Botanical Illustration Series

Amy Welch is wrapping up her Botanical Illustration Series at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center on Friday, November 13. It's the fourth and final session of a four-part beginner series that started back on October 23, with classes running every Friday morning from 9 AM to noon. If you've been following along since the start, this is the one that brings it all together.

Welch is an Austin-based botanical artist and a retired physician associate, and her work focuses on native plants. She's a graduate of the Society of Botanical Artists' Diploma Course and a member of the Lone Star Botanical Artists Circle of the American Society of Botanical Artists. Her work has been shown in exhibitions across Texas and the Upper Midwest, and she's a regular volunteer at the Wildflower Center's Gallery, so she knows the grounds as well as she knows the plants.

The series is aimed at beginner and intermediate artists aged 15 and up, with youth under 18 attending with a registered adult chaperone. Over the four sessions, Welch introduces the fundamentals of observing, sketching, and accurately depicting botanical subjects. While you're working on your own pieces, she shares the history of botanical illustration and the foundational concepts of botany, so you're learning the science behind the art as you go.

The final class is on Friday, November 13, from 9 AM to noon at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Ave. The cost is $180 per person, with a discount for members. Registration is required and space is limited, so you'll want to sign up ahead of time if you're planning to join.