Country: Scotland
About me
I’ve drawn and painted all my life, and in between working for a living, have followed various courses of study, including horticulture, garden design and pottery, before becoming a full time botanical painter.
I mainly work in watercolour, always with drawing and observation forming the backbone, but am always keen to explore and incorporate new techniques and materials.
Whilst living and working in Paris, I attended classes in traditional drawing and painting methods over two years, gaining a solid technical grounding. I attended botanical painting classes in Scotland soon after I moved back, and fell in love with this sometimes demanding art form.
I aim to capture the individuality of a bloom or leaf at a specific point in time when it’s at its most interesting to me, rather than trying to showcase the ‘perfect’ botanical example. I like to work larger than life to highlight detail and texture, to invite closer inspection and hopefully share my awe at the complexities of the plant world.
I search out movement, grace and dramatic tension in my subjects, and prefer subjects that are either emerging or on the wane, rather than in full bloom.
I relish how we can find reflections of our own emotions and even stories in natural shapes and forms.
I showed my first paintings in 2013, and have since exhibited in botanical society exhibitions, open national society exhibitions and commercial galleries. My work has been commended for its light, drama and impact.
I have run regular classes and have been invited to tutor groups and to give workshops.
I am a founding member of the Scottish Society of Botanical Artists, a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists and was previously elected to Associate Member of the Society of Botanical Artists.