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I have been painting botanical subjects since the early 1980s. Encouraged by my grandmother, herself an accomplished botanical artist, I was largely self-taught until recently following early retirement I was able to take up more formal training. My first course was “Beginning with Anemones” with Elaine Searle at the Chelsea School of Botanical Art in 2018. I was considered of sufficient ability to partake in more advanced courses at the CSBA with Christabel King, Martin Allen and Helen Allen. I have also attended workshops run by Helen Allen and now regularly attend workshops with Sally Pond. During lockdown I undertook distance learning projects with Christina Hart-Davies. In 2022 I attended a 1 week course at the Transylvania School of Botanical Art taken by Julia Trickey. I have successfully exhibited in Salisbury in conjunction with the Cathedral Open Gardens and at the St Barbe Museum in Lymington. I have received and executed some commissions and wish to extend this side of my practice. I am an active member of the South West Society of Botanical Artists and the Association of Botanical Artists

My current practice is based on garden flowers and wildflowers of the New Forest. My work is largely a traditional watercolour style using graphite drawings from life, developing tonal drawings and colour swatches before transferring to watercolour paper using Fabriano Artistico high white. Much of my work is life size, I include enlargements and bar scales as appropriate. I am particularly interested in the flowers of the New Forest, living in the National Park. I have joined a group of artists (including 4 artists who have been awarded gold and silver-gilt medals by the RHS) recording the plants of the New Forest in conjunction with the Park Authority for exhibition at locations around the forest. In the last 3 years I have exhibited locally and have had my paintings made into greetings cards which I successfully sell in local outlets. I would like to develop the professional aspect of my botanical painting by exhibiting at more prestigious galleries. To do so I have been advised I should become a member of an appropriate society requiring standards of excellence from its members as confirmation of my ability. As a member of the SBA I would ensure only the best of my paintings were exhibited to uphold the SBA’s values.

I majored in landscape environment in Korea. And I'm working as a landscape architect.
Currently, I am studying the field of plants.

I started painting for two years. While studying plants, I saw plants dying plants. And I thought. It's good to look fancy, but I want to remember this. So I grabbed a colored pencil. I will continue to draw a picture where everything coexists.

My company once exhibited paintings. I wanted to introduce the field of botanical. And I want to tell the story of plants through pictures in the future.

The main material of my painting is colored pencils. I chose it because I have been close to Pen since I was a student. Also, the smell and touch of colored pencils are good. As you can see from the picture, I like strong and hard materials.

In the process of painting, I observe plants a lot. I am fascinated by the fluff and stamen hidden in the large form. I care about this part the most.

The most important thing in painting is light and storytelling. This part is because it gives life to the painting. I would be most pleased that the whole world could relate to each other through painting. May we become one through my paintings.

I have lived a diverse professional horticultural life as magazine editor and freelance contributor to high profile professional horticultural magazines, combined with several years' experience as a business development consultant as well as horticultural educator.
I am a qualified Horticulturist and long-term member of the Horticultural Media Association Australia (Vic).
I have been painting botanical pieces for eight years and am just finding my feet in exhibiting my works.

Exhibitions:
'Hidden Splendours' (works from Jenny Phillips' Botanical Art School of Melbourne) (2017)
'Re-Framing Nature' Friends of RBG Melbourne (2019).
'Artanica' for the Mt Macedon Horticultural Society (2022)
'Revelations' solo exhibition at Seasons Restaurant, Cloudehill Nursery and Gardens (Dec 2021 - current)
Website: www.horticolour.org.au
Instagram: www.instagram.com/horticololour/

I have always loved the little details in life and in nature. I enjoy seeing the overall design but can't help zooming in to marvel at the intricacies to be discovered up close.
As a convert to the botanical art and illustration scene, I am enjoying turning my mind to a new way of looking at nature. It has allowed me to re-discover plants and the amazing structures and natural design found within their form. I am loving putting my passion and respect for plants as well as nature's design into my paintings.

