Featuring. HELEN ALLEN, CHRISTINE BATTLE, ANNIE BERRIMAN, JEANNE DEBONS, CANDIDA GROOM, TRACY HOWELL, CAROLYN JENKINS, RUI JIANG, FIONA KANE, EUN JOO LEE, ANNA LU, JILL ROBERTS MANSON, GAYE NORMAN, KIM PERMAN, SALLY POND, SHIRLEY SLOCOCK, MARY ELLEN TAYLOR, SHIRLEY SIMON, EMMA VAN KLAVEREN, KATHRYN SIBLEY, ERICO MIKI TOSAKI, LOUISE YOUNG.
AMICUS BOTANICUS
FLORAL FIREWORKS AT WOBURN ABBEY
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Taking place this September a total of 23 botanical artists will be exhibiting in excess of 50 contemporary botanical-themed paintings to celebrate the Humphry Repton-inspired gardens at Woburn Abbey.
Working closely with Woburn Abbey’s Estate Garden Manager, Martin Towsey, this talented group of artists has taken inspiration from the colourful plants displayed in the height of summer within the living collection at Woburn Abbey’s splendid historical gardens in Bedfordshire.
A percentage of the artists’ sales will be donated to the Duchess of Bedford’s chosen local charity, MKSNAP: Special Needs Advancement Placement (Milton Keynes). MKSNAP provides a leading programme of education, life skills, work preparation and opportunities for work to adults aged 18-plus with learning disabilities, giving them the skills to realise their potential.
The theme, Floral Fireworks, was chosen by Woburn Abbey to highlight the colourful spectacle of a garden in its full summer splendour and to celebrate the pleasure we all derive from flowers and nature in full bloom.
The exhibition will feature full-size works in watercolour by Amicus Botanicus alongside a collection of ‘affordable art’ miniature paintings.
Hester Baldwin, Managing Director, 2024
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Woburn Abbey, one of England's grandest parks, has undergone a remarkable 20-year restoration to revive the garden originally designed by the eminent landscape designer, Humphry Repton. This extensive restoration program has aimed to bring to life the vision Repton presented in his 1805 Red Book. Today, Woburn Gardens stand not only as a testament to Repton's design prowess but also as a canvas for contemporary botanical artists to celebrate its rich flora. The exhibition "Floral Fireworks" showcases the work of 24 artists, each offering a unique perspective on the gardens' botanical beauty.
Humphry Repton's legacy at Woburn Abbey is profound. Invited by John Russell, the 6th Duke of Bedford, Repton's designs for Woburn were his most fully realised project. The Red Book he presented in 1802, which included proposals for a lake, a serpentine river, an American Garden, extensive plantings, a bridge, and a Thornery, is regarded as one of his finest works. Martin Towsey, estate gardens manager, highlights the Woburn Abbey Gardens team's dedication to restoring these gardens to their former glory. Repton is celebrated as the first to use the title "landscape gardener," and his influence on garden design is still revered today.
The "Floral Fireworks" exhibition features the work of botanical illustrators, whose meticulous records of plant life serve as invaluable historical documents as well as beautiful artworks in their own right . In an era of rapid environmental change, their work preserves the memory of species that may soon vanish. As botanical artist Helen Allen notes, these artists capture the splendor and intricate details of plants, ensuring that future generations can appreciate their beauty and understand their ecological importance.
