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    Welcome to Lizzie Harper’s Website!

    An experienced natural history and botanical illustrator, Lizzie’s work appears in books and magazines around the world, on postage stamps and mugs.

    She lives very happily in Hay on Wye, and works her garden studio surrounded by plants and birds.

    Lizzie Harper

    “ I am passionate about the natural world and love learning about the plants and animals I illustrate. ”

    Projects Showcase

    Bush tea or Quickstick Gliricidia sepium showing plant and a detail of one flower

    Finding out what I’m working on,

    follow my blog or find me on instagram.

    This is a recent natural history illustration of the Banded demoiselle, Calopteryx splendens.

    It`s a male, and easy to identify because of the gem-like body and blue wing bands. Females are a glittery green and have yellowish wings without the band. They are common at the edges of fresh water, and even along slow-flowing river banks.

    This species are very susceptible to pollution, so are good indicators of habitat quality. Sadly, I`ve seen far fewer flitting about in the summer months on the edge of the River Wye than I used to. This ties in with the down-grading of the status of Hay-on-Wye`s local river health by Natural England, from "un-favourable recovering" to "un-favourable declining" in June 2023.

    https://naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2023/05/30/assessing-the-health-of-the-river-wye-and-its-catchment/

    #naturalhsitoryillustration #naturalscienceillustration #bandeddemoiselle #damselfly #odonata #insectart #sciart #pollutionawareness
    ...

    Here`s a speeded up film of me adding a top layer of watercolour to a pen and ink illustration of Downy Birch Betula pubescens

    It`s a swift way to add colour to a monochrome image, and requires far less work with the brush as all the tonal variety is provided by the pen and ink stippling.

    Adding the watercolour took about 2 hrs, here it`s condensed into 1.5minutes.

    #sciart #botanicalillustration #drawnbyhand #betula #burch #nature #trees #environment #naturalhistoryillustration #naturalscienceillustration
    ...

    Finished this Common toad Bufo bufo today for an interpretation board.

    It`s interesting doing amphibians as I can`t build up colour with fur, feathers, or butterfly scales. So lots of warts have to serve the same purpose.

    I did think how much I`d like to watch @stoneridgeartstudios painting the same beast, and really wanted @paulmillerwildlifeart to suddenly materialize and do the eye, but it worked out OK.

    Female toads are larger than the majes, and in March you might see big pools of them all spawning. Unlike frogs, toadspawn is laid in long threads rather than clumps. Toads are less relent on water than ftogs, but being amphibians they do need to stay a little moist.

    I`ve seen Common toads in my garden a couple of times and have a lot of love for them. I know we shouldnt be anthropomorphic, but any creature that always looks like its sulking is a winner in my book.

    Tomorrow I need to do a Red-tailed bumblebee then a Smooth newt. No warts on THAT amphibian, it`ll be a challenge!

    #toad #bufobufo #amphibians #UK amphibians ##naturalhistoryillustration ##naturalscienceillustration #animal art #wildlifeart #sciart #nature
    ...

    Galleries

    “ “Botanical artist Lizzie Harper produces meticulous watercolours of flora and fauna in her celebrations of nature” ”

    Country Living Magazine

    Original Artwork Available to Buy

    “ Lizzie has consistently impressed me with her skill, professionalism and attention to detail ”

    Jenny Campbell, Editor, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

    Links to Lizzie's Workshops, Exhibitions, Cards, and Prints

    Lizzie's latest Posts and Blogs

    Flower shapes: Symbolism & Cultural significance

    Flower shapes: Symbolism & Cultural significance

    Flower Shapes: Symbolism and Cultural Significance guest blog by Nina James Summer Flower shapes matter, culturally as well as botanically.  According to the 2016 Generations of Flowers Study 60% of Americans believe a gift of flowers has a special meaning.  This is unlike any other gift.  Many associate different colours with different meanings.   Red roses […] Read more
    • ku.oc.repraheizzil@ofni
    • (UK ) (0)1497 821578 or (0)7714 246 447
    • 11 Church Terrace . Hay-on-Wye . Herefordshire . HR3 5EE . UK
    Samon Salmo salar hen fish showing silvery irridescence
    Salmon hen natural history illustration by Lizzie Harper
    Common lizard Lacerta vivipara in field with grasses buttercup and orchids
    Common lizard in field natural history illustration by Lizzie Harper

    Lizzie Harper