Caroline Buckley’s pencil drawing entitled ‘Late summer flowers’, featured a detailed red and orange composition of dahlias, rose hips and crocosmia. Buckley opted for her favoured coloured pencil, as the medium for the drawing.
As reported in the RHS The Garden magazine, Buckley’s entry won the judges over on the botanical details and that she had managed to “capture the spirit of the late-summer garden, with flowers still giving their all even as the nights start to draw in”.
The prize is a commission worth £1,000 to illustrate the welcome page for each of the four issues of the Plant Review in 2024.
Buckley completed an Art Foundation Course at Derby University and taught Geography and Environmental Science for 30 years before becoming a botanical artist. She completed the Society of Botanical Artists’ Diploma in 2023, gaining a Distinction and the Award for Excellence.
Launched in June 2023, the inaugural The Plant Review artist-in-residence competition attracted over 130 high quality entries and is expected to be run again next year.
The judging panel included the editor of The Plant Review James Armitage, graphic designer Simon Garbutt and botanical artist, Deborah Lambkin.