It was 13 years ago when I started to care about Botanic art.
It was a time when interest in the importance and preservation of nature spread in Korea.
My interest in plants led to drawing plants, I had to study plants, and I had to learn drawing techniques and skills.
I was always worried about how to zoom in and about accurate observation and sketches.
There was no place to teach professional Botanic art, so I took a few lectures on drawing plants, painting and exhibiting.
Then I got to know the Learning Course of SBA in the UK, applied for DLDC Course 15, and took a 30-month course. Luckily, I received the Society of Botanical Artists "PLANTEA 2020" Certificate of Botanic Merit among my Portfolio paints. After that, I found out that my painting skills improved a lot without realizing it, and I won several awards in Korea and gained self-esteem.
I have been commissioned by the National Arboretum of Korea to draw native plants, and the paintings are circulating at arboretums and botanical gardens nationwide in Korea
Also, my personal paintings are sold as goods at shops in the Natural History Museum in Korea.

I am not an art major, but I have always been interested in plants.
I observe plants, compare how they differ from other plants, look for data, and start drawing when I have some confirmation. Of course, I also draw general plant paintings, but I prefer to paint illustration of plants.
I usually use watercolors, but I often use pencils and colored pencils.
Botanic Art is a painting of the ecological process of plants, so it takes a long time. In recent years, I have been commissioned to paint native plants at the Korea National Arboretum.
Also, I'm drawing a plant picture for the opening event at the arboretum, which is scheduled to open in the city where I live.
Of course I show my paintings, teach Botanic art, and always be interested in plants.

I was born and grew up in rural-ish Essex, and can’t remember a time when I didn’t have a pencil or anything similar in my hand. I was always busy drawing, creating and writing myself stories.

Then when I was 14 my Dad started to take me with him on painting courses to Flatford Mill, FSC and this was the beginning of my love of working en plein air and John Constable!
My passion for drawing and perspective developed at Saint Martin’s School of Art during my BA Degree in Graphic Design (Hons. Ist Class. 1976-1979).
After living and commuting as a freelance illustrator for 15 years from Brighton to London, I moved west to St Ives, Cornwall in 1994 to focus on my own creative passions and projects. I left behind the commercial illustration in advertising and packaging and took an MA in the History of Modern Art & Design 1994-1997. FCA.

As Artist in Residence at Godolphin National Trust 2008-2010, I researched and completed over 90 drawings for my first self-published book; ‘Godolphin’, my final piece for an MA in ‘Illustration : Authorial Practice’ 2010, UCF.
I love to draw in historic houses, abandoned old buildings, and gardens, fascinated by the stories they can tell.

I love detail and I work en plein air and from direct observation.

I grew up in rural Essex and worked as a freelance illustrator for many years after graduating from Saint Martin’s School of Art, London.
I especially love drawing in pencil, coloured pencils and painting in gouache and watercolour.
My work has been influenced by Stanley Spencer, whom I wrote my dissertation about when I studied an MA in the History of Modern Art and Design and also by artists such as Stanley Baldwin and Cedric Morris.
Chiaroscuro, deep tonal contrast and imagination often help to suggest a surreal feeling in my images.
I delight in nature and I particularly love to draw plants in the habitats in which they grow.
I am fascinated by symbolism and myths, narrative and metaphor so research is equally important to my work.

BEd (Hons):First 1999;CIOL
SBA DCDL 2018- Dip SBA (Dist)
Exhibition Plantae - LONDON - 2020. Asparagus officinalis
Exhibition Plantae - LONDON - 2021 Exhibiting Excellence Award
-Citrusx limon ‘Four Seasons’ Study ii
Exhibition Plantae - LONDON - 2022
-Citrus x limon ‘Four Seasons’ Study iii and iv

I have drawn, painted in oil and pastel since childhood. I developed skills in calligraphy and pen and ink sketching in Italy during my formative years.
I gained a First Class degree in Education, joined the CIOL and became a translator, teacher, teacher-trainer and eventually a language consultant running my own training company.
In 2006 we bought and restored a 16th century farm cottage and its gardens: a major project that has continued ever since and has fuelled my deep interest in horticulture.
For many years I had admired the work of Giovanna Garzoni for the Medici court and wanted to learn more about botanical art and working methods. Whilst researching gouache methodology I found out that Simon Williams had expertise in this medium and I was able to enrol on the SBA DLDC. Since graduating from the course I have continued to deepen my understanding and mastery of botanical gouache and watercolour. My passion for making gardens continues to inform my art - our farm is steeped in history and tied to the horticultural/rural heritage of this area. A legacy I intend to explore further through my artistic work.

