Here are the blogs I’ve written over the years.  Subjects range from step by step painting tutorials, to botanical anatomy, to current projects.

They appear in the order they’ve been written.  However, if you scroll down the page you’ll find they have also been organised into categories to make browsing a little more focused.

There are even some guest blogs in amongst.  I hope you enjoy them, and do please feel free to leave a comment.

Trees: Birch

Birch trees: The Silver and the Downy Birch   There are two main Birch trees in the UK, the Silver birch Betula pendula and the Downy birch Betula pubescens.  The Downy birch tends to grow better in wetter areas and in the north.  The Silver birch likes drier soils and is often found growing ornamentally […] Read more

Beatrix Potter: Illustrator and Inspiration

Beatrix Potter is known to people the world over as the creator of the Peter Rabbit books.  These are indeed wonderful, but there’s so much more to explore.  This blog examines a little of the extraordinary skill and illustrative mastery of this Victorian writer and illustrator, thanks to a recent visit to the Beatrix Potter: […] Read more

Trees: Beech

Introduction Beech trees are common across Britain, favouring chalky soils.  The oldest Beech trees live up to 400 years.  You’ll find them in open spaces and in woodland and can tell them straight away by their smooth bark.  The trees produce beech mast which is nutritious for animals, and the canopy supports wildlife.  Beech wood […] Read more

Natural History Illustration and Life Long Learning: The Field Studies Council

Natural History Illustration and Life-long learning: Field Studies Council Courses is my blog all about how much I love the FSC courses I attend.  And no, they’ve not paid me to wax lyrical, honest! I draw and paint a wide range of different species for publishers, charities, packaging, ad companies, and design agencies. I am […] Read more
Botanical illustration for the Brecknockshire Flora

The Brecknockshire Flora

The Brecknockshire flora is written by John Crellin and Mike Porter, and is a detailed overview of the plants growing in Brecknockshire, along with their geographical distribution.  It covers everything from Charophytes through eudicots, and most things in between.  Although it will be, when completed, an academic volume aimed at botanists, the authors are keen […] Read more
Botanical illustration from the Breckncockshire Flora

Monocot and Eudicot variety: Illustrations

Monocots and Eudicots are enormous groups, making up over 80% of plants on earth.  During a recent job, illustrating the Brecknockshire flora, I was commissioned to create two illustrations highlighting the most interesting, beautiful, and most locally important members of these groups. Moncots vs Eudicots There are several main differences between these two enormous groups.  […] Read more
Hay Festival

Hay Festival Mug Design

Hay Festival approached me early in the year, to see if I could come up with a design for the Hay Festival 2022 commemorative mug.  I knew it was a big ask – a landscape full of local flowers and animals with Hay bluff behind, and plenty of references to the festival.  I also knew […] Read more
Botanical illustration from the Brecknockshire Flora

Trees: Yew

Trees: Yew is another blog inspired by my illustrations for The Tree Forager by Adele Nozedar, published by Watkins.  The book has inspired me to think about some of my favourite trees.  The Yew tree Taxus baccata is the seventh in this series, along side the Sycamore, Ash, Hawthorn, Rowan, Elder and the Oak. The Yew […] Read more
unframed original for sale

Geraniums, Crane’s-bills and Stork’s-bills

Geraniums, Crane’s-bills and Stork’s-bills is a guest blog from the wonderful Stewart Roberts, a local naturalist who shares his knowledge of nature and Welsh folklore on his wonderful Facebook page, where his illustrates his posts with his excellent wildlife photos. Potted Geranium from the garden centre The Geranium family Hardy Geraniums and the half-hardy pot plants Pelargoniums […] Read more

Trees: Elder

Trees: Elder is another blog inspired by my illustrations for “The Tree Forager” by Adele Nozedar, published by Watkins.  The book has inspired me to think about some of my favourite trees.  The Elder Sambucus nigra is the sixth in this series, along side the Sycamore, Ash, Hawthorn, Rowan and the Oak. The Elder Sambucus nigra […] Read more

Nature Notebook & The Family Tree

Nature notebooks seem to have run in my family for a long time.  I recently found one completed by my Great aunt Nina, back in 1919, when she was ten.  This got me thinking about all the other artists in my family, and I decided to share some of them, and their artwork. Front cover […] Read more