"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home" (Twyla Tharp)

Trying to draw or paint as often as possible ...



I'm so lucky to have a large garden with plenty of subjects to choose from.  The rose on the left is Woman's Day - a floribunda; the plant to the right with the lovely red berries is a Syzygium Australe.
It's always a joy to wander in the garden and see what is on offer so I can bring it inside and endeavour to draw and paint as accurate a portrayal as possible.

Sometimes just observing a plant or flower is learning in itself.  Working out the lights and darks, the colours, the depth and form - all homework if unable to always be at the easel.  Observation is the key to creating a beautiful piece of work.




Tulip Time!


The second year of learning saw me returning to the Botanical Art School and spending a week with Jenny Phillips.  The subject was a great inspiration - tulips!  Love them - or so I thought .... this was not your ordinary tulip - it was a parrot tulip, with crazy serrated edges and floppy petals - changing every minute, which made it even more difficult.  


© Vicki Lee Johnston

I managed to finish this one during the week away so it was great to return home with a completed painting.  I am looking forward to painting more in the future.

A year in the making ...


© Vicki Lee Johnston

I remember when my Mum knew I was interested in botanical art - she asked me to paint a hydrangea and would bring cuttings to me to encourage me. This was before I had done any classes and even to my untrained eye I knew how difficult it would be with all the varying petals, stamens, veins and in particular the leaves with so much detail. I was also struggling with my eyesight and issues relating to an ongoing problem I had since childhood resulting in two surgeries to correct vision.


© Vicki Lee Johnston

It was quite ironic that my first class was the very difficult hydrangea and I was determined to complete it. I worked very hard all year to do so, through trial and error - thank goodness I had learnt how to repair mistakes at the school. I would have given up many times otherwise.  Learning by trial and error is very time consuming with watercolour as it can be unforgiving.
By the end of the year I had the hydrangea completed and framed. It was a joy to present it to my mother on Christmas Day ... 

Fruits of my labour ...


I returned to the Botanical Art School of Melbourne six months later after doing quite a bit of painting at home, struggling with the very difficult technique and finite detail. This time I returned for two weeks of classes - the first week learning all about how to paint leaves and the second week we painted persimmons, a fruit I was not familiar with. I really enjoyed painting the persimmon - and actually managed to finish the artwork and have it framed before returning home!



© Vicki Lee Johnston

I learnt a lot more about making something two dimension look rounded, reflected light, how to mix beautiful oranges with reds and yellows and enjoyed painting a subject that didn't change with every day.  Fruit, berries, seeds, nuts etc are a great way to learn.

Time to learn more ....


For years I had collected prints of botanical art paintings - from the old masters like Redoute to anything I could find which related to this fine art. It was on a trip to the Blue Mountains that I came upon Lilianfels, a beautiful boutique lodge which featured botanical paintings on every wall. It was there that I was given a card for a wonderful botanical art teacher in Melbourne - Jenny Phillips. I contacted her about lessons and to my surprise I was given the opportunity to attend a week long class with her at the Botanical Art School in Melbourne. 




© Vicki Lee Johnston


I admire her willingness to accept of my lack of skill and experience - however it really was a baptism of fire because in the class were many experienced botanical artists - who had also taught and held exhibitions in their own right. I was way out of my depth. I didn't have the right brushes, paints, palette - but Jenny was so kind to guide me through it, all the while recognising I had a desire to learn and a great passion for this art. I finished the week - but not the painting. We painted hydrangeas - I managed to get most of the flower head done ....



It started with a sketch ...



Being from a fairly remote farming district - I was never exposed to the creative arts in any way.

 Even at boarding school we were not encouraged to dabble in artistic endeavour, so the opportunity to explore creative ability was not an option for me. However I was always taken by design of any form, whether it be fashion, interior, landscape, photographic - these areas held great interest for me.

 After a career in the media industry I began working from home running a management agency while raising our two children. I was always looking for a creative outlet - whether it be fabric art, mosaics, quilting, photography  - something to take me away into that magical space where your own ideas can branch out. After years of dabbling in many different forms of creativity including the opportunity to renovate two houses and design interiors - I thought I would have a go at art, I was obsessed with the idea that it might a possibility for me. 


© Vicki Lee Johnston

This simple picture was done freehand with one of the children's pencils - while looking at a photo in a magazine. It only took a short while and I was so surprised to think I could draw something that looked recognisable! I followed the image with my eyes while my hand seemed to follow my line of sight, taking the mind out of it and just translating what I saw on to paper.   Being my first ever drawing with tonal values, it was at that moment I understood it's all about light and shade.

Time to learn more!

Growing up ...



I spent my childhood growing up on a 4,000 acre wheat and sheep farm in Western Australia. The region was prone to drought and a difficult environment for farming at the mercy of inconsistent rainfall. The different seasons bought a constantly changing backdrop - from the harsh dry scene in this photo to the most utterly breathtaking vision of wildflowers in abundance which WA is now famous for. I was entranced by nature for as long as I can remember - quite happy to be on my own and observing the ever changing world around me. The country is a wonderful place to grow up and encourages a strong connection to the environment.


In the beginning ....

Every day I try to look at something with new eyes.  This is my first blog - a place to call my own - to reflect on many of the things I love and that I am inspired by. I believe we all come here with many gifts to offer - that if we listen to our heart and soul - and trust in out intuition - anything is possible.  Magic happens when you do what you love.