when you can join us for an afternoon.
Workshops 2025
Jackie Isard Workshop
2 Day workshop
Saturday 24th & Sunday 25th May 2025
Jackie Isard is an award-winning botanical artist having won a Gold medal at RHS in 2022. She is passionate about painting and teaching. Based in Bristol, her delicate watercolours are much admired for their intricacy and detail. She teaches a regular Saturday group and various workshops in Abbots Leigh, Bristol. She also runs workshops with Society groups in the South West, Wales, Gloucestershire and other venues across the UK.
In 2022 Jackie completed her RHS exhibition entry entitled 'Wet Meadow Wildflowers ~ their pollinators and as food plants' and won a Gold medal. Two of her RHS paintings are now held in the RHS Lindlay Library and The Shirley Sherwood Collection.
Billy Showell BA SBA
1 day workshop
Saturday 12th April 2025
Billy has become an internationally known botanical painter, illustrator, and tutor living in Kent, UK.
Originally Billy trained in fashion design and illustration, but she quickly turned to her first love, painting and illustration.
Her works are distinguishable by her striking, fluid and sometimes unusual compositions. Billy has won various botanical awards, an RHS SGM, 7 SBA Certificates of Botanical Merit, a gold medal from the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society, and many awards for 'People's Choice'. Billy has artwork at The Botanic garden's collection at Kew, the Hunt Institute USA, and the Shirley Sherwood collection; her work is also held in many private collections worldwide. Billy has also created over 200 species illustrations for the international Fragrance Federation and has painted many illustrations for commercial food companies.
Alongside Billy's painting and illustrating, she is also a prolific teacher. She teaches at her studio and
For availability, pricing and booking information please contact the WSBI website.
Ann Swan
1 Day Workshop
Wednesday 16th July
Awarded four Gold Medals by the Royal Horticultural Society, Ann's work is represented in the prestigious Shirley Sherwood Collection and the RHS Lindley Library.
She champions the coloured pencil and is an enthusiastic and nurturing teacher running regular workshops from her studio in Wiltshire and worldwide, now mainly on Zoom!
Her book ‘Botanical Painting with Coloured Pencils’ is a leader in its field (‘Plant Portraits in Coloured Pencil’ in the USA).
Laura Silburn
Dates not yet confirmed
I am a botanical artist working in Devon and Cornwall, where I am a Fellow of the Eden Project Florilegium Society and teach botanical art courses at the Eden Project, the Sawpit Studio in Heligan Gardens and at RHS Rosemoor, as well as teaching overseas. I have three RHS Gold medals (2013,2014 and 2018) to my name as well as Best Exhibit and Best Botanical Painting Awards. I paint both to record species and celebrate plants. My work ranges from botanical documentation for archives and florilegia to artistic studies of plants exploring our relationship to them.
The WSBI Walled Garden Florilegium
Art work produced by members of the WSBI in collaboration with The Llanfrechfa Grange Walled Garden is now exhibited in the Grange Hospital, Cwmbran. The paintings and drawings are depictions of medicinal plants grown by the Walled Garden volunteers . The exhibition will subsequently move to other Aneurin Bevan Health Board Hospitals. The feedback we have received from patients and NHS staff has been delightful.
2024 Summer Exhibition at Tredegar House
Work by WSBI Members
These images are best viewed on a tablet or laptop.
Sycamore seeds
POA
Watercolour painting on Vellum by
Linda Joseph
Pink princess lily
NFS
Watercolour painting by
Barbara Taylor
images are the property of the artist and are subject to copyright.
Figs.
POA
Watercolour painting on Fabriano Artistico by
Sian Phillips
Poppy
POA
Watercolour painting by Linda Joseph
Where the wild things are
NFS
Graphite drawing by Sian Phillips
Blackberry bramble
NFS
Watercolour painting by Wendy Morgan
Welsh poppy
NFS
Watercolour painting by Linda Joseph
Drawings, paintings and prints by WSBI members may be available to purchase. If you would like more information please email wsbi.org.uk