The Bath Society of Botanical Artists was formed in 2002; it is now a thriving, friendly society of over forty members. The aim of the society is to promote an interest in botanical art and to develop member’s skills in all forms of botanical illustration.

Members are given the opportunity to develop their work through an interchange of ideas, constructive criticisms and study days. Workshops with various visiting artists are organised and regular outings to exhibitions and gardens take place throughout the year.

Artists undertake private commissions and run workshops and courses. Some are holders of Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) medals, members of the Society of Floral Painters (SFP) and other national societies.

An exhibition is held annually in Bath and a calendar of member’s work is produced showing the various mediums used; watercolour, pen and ink, graphite and coloured pencil. The society has recently been involved in producing illustrations of some of the plants discovered in China by the plant hunter Augustine Henry. Following an exhibition of these paintings in the Bath Central Library in November 2008, the Society was invited to take the exhibition to the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland for the month of July 2009.

As a result of the Augustine Henry project, one of our members , Caroline Frances-King, has won a travelling fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust to visit China to paint plants discovered by Augustine Henry