Heeyoung Kim Botanical Art Academy at Brushwood Center

Founded by Heeyoung Kim in June, 2012, the Academy offers weekly classes in watercolor, graphite pencil, and pen-and-ink. The first "Enriching Life" exhibition opened on November 8, 2015, and has returned yearly as a way to celebrate the Academy's artists and their work over the year. View the latest "Enriching Life" exhibition here.

Though in person classes have temporarily stopped, the Academy is going strong with the help of its new virtual classes.

Current and Upcoming Virtual Botanical Art Academy Offerings:

• Saturday Beginning Courses
• Drawing Fundamentals (January 23 ~.    )
• Advanced Drawing Project 1 & 2  (April & June)
• Pen-and-Ink 1 & 2 (Crow Quill pen and drawing ink)
• Watercolor for Beginners (July ~  )  
• Tuesday Watercolor for Intermediate Level
• Project 1, 2 & 3 from January to May: Following the step by step instructions, students work on their choices of specimen suitable for learning the painting techniques for each project. Detailed PDFs and recorded demonstrations will be provided. The demo videos will be made accessible on this website after each class.
• Monday Open Workshops: Techniques & Projects:  This course is the unique feature of this program suitable for aspiring botanical artists who are taking on their own projects, and/or pushing forward their career/skill level. Students work on independent projects with Kim’s guide and instruction. Additional technique demonstrations are followed after the feedback on individuals’ works.

To register for classes or for up-to-date information on Academy offerings, visit www.heeyoungkim.net.

​Heeyoung Kim, founder of the HK Botanical Art Academy

Known as ‘Wildflower Painter’, Kim paints and documents native plants in watercolor, graphite pencil and ink in a traditional/scientific way, yet with touch of modern edge with her keen sense of composition and mastery of the media she uses. Her numerous awards have proven her versatility in media. Her watercolors and graphite pencil drawing received 4 awards from New York International HSNY/ASBA (Horticultural Society of New York/American Society of Botanical Artists) including Best of Show (2012), RHS (Royal Horticultural Society London) Gold Medal (2012). Her three watercolors are included in Prince of Wales’s Transylvania Florilegium. She exhibited her ink illustrations at Margaret Flockton Award (2010, 2013), and 2 works in watercolor and ink at Hunt 13th International (2010). She had five solo exhibitions and exhibited in numerous international juried group exhibitions. Since its founding, HK Botanical Art Academy at Brushwood Center has become an incubator for the ancient art form in Chicago Metropolitan Area.

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