Jenny Phillips Workshop held in Gauteng during September

BAASA Gauteng was recently very privileged to have Jenny Phillips present a five-day workshop to its members. Jenny is recognised as one of the world's premier botanical artists and is the founding director of the Botanical Art School of Melbourne.

She has focused her drawing, watercolour skills and love of gardening on botanical art since 1971 and, in doing so, has developed her skill and knowledge to a remarkable level. Her ability to capture the essence, beauty and life of a plant, without compromising on botanical details, makes her work extremely collectable.

Jenny has been teaching Master Classes around the world since 1996 and is the recipient of the Celia Rosser Award - 2009 Botanicasia Exhibition in Melbourne, a Gold Medallist from The Australian National Print Awards 1998 and received The Royal Horticultural Society London Gold Award in 1993.

Ann Harris wrote about her experience of the workshop:

Jenny’s leaf Workshop started smoothly with her asking us to do the Pelargonium leaf in a new method, which in retrospect allowed her to assess our skills.

Thereafter she introduced us to a new method of applying paint that had us all hyperventilating.

We had to observe the leaf, wet thoroughly, and dive in with globs of premixed paint, re-arranging the paint whilst it was still wet.

This skill was adjusted and fine-tuned over the next five days on different leaves, without giving us time to wallow in any perceived non-achievement.

On day three, during a particularly testing time, where many had to be reminded to keep breathing, Jenny told us of an article that she had read on how chocolate stimulates ones creativity. A quick passing of the hat bought enough organic chocolate to set up a permanent chocolate bar at the end of the table that lasted for the remainder of the course.

We all loved the course and I have come away with an arsenal of new skills to incorporate into future paintings and which will cut my painting time by at least half.

Photos: Ann Harris, Ingrid Howes.