Iris 
Magnolia 
Peony Biography
I love nature and have always had a very close relationship with plants. Growing up in a small village surrounded by beautiful nature I used to go for a walks very often, enjoying and observing all the forms of nature, but being attracted mainly to plants. I remember watching the details of their petals, leaves, different colours, loved touching them and feeling their textures. As a child I imagined how it would be to get so small to dive in a flower like bees do.
I tried to get to plants as close as I could. After studying biology and gaining knowledge about taxonomy, anatomy and physiology of plants I went to study garden and landscape architecture. Here I discovered the magnificent world of different cultivated plants.
Botanical art was just another step to getting even closer to plants, I feel that by painting the flowers I can observe and touch every single detail of them, capture their essence, almost become it. I love the painting process and sharing my joy with others.
I see botanical art as a kind of romance between art and science and I believe it helps us to perceive and learn about the beauty of the world around us.
I graduated from biology in Charles University in Prague and also from garden and landscape architecture in Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague, studied partly in Wageningen University in Holland. Working as a landscape architect I took part in several illustrating projects.
In 2007 I went as an illustrator and photographer to the Western Sahara and illustrated medicinal plants of Saharaui. Since 2013 I’ve worked as a professional artist, doing a lot of commissioned work related mainly to herbal products and painting artworks for sale.
In 2018 I was invited to 5th international exhibition of botanical art in Moscow called ‘Plants, Myths and Legends’ to exhibit and hold a masterclass.
In 2019 I exhibited with the SBA in London ‘Plantae’ and also contributed to Celebrating Silver Catalogue, ASBA – of which I am also a member. My work ‘Tulips’ was chosen for panel presentation for the ASBA’s 2019 Annual Meeting called ‘Beyond Accuracy: Creating Art’.
There have been several articles published on my painting and I have given some interviews in Czech magazines and newspapers. I was also a guest of Czech TV on a show where I talked about botanical art.
Contact Details
Web: https://www.kourkova.cz/en/Email: pavlina.kourkova@gmail.com