Julia Bettis was born in 1978 in Glenville WV. Bettis received her Bachelor of Art Degree at Glenville State College and is a second year MFA Low-Residency student at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Bettis has been included in several pop-up art shows with the Infamous Art Collective in Buckhannon, WV. Bettis first became interested in art during early childhood years, drawing, sculpting and using “earth pigments” around her home. Bettis is a visual artist working predominantly in oil paint and ceramic sculpture. She attributes her inspiration to her works of art to nature and the sublime. She has dedicated herself to the professional practice of art, marketing and selling several pieces of art. Bettis currently lives and works in Grantsville, WV.

The purpose for my work is that it be intentional and believable, without merely creating exact copies of my subject matter. Botanical imagery can be so much more than a reference source.  It can be a way to bring the subject’s essence and even an artist’s emotion into drawings and paintings. I gather inspiration from nature’s little treasures hiding in plain sight through direct communion with nature in the mountains where I live. My works often include water reflections, recessed caves, plants, trees, lichen covered rocks or moss folds that I’ve encountered as I explore. The term mise-en-abyme which greatly fascinates me as a source of inspiration for my work, is defined as a world within a world, as evidenced in the complex, repeating patterns of a fern bed mirrored in the shapes of each fern’s frond.  I tend to work small-scale because it is truer to the size of my subjects, allows for portable supports, and creates a more intimate experience.  I want my work to inspire others to value nature and simplicity for themselves. 

Katerina Luna is a fine artist currently based in London in the United Kingdom. She creates exquisite archetypes of botanical organic images consisting primarily of watercolor. In her free time, she tends to her personal home garden of plants and flowers, where she also finds inspiration for her art. Katerina is a Graduate with Distinction from the British Society of Botanical Artists and a Foundation Member of the SBA. The need to create has always inspired her; she previously received a degree in Fashion Design and Textiles. Since 2016, Katerina has devoted her work to illustration and botanical art. Her work has recently been juried into Plantae, the Annual International Exhibition by the Society of Botanical Artists, and she won the Certificate of Botanical Merit in 2021 and received the People’s Choice Award in 2022. You can view more of her work and processes on Instagram, @catchoumeow

The botanical illustrations created by Katerina Luna are exquisite studies in detail, form, and texture. Her images are created using watercolor with particular attention to value and hue. The works are inspired by Katerina’s home in the United Kingdom and her personal garden. She is continuously inspired by nature, spreading peace, positivity, and kindness through her artwork. Katerina is able to give each botanical subject a sense of wonder and emotion where the viewer is transported into the natural setting. The subjects encase a kind of intimacy, with their attention to detail and texture, but also contain an emotional quality due to their handmade creation. While the art of creating botanical illustrations by hand has often fallen to the wayside, Katerina’s images show her use of realism and attention to detail transcend the contemporary means of reproduction. The works of art establish the botanical artifacts in their eternal beauty long past the ephemeral nature of their physical twin. Katerina Luna continues to be inspired by the enchanted beauty of the surrounding natural world.

Sabine Loos has lived with her family since 1995 in the picturesque town of Rudolstadt an der Saale, one of Friedrich Schiller's favorite places. She creates botanical illustrations and botanical art in her idyllic studio located at the foot of Heidecksburg Castle. She studied biology at the venerable Friedrich Schiller University in Jena and at ETH Zurich, earning a PhD in her major of microbiology on secondary metabolites in filamentous fungi. A childhood in the country ingrained a love of nature in her that was deepened further by studying biology. When she discovered botanical illustration in a beginner's course with Katja Katholing-Bloß in 2018 it felt like coming home.

After many hours of self-study and online courses that brought her great joy, she decided to deepen her skills more and has since been studying Botanical Illustration in the Diploma program at the Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh. She will complete this in 2024.

Sabine's personal heart's desire is to revive the historical roots of botanical illustration in Germany and to see botanical art flourish again in Germany. She is therefore a member of the board of the newly founded ‘German Society of Botanical Art’ - Verein für Botanische Kunst Deutschland.

"Ever since I could hold a pencil, I've been drawing. Nature gives me the most beautiful and interesting motifs for this. I strive to depict natural perfection and beautifully balanced imperfections as they reach my eye. I love to narrate through painting the life of the plants I depict. Plants, their pollinators and symbionts are my deep source of joy and satisfaction."

Ingrid Arthur b. 1960
Ingrid Arthur was born in Shetland, living there until she left for the mainland at the age of sixteen to study at Edinburgh College of Art in 1977. She graduated with a First Class BA (Hons) in Tapestry Weaving in 1981, completing a post graduate diploma the following year. Whilst raising a family and working in the family business, art work took a back seat, however, Ingrid undertook several commissions and exhibitions, twice exhibiting at the Shetland Museum and Archives in most recently in 2016. Her interest in and love of Botanical Illustration grew over the yearsand in 2019 she enrolled in the Diploma course at RBGE.

