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Strictly Botanical at The Park Gallery

November 2014

The Park Gallery at Callendar House in Falkirk is delighted to be introducing Strictly Botanical, which features the original painting by Fiona Strickland for the Royal Mail Commission: Poppy – The Great War Stamp Program 2014-2018.

Fiona says: “I was contacted about the Great War Stamp Program by Gareth Howatt of the London based design company Hat-trick Design Consultants. He said his reason for selecting me to paint the Poppy was that he had been impressed by the emotive content of my painting, Papaver, June poppy. I hope it would continue to keep alive the knowledge of what the poppy stands for and what it means as a symbol of war. It is hugely important that it commemorates a war that changed the course of history in which so many men and women lost their lives, they must never be forgotten.”

Strictly Botanical will feature the work of Fiona and a number of other botanical artists including award winning artist Robert McNeill and specially invited botanical artists, Sharon Tingey, tutor at The Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh and recent recipient of an R.H.S. Gold Medal, and Mary Dillon, recent recipient of a Diploma with Distinction from the Society of Botanical Artists and Chair of the newly formed Irish Society of Botanical Artists.

Arts Development Officer at Falkirk Community Trust, Gillian Smith said: “All the artists in the exhibition have been developing their skills in botanical painting over many years. A number have studied at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh in Master classes led by some of the very best botanical artists and botanists working today and all have their own unique style of painting.

In recent years some of the artists have exhibited in London with the Society of Botanical Artists in their annual exhibition at Westminster Central Hall, receiving Associate membership of the Society, winning awards and comment by renowned botanical art commentators. This tremendous accolade is all the more remarkable when you realise they were selected from an exhibition of 700.

Displaying a variety of individual styles within the same genre, this exhibition brings together botanical paintings which are not only botanically correct but informative, educational and above all wonderful works of art.

The exhibition is showing at The Park Gallery until 15th January 2015.

Image: Royal Mail Group Ltd 2014

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