Abundance – Punica granata – ‘Nana’ ©️Mary Dillon
Mary Dillon
Born: Cork, Ireland, 1963
Address: Kilkenny, Ireland
Education:
B. Rel. Science and Education, Maynooth University, 1984.
Post Graduate Diploma in Relationships and Counselling Skills, Maynooth University. 1991
Diploma with Distinction, Distance Learning Diploma Course, Society of Botanical Artists, UK, 2014.
Professional Memberships:
Elected member of the Watercolour Society of Ireland, 2016.
Elected Fellow Member of the Society of Botanical Artists, UK. 2017
Member of the American Society of Botanical Artists
Member of the Vienna School of Botanical Illustration
Member and Founding Chairperson of the Irish Society of Botanical Artists
Career:
Teacher, Head of Department, Art and Design, Theology, CBS Secondary School, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, 1984 – 1999
Relationships and Sexuality Education Facilitator, 2012 –
Botanical Art Tutor
Extramural botanical art tutor, Botany Department, Trinity University, Dublin. 2022-
Teaching team, New York Botanical Gardens, 2021, 2022
Chelsea School of Botanical Art, 2018 – 2019.
Art Studio Valles, El Poblenou, Barcelona, Spain, 2017 – present
Awards:
November 2022 Best in Show at the American Society of Botanical Artists 25th International, New York, US.
September 2022 Rosemary & Co Award for a work of distinction at the Watercolour Society of Ireland Annual Exhibition.
October 2018 People’s Choice Best in Show, ASBA From Golden Gate to Garden Gate Exhibition, San Francisco, US.
Anne Marie Kearney Award for Best in Show at an inaugural ASBA Exhibition, San Francisco, US.
2016, 2017 Gold Medals and Best in Show, Botanical Art in Bloom, Phoenix Park, Dublin.
2008 Tipperary Artist of the Year Award
2007 Tyrone Guthrie Residency Award
Group Exhibitions:
November 2022 American Society of Botanical Artists, 25th International Exhibition, Wave Hill, New York. US.
October 2022 European Symposium of Watercolour Societies Exhibition, Bilbao, Spain
September 2022 Watercolour Society of Ireland, Farmleigh, Dublin, Ireland
September 2022. Das Pink Und Das Grau, Forum Botanische Kunst, Thungersheim, Germany
December 2020 Exploring Botany – Botanical Art from Europe and Japan, Past and Present. Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology, krakow, Poland.
September 2020 Through the Artist’s Eye , Birr Castle Demesne, Co. Offaly, Ireland.
March 2020 Drawn from Nature, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
November 2019 Natura Picta, Casa Di Dante, Florence, Italy
October 2019. The Movement of Plants, Forum Botanische Kunst, Thungersheim, Germany
October 2019 16 th International Exhibition, Hunt Institute, Pittsburgh, US
September 2019 22 nd Annual International, ASBA, San Francisco, US
September 2019 Watercolour Society of Ireland, The Cowshed Gallery, Farmleigh Dublin, Ireland
August 2019 Botanical, Arts Festival, Kilkenny Castle, Kilkenny, Ireland
June 2019 Plantae, Society of Botanical Artists, Mall Galleries, London
May 2019 Botanical, Emo Court House and Gardens, Emo, Co. Laois, Ireland
May 2019 Botanische Illustration, Botanischen Gartens der Universitat Wien
October 2018 Confluence, ASBA, St. Louis, Missouri, US
September 2018 Art in the Garden, Burtown House, Athy, Co. Kildare, Ireland
September 2018 Watercolour Society of Ireland, The Cowshed Gallery, Farmleigh Dublin, Ireland
August 2018 At the heart – Botanical, Kilkenny Castle, Kilkenny, Ireland
April 2018 Tulipa Tulipae, Real Jardin Botanico, Madrid, Spain
October 2017 From Golden Gate to Garden Gate, San Francisco, US.
September 2017 Watercolour Society of Ireland, Annual Exhibition, Dublin, Ireland
June 2017 Botanical and Floral Art, Bloom in the Park, Dublin, Ireland
November 2016 In Pursuit of Plants, Palmengarten, Frankfurt, Germany
September, 2016 Art in the Garden, Tourin House, Waterford, Ireland
September 2016 Watercolour Society of Ireland Annual Exhibition, Dublin
June 2016 Botanical and Floral Art, Bloom in the Park, Dublin, Ireland
November 2016 Heritage Irish Plants, National Botanic Gardens, Dublin, Ireland
April 2015. Society of Botanical Artists Exhibition, Westminster, London, UK.