I am currently developing the theme of a Shetland garden a bit further by introducing more plants that are typically grown there. I begin by making both rough and detailed drawings and find that working in graphite for most of the research of the plant helps me to get more familiar with its particular characteristics. Having a background in Fine Art makes me appreciate how important drawing is in the initial stages. I would, however, like to improve my skills with pen and ink and this is an area that I am planning on developing more. For finished paintings I use watercolour on paper, using some dry brush where necessary but always allowing the subject matter to dictate the technique used. it depends very much on the characteristics of the plant and I don't stick rigidly to any particular method. I trained in Tapestry Weaving and am exploring the possibility of incorporating the subject matter in my paintings into tapestry bringing many new challenges.

Maryna Stasyuk (Prague) worked as a Quality Engineer before shifting her focus to botanical art several years ago. She is fascinated by the fragile beauty of nature around us, finding satisfaction in creating detailed portraits of plants in watercolour. She likes to find beauty in the smallest parts of plants or in the common plants that we take for granted.

I am an artist living in Prague, Czech Republic.
In 2019 I began to paint botanical objects and developed a passion for demonstrating the beauty of plants and learned to pay attention to details.
In my works I always try to capture the beauty present in the smallest parts of plants or in the common plants that we take for granted.
I want to continue contributing to the world of botanical art by becoming a Fellow member of the Society of Botanical Artists.

Maria Costake is a freelance illustrator and graphic designer based in Bucharest Romania. She has a BA and a MA in graphic arts.
Illustration and design became her full-time job in 2017 and she has worked with various brands worldwide.
Her love for nature and animals is the foundation of her work as an illustrator
specializing in botanical watercolours and hand drawn flora patterns.

Maria can go with ease from one medium to another, but she feels the most comfortable doing botanical illustration traditionally on paper. She experiments illustrations in watercolor, in pencil, in ink, but loves the most the combination between watercolour and pencil as the watercolour helps her to illustrate the subject's base colour and the pencil is a great tool for details. She prefers using a graphite pencil for this.

I was born and grew up in Moscow.
Painting and nature were always what I loved the most. On weekends, in all seasons, I enjoyed long walks in a nearby park or in the countryside with my father. Great nature lover, he used to answer my numerous questions about any plant or animal we would meet.
I attended art school along with the public one for ten years and graduated in Fine Arts. Art won against biology as future path and I studied Interior Design in the Moscow State Stroganov University of Industrial and Applied Arts, painting flowers and landscapes on my own.
Few years after graduating I moved to Italy. There my two passions finally converged, finding fertile soil in its natural and cultural treasures.
I took part in various art exhibitions in Russia. The personal ones took place in Italy:
2014 "Passi sotto luce" and 2016 "Flora d’Abruzzo", both in L’Aquila
2016 "Polign’arte" Polignano a Mare
2019 "Festa del pane" San Demetrio ne’ Vestini, Abruzzo.
2022 "L’Agorà" San Demetrio N.V.
In 2019 I got the special mention of the jury in the 2 edition of the Exhibition and Contest of visual arts Senatore Cappelli "I muri che raccontano", San Demetrio N.V.
This December I participate in the exhibition "Wild Abruzzo", San Demetrio N.V.

I was struck by the beauty of this world since the very beginning.
Out for a walk in a stroller, the first time sitting, I squealed all the way, excited: the world revealed to be much more than my mom’s face and the sky with some treetops.
Nature is the facet of the world I love the most and it still excites me. I care about biodiversity preservation and environmental issues, since each life is unique and precious.
Every element of nature owns personality and deserves to be portrayed by someone who can read its personal story and interpret it. I choose the ones that move me. My method is picking the main features of the subject and colouring them with my emotions to build a bridge to the viewer.
My favourite medium is watercolour since I learned to love its unpredictable character. Once tamed, it gives transparency to impress air and light: the two elements I particularly care about when painting, as the other two come due to the medium’s nature: pigment as earth and water to transfer and transform it.
The path I see in front of me leads towards a free, essential brushstroke that tells no less and no more than needed to depict the world around me. I feel ready to follow that path.
Nadezda Nitsievskaya (in art, Nadia Deon)

