Melinda Edstein

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Biography

I grew up in suburban Sydney, Australia, and it is still my home. Nature, gardens and animals were always important in my life, and science was my favourite area of study. When our children were reaching adulthood, and I had left my career as a veterinarian, I decided to try botanic art. It seemed the perfect combination of art and science. I embarked on lessons at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, in 2008, and haven’t looked back. Traditional watercolours are beautiful, but I tended to just draw with my brush. I decided to try coloured pencils, which better suit my personality.

I love the richness and saturation that can be achieved with coloured pencil. I tend to be quite heavy handed, putting down layer upon layer of colour, blending with pressure as I go. The subjects that appeal to me tend to be the slightly unusual.  Australian flowers certainly aren’t mundane, and can be quite a complicated challenge.

2017 saw me complete the SBA Distance Learning Course with Distinction. I have exhibited in Sydney’s Botanica and other local exhibitions since 2010, and in SBA’s Plantae since 2019.

My ‘Monkey Cups’ was selected as part of the Hunt Institute of Botanical Documentation’s 16th International Exhibition of Botanical Art and Illustration, 2019.
In 2022 I was awarded a silver-gilt medal at the RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show, for my series on ‘red flowering, bird pollinated Australian flowers’.
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Website:    melindaedsteinart.com

Instagram:  Instagram.com/melinda.edstein.art