Now that Spring is here, I’m as happy as you to see new growth popping up in the garden, in fields and in hedgerows. In late April / early May, I’ll be teaching in Clos Mirabel in the foothills of the Pyrenees. I’d love you to join me for this very special experience!
Give yourself the gift of bringing your painting to a new level of competence and skill.
Give yourself the gift of space to retreat for you.
Give yourself the gift of relaxation and fun, in good company if you choose, with wholesome tasty meals, in a comfortably luxurious setting.
Wake to views of morning mists drifting over the vineyards rolling down into the valley……
Let your eyes wander to the vista of the mountains sweeping up from the valley……
……………Breathe.
I know we’re going to be spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing subjects to paint at this glorious time of year when the air is filled with the promise of longer days and the expectation of waves of colour and scent blooming beautifully all around.
It’ll be an immersive learning opportunity, a retreat for you and a lovely restful holiday in a beautiful place with breathtaking views over the snow capped Pyrenees.
The studio at Clos Mirabel is spacious, filled with light, and a wonderful base for us as we spend our days learning, practicing and applying new painting skills as we paint. With beautiful peonies, irises, and tulips, as our subjects, our focus will be on bringing life and movement to our painting. We’ll take our inspiration from the hills and valleys surrounding the Manor House and from the gardens themselves. With many years experience as an arts educator and a practicing artist, I look forward to generously sharing with you my knowledge and experience.
Would you like to take a break, to slow down, to feast your senses, enhance your painting skills and master new ones, to rest, to nourish your body, your mind and your soul?
Join me on the beautiful Greek island of Skiathos in 2024 for a botanical art escape. During your time every effort will be made to ensure that you sleep well, eat well, rest, paint and explore.
Many years ago, I was lucky to find ‘Painting Skiathos’, an art studio offered as a place of retreat by artist Yvonne Ayoub. It has been a place of refuge and inspiration to me. Artists like Skiathos native, Despina Mitselou, make Skiathos a home for culture and appreciation for nature and the environment.
In 2022, and in 2023, I was delighted to share my experience with artists from around the world on our Botanical Art Escape to Skiathos. Some stayed for one week, others for two. For those who left after the first week their only regret was that they weren’t staying longer.
‘From my first step onto Skiathos to our last sunset, it was special. With it’s warm people and beautiful plants, it has left it’s mark on my heart.’
‘Spending uninterrupted time painting in the studio was blissful. Thank you for your teaching. While I was less experienced than others, you were still able to diversify to help me progress.’
‘The food….. your fabulous team, second to none!’
‘I loved our time painting. There was something special about painting in the quietness that you encouraged us to keep. It made the experience very personal.’
‘I’ve been with you before and every time I feel my painting improves. This time it felt like so much clicked for me and my painting has taken a big move forward.’
‘Waking up in my beautiful room to that view and watching the sun going down over the bay just took my breath away every time.’
Let 2024 be your year to escape to Skiathos….
Cost for each week:
Main House – four rooms en-suite.
€2,450 – per person single occupancy using a double room.
Guest House – five rooms sharing two bathrooms
€2,250 – per person single occupancy using a double or twin room.
A reduction of €150 is given for the second week if you are booking for two weeks.
accommodation 7 nights,
7 x breakfast,
6 x lunch,
6 x dinner
25 hrs. botanical art tuition
Use of studio
Transfers to and from the airport or port.
Time for You!
More than anything , this will be time for you! Time to stop, to really look at plants, to smell, to breathe, to reflect and to immerse yourself in the process of painting.
Time to Paint!
Numbers will be limited to ensure that each person gets personal attention during our studio time. Instruction will benefit those with limited experience and also those with more experience who are aiming to enhance their skills and extend their competence.
Time to Learn!.
September sees the flowers of autumn and fruits of these beautiful flowers coming into their own. Pomegranates, olives, quince, chestnuts, citrus, arbutus growing wild on the hillside, along with cyclamen, cannas and plumbago will tempt us to paint.
