Botanical artists share their expertise

BOTANICAL artists Valerie Richards and Ro Bancroft will share their skills in a masterclass at the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute tomorrow.

The three-hour session, which will run from 11.30am to 2.30pm, will be held in the Sturt Street institute’s heritage Reading Room and is officially limited to 12 pre-booked participants. But Friends of the Ballarat Botanical Gardens (FBBG) president Julie Bradby said anyone interested in botanical drawing is welcome to drop in and watch proceedings.

The FBBG has been running a program of events throughout the Ballarat Heritage Festival, including tomorrow’s masterclass, which was preceded last weekend by a similar session in which people could watch Richards and Bancroft at work.

The difference tomorrow will be that Richards, of Buninyong, and Bancroft, of Creswick, will be teaching class participants how they create their art.

They will share information and instruction on the techniques behind composition, measured drawing and watercolour application of botanical drawing.

Ms Bradby said botanical drawing was basically the scientific aspect of botany, and developed in the days before photography.

She said, for example, that physicians would draw plants used for medicinal purposes so they could remember and use them in the future.

“Our botanical artists are highly skilled in that area,” Ms Bradby said.

Ms Bradby said both Richards and Bancroft belong to the FBBG but are also members of an offshoot group known as the Ballarat Botanical Artists. She said people who had not booked masterclass spots would be welcome to watch proceedings tomorrow.

But if anyone misses out, a further opportunity to view work by local botanical artists will come up later this year.

Ms Bradby said the FBBG was now working on organising an exhibition of “exceptional” plants from around the world.

It will probably take place at the end of the year, she said. The Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute is at 117 Sturt Street.