News
Below are news and events that I hope will be of interest to you.
If you would like any more information please Contact Ellen.
Posted: 5th December 2020
"Revisiting the taxonomy of the Neotropical Haemodoraceae"
Collaborative research between Marco Pellegrini, (Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil), Jorge Guttiérrez (Universidad de La Habana, Cuba), Rhian Smith (Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK), Stephen Hopper (University of Western Australia), and myself has resulted in the publication today of our paper titled "Revisiting the taxonomy of the Neotropical Haemodoraceae Commelinales" in the scientific journal PhytoKeys.
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Based on extensive herbarium, field, botanical illustration, and molecular phylogenetic research, five genera and eight species are recognised for the Neotropical Haemodoraceae. New taxa include Cubanicula xanthorrhizon, Schiekia silvestris, Schiekia timida and Xiphidium pontederiifolium. We present an updated identification key, descriptions and comments, maps, photo plates for all species, and high-quality illustrations for most of the recognised species and their diagnostic characters.
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Click here to view the full manuscript online, or download a pdf for free. These images show photos from my field trips to Cuba, Brazil and Guyana, to collect and draw the species illustrated in the paper.
Posted: 7th November 2020
Drawing Haemodorum brevisepalum
Here is a drawing progression of a pair of flowers of Haemodorum brevisepalum that I completed today.
It shows the initial line drawing. Then I made a copy by tracing this original drawing onto tracing paper, turning the tracing paper over, to re-trace the reverse image, which is burnished onto my watercolour paper, so I can start to add colour to the flowers using aquarelle pencils, without losing the integrity of the original drawing. The last slide is the completed illustration.
This is my first attempt at doing botanical illustration since all my eye issues started in March 2019. I am very grateful to God that my eyes are now on the mend, and I can draw again.
Posted: 22nd October 2020
Article from Albany Advertiser, Thursday 22nd October 2020.


Posted: 13th October 2020
Second-Sight Exhibition
Albany's Historic Whaling Station
13th-30th October 2020
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Now Open
Come and meet the artist
Sunday 18th October 2020
10 am - 3 pm
Posted: 6th October 2020

Article from Southerly Magazine, Issue 23, October 2020
Posted: 4th October 2020