Solo Exhibitions
2022 Botanicum Series II, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2020 John Pastoriza Pinol: A Survey, Tacit Art Galleries
2019 Sobriquet, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2017 Nubile Perfection, Scott Livesey Galleries, Melbourne
2012 Hermes-Aphrodite. Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne
2011 Bio-Pop. Nellie Castan Gallery, Melbourne
2007 Botanicum Series I. Woodbine Art Gallery, Malmsbury
2006 John Pastoriza Piñol. John Adams Fine Art, Ebury Galleries, London

Grants/Residencies (selected)
2016 Denver Botanic Gardens, Artist in Residence Program
2016 Australian Arts Council Grant (Arts projects for individuals)
2023 Oak Spring Foundation, USA, Artist in Residence Program
2016-19 National Tropical Botanic Gardens, Kauai, Hawaii

Public and Private Collections (selected)
National Gallery of Victoria
Art Gallery of Ballarat
The Hunt Institute, Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh USA
RMIT University, Melbourne
The State Library of Victoria
Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney
Denver Botanic Gardens
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK
H.R.H The Prince of Wales, Highgrove Florilegium.
H.R.H The Prince of Wales, Transylvania Florilegium.
Tom of Finland Foundation, USA
Private collections

John is a contemporary artist based in Melbourne Australia and works in the mode of botanical painting. His practice often departs from the precise discipline of Naturalism and investigates complex and dynamic interrelationships of man & nature/ science & art. It is a commitment to painting as both a method and as a form of deeper inspection.
Being a recipient of many awards and accolades including ASBA Dianne Bouchier Award for Excellence in Botanical Art in 2013 and RHS Gold Medal 2005, has afforded him international recognition as one of Australia’s foremost contemporary botanical artists. His work is now held in numerous public and private collections around the world including: National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of Ballarat, Hunt Institute, USA; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK; Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne; RMIT University and the Collection of Alisa and Isaac M. Sutton, to name a few.
His work is included in both the ‘Highgrove Florilegium’ and ‘Transylvania Florilegium’, projects created under the aegis of the H.R.H Prince of Wales’ Charitable Foundation. John is currently represented by Scott Livesey Galleries, Australia and recently had a solo exhibition titled ‘Botanicum Series II’.

Jauneth Skinner
BIOGRAPHY

Jauneth Skinner is an award winning artist and printmaker. She is also an accomplished botanical artist and illustrator. She has had 19 solo exhibitions (2022 –1989). The most recent was Botanica, an exhibit of her drawings, watercolor paintings, and etchings, on view at the Huntsville Botanical Garden in Huntsville, Alabama.

Her work was exhibited in over 200 exhibitions in 6 different countries, and is represented in more than 150 collections, including:
Smithsonian National Museum of Art Print Collection (Washington, D.C.)
Fogg Museum of Art Print Collection at Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)
The Rossi Library Archives (Rome, Italy)
Bodleian Library at University of Oxford (Oxford, UK)
Jigme Singye Wangchuck, King of Bhutan Art Collection (Bhutan)
Meridian Museum of Art (Meridian, MS)
Minnesota Historical Society (St. Paul, MN)
.

Skinner taught for over 30 years in three different universities and is a retired Professor of Graphic Arts (2019). Currently she is a Lecturer in the Department of Art at the University of Alabama-Huntsville. She is listed in Who’s Who in America (2022 – 2007), and was nominated for their Life Time Achievement Award (2022).

Jauneth Skinner
Artist Statement

While drawing botanical subjects there are always surprises – the plants respond as I admire and study them. I think of these works as individual portraits.

The plants move as the light makes its daily circuit through my studio. Many subtle changes occur – they turn toward the light, fade, droop, wilt. Colors change. Each transformation is a reminder the plants are alive.

It is difficult to drop everything in an overly busy life to make time to slow down, to draw or paint, especially while the plant is in season. Through drawing and painting, I get to know each plant intimately, and document the ephemeral life cycle of leaves and flowers. When they age too quickly I find myself mourning their passing – even as I struggle to capture their individuality in a drawing or painting.

Drawing is a form of meditation – a quiet space for creation. While drawing I get lost observing contours, veins, textures, and shadows. Imperfections remind me of the transient nature of life.

Born in the West Midlands, I moved to Bristol to study Graphic Design at Bristol Polytechnic (now the University of the West of England) followed by a post-graduate Teaching Diploma at the University of Bristol.

