Flora 2015

The 2015 Annual Sydney BASA Members exhibition was again held at the historic Palm House, in the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, open to the public from Tuesday 14 until Wednesday 22 July. This year it was over a shorter period, and also the coldest and wettest week in many years but still managed 980 visitors.
Entries were received from 49 artists who submitted 115 original works, 58 prints and 435 cards. Of these 17 original artworks (framed and unframed), 7 prints and 222 cards were sold.
Judging was re-introduced this year and the Best in Show and Highly Commended awards were named after Madeleine Taylor. Madeleine was a Botanical Artist from Queensland and left a bequest to BASA in 2010 which has been invested since that time. The prize money for these awards was taken from the interest earned from this investment. The judges were Beverly Allen and Louisa Murray. Louisa is a botanist from the Sydney Botanic Gardens Herbarium and the committee would like to thank both for their time and expertise as judges. Best in Show and $500 was awarded to Dianella revoluta, artist Cheryl Hodges. There were 4 Highly Commended awards each winning $200. The winners of this award were Eucalyptus tetraptera, pen, ink and graphite by Pauline Dewar, Cyclamen, watercolour on vellum by Pauline Dewar, Sporobolus elongatus, watercolour on vellum by Sharon Field and Araucaria bidwillii, graphite drawing by Sandra I’Anson.
Pauline Dewar also won the Peoples’ Choice award for Eucalyptus tetraptera, Four Winged Mallee, pen, ink and graphite.