Plandaí Oidhreachta, Heritage Irish Plants

For those of you who subscribe to my newsletter you’ll know that I was in Ireland last year on an art vacation, where I had the opportunity to enjoy time with friends new and old, immerse myself in the exotic – yet familiar – nature of the country, and most importantly, gratefully avail of pleasant painting time and very instructive botanical workshops.  Most of my painting time was at the National Botanic Garden in Glasnevin, Dublin, and in the  beautiful gardens of Tourin House in Cappoquin, County Waterford.

 Since my time overseas, two of the paintings I worked on at Tourin became part of an exhibition on “Gardens of Ireland” and  one of my paintings was displayed in an exhibit at the National Botanic Garden of Ireland, and published in an accompanying book, which shares the title “Plandaí Oidhreachta, Heritage Irish Plants.”

The paintings completed for this exhibition highlight the variety of Irish plants, as well as display exquisite mastery and appreciation of botanical illustration. This exhibit and book publication are the product of a joint effort between the Irish Society of Botanical Artists and the Irish Garden Plant Society. You can learn more about the ISBA, of which I am a member, on their website at http://www.irishbotanicalartists.ie/, and the IGPS at their website: http://irishgardenplantsociety.com/

The exhibit finished on December 4th, but worry not if you couldn’t make it to see all the wonderful pieces. The artworks are available alongside information concerning the history and characteristics of the plants in the book, which you can purchase online here http://www.irishbotanicalartists.ie/product/heritage-irish-plants-plandai-oidhreachta/. It was very exciting to see my piece in a full page display in this beautiful book.