I then spent 9 years teaching art and design at Secondary level schools in Bristol and Somerset.

I have also worked as a freelance Graphic Designer for the University of Bristol producing advertising material for lifelong learning activities and Widening Participation as well as other freelance graphics projects from a number of clients.

In 2017, I started the Society of Botanical Artists Distance Learning Diploma Course - gaining a distinction in 2019.

At present, I am in the process of developing a website and putting together a social media presence in order to capture a wider audience in appreciating my work and the work of botanical artists in general.

I use Stonehenge Aqua watercolour paper using primarily transparent colours. I have a passion for painting nature's treasures with particular emphasis on form, shape, detail and colour.

I work from life as much as possible using photographs to provide a supportive backup. Many of my paintings are inspired by the stunning colours of Autumn.

Preliminary accurate drawings of the plant/flower/leaf are essential for the final painting. My background in graphic arts allows me to analyse, and deconstruct to complete a botanically accurate piece of work. From these drawings, I then spend time developing the final composition by producing a number of smaller painted studies to give me a greater understanding, before I start the final piece of artwork.

Nermin K Giuliattini

I was born in Ankara, Turkiye. Graduated in Fine Art University, but I worked different professional area. Since 2007 living and working in Tuscany. I am an amateur gardener and living in Florence Hills, surrounded with olive trees and vineyards. In 2017 I started learning botanical illustration and graduated from Certificate of Botanical Illustration from Royal Botanical Garden Edinburg. I enrolled on the RBGE Distance Diploma in 2018.

I like drawing plants from life and trying to understand as much as possible. Observing plants and capturing details and drawing and painting I am fascinated each time. Sketching is an inseparable part for discovering for me. My preferred mediums are graphite pencil and watercolour.

Born in Australia of Italian heritage led to an instinctive love of food and cooking and the garden that fed. I finished school at secondary level and worked in the secretarial field and also taught night classes until children arrived. An interest in art in general, interior and garden design, quilting, embroidery and reading were the mainstay of any free time whilst raising our family. I first picked up a brush under the tuition of a local watercolorist once my youngest child had finished school in 2006. The class was general and it was when flora and fauna were the subject of the day that I lit up which led to me taking an external botanical art course. I first entered Sydney's Royal Botanical Gardens Botanica exhibition in 2017 and have entered it and BASA's Flora and other exhibitions since. Commissions, happily, are keeping me busy and commercial interest from interior designers and recent sales confirms my view that botanical art has an increasing validity in the contemporary art world together with continued appreciation by traditionalists.

I feel very fortunate to be able to paint or draw daily and my studio is a magnet ensuring I scurry to do 'life' so I can get back to it. Always learning, working out how to do it better and the process literally feeds my soul. I came late to the party but am determined to continue to improve so that my work causes the intake of breath that is invoked when I see the outstanding work of others for that is why I paint botanically ie to draw attention to not just the beauty of the natural world but to its often unnoticed aspects. I tend to not have a method as such, the plant or specimen dictates after having spent much deliberation on the composition. "The more I look..." and a determined character means I must capture the detail that informs. Watercolour on 640gsm is my preferred medium but I have a hankering to try other mediums (I'm always late to the party).

Antoaneta Denkin -Bio
Antoaneta Denkin received an MFA from Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and MFA from National Academy of Fine Arts – Nikolai Pavlovich, Bulgaria, printmaking
Her work participated in Virtual Exhibition at Mall Galleries Plantae 2020 London, UK. Her work Participated in 24th Annual International American Society Botanical Artists, at Marine Art and Garden Center, CA.USA
She exhibited at “Salon Atelie d’Art du Shateau” and in Concert General dex Deux Sevres, Niort, France
In 1997 Ms. Denkin received Best Picture Award, Salon Atelier d’Art du Chateau, France
In 1997 Ms. Denkin was granted an artist residency at Samuel Bufatt Scholarship Artist in Residence, The Art Academy, Geneva Switzerland. Ms. Denkin has an award from The First Female Artists Miniature Art Exhibition 1997, Stockholm, Sweden. Mrs.Denkin is a current member of ASBA USA

