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A 'Making A Mark' Profile Of Fiona Strickland

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I was delighted in conclusion calendar week to encounter upward amongst together with interview an creative soul I've really much admired for the in conclusion 4 years together with 5 SBA exhibitions - Fiona Strickland DA SBA GM CBM '09, CBM, xi together with CBM 12.

Fiona Strickland together with her watercolour ikon of Iris 'Action Front'

I origin saw Fiona's piece of job at the The Botanical Palette Exhibition of the Society of Botanical Artists (SBA) inward 2008.   If ever piece of job past times a botanical creative soul deserved a "Wow" this was it!  One of her paintings inward that exhibition was at nowadays bought past times Dr Shirley Sherwood (of the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at Kew Gardens) at the Buyer's Preview together with the wheels of Fiona's personal artistic destiny started to turn.......
It was at nowadays obvious to me together with really many other people that she would endure elected to membership. However she's the alone soul I know inward recent years who has shortcut the normal procedure - she was elected to membership at her origin exhibition.
How to teach a fellow member of the Society of Botanical Artists
I remember this is the stair out of Fiona - her plant only bowls people over together with just leaves us all wanting more!

Fiona suggested to me that she was really fortunate that James White - the (then) Curator at the Hunt Institute of Botanical Documentation happened to consider her piece of job at the exhibition inward 2008.  He was equally impressed equally the residuum of us together with invited her to submit piece of job for the 13th International Exhibition of Botanical Art & Illustration inward 2010.  Her submitted piece of job was so featured on the front end comprehend (see below)

Fiona told me in conclusion calendar week that she is also really honoured that the piece of job which Dr Shirley Sherwood bought for her personal collection is really hung inward her house

Helianthus, Last Sunflower
watercolour
65 x 74cm
©  Fiona Strickland
 I was greatly amused past times a comment Fiona made which is 1 which I am certain volition brand a lot of botanical artists grin!
I similar to pigment dead things equally they don't move!
Awards together with Recognition

To appointment Fiona has exhibited together with been received awards equally follows:
  • 2008
    • exhibited at SBS - origin exhibition
    • full professional person membership of the Society
    • won People's Choice Award
  • 2009
    • Helianthus, August Sunflower was awarded the Margaret Grainger Memorial Bowl (for the best ikon past times a fellow member within 2 years elected inward the previous 2 years).
    • a Certificate of Botanical Merit 
  • 2010  
(left) Protea, Past Their Best, Watercolour 74 x 65 cm
(right) Ananas, Ananas Bracteatus, Watercolour 65 x 58 cm
©  Fiona Strickland
Papaver June Poppy past times Fiona Strickland
watercolour, 24.5" x 18"
©  Fiona Strickland
My detail favourite of those winning CBMs this twelvemonth was the June Poppy painted inward watercolour past times Fiona Strickland. If you've never seen Fiona's work, it's worth a trip to London just to consider the character of her ikon together with what she tin achieve. As somebody commented to me, there's an immense issue of meticulous watercolour washes used to attain the intense saturation together with luminosity flora inward her work. Making Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Mark - Certificates of Botanical Merit at SBA Exhibition 2011
  • 2012
    • An iris painted past times Fiona is the blossom motif for the 2012 Exhibition together with the SBA flyer
    • a Certificate of Botanical Merit for Iris 'Action Front'

Iris 'Action Front' past times Fiona Strickland
watercolour
©  Fiona Strickland
She's also been awarded an RHS Dawn Jolliffe Botanical Art Bursary together with an RHS Gold Medal.

She has also exhibited her piece of job inward Cumberland Lodge inward Windsor Great Park; at the Palmergarten Botanic Gardens inward Frankfurt together with inward the Forum Botanische Kunst exhibition inward Frankfurt.

Work past times botanical artists of a really high measure ever sells well.  However Fiona seems to possess got developed a rails tape of selling really good indeed.  She must endure a huge property to whatever gallery or exhibition which exhibits her work.  I rather suspect at that spot volition come upward a fourth dimension inward the close futurity when at that spot volition endure a queue of people waiting to purchase 1 of Fiona's works.

What was so refreshing nearly coming together Fiona is how surprised - together with genuinely honoured - she is nearly the marking of success she has achieved to date.  However she's really much enjoying everything that has happened, fifty-fifty when it agency lots of belatedly nights together with difficult work.

Media together with Approach

So after the tale of success - the side past times side query is how does she exercise it!

I'm just equally inquisitive equally the side past times side botanical creative soul when it comes to knowing a fleck to a greater extent than nearly how a botanical creative soul approaches her work.

The origin thing people demand to know is that Fiona has had absolutely no formal grooming inward botanical art.  However she did possess got formal fine art grooming equally a painter when she studied for a Diploma inward Drawing together with Painting at Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland.  She enjoyed a twelvemonth of ship service graduate report inward a studio overlooking the botanical gardens inward Edinburgh!  Plus she so taught fine art for many years rising to teach Head of an Art Department inward a High School.

I've been greatly intrigued over the in conclusion few years equally to how Fiona manages to attain her luscious black tones which are ever colourful rather than muddy.  Apparently the secret is to alone piece of job amongst pure transparent colours together with never ever to piece of job whatever opaque or semi-transparent colours.  She so builds upward her colours through layers of washes together with glazes.  I became convinced spell talking to her that her existent cloak-and-dagger is having a comprehensive together with in-depth knowledge of how dissimilar pigments together with colours behavior on paper, which colours piece of job together together with what to await from the layers of dissimilar colours she employs.

The issue of layers inward 1 of Fiona's paintings ikon really much depends on the dependent area matter, the color required together with the house of the color inward the overall design.  Fiona focuses really much on tonal contrasts together with the temperatures of colours together with how to piece of job them inward combination to proficient effect.  In other words she knows her color theory together with color combinations within out!

She also plant on Fabriano Artistico HP 300lb (640gsm) which enables her to command her pigment colours much better, although having talked to her my ain feeling is that it's equally much because she knows precisely how each color behaves!

Each ikon takes her nearly 2 to 3 months - but this evidently varies depending on the size together with complexity of the work.  She to a greater extent than oftentimes than non plant from locomote past times left to bottom correct finishing equally she goes.  Generally she doesn't brand studies - because of becoming besides absorbed inward her studies when so plow into plant of art!

Fiona also makes a betoken of working amongst whatever mistakes made rather than trying to take away them.  She never ever scrapes dorsum because of what this does to the newspaper - silent she mightiness effort 'lifting out' using water.  In fact, she told me that she rather enjoys the struggle amongst a ikon equally it enables her to teach much to a greater extent than involved inward the work.  I rather assemble that simple, straightforward botanical paintings are non for her - she would much rather possess got a proficient challenge!

and finally......

I asked Fiona what were her plans for her the future.  Lots to a greater extent than exhibitions would seem to endure the primary theme.

There are plans for to a greater extent than exhibitions - inward Federal Republic of Federal Republic of Germany amongst SBA together with inward the Hamptons amongst a individual gallery.  Some of her piece of job is also due to endure published inward a mass nearly woman soul botanical artists throughout history which is currently inward preparation together with due to endure published afterwards this year.

However she also wants to brand fourth dimension to start a serial of 25 paintings linked inward about way to Scotland.  I remember that's an absolutely corking thought (I fifty-fifty ventured a proposition for a title!) and I facial expression forrad to seeing what emerges.

I was left wondering whether it's nearly fourth dimension botanical artists inward Scotland gave about thought to developing a florilegium!

Links to websites nearly Fiona Strickland

Reviews of the Society of Botanical Artists Annual Exhibitions

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