My earliest introduction to botanical art was seeing the brilliant  Margaret Mee ‘Amazon’ exhibition at Kew in 1988. I was utterly mesmerized and hooked, and thought, I’d love to do this!

Many years later, after a 30 year career in the voluntary sector, I had the wonderful opportunity to rekindle my passion for making art; a passion I’d put to one side after attending Edinburgh College of Art in the early 90s, where I studied sculpture and painting.

So, in 2022 I enrolled on the RBGE’s Botanical Illustration Certificate course. I loved it so much that I subsequently went on to do the Society of Botanical Artists Diploma course, which I successfully completed with distinction in 2026.

As well as my background in art, I am also a keen gardener, having developed an award-winning garden in Edinburgh, and more recently, since moving to Midlothian , instigated with my wife the Eskbank Village Garden Trail as part of Scotland’s Garden Scheme.

I’ve found that botanical illustration offers a perfect opportunity to combine my interests in art and horticulture, deepening my appreciation and sense of wonder at the richness and variety found in the plant world.