Antoaneta Denkin
Somewhere in a book I read an aphorism by Frederick Nietzsche, “ Learning to see beautiful things, helps us to make them beautiful”. As I am relatively new to the practice of botanical art, it helped me to rediscover beauty in nature and broaden my knowledge of it. The myriad of bright colors in plants/ flowers and their complicated nuances in nature, fascinates me.
As a printmaker in the past I always used subdued colors, mostly dark. My pallet was restricted.
Botanical drawing revealed something new to me, a spectrum of colors, a new knowledge on anatomy of the plants, their unique structure. I fell in love with botanical art and all of the richness of color I find and see in nature.
Before I start my botanical art I visualize it, I try to paint objects that have some special characters to me, more provoking.
I am mesmerized by each stage of flowers growth. One of the most important things when I work on a flower is to convey a story of the flower tells me.I pay attention to every detail flower has, reveling its beauty.My love to detail has even expanded not only since I work in more colors than before, but because of my appreciation of what nature created.

I was born in 1990 in Yaroslavl (Russia), worked as industrial construction engineer. Relocated to Hungary in 2018. My passion for painting started in 2014 and I found local fine art school and botanical lessons.
Education:
2014-2018 Yaroslavl School of fine arts No. 8
2019 Svetlana Lanse botanical course
2020 Billy Showell online school
2021-2022 Jessica Shepperd online lessons
Member of Russian Botanical Artists Society (SABA) since 2020.
Exhibitions:
2022 Plantae Society of Botanical artists SBA, London, Mall Galleries
2022 "Tasty botany" Gostiny dvor, Moscow
2022 "Tasty new year" Pavilion "Floriculture" VDNKh, Moscow
2021 "Modern botanical illustration" Gallery "Zagorie" Moscow
2021 "Black and white" in Promgrafika, Moscow
2021 "Plants through the eyes of artists" Moscow, Pavilion "Floriculture" VDNKh
2021 "Ball of the Queen of Flowers"» Kislovodsk
2021 "About roses" Sochi
2021"Autumn exhibition of SABA", St. Petersburg
2021 Annual exhibition of Russian Botanical Artists Society, Moscow
2020 Annual exhibition of Russian Botanical Artists Society, Moscow

In botanical art I admire beauty of the artistic image of the plant, incredibly fine work and details. I like to depict spectacular lush plants, full of life, with their expressive advantages and disadvantages. In the composition I try to keep the most natural position of the plant in nature.
From the last year I work on my "Grow and draw" project, I grow plants at home and in the garden and create images of different stages of growth. I think that growing plant from small seed helps to understand the object better, because of everyday observation and witnessing all growing cycle.

Jeannine Távora Cobra was born in Brazil in 1964 and has lived in Italy since 1990.
She holds a dual Bachelor's degree in Architecture from the Universiade of Brasilia, Brazil and from the Milan Polytechnic, Italy.
Jeannine has been painting with watercolour since 2001. She studied with several Italian masters watercolorist. In 2012 she attended botanical illustration lessons with Maestro Pierino Dalvó, Gold medal RHS (Royal Horticultural society), recipient with works in The Shirley Sherwood Collection.
In 2021 Jeannine completed the DLDC (Distance Learning Diploma Course) with Distinction and received The Jantien Burggraaf Memorial Award. She participated in the Society of Botanical Artists Plantae 2022 Exhibition with one of her paintings. She has paintings in private collections in Italy, Brazil, the United States, and France. Currently, Jeannine teaches watercolour and botanical illustration near Milan.

I have been painting for several years using different watercolor techniques. I currently teach watercolor and botanical illustration. I like to paint mixed floral compositions, even if they are long and complex, and to paint simple plants that I find close to home. I also paint figures and landscapes. I am renovating my website. I hope to have the new version by the end of the year. I also have an Instagram account under construction @ Jeannine-Cobrart 

Stefanie Ottens was born in 1987 in the rural province of Groningen (Netherlands), where in de province’s municipal she graduated both at Minerva Art College and in Art History at the university.

“What motivates me to make art is my fascination for the wonders of nature and the famous escapist longing for another world. In my botanical illustrations I strive to a accurate representation of the plant and its parts. For my free work I am inspired by plants, animals, ornaments and people. I work in various media and try to depict subtle contrasts, in form, content and ambience."
I prefer watercolour an pencil, but sometimes I also use oilpaint, ink or acrylic paint. In my botanical watercolours I use vibrant colours in diverent transparent layers and contrasting colours for the shadows. I'm fascinated by al plants but I'm especially attracted by 'weird' and exotic plants like pitcherplants and orchids. Flowers on my painting wishlist are: the Jade Vine and a complex compsition of different kinds of pitcherplants. I would also like to study (flowering) cacti and succulents in the future.

