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.

foraging

Illustrations for Foraging for Edible Plants Chart

Posted on in Current projects and news
I’ve recently been working on natural history illustrations for The Field Studies Councils publications department.  They appear on a fold out chart of edible British plants which has only just come out.  I’m delighted with the result.   They’ve used my illustrations beautifully, and the way the information is included is innovative and clear. Finding reference Despite it being November […] Read more
Buttercup

Botanical Illustration: Buttercup Species

Posted on in Botany: Telling species apart, Showcase of themed natural history illustrations
Looking through my botanical illustrations recently, I realised I’d completed quite a few watercolors of flowers in the Buttercup genus (family Ranunculaceae).  Like the botany ingénue I am, I assumed I’d covered most of the British buttercups, and decided to write this blog.  Little did I know, I wasn’t even half-way through them! Ranunculus family […] Read more

Step by step illustration of a Wild Strawberry

Posted on in Botanical Illustration step by step
One of the botanical illustrations I’ve been asked to paint as a natural history illustrator, is the Wild Strawberry .  This will be one of the plants featured on a fold-out identification chart of Edible British Plants produced by the Field Studies Council.  There’s also a 2 minute Youtube film of this illustration being completed online, in time […] Read more
exploding cucumber

Botanical illustration: The Exploding Cucumber

Posted on in Current projects and news
As a freelance natural history illustrator, I love the random nature of my commissions, and a recent request for some botanical sketchbook-style illustrations of the exploding cucumber Cyclanthera explodens was no exception. The request comes from a client working in the world of botanical cocktail research, so I was intrigued before I’d lifted a pencil. The exploding cucumber: An extraordinary […] Read more

Natural History Illustration: Step by step Parrot

Posted on in Zoological step by step
As a natural history illustrator, I get asked to do botanical illustration, entomological illustration and recently, to complete an ornithological illustration of the Yellow Headed Amazon Parrot Amazona ochrocephala oratri for a friend, who has one as a pet. Getting reference The first step is always the same, get the reference ready.  In this case my client wanted […] Read more
Common Nettle Urtica dioica natural history illustration by Lizzie Harper

Botanical Illustrator tests Nettle sting

Posted on in Current projects and news
The other week, I went on a  foraging expedition with Adele Nozedar who wrote The Hedgerow Handbook and The Garden Forager (both of which I illustrated).  She mentioned that plantain is better for treating nettle stings than the traditional favourite, dock. Ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata This led to a lively discussion on Twitter where other possible “cures” for stings were offered. Helping a sting: […] Read more
hazel

Botanical Illustration: Step by step Hazel

Posted on in Botanical Illustration step by step
I’ve recently started painting up some botanical illustrations for FSC Publications, including the Hazel Corylus avellena.  I worked for FSC before, on the Caring For Gods Acre illustrations). One that I knew would take some time, but was seasonally appropriate, was the Hazel Corylus avellana.  I drew the leaves and nuts from reference gleaned from a local hedge, and […] Read more
Adele Nozedar

Foraging with Adele Nozedar

Posted on in Scientific Illustrator out and about
Despite supplying botanical illustrations for the natural history foraging classic “Hedgerow Handbook” by Adele Nozedar, and doing events together (such as at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales) I’d never had the chance to go foraging with her…until Monday. Cover of “The Hedgerow Handbook” by Adele Nozedar (illustrated by me) A beautiful sunny autumn afternon saw a large group […] Read more
drawing at the botanic gardens

Illustrating at the National Botanic Garden of Wales

Posted on in Scientific Illustrator out and about
My botanical illustrations have just appeared in The Garden Forager by Adele Nozedar, so we were honoured to be invited to the National Botanic Gardens of Wales to celebrate its launch.  We also took part in a foraging weekend. Setting up in the Botanic Garden’s Glasshouse The event was based in the glorious glasshouse, and I have rarely been prouder […] Read more
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