Having first explored and foraged for our subjects, we will spend our time in the studio and outdoors, learning, practicing and applying what we’ve learned to our painting. In our painting there will be a combined focus on scientific truth and aesthetic beauty.
Skiathos with its verdant hillsides and turquoise waters, is a perfect fit for artists and nature lovers. It lies in the northern Aegean and enjoys average temperatures of between 20 and 25 degrees throughout September. While Skiathos is familiar to us all as the eye watering setting for the film, Mamma Mia, it is an island steeped in rich literary, historical and cultural traditions.
Kolios.
Three of the island’s many beautiful beaches are within walking distance from our villa. Kolios lies half way along the island’s main bus route. A short fifteen minute taxi or bus journey away, the main town of Skiathos has an international airport with regular flight connections to many UK and European destinations, along with daily flight connections with Athens. The port of Skiathos has regular ferry services from Thessaloniki, and Volos.
Villa in Kolios.
Perched just above the bay of Kolios, home for our time in Skiathos will be this beautifully spacious villa. With it’s backdrop of olive trees, fig trees, citrus trees and pines and it’s panoramic views over the bay, our well appointed villa is the ideal location for a relaxing botanical art holiday. The infinity swimming pool is the perfect spot for an early morning or late afternoon swim. The terrace, which extends the entire length of the house is perfect for outside dining, offering spectacular views over the bay.
Studio
Our studio is situated on the ground floor and opens out to the covered terrace. Throughout our week there will be twenty five hours of botanical art tuition in the studio or in ‘the field’. During your free time the studio will be available for some personal painting whenever you wish. A simple art materials list will be provided, but we will keep this to a minimum to accommodate those who are traveling a distance.
In your free time….
Numerous unspoiled beaches nearby within a ten to fifteen minute walk from the villa, with turquoise waters and golden sands for a relaxing swim, following our painting sessions.
Optional afternoon tour of the island’s monasteries and more remote areas, to experience the wild beauty of the island.
Take a boat trip to explore Lalaria and Kastro beaches. Lalaria beach with it’s white pebbles and crystal clear turquoise water and distinctive stone arch, has been named one of the most beautiful in the world. The secluded Kastro beach lies at the bottom of the hillside leading to the ancient city of Kastro. The family run taverna on Kastro beach is a must for a cool drink and delicious Greek snacks.
Choose to watch the original Mamma Mia movie in the outdoor cinema where it had its world premiere.
Enjoy a coffee or digestif at the Bourtzi Bar on the beautiful Venetian Bourtzi, with it’s stunning views over the town and the old port.
Sip a cocktail on the cushions of the steps leading from one of our two dinner locations in town.
Accommodation:
All rooms have direct access to either a private balcony or patio with spectacular views over the Aegean. All rooms are either double or twin. Non painting partners or friends are welcome if sharing a room. Please enquire about the additional costs.
Catering:
Breakfast will consist of locally made fresh pastries, fruit, honey, yoghurt, eggs, avocado and bacon.
Buffet lunch with delicious locally sourced fresh ingredients will be available in the villa.
Aperitifs and basic drinks will be available in the villa at cost price. We ask you to keep a ‘Bar Tab’ that you will settle in the honesty box provided at the end of your stay.
Wine is included with dinner each evening.
We will enjoy a traditional Greek evening at O’Batis Taverna overlooking the port and the Bourtzi in Skiathos. O’Batis is run by Eleni who is also an artist and her husband Christos.
Another evening we will eat under the mulberry tree in the square at Taverna Alexandros, which is run by Magda and her family. We will be serenaded by Greek rembetiko music. Rembetiko is beyond a genre of music, it encapsulates the soul of Greece.
We have some excellent dining options in Kolios close to the villa which we will be happy to share with you for your ‘free night’. We will eat at home on four evenings.
We are very happy to accommodate any of your particular dietary requirements.
