Revered by gardeners the world over since they were first introduced into cultivation from Asia over 300 years ago, magnolias have lost none of their allure, with many new introductions beautifying gardens worldwide. Magnolias in Art and Cultivation is the first illustrated book on magnolias and contains information on all species and around 100 hybrids. With over 150 botanical paintings, artist Barbara Oozeerally captures these plants in breathtakingly beautiful detail; described by botanical art collector Dr Shirley Sherwood as 'an extraordinary series of important and beautiful plant portraits'. The informative and authoritative text by Jim Gardiner accompanies these paintings and provides a variety of information about magnolias, including their cultivation; together with Stephen A. Spongberg's full botanical descriptions. This is a truly unique volume which will be sought after by gardener and artist alike! Some of the paintings from the book will be exhibited in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at Kew, 15 January - August 2014.

"A Delicate Art" highlights the paintings and photography of six artists in Alberta who with passion and long moments of observation have made an inspired contribution to wildflower art. Covering a period of one hundred years to the present, the story behind these creators Mary Schaffer Warren, Mary Vaux Walcott, William Copeland McCalla, Annora Brown, Robert Sinclair and Carole Harmon is also told. A blend of biography, botanical and regional art history and commentary by the artists themselves about their treasured subject, "A Delicate Art" is intended for the lay reader and is accompanied by sumptuous reproductions of the artwork and an alluring overall design that will appeal to anyone interested in art, mountain-life and gardening.

The Florilegium Society at The Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney was formed in 2005 to create a unique collection of contemporary botanical paintings of significant plants that represent the history of the living collections of the Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust. This beautifully produced book is a celebration of 200 years of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, showcasing the botanical richness of these Gardens through the eyes of 64 exceptional Australian and international botanical artists. The stunning botanical paintings are presented chronologically according to the date of each species' introduction to the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney and its Blue Mountains Garden, Mt Tomah and the Australian Garden, Mt Annan. With paintings of indigenous Australian plants as well as more exotic species from Asia, the Americas, Africa and Europe, The Florilegium truly reflects the diversity of the three Gardens. Each painting is accompanied by a botanical description written by Louisa Murray and a historic overview by Colleen Morris detailing the discovery of the featured species, its historic and cultural significance and introduction to the Gardens. With a foreword by Dr Shirley Sherwood OBE, preface by Dr Brett Summerell, RBG Sydney Director of Science and Conservation, and an introductory essay by Beverly Allen. The accompanying exhibition of the same name runs from February - August 2018 in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 'The standard of the plant portraits is so high and the text so illuminating that this will make a memorable book.' Dr Shirley Sherwood OBE

Flowers by Rosie Sanders is a large-format book that showcases over 80 of her finest flower paintings in exquisite detail.Often compared to the artist Georgia O'Keeffe, Rosie Sanders's botanical paintings lie at the extreme end of botanical art - they exude dynamism and sensuality in every brushstroke and their richness of colour sets her apart from her contemporaries. In this beautifully illustrated book, Rosie exhibits a selection of flowers, from tulips to orchids, roses to irises, anemones to amaryllis, and illuminates them with fascinating and skillful uses of perspective and light. This large-format book showcases her finest paintings in exquisite detail and they are accompanied by excellent and accessible scientific commentary. Also included is an introduction by renowned Swiss botanist Dr. Andreas Honegger.This book is perfect for artists want to get a closer look at a master's brushstrokes, textures and colour in paintings, or readers who are interested in contemporary botanical art.Chapters include:1. Diversity in the Garden2. Dark Flowers: the Magic of Night3. A Fascination of Orchids4. Lilies in Spring5. Varieties of Belladonna6. In Search of the Black Iris.

