Archives: Artists

After studying at the English Gardening School for two years, Helen received a Botanical Art Diploma in 2010. Shortly after, she was invited to join the Bedgebury Pinetum Florilegium in Kent where she has been a member for many years painting the rare and sometimes endangered trees, flora and fauna. 

She now works out of her studio in Surrey painting and producing an extensive collection of original work in addition to her continued collaboration with botanical organisations. she has been lucky enough to have had paintings at Watts Gallery and Kew Gardens.

I attended my tutor’s very first class of Botanical Illustration in 2017, was hooked and continue to attend his weekly classes. In 2019 I began the sessions for the Kew Certificate which unfortunately had to be “completed” via one-to-one sessions on Zoom; sadly, we were not able to undertake the botany weekend. I enjoy working with graphite, watercolour and pen & ink. I have sold a few pieces and have undertaken commissions. I love this art form and with my tutor I endeavour to challenge myself further, learn from inspirational botanical artists and hopefully inspire others on their botanical illustration  journey.    

Exhibitions and prizes

2025      Selected as one of UK’s contributors for the ABA Worldwide Botanical Art slide show and exhibition in Birmingham.

2025      Selected for exhibition in the SBA’s Plantae exhibition at The Mall Galleries, London.

2026.  Selected for exhibition in the SBA’s Plantae exhibition on line

Fern grew up in the West Country, where she gained her O and A levels in a number of subjects , including Art A level.She went on to study Home Economics at Plymouth Domestic Science College to become a Home Economist. She worked for Imperial Foods and Kraft Foods creating new products , recipes and the preparation of food for photography.

She took a career break to have her children, then retrained as a Florist, adding Adult teachers certificate to teach at Evening Classes. Her love of the plant world led her to take a Course in Botanical Art at Cheltenham College run by botanist Micheal Hickey and artist Stuart Lafford. She started to specialise in iris , joining the West and Midlands Iris Group and the British Iris Society , where she is Artist in Residence for both groups.Because of her involvement in the Iris world ,she has had an Iris named after her “Fern Harden” a beautiful tall bearded Iris in shades of lavender and pinky peach colours with a very striking orange beard.

Born in Japan, Mayumi now lives in the UK, where she took a botanical art class at a local adult education centre and developed her interest from there.

Her work is featured in the Prince’s Trust Highgrove Florilegium, Transylvania Florilegium, Sydney Botanic Gardens Florilegium, and the Hunt Institute in Pittsburgh, USA.  She has also contributed to Flora Japonica and The Illustrated College Herbal: Plants from the Pharmacopoea Londinensis of 1618, published by the Royal College of Physicians, where she was an Artist in Residence from 2010 to 2011.  She is a contributor to Curtis’s Botanical Magazine.  

Among many awards, Mayumi has won three RHS gold medals and “Best Botanical Art Exhibit” in 2025.  Her works have recently been included in the Shirley Sherwood Collection.