Travel:
Guests are requested to book flights at your own cost. It is possible to book a charter flight directly into Skiathos from many UK and European airports. Other flight options might be to fly directly to Athens in time to connect with the evening Aegean airlines flight leaving Athens on Saturday evening. On your arrival into Skiathos, we will arrange for you to be met and brought directly to the villa. Your transfer back to the airport or port will also be facilitated for you. For all other transport there is a very reliable taxi and bus service in Skiathos which I’m happy to tell you all about when you arrive.
To Book:
Pay €600 non refundable deposit to secure your place for one week. Pay €800 non refundable deposit to secure your place for two weeks. I will send the Iban and Bic of my account in order for you to make payment to secure your place.
The remainder is to be paid by May 30 th for September.
Cancellation policy:
If cancellation is necessary, please email me at marydillonbotanicalart@gmail.com as soon as possible. Your deposit is non refundable.
If you cancel more than 10 weeks from the start date of the course, we will try to find a replacement booking. If we are successful we will refund the balance.
Cancellations advised less than 10 weeks from the start date of the course are not eligible for refunds.
At the time of booking, we recommend that a comprehensive travel insurance policy is in place which includes cancellation and curtailment cover.
For further information and to register please email:
If you, like me, find yourself irresistibly drawn to collecting seed pods, fallen leaves, dried flowers, twigs covered in lichens…… you will have noticed how as colours change and fade, surface textures become accentuated.
During our online workshop we will take time to really look at the colours and textures of plants in the last moments of their life cycle or as they lie dormant wIting for new life to emerge.
Using first damp and then dry watercolour painting techniques we will capture the sometimes spare and often rich beauty of plants in winter.
Demonstrations will include:
capturing light and shade on surfaces of dried plants.
layering of colours moving from damp to dry layers.
painting fine detail to describe textures.
finishing with a WOW!
To make the experience as stress free as possible, I will provide an image and a line drawing of a simple plant subject for anyone who wishes to use it. For those who choose to draw their own subject, I’ll suggest a simple subject.
Each Workshop
3 pm – 7 pm GMT, (10 am – 2 pm, EST, and 7 am – 11 am PDT)
Cost €170
Happens over two days – 4 hours per day.
A limited number of participants will allow for individual attention and feedback throughout.
A recording of the workshop will be made available following each day.
The following will be included:
Course outline with objectives
Course notes
Materials list
Colour list and image for palette layout
Image and line drawing of plant
Template for watercolour layering
Slideshow presentations
Video demonstrations
Live demonstrations
Feedback will be available throughout by email.
To Register: Please email me to confirm your place once payment has been made: marydillonbotanicalart@gmail.com
Workshop 1. Warm, Rich and Deep – 1 October 8 and 9, 2 pm to 7 pm, GMT
Workshop 2. Warm, Rich and Deep – 2 November 5 and 6, 2 pm to 7 pm, GMT
I’m delighted to offer online opportunities for you to learn botanical watercolour painting with me.
During our online workshop we will slow down, taking time to really look at the warm, rich and deep colours of the changing seasons. Using first wet and then dry watercolour painting techniques we will experience the mindful process of botanical art while learning to capture the beauty of the flowers and fruit of autumn.
Demonstrations will include:
colour mixing and matching,
capturing light and shade,
layering of colours,
painting fine detail
finishing with a WOW!
To make the experience as stress free as possible, I will provide an image and a line drawing of a simple plant subject for anyone who wishes to use it. You are free to work from your own subject choice. Students will have time to do some observational drawing in the class.
The workshops will happen over two days – 5 hours per day.
Workshop 1. – Warm, Rich and Deep 1.
October 8 and 9, 2021
2 pm – 7pm, GMT, ( 10 am – 3 pm, EST, and 7 am – 12 noon PDT)
Cost €150
To Register: Please email me: marydillonbotanicalart@gmail.com
Workshop 2. – Warm, Rich and Deep 2.
November 5 and 6, 2021
2 pm – 7 pm GMT, ( 10 am – 3 pm, EST, and 7 am – 12 noon PDT)
Cost €150
To Register: Please email me: marydillonbotanicalart@gmail.com
Please note:
Those wishing to take both workshops might like to know that we will be working from different subjects in each workshop.
