IAPI – the Institute of Analytical Plant Illustration

How the days fly past – this time last week I was on my way to Birmingham to speak to IAPI – the Institute for Analytical Plant Illustration. Not my usual way of spending a Saturday, but it was worth the travel. The invitation to speak came through botanical artist and IAPI member Valerie Oxley when we finally met in person last January at the botanical art symposium held at the Linnean Society. Before that, back in 2007, we had been contact about including one of my digital composite plates in her book  ‘Botanical Illustration’ , but only by email.

I arrived to find very a welcoming group and an interesting mix of not only painters and botanists, but also photographers.  The group has a number of well known botanical artist and illustrators and botanists, so I had been a little apprehensive beforehand, but I was delighted in their degree of interest in my digital images, and we had a lively discussion after my presentation.

I came away with several copies of their journal Eryngium, which, I had noted in advance, contained articles I wanted to read. It is published annually (in January) and contains interesting articles relevant to scientific botanical illustration – lots of ‘how to’ articles, notes on specific botanical features as well as more general and historical botanical illustration topics. Take a look here if you want to see the contents of the back issues of Eryngium.

I discovered they have members from all over the country – remarkably I had not come the furthest by any means. So, thank you IAPI for your welcome and friendship, not to mention the lunch. I have just sent off my membership application form and look forward to being part of the group.