Emma is based in a small village in the beautiful Worcestershire countryside in the UK. She studied Art and Design at Stourbridge college in the early 2000’s. Emma began studying Botanical Illustration in 2020, she completed the Society of Botanical Artists Distance Learning Diploma Course and graduated with Distinction in 2022. Emma exhibited with the Coloured Pencil Society at their 20th anniversary Gala Exhibition.

Specialising in Watercolour and Coloured Pencils Emma enjoys painting complex subjects that require great attention to detail. She draws inspiration for her illustrations from the nature surrounding her and from the flowers, fruit and vegetables she grows in her own garden. Emma works on paintings and illustrations for competitions, exhibitions and commissions. Her most recent work being a commission for De Jager.

Emma also enjoys teaching and holds online classes via Patreon.com, where she helps to develop her students skills in Botanical art in the mediums of Watercolour and Coloured Pencil.

Won the Excellence Award in the Animal and Plant Miniature Painting Contest hosted by the National Institute of Biological Resources, Ministry of Environment, 2022

2022 October 1st Solo Exhibition 'My Botanical Garden' (Bumyung Gallery)

Participated in the March 2022 Botanical Art Space Rim Special Exhibition (Insadong Gallery Ease)

2021 July 8th Korea Creative Art Exhibition Botanical Art Encouragement Award.

Special Prize at the 6th International Botanical Art Grand Prize Exhibition hosted by the 2020 Botanical Culture and Arts Promotion Agency.

2020 Korea Botanical Art Association 1st Korea Botanical Art Contest Winner Award

2020 Korea Botanical Art Cooperative Hosted International Botanical Art Prize

Korea has clear four seasons.
So you can see various aspects of plants.
I feel the amazing energy of life in it
It paints beautiful moments of plants.
I am happy with this work. The subtle changes in nature
I'm so happy with the sense of accomplishment I feel while painting.
I'm looking for the most beautiful composition that plants show
I enjoy the detailed changes in colors that nature shows
I paint, eager to find it in paint.

I got a Master in Japanese Studies in 1988 at the University of Leuven(credit), a Master in Ceramics at the Academy of Fine Arts in 1996 (distinction). I finished the Botanical Painting Course at the London Art College in 2017 (distinction) and got my SBA DLC diploma in 2020 (distinction).
Since 2014 I work as an independent teacher of botanical art at various locations in Belgium.
My main assignments as an illustrator are 55 botanical plates for the VLAM during the period 2019 – 2021, a watercolour illustration of Helosciadum repens for the Vrijbroekpark in 2021, 22 illustrations in ink for the Botanical Garden Ghent in 2021. Currently I am working on 14 illustrations in watercolour for a Dutch company.
Exhibitions: Plantae 2021 as a SBA foundation member, Dare to be square (ASBA – 2021), currently organising and joining the exhibition of the Belgian Society of Botanical Artists “Botanische Taferelen” (Arboretum Kalmthout)
Since 2020 I am the president of the Belgian Society of Botanical Artists (VBKB vzw)
Author and main editor of the VBKB newsletter, author of an article about botanical art for the cultural heritage magazine Faro
In 2020 I received the Margaret Stevens award for my essay on P.J. Redouté – The Roses.

In 2016 I enrolled on my first botanical course, taught by Shevaun Doherty. To grow further in this artform I decided to enrol on the SBA Distance Learning Diploma Course in 2018. I graduated in 2020 with distinction. My aim is to grow awareness of Botanical art in Belgium through teaching workshops in different museums, botanical gardens and parcs. In 2019 I was the initiator and cofounder of our Belgian Society for Botanical Artists. As president of the Society, I am proud to announce our first exposition this year. I applied for a scholarship given by the Flemish Government to teach 4 persons on a long-term basis. This sponsored master-pupil trajectory will start next year in February. Besides teaching I illustrate on a regular basis. Among my clients are the VLAM, the botanical garden of Ghent University and the vegetable museum ‘T Grom. Currently I am working on 14 illustrations in watercolour for packaging of a Dutch company. In between I work on two series: “Wild flora of Bredene” and “hostplants for butterflies”. These are personal projects. I love to work with pencil, watercolour, coloured pencil and ink. I do not have a favourite medium nor favourite plants. I fall in love with every plant I draw.