May 2014 Society of Botanical Artists Exhibition, Westminster, London, UK.
May 2014 Aibítir, Irish Society of Botanical Artists, National Botanic Gardens, Dublin, Ireland
November 2014 Strictly Botanical, Park Gallery, Callendar House, Falkirk, Scotland
September 2014. The 21st World Orchid Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Solo Exhibitions:
August 2019. Botanical, Kilkenny Art’s Festival, Kilkenny, Ireland
September 2009 Flow, Almond Tree Gallery Exhibition, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary
November 2008 Bloom, Almond Tree Gallery Exhibition, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary
0ctober 2008 Wexford Opera Festival Exhibition, Wexford, Ireland
August 2008 Kilkenny Art’s Festival, Kilkenny, Ireland
December 2007 Almond Tree Gallery Inaugural Exhibition, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, Ireland
June 2006 Listowel Writer’s Festival Signature Exhibition, Listowel, Co. Kerry, Ireland
April 2005 The Narrow Space Gallery, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, Ireland
January 2004 Bank of Ireland Art’s Center, College Green, Dublin, Ireland
0ctober 2002 Wexford Opera Festival Exhibition, Wexford, Ireland
September 2002 Dungarvan Art’s Center, Co. Waterford, Ireland
August 2002 Kilkenny Art’s Festival, Kilkenny, Ireland
May 2002 Gormley’s Art Gallery, Belfast, NI.
0ctober 2001 Wexford Opera Festival Exhibition
August 2001 Kilkenny Art’s Festival, Kilkenny, Ireland
0ctober 2000 Wexford Opera Festival Exhibition, Wexford, Ireland
August 2000 Kilkenny Art’s Festival, Kilkenny, Ireland
December 1999 Landscapes in Watercolour, Bank of Ireland, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary
December 1997 Watercolour Paintings, The Library, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary
Collections:
The Collection of Dr. Shirley Sherwood
Hunt Institute for Botanical Art and Documentation, Pittsburgh, Penn. US.
Office of Public Works, Ireland
Bank of Ireland
Árus an Uachtaráin, Residence of The President of Ireland
Works held in public and private collections worldwide.
Biography:
Mary Dillon is an Irish botanical artist. Preferring to work in large format, Mary enjoys capturing the essence of a plant with it’s sensuality and frailty. Colour, light and form fascinate her. Mary has a particular fascination with botanical art as a personal process for the artist while at the same time striving for excellence in her art practice.
Mary’s work has been exhibited internationally, most recently in Italy, Germany, Spain, Austria, the UK and the US. Her work was selected for the 16 th International Exhibition of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Art and Documentation, Pittsburgh. Recently Mary received Best in Show Award at the ASBA 25th Annual International Exhibition, Wave Hill, New York. Mary also received the Anne Marie Carney Award for best painting in an inaugural international show and the Jean Emmons People’s Choice award at the ASBA (American Society of Botanical Artists) exhibition in San Francisco, October 2017. She was awarded Gold Medal and Best in Show in Botanical and Floral Art at Bloom, Dublin, 2016, and Gold and Silver Medals at Bloom, 2017.
Mary was the founding chairperson of the Irish Society of Botanical Art. She is an artist member and tutor with the American Society of Botanical Artists. She is a member of the Vienna School of Botanical Illustration. Mary is an elected Fellow Member of the Society of Botanical Artists, UK and a member of the Watercolour Society of Ireland.
Mary enjoys teaching botanical art regularly in Spain, Greece, the Uk, the US as well as Ireland. She was part of the teaching team at the Chelsea School of Botanical Art in London. Mary finds teaching botanical art particularly rewarding as it provides the perfect opportunity to bring together her three passions of watercolour painting, plants and working with people.
Mary Dillon. +353 87 2224260. marydillonbotanicalart@gmail.com
MARY DILLON - Botanical 
Is your work for sale anywhere?
Hi Christopher. Thanks for your inquiry. Please feel free to email me directly and I’ll be happy to let you know where you can see available work. My email is: marydillonbotanicalart@gmail.com
Best wishes
Mary
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