Workshop 1 and Workshop 2 – Reduced Cost €280
The following will be included:
Course outline with objectives
Course notes
Materials list
Colour list and image for palette layout
Image and line drawing of plant
Template for watercolour layering
Slideshow presentations
Video demonstrations
Live demonstrations
Feedback will be available throughout by email.
Thanks to these students for your kind responses to previous online workshops
Mary’s online workshop ‘Painting with Movement and Depth’ helped me move to another level with my watercolor painting. Mary shared her process with us in an organized and fun way. There was plenty of time for painting practice and she gave immediate feedback on our work.
Liz, California, USA
In a recent online workshop for the New York Botanical Garden, Mary taught us the four essential steps she uses in her amazing work. As it becomes clear that the latter steps require patience, perseverance and perhaps forbearance, Mary reminds us that we are creating an emotional connection to the plant and the painting for both artist and viewer. With her warm and engaging teaching style, Mary invites us to slow down and recharge as we make choices and create. I look forward to my next opportunity to work with Mary either in person or online.
Joan, Massachusetts, USA
I wish to thank you sincerely for this WONDERFUL online class. It is the first time that all the concepts of layering the paint fall together in the right place for me. The explanations, demonstrations, guidance are just perfect. And I love your comprehensive and constructive feedback on our work. To me, you are one of today’s greatest botanical artists.
Linda, Canada
Mary is a world class botanical artist and an outstanding, engaging and inspiring teacher who has helped me take my botanical artwork to new heights. Her ‘Painting with Movement and Depth’ ZOOM class was truly breakthrough and highly enjoyable. Mary shared her unique insights and approaches to achieve beautiful botanical painting along with very clear, step-by-step demonstrations. She made sure we had time for personal practice at each phase and provided individual feedback that was so helpful and encouraging. The course was so well organized and included great supplemental materials. I am so happy that I took Mary’s class and look forward to taking more of her classes in the future.
This was one of my Dad’s favourite sayings, usually quoted as he stood washing dishes looking out the kitchen window at the birds, the hedgerows and the fields here on the outskirts of Kilkenny in the south east of Ireland. He had a fascination for nature, people and all of life so who knows what thoughts he mused over as he reached for his synopsis of Darwinian theory.
Had he lived, Dad would have been ninety this past week. I’ve wondered over the past few months what he would have made of the huge challenges we have been faced with. I think, like so many, he would have been wise, resilient, resourceful, self reliant but empathetic and very conscious of others. He would have adapted. We’ve all had to adapt, to change our plans, our ways of working and being – with the hope of better things to come.
As a botanical artist, I am fascinated by the notion of temporal change in the plant world. Every moment in the life cycle of a plant is just that, a moment in time, even when it seems that all life has left the plant, change continues to occur. The dynamism of growth, from the first sprouting of a seed to the last moment of change in colour and form of the dying plant, utterly captivates me.
While walking in Birr Castle Demesne last winter, I was captivated by the shiny gloriously coloured seedpods of the acanthus as it faded back into the herbaceous border. Moving from warm yellows to greens and into inky deep blues, I was drawn in both by the colours but also by the complex twisty spiked forms. From the first moment this acanthus caught my eye, I thought of the Seamus Heaney anthology ‘Wintering Out’. How apt that his words ‘if we can winter this one out we can summer anywhere’ have encouraged us during these challenging days.
Initially, I intended to make a botanical illustration of Nerines bowdenii. However, life and other commitments prevented me from following my original intention. I kept the flowers in my studio and after about two months I realised that they had continued to change into the most mesmerising colours and forms. I was completely blown away by their beauty as they became more and more frail and delicate in the process of dying.
