Different colour interpretations. The source of the plant’s colour matters. There are many reasons why contemporary botanical artists like me do not paint from digital images or photographs. We paint from live specimens. We respect the traditions and the history...
Some of what you’ll see about botanical art on social media can be misleading or confusing. Most of the time I ignore it. Recently, however, a post about colour crossed a line. It was time to correct a few misconceptions and share some important colour...
Here’s an idea—particularly if you’re having difficulty finding time to draw and paint—committing to a leaf a day. I’m suggesting a daily regime of sketching at least one leaf a day. While normal daily commitments can rob us of time to paint,...
Every time I hand a painting to a courier I do so with trepidation. This week my trepidation was justified. I shipped my painting for the ASBA’s Abundant Future exhibition with FedEx Express. En route from my home in Chester Basin, Nova Scotia to The New York...
A small sketch book, mechanical pencil, and eraser. These are essential travelling or out-and-about companions for any botanical artist. You know what’s going to happen on that one occasion that you don’t have them handy—you’ll come across that...
The invitation: I received an invitation to exhibit in an international botanical art exhibition. I felt flattered. And I readily agreed to participate. Exhibiting abroad is an enticing proposition. I’d exhibited outside Canada before in Bermuda, the US, the UK,...
