Imelda is a plant and soil scientist who recently undertook a PhD in Scotland. After multiple sittings with Imelda over time and hearing about her journey with plants and the soil, I tackled a drawing as a working drawing of the sitter and her connection to the earth. The picture existed to become a more detailed oil painting of Imelda, which, after her last visit to my studio in summer 2023, it was decided that it was to sit beside a microscopic interpretation of the soil. So, becoming a diptych.

In this painting, Imelda models a scarf. Imelda's Dad gifted that scarf to her Mum, who then gave it to Imelda. Her Dad was killed during the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

As an ethnobotanical artist, my drawings and paintings link plants with people, place and time.
Walking the land, photographing, and collecting plant material is the key to explorations for my art practice.

Fortunate to receive a VACMA Bursary early in the year, I have completed some experiments utilising the new microscope purchased and the wooden panels and stretchers afforded by the bursary.
Click on the image below to see some of the experimental time spent in the studio.
#vacmascotland #scottishartist Creative Learning SLAAC Alumni Group SLAAC 2020

I can reveal that this month I was fortunate to be awarded and receive a #VACMASCOTLAND bursary. It will enable me to purchase a digital microscope for use as a tool in my artistic practice, along with various materials such as wood panels, canvas stretchers for linen and perspex to use as surfaces and dedicated time to work with them while I develop a new body of work this year.
This project is funded through The Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards (VACMA).
(VACMA) Aberdeen scheme is jointly funded through Creative Scotland and Aberdeen City Council and managed by Creative Learning.
#creativescotland #creativelearning #lotteryfunded
#botanicalartist #microscopy #visualartist #oilpainter #aberdeenartist #scottishartist #aberdeencity #northeastofscotland #ethnobotanicalartist

After creating the document for local schoolchildren to draw and paint artworks in response to the Ginkgo biloba project at the Duthie Park, an opportunity to add a further element to the mix. Folding paper Ginkgo biloba leaves for an installation.
Here is a link to some information on my newly formed business page 'Art Plantae'.
Hope you enjoy creating the paper leaf.

Ginkgo biloba seeds from mother trees in Hiroshima, gifted to the Lord Provost in 2015, as part of the Mayors for Peace Project, have been nurtured by gardeners in the David Welch Winter Gardens within the Duthie Park in Aberdeen.  
An opportunity arose in late 2019 for me as an ethnobotanical artist to create an artistic response in 2020 to these Ginkgo biloba plants through an artist residency and school and family art workshops in collaboration with the Park Rangers at the Duthie Park, culminating in an exhibition of the achieved artworks of both participants and artist in the foyer of the winter gardens.

Its official! Master of Arts - Fine Art. With the The Graduation ceremony today at in the Music Hall, Aberdeen was a fantastic celebration of the many RGU masters achievements. We were in good company with Dave Mackay the first ever Scottish-born astronaut awarded a honorary Doctor of Technology (Hon DTech). A fire alarm half-way through took the edge off our nerves before finally accepting our degrees.