BOTANICAL ART

Paintings of roses by Regine Hagedorn

Painting by Kimiyo Maruyama

By Isabel Calabria

With the warm weather never guaranteed, do something different this summer break. Kew Gardens are bringing the beauty of the outdoors, inside, with their Botanical Art in the 21^st Century exhibition showing all the way until the 10 August 2014. Free admission to the gardens means there is no excuse to not revel in the splendour of artwork never before exhibited in the UK.

The exhibition is the perfect opportunity for a busy city family to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of London life and appreciate the renaissance of modern botanical art. Showcasing both traditional and new painting techniques, Botanical Art in the 21^st Century highlights the changes happening now within the botanical art scene. Time Out London said “The show brings you right up to date with botanical art, from the pen-and-ink drawings of 7x magnified pine cones by Catherine Nicholson to Kimiyo Maruyama’s fiercely detailed watercolour of a long leaf pine.”

Open from 9:30am daily, Kew gardens have countless beauty to offer. ‘Magnolias’ by Barbara Oozeerally, accompanies the Botanical Art exhibition. The show features over 150 artworks from Oozeerally; displaying her renowned and tremendously detailed magnolia. As does ‘Overleaf’, the third exhibition in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art. ‘Overleaf’ features paintings by award winning artist Susan Ogilvy, which illustrate a range of leaves from across regions of Europe and North America. Kew Gardens have published a book with the same name by Susan and Richard Ogilvy. The Overleaf exhibition has been specifically designed to accompany the book.

With these three beautiful exhibitions all situated in one gallery, you really are spoilt for choice. So for a flashback to nature in all of it’s perfection, and a reminder of what summer should look like, head down to Kew Gardens with your family this summer.