Margaret Saul ‘Botanical Art & Illustration: Convergence of Art and Science’

Abstract

Join Margaret Saul, a distinguished botanical artist, illustrator, and instructor, to experience a visual feast of botanical art arising from the exploratory voyages of Australia through to the masterful works by her and her contemporaries. With her extensive experience dating back to 1975, when she became the staff illustrator for the Queensland Herbarium, Margaret offers a unique perspective on this art form at the intersection of art and science.

This talk is presented in association with the "Botanical Images" exhibition at the Visitors Centre, November 1–19, 2023, which will feature a unique collection of botanical art and photography donated by the Friends of the ANBG to the Gardens.

Booking link: https://www.trybooking.com/CJTZC

Biography  

Margaret Saul, a member of the Friends of the ANBG Botanic Art Group since returning to Australia in 2020, has a love and curiosity for the natural world.  Foundations for her professional life in the field of natural science illustration were well set in a family of artists and amateur naturalists. From the late 1990’s her love of sharing her knowledge and skills in this field of art saw her establishing schools of botanical art and illustration in Australia and in the USA. 

Her artwork is represented in science and art publications including the Flora of Australia and numerous works commissioned by a London collector and housed at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (UK). She is also represented in the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mellon University, USA and in public art collections in Australia.

Booking

Lunchtime talks are held at 12.30 pm every Thursday from February to November. Talks last for 1 hour. We welcome donations by gold coins, notes, or electronically. The Friends use donations received at each talk to support Gardens’ programs and development, and thank all those who have donated. 

Unless otherwise indicated, talks are held in the ANBG Theatrette.

It is a good idea to reserve a seat at the talks that you wish to attend; talks may be booked out very quickly.  Bookings can be made from the 13th October until the night before the talk or until seating limits are reached. 

Booking link: https://www.trybooking.com/CJTZC

The Friends of the ANBG thank the speakers who volunteer their time and talents to further the knowledge of all attending events in the Gardens. Some summaries or PowerPoint presentations of Thursday talks are available to Friends at the ANBG library. Please direct queries about the talks to the Thursday Talks Team: email talks@friendsanbg.org.au.

The talks are in line with COVID-19 guidelines which can change rapidly.