My art career has developed over the years from a series of happy accidents. Without any formal training, I worked for 20 years as a freelance botanical illustrator, preparing pen and ink drawings for botanical textbooks.  Then, in 1980, I began to paint seriously. I have always liked the translucency of watercolour, and my love of plants naturally led me to choose these as my favourite subjects. I am very fortunate in having a large garden, where I can indulge my passion for plant collecting, and cultivate many of the plants that I wish to paint. I am endlessly fascinated by the beauty and diversity of plant forms, and I aim to express this wonder in my paintings by varying my style and technique, according … Continue reading Julia Loken