Bountiful- Punica granatum ‘Nana’ is twice life size. It captures some pomegranates with one dangling precariously from a tree. I found them growing in El Poble Nou, Barcelona, where I was teaching botanical art during autumn 2019. I just couldn’t take my eyes from the jewel like seeds glistening in the fruits. Having completed numerous sketches in situ and taken lots of colour notes and photographs to record details, I began to work on the painting back in my studio at home in Ireland.
It’s been a work in progress over the past few months when life has changed for us all. It brought me to the warmth and colour of the streets in Barcelona and to other pomegranate trees, particularly those I’ve seen in Skiathos in Greece where I first fell in love with pomegranates. It’s brought me to the warmth of the people I’ve met in those places. It’s been a place of solace and focus, a beckoning force taking me to a place apart when there was nowhere else. It’s been a place of joy and solace as I worked in my studio listening to stories on the radio of sickness and death – of resilience, togetherness and hope.
Wintering Out – Acanthus mollis, is currently showing in ‘Through the Artist’s Eye – Birr Castle Demesne’. www.birrcastle.com
Nerines bowdenii and Punica granatum ‘Nana’ will both be shown in ‘Exploring Botany – Botanical Art from Europe and Japan, Past and Present’, The Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology, Krakow, Poland. The exhibition will open when current restrictions have been lifted in Poland. www.manggha.pl
Archival quality prints of all of Mary’s botanical paintings are available in signed and numbered limited editions.
They are printed by Exhibit A – Ireland’s only fine art printer member of the UK Fine Art Print Trade Guild. Exceptional standards of lightfastness and ph balance are guaranteed. Each print is produced using archival quality pigment inks on museum quality fine art Hahnemuhle paper.
Editions:
A4 – 100
A3 – 100
A2 – 25
A1 – 25
Prices are from €120 including packaging in a postal roll and postage with tracking.
Please contact Mary with enquiries regarding prints, framed or unframed and shipping:
Spring is just around the corner….. Barcelona will be blooming with almond blossoms, irises and tulips.
Almond Blossoms
Join me there for a botanical art workshop in March. ‘Get away from it all to paint……..’
Enhance your painting skills and master new skills. Our focus will be on colour and how to use a limited colour palette of transparent paints to capture the beauty of spring blooms.
Understanding the nuances of warm and cool colours will help us to reveal the essence of spring flowers, petal by petal.
Please contact me or Laura Alonso to secure your place:
lauraalonso27@gmail.com
Or
marydillonbotanicalart@gmail.com
With Nuria Valles and Laura Alonso at Studio Art Valles, BarcelonaEspai Joliu- where plants and coffee meet. Across from Studio Art VallesLeafy El Poblenou, Barcelona
Barcelona, March 2020 – Posponed – New Dates: November 5 – 8, 2020
Join me at our light filled studio in the design quarter of colourful Barcelona to enhance your skills and to experience the reflective process of botanical art.
Leafy shade in El PoblenouTonal studies
Bring movement vitality and depth to your botanical art as we focus on creating dynamic composition and explore the nuances of layering colour.
The de Candole family hold master classes at home in Copşa Mare. I will be giving a master class there focusing on the wild flowers of summer meadows, in Summer 2020.
Classes are limited to just 5 students. We will spend a week working on live material we find in the hills. Periods of intensive study are balanced with plenty of fresh air, exercise & local food.
Lunch prepared by the De Candole family
During your stay, you may study the Transylvania Florilegium, with over 100 illustrations of local plants drawn by 35 artists, each accompanied by John Akeroyd’s text giving scientific details.
Places are limited to just five students in each class. To be sure of yours, please book in good time!
I am pleased to share with you some updates on workshops I will be giving later in 2019 and in 2020.
Barcelona
October 31 – November 3, 2019
I am delighted to be returning to Barcelona in late October to offer a workshop in botanical art. While I will be covering the basic techniques needed for beginners in botanical art, this time I will also be preparing a specific ‘first day’ of the course for those with a little more experience and those who have attended previous workshops.