*An exciting approach to botanical illustration featuring exotic and extraordinary plant specimens. *Striking plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables provide new challenges in colour, texture and form. *Stunning finished paintings accompany simple instructions and step-by-step projects for a beautiful book that both guides and inspires.Strange and unusual specimens have never been more accessible - as more and more exotic fruit and vegetables appear regularly in our shopping baskets and our florists fill with flowers from every corner of the globe, this practical and beautiful guide to capturing strange and striking plants on paper has never been more timely. There is something for beginners and more experienced botanical illustrators alike, whether you wish to paint more familiar bananas, pineapples and other exotic fruits that are now widely available, or more complex orchids and even carnivorous plants.Acclaimed artists Rosie Martin and Meriel Thurstan (authors of the bestselling Contemporary Botanical Illustration and Botanical Illustration Course) run the popular botanical painting course at the Eden Project and are thus uniquely placed for this exciting take on the genre.The unusual colours and complex textures of exotic plants present a new challenge to the botanical artist, but this book guides you through each stage of the painting process with plenty of exercises and step-by-step projects. Fantastically illustrated with worksheets, colour swatches, sketches and stunning finished paintings this practical and inspirational guide is a must-have for botanical artists of all levels.

The Golden Age of Botanical Art brings together the stories of the intrepid explorers - some of whom became botanical artists by default - and the many professional artists who recorded the flora that they discovered on their travels and expeditions. From some of the earliest attempts at art to the plant hunters of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the images produced in the study of plants have held a fascination for all those who love nature. Truly global in its scope, this beautifully illustrated book moves across centuries and continents looking at the artistry of China and India, delving into the sketchbooks of explorers in the Himalayas and following the voyages of those who discovered new worlds and new species as far apart as Russia and South America. Alongside special features on key figures in the botanical art world, The Golden Age of Botanical Art highlights the work of some of the great names of botanical art, including Ehret and Bauer. Included within is a host of rarely published and previously unpublished images from the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, as well as an outline on how what might have been a pastime for some also made a significant contribution to our understanding of the world and the glories of nature.

Rankafu showcases for the first time an exceptional set of orchid woodblock prints from early 20th century Japan. Considered masterworks of botanical art, the Rankafu prints are visually stunning and reproduced here in full colour, showcasing the fine details of this spectacular art form. Accompanying these stunning prints, the authors tell the story of Shotaro Kaga, a pioneering horticulturist whose orchid collection and breeding programme started a craze in Japan that continues to this day. Kaga and his gifted orchid gardener, Kenkichi Goto were highly skilled orchid growers and developed hundreds of spectacular orchid hybrids. Kaga's interest in orchids was sparked by his visit to Kew in 1910 where he first saw tropical orchids in the extensive greenhouses, and visited many famous orchid nurseries such as Sander & Sons, from whom he would buy hundreds of plants over the coming decades. This book is the most comprehensive work to date on Rankafu and is unrivalled in its breadth of information and research. It is a beautiful book that will appeal to orchid fanatics and lovers of botanical art, as well as those with an interest in 20th century Japan and the artistic process of making Japanese woodblock prints. With a foreword by Phillip Cribb, leading orchid expert and author of many orchid books.

Japanese floral artist Hiroto Inoue, whose delightful charm and witty nature earned him the nicknamed 'Funny' in the floral design universe, excels in creating intricate geometric designs and compositions that often seem to defy gravity. His floral creations pair an incredible sensitivity with impeccable technique and testify of his boundless love of nature as well as his inner gentleness. Hiroto Inoue constructs solid and firm backdrops for his flowers with the thinnest and humblest of materials: slender blades of grasses, orchid roots, slivers of bamboo, strips of wood veneer and especially paper. These fascinating, carefully constructed backgrounds are adorned with few or just one single flower. It results in innovative designs that perfectly balance manmade and natural materials, structure and spontaneity. Text in English and Japanese

Thanks to the ICT economy, today's world is witnessing a progressive process of transfer and movement from a society founded on the production of merchandise and material goods made by man to a new society driven by sciences and knowledge. This new society utilises human intelligence in an attempt to solve cultural problems, to support activities, to rationalize performance, to plan, to program, and to elaborate strategies and projects for the future.This book, thus, proposes a multifaceted framework where contemporary art, biology, the digital, geology, technology, physiology, chemistry and philosophy enter into debate and complete one another. It revolves around a number of questions which are logically interconnected, such as, "What is bio-art?" "Can a laboratory artist manipulate living things, make complex hybridizations, and give birth to chimeras that would coexist with human beings?" "Do we have the right to use them?" Should we authorize research that will allow the development of these techniques, prohibit it, or finance it?" "Do we have the right to create embryos for transplantation or injection?"