FIONA SWAPP - Fiona Swapp - Ethnobotanical Artist

Fiona is a multi-disciplined ethnobotanical artist living and working in Aberdeen. Her love of botanical painting began in 1990 while studying Graphic Art and Design at Ruthriestone College. Since then she has achieved a Diploma in Botanical Illustration through the Society of Botanical Artists and more recently a Masters in Fine Art at Gray’s School of Art. She works out of a studio at WASPS Studios Langstane, opening to the public during the annual open studios' event. She has exhibited mainly in Scotland in solo and joint exhibitions. Many of her artworks are in private collections around the world.

Plants predominate through Fiona Swapp’s art practice.
During her recent MA in Fine Art, Fiona examined in detail specific plants cultivated or collected by various communities in the North East of Scotland, utilised for medical and other purposes during the First World War. Her visual explorations through photography and microscopy uncovered fractals within Sphagnum moss, which she interpreted through sketching, poetry and printing, further enriched by deep mapping of locations and the use of oral history discussions with those connected with moss gathering, processing and utilisation in the past.
Most recently Fiona has returned to painting more substantial works on jute, hessian, linen and muslin, some of which are made up of multiple smaller facets to create the final artwork. A constant theme throughout her MA and firmly established within her ethnobotanical art practice.

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7th-8th December - Open Studios Event at WASPS Studios, Langstane, Aberdeen.
If you are in the area please feel free to come and meet some of the WASPS artists in their studios, Click on the following image for more information on this free event. We look forward to sharing our art and craft practices with you.

Classes and Workshops
Fiona hosts Botanical classes and workshops in her studio. Dates and times to follow soon.
On invitation she gives demonstrations and teaches drawing and painting at various art venues and art clubs throughout the North East of Scotland. As a guest lecturer at Aberdeen University Fiona taught all first-year Biology students how to draw invertebrates.