Contact:
Please contact Laura Alonso for further information:
Having just finished a wonderful three day workshop for beginners in botanical art techniques in Waterford, facilitated by Classical Art Atelier, we are now planning another workshop to be based in Cork from September 6 – 8, 2019. This will be a great opportunity for those who would like to learn the essential techniques required to make a botanical painting.
Contact:
Please contact Adrian Cooke of Classical Art Atelier for further information.
Easy and slow…..! Learning the art of botanical painting with MaryDillon
I am happy to give you details of some upcoming workshops I will be giving. I look forward to sharing with you my love for plants, painting and botanical art.
Spain – February 21 – 24, 2019
October 31 – November 3, 2019
Austria – May 17, 2019
Ireland – November 19 – 23, 2018
Spain
Barcelona
Course 1: February 21 -24, 2019
Course 2: October 31 – November 3, 2019
ABOUT THE WORKSHOPS:
Barcelona
February 21- 24, 2019
October 31 – November 3, 2019
Studio: Art Valles, Carrer Pallars, Barcelona. Time: 9 am to 3.30 pm each day
Cost: €280
Taking our inspiration from the changing seasons we will practise observational drawing to focus on light, form and composition before moving on to learning the basics of wet and dry watercolour techniques. By exploring a vibrant but simple colour palette we will use transparent layers of colour to bring vitality to our painting.
A small group will allow for demonstrations and individual tuition. This workshop is suitable for all levels of experience.
Enquiries to Laura Alonso: lauraalonso27 @gmail.com
To facilitate broader group collaboration, the Vienna School of Botanical Illustration are organising GET TOGETHER 2019 where artists can meet, exchange ideas and work together in practical workshops. Specialist visits to museums and archive collections along with a field trip to the Donau – Auden National Park will also be included. Portfolio showcases will be given by botanical illustrators and the workshop instructors. These will last one to two hours in the mornings and will be followed by a discussion.
All components of the programme are independent so that attendees can decide on their own level of involvement.
Botanical art challenges us to capture in a painting the essence of a plant, it’s beauty, frailty, strength and intimacy and to do so in a truthful way.
Throughout 2018 I have some exciting workshops coming up that I’d like to share with you. In July there will be two workshops, one close to home in Ireland and following that I will be giving a workshop in Barcelona, Spain.
If you’d like to join me for one of these workshops please make contact for further information.
July 2 – 6, 2018 Laois Art House, Stradbally, Co. Laois, Ireland
Enquiries: Muireann Ni Chonaill – artsoff@laoiscoco.ie +353 57 86 41740
July 9 – 13, 2018 Barcelona, Spain
Enquiries: Laura Alonso – lauraalonso27@gmail.com +34 666 994 367
Further details: www.arte-botanico.com
Enquiries: Laura Alonso – lauraalonso27 @gmail.com
I am very excited to be giving Botanical Art Workshops in Barcelona, over the first two weeks of September, 2017.
The workshops will take place in APIC, the Association of Professional Illustrators of Catalunya. While most of our work will take place in their well lit, air conditioned studios, we will also take opportunities to visit local markets and Botanic Gardens in Barcelona for some observational drawing and sketching.
Sweet Pea, MD
Back in the studio we will capture the sensuality of flowers using wet and dry watercolour techniques. Looking at light and form we will focus on making an engaging composition.
Sketch for Petunia painting MD
Exploring a vibrant but simple colour palette we will use transparent layers of colour to bring vitality to our painting.
This will be a wonderful opportunity to enhance your skills while at the same time being able to enjoy spending some time in beautiful Barcelona with all the magic of the Mediterranean on your doorstep. We would love to see you in sunny Spain!
For further information including cost and a list of recommended materials,please contact workshop facilitator, Laura Alonso or myself.
Botanical Art – Painting the flowers and bulbs of Spring
with experienced artist and tutor, Mary Dillon
Tulipa ‘Black Parrot’ WIP,Mary Dillon
Friday April 22nd and Saturday April 23rd 2016
Located in Kilkenny city
close to the ring road around the city – with easy road and rail access
(1hr 12mins by car from the Red Cow, Dublin)
Paint in an easy relaxed atmosphere.
