mosses Archives - Lizzie Harper

Plant Evolution: A brief overview

Posted on 25th November 2022 in Biological terminology: Definitions, botanical terms

Plant Evolution is complicated, and in this blog I plan on simplifying it and trying to share some of the awe and joy that I get from the kindgom of plants. All the information is based an an excellent talk I recently heard on the subject, by Chris Thorogood and hosted by Julia Trickey. Plants […] Read more

Heath Star Moss Sketchbook study

Posted on 7th January 2022 in botanical terms, Current projects and news

Heath star moss is one of three invasive species I’ve just illustrated for FOR in Sweden. In this case, the moss is an unwelcome invasive in Iceland, where it outcompetes other mosses and affects the delicate balance of existing ecosystems. Sketchbook pages FOR have commissioned several sets of invasive species over the years, and favour […] Read more

Beautiful Bryophytes: Botanical moss illustrations

Posted on 2nd February 201730th December 2018 in Current projects and news

I’ve been working on lots of botanical illustrations for the Field Studies Council recently. A lot of the plants on the list of heathland species are bryophytes, beautiful mosses. I’m lucky enough to have had an enormous amount of help assembling species to work with (see my blog) and have been working on the painted finals over the […] Read more

Botanical Illustrations of Mosses

Posted on 21st October 201619th December 2018 in Current projects and news

Sometimes a botanical illustration commission appears that calls for something totally new. In all my days of natural history illustration, I’d never been asked to do a whole lot of mosses before. The closest I’ve been was illustrating two mosses for the FSC Churchyard Plants leaflet Moss: Grimmia pulvinata and Tortula muralis The commission came from the Field Studies Council’s […] Read more

Botanical illustration: Mosses

Posted on 8th April 201512th December 2018 in Biological terminology: Definitions

Natural history illustration involves drawing subjects (like mosses!) that you’re not entirely confident about. Recently I completed illustrations of two moss species for The Field Studies Council. I was lucky enough to find both species growing on my local churchyard wall, but before drawing them I needed to revise my moss anatomy. Many years ago I […] Read more

Illustrating lower plants in a churchyard

Posted on 6th February 20157th December 2018 in Current projects and news

Natural history subjects to draw and paint abound. Many relish the tranquility of the British churchyard. The Field Studies Council know this, and have recently commissioned my botanical illustrations for a fold out chart. Lower plants love the damp stone of a churchyard. You find many ferns across the UK in churchyards and cemeteries, including this Hart’s […] Read more