heather maunders

An artist and gardener

I was brought up in rural Leicestershire where an early fascination with the natural world led me to pursue an initial career in Science. I found that the knowledge gained enhanced and complemented a lifelong interest in natural elements, expressed through my painting and drawing.

Moving with my husband and family to Ely, Cambridgeshire in 1990 and acquiring a good sized garden gave me the opportunity to grow the flowers which inspired the passion to express their beauty on paper. Observing the bold intensity of colour, the sensuous rhythms created by movement or their ephemeral nature as they develop, mature and die through the seasons gives me limitless opportunities to create vibrant and striking images. In addition to plants and flowers, observations of wildlife, birds, pets and coastal environments have provided raw material for my paintings.

Watercolour and ink are my preferred media because of their versatility, from delicate transparency to bold layers of colour for impact. The opportunity to exchange the laboratory for a studio has given me time to start expanding and developing ideas that have been waiting impatiently for years. I love detail and, with the aid of photography, I look at the intricacies and interplay of space within flowers and other objects. My artwork ranges from representational observations of flowers and animals to more abstract paintings which capture the intrinsic nature of the object.

My artistic skill developed from an initial Art A level, via training in botanical illustration, to experience over several decades that has brought membership of the Cambridge Drawing Society, Cambridge Open Studios and the RWS Friends in East Anglia. With paintings exhibited mainly in East Anglia, my portfolio continues to expand with clients reaching from the US to New Zealand

Sharing my love of art and the natural world, please browse through the site and get in touch using the form below to be kept up to date with my ongoing work and interests!