Tsuyako Elliott

Biography

I was born and grown up in Japan, countryside of Miyagi prefecture, and as a child I loved to help my mother’s gardening every spring.

When I was young I learnt traditional Japanese flower arrangement after work for ten years. I enjoyed to have peaceful time of handling plants and thinking about colour combination and also harmony.  It was a long time ago but this experience help my art work today in many ways.  I think Japanese culture is often about empty space, comfortable empty space.

Now I live in London. I joined adult education in south London Lewisham, drawing and painting course, one day I had to bring flowers for making design with it.
I was watching inside of lily carefully and I found it was amazingly beautiful and perfect. Suddenly I felt this is what I want.  After this feeling I changed my direction to take botanical illustration class and started learning painting (by Jenny Watts). A few years later I joined botanical illustration class in Bromley as well ( by Mayumi Hashi).

I also enrolled at the The Chelsea School of Botanical Art ( by Helen Alan)  in 2014 and it is nearly to the end of the second year for me. So that I am preparing for The Final Project of six watercolour painting.

It is joyful walking in the nature. It is lucky that there are many fields with wild flowers, hedgerow and trees around nearby. In spring I smell fresh strong life of plants from wet ground and this energy inspire me.

It was fortunate that I was accepted as Associate member of SBA in 2014 following year full member. I received Highly Commended for the Joyce Cuming Presentation Award in 2015. I enjoy painting and I wish to express life and beauty of plants deeply in the future.