Whatever your level of experience, learn techniques to enhance your painting.
Numbers limited to allow for one to one tuition
Subjects will be included
Morning and afternoon refreshments included
Please bring your own materials for watercolour painting
Euro 120
For more information: phone – 087 2224260 / email – dillonmary@eircom.net
Tulipa rococco Mary Dillon
Tulip MD
I have been involved in Art Education for many years, both with students in post primary school and in the area of providing continuing professional development for teachers.In 2011 I decided to focus specifically on my interest in Botanical Art and pursued the diploma in botanical art and illustration with the Society of Botanical Artists, graduating in May, 2014 with a diploma with distinction.
In March 2014, I became the founding Chairperson of the Irish Society of Botanical Artists. I coordinated the team responsible for the inaugural ISBA exhibition project, Aibítir, involving over seventy five participating artists.
In 2015, I was invited to become an associate member of the SBA.
I find teaching botanical art particularly rewarding as it gives me an opportunity to share my skills and to encourage others to see the world of plants in a new and exciting way.
What is it about flowers and plants that stirs us, that makes us stop in our tracks to take a second look? Is it colour, form, or the complexity or simplicity of their structure? For many of us, seeing a flower will evoke a memory, bringing us to another time or place.
Nasturtium, MD
Sweet Pea, MD
White Tulip, MD
Each of us will have our own personal response to this question. That’s the wonder of what makes us just as, if not more diverse and intriguing as these beautiful objects of interest that capture our imagination. If you are like me and you also love to paint then you too will be compelled to learn the art of painting plants!
Fuchsia magellica, Deora De, Mary Dillon
Life throws us lemons every once in a while and happily for me some time ago, just when I most needed a focus, I embarked on a course in botanical art and illustration. For me the SBA distance learning diploma course was a huge challenge, stretching me in ways beyond my expectations. In time, painting botanical art proved to have powers of healing both in body and spirit!
Canna ‘Black Knight’ WIP Mary Dillon
Learning the skills required to paint botanical art was invaluable. Albeit from a distance, I reaped the benefit of constructive criticism and unwavering encouragement from experienced tutors, like Margaret Stevens, Founding Director of the SBA course, among others. Simon Williams became the new course Director in the latter months of my studies, ably forging the way forward for the course.
Having spent many years as an Arts Educator both with students in post primary school and in providing continuing professional development for teachers, I firmly believe in the value of face to face tuition. While the SBA diploma course fulfilled so many of my needs, I felt I needed to learn directly from others too.
I’m grateful to inspiring artists and teachers, Susan Sex, Fiona Strickland and Robert McNeil for their generosity of spirit marking them out as true teachers. Just as we learn to love from those who love us, I feel we learn to teach from those who teach us. Margaret, Simon, Susan, Fiona and Robert all belong to a wide group of artists and teachers, whose wish is not just to keep their artistic talents to themselves, but who want to share their experience with others, simply because they love painting and plants!
Botanical Painting Days
In recent times, I’ve enjoyed the privilege of guiding people as they explore this beautiful art form.
Whether you’re a beginner or experienced and keen to learn some new exciting approaches to painting plants in a systematic and enjoyably relaxing way, these days are for you.
Come along and join me!
Where: Kilkenny City
When: Saturdays, March 28th, April 18th and June 6th. 10am – 3pm
If you’d like to join me for a day painting flowers and plants,
I was recently introduced to this beauty and commissioned to paint it in all its glory. Tricyrtis formosana or Toad lily is full of interesting features. From its deep magenta unopened buds through to its curiously spotted flowers, its seed head and its magenta marked leaves.
Tricyrtis formosana, Work in Progress
Here are some photos of the work in progress…….
Tricyrtis formosana nearly completed
Finally….. Ready for its new home!
Detail of Tricyrtis formosana
Mary Dillon +353 87 2224260 dillonmary@eircom.net.
MARY DILLON - Botanical 