As a multi-disciplined ethnobotanical artist living and working in Aberdeen, plants predominate through Fiona's art practice. Since 2010, She has exhibited mainly in the UK and been commissioned to draw and paint botanical renditions of plants in watercolour and ink, including two articles for the Artist & Illustrator Magazine.
Recently, Fiona has worked from her studio, utilising photography and microscopy to create sketches and monoprinted patterns and textures obtained from parts of the plant material, so it becomes abstracted. Monotype printing in oils on Perspex or wood captures an immediate response. She takes these studies further and act to depict them with oils on linen or other substrates.
And although Fiona continues to depict identifiable plants in a scientific context, as time has passed, she has realised that she enjoys connecting with plants in their environment by creating landscape drawings and photographing the location and working on portraits that connect people with the land.
These acts and processes, combined, add to Fiona's eclectic mix of artworks, which began as a child on the shores of Aberdeen collecting sea thrift and grasses.
Education
Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen 2020 Creative Entrepreneurship Postgraduate Short Course 2017-19 MA Fine Art Society of Botanical Artists, St. Albans, UK 2008 -2011 Diploma in Botanical Illustration Alan Whyte Associates, Collieston two-month artist internship creating hand drawn illustrations for airbrush artworks, to be used for publication Ruthrieston College, Aberdeen HNC Graphic Art and Design 1989 – 1991 Chapel Studios, Aberdeen 1982-84 Photography Assistant Mentored by Victor Tomaszewski-Thom - studio and location photography, darkroom excellence, photographic enhancing, framing and gilding.
Awards
2021 Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards: Funded by Creative Scotland and Aberdeen City Council. As an established artist, Awarded a bursary to progress her art practice through the purchase of a digital microscope and surfaces to create a new body of work. 2020 Creative Entrepreneurship postgraduate course at Robert Gordon University supported by Scottish Funding Council, Upskilling funds 2020 Sustaining Life as a Creative programme Funded by Aberdeen City Council.
Publications
Ginkgo biloba – School How to Guide and video - 2020 Aberdeen City Council How to paint an Orchid in Watercolour - 2017 Artists and Illustrators Magazine Step-by-step guide: paint a Physalis Plant - 2017 Artists and Illustrators Magazine Drawing Invertebrates presentation and video - 2016 Aberdeen University
Residencies
David Welch Winter Gardens, Aberdeen 2020 Artist in Residence for the Ginkgo biloba project and school children’s art projects in collaboration with the Park Rangers, Duthie Park
Recent Activity
Exhibitions Solo Spring 2024 TULIPA - Bonnymuir Green, exhibition space, Aberdeen 2023 DRAWINGS and PORTRAITURE - opened studio for Wasps Open Studios 2023 GREEN - Castlegate Framing, Aberdeen 2022 SEED HEADS - opened studio for WASPS Open Studios 2022 MICROSCOPIC plant sketches and studies - opened studio for NEOS week 2021 CURRENT WORK - opened studio for WASPS Open Studios 2019 SPHAGNUM - Masters Show 2019, Gray's School of Art 2019 SPHAGNUM - Concourse Gallery, Sir Ian Wood Building, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen 2018 DIGITALIS - 2018 ALLOTMENT and DIGITALIS (WIP) - the 2018 Masters Show, Gray's School of Art 2017/8 GINKGO - Rosemount Osteopathy Surgery, Aberdeen 2017 ROSE and SEED HEADS - NEOS, Garden Studio and exhibition of work, Ferryhill, Aberdeen 2015 BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATIONS - Exhibition of ink and watercolour work, NEOS, at home in Ferryhill, Aberdeen 2012 BOTANICAL, Stonehaven 2011 SBA Diploma Portfolio ExhibItion of Botanical paintings - AGR, Aberdeen 2009 THE SHORES OF ABERDEEN - TRACS, Aberdeen Joint 2024 Scottish Portrait Awards, at the Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh; Duff House, Banff; and the Charles Rennie Macintosh Gallery at the Glasgow Art Club until March 2025 2023 Peacocks Winter Show - The Print Room, Aberdeen 2023-2019 Wasps Winter Exhibition 2023, 2020 Society of Scottish Artists, 30 x 30 members online show 2023 Meffan Winter Show, Meffan Museum & Art Gallery, Forfar, Angus 2023 Scottish Prize for Fine Art Exhibition, the Charles Rennie Macintosh Gallery, Glasgow Art Club, Glasgow. 2023 Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize Finalist including Exhibition in London and UK Tour until September 2024 2023 Evelyn Williams Drawing Award Finalist 2023 Sutherland Independent Scottish Portrait Awards - Fine Art 2023 Long List Online Exhibition 2023 Alt D: Through Drawing - Arkade Gallery, The Anatomy Rooms, Aberdeen 2023 Where Ideas are Born,- Aberdeen Art Gallery - local artist studio space presentation 2022 Scottish Portrait Awards - Fine Art Long List Online Exhibition 2021 Society of Scottish Artists, 30 x 30 members show Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh 2020 Gray’s Entrepreneurship Exhibition (online) 2019 SPHAGNUM - MA Exposition 4, Gray's School of Art 2018 DIGITALIS - MA Exposition 3, Gray's School of Art 2018 Artists Open Studios and small works exhibition, WASPS Langstane, Aberdeen. 2018 Street Sport, Denis Law Legacy Trust - Kellys Cats, RGU Sport, Aberdeen 2017 SPHAGNUM (WIP) and other plants - MA Exposition 2, Gray's School of Art 2017 ROSE WHITE - MA Exposition 1, Gray's School of Art 2016-17 Photoghost, Aberdeen 2016 Catparade, Rotary Club, Aberdeen 2016 WASPS Artists, Under the Hammer, Aberdeen 2016 Northern Arts Club, Aberdeen - Annual Exhibition 2015 Arduthie Guest House, Stonehaven 2015 Pintar Rapido, Glasgow - street painter and exhibitor 2015 Art Aboyne - Annual Art Exhibition 2014 WASPS Artists, Under the Hammer, Aberdeen 2014 Camphill Wellbeing Trust, Aberdeen
Talks, demos, classes and workshops, in the North East of Scotland (past ten years) Stonehaven Art Club, Upper Deeside Art Club, Garthdee Field Allotments Association, Deeside Care Home, Northern Arts Club, Rosemount Community Centre Arts, Carron Art Club, Woodend Barn, Aberdeen Art Galleries and Museums, the Maritime Museum,Friends of Cruickshank Botanical Gardens, Aberdeen University. Northern Arts Club, Aberdeen 2015-2018 Art Tutor in Drawing and Watercolour practices on a Botanical theme Woodend Barn, Banchory 2014 - 2016 Art Tutor for workshops and classes Aberdeen University 2016 Guest Lecturer tutoring all 240 first year biology students in three half-day sessions how to draw invertebrates. 2016 Invited Guest Speaker at the Inaugural Taxonomy Club meeting - to give a talk about her botanical art background and taught the 130 attendees to draw Pinus sylvestris (Scots Pine) cones and needles. 2014 Invited Artist to develop and run a day workshop for the on drawing poppies - 'Clockwork' Botanicals Workshop, Poppy themed to mark the centenary of the start of the First World War. Woodend Barn, Banchory 2014 Invited Botanical Artist to devise and run a series of eight botanical sketching and painting classes on for groups of 8-12 years, 13-18 years and adults, themed to coincide with the Lavender project at the Barn over four weeks.