Biography

Simon Williams is an RHS Gold Medalist and regarded as a leading botanical artist tutor.
With over 20 years of illustrating, he has developed excellent skills in gouache, watercolour and acryl-gouache mediums.

Simon has tutored workshops and weekend courses to most of the UK's botanical art Societies and Florilegiums - These include Eden Florilegium, South West Society of Botanical Artists, Gloucester Society of Botanical Artists, Northern Society of Botanical Artists, Birmingham, Worcester, Northampton Botanical Societies and FieldBreaks, to name just a few.

In 2022 Simon launched his own 12 month botanical painting course.
This course was devloped to help botanical artists gain confidence, improve artwork and find inspiration within the natural world. During the course, mentored tutoring sessions are provided with twelve Zoom consultations. Digital feedback visuals are also given on your final artwork project.

If you are a keen botanical artists looking for a new challenge or learning opportunity, it is worth following this link to find out more about this wonderful program. Click here Botanical Painting Course

Simon is just as much a plantsman as he is a botanical artist, with a collection of exotic plants ranging from Banksia, Protea, Wollemi Pine, Leucadendron, Nepenthes, and Orchids all growing at his home in Dorset, on the South Coast of England.

Inspired by nature, he trained as a natural history illustrator in 1996 - 2000. His creativity was led more by his love of exotic plants and into botanical painting. Capturing the beauty of individual specimens and plants in situ'.

Simon has been a Fellow member of the Society of Botanical Artists (SBA) since 2002 and received Certificates of Botanical Merit in 2001, 2003 and 2019. Becoming the Course Director of the SBA's Distance Learning Diploma Course in 2013.

Botanical Painting with Gouache published in 2016 by Batsford was written and illustrated by Simon as there was a noticeable gap in the market for a book on gouache painting techniques. Gouache is a popular medium for illustrators offering a diverse, opaque form of painting, ideal for many types of art.

In July 2018 he was awarded a Royal Horticultural Society Gold Medal for a series of paintings titled 'A Broad Selection of Tropical Pitcher Plants - Nepenthes', painted in watercolour.

Simon carved out a career in illustration and is passionate in tutoring botanical art and illustration to the best of his ability. Illustration projects for large agencies and design companies supplying artwork for books, magazines, clothing companies and brand designs has largely helped Simon develop a huge understanding of painting techniques. He is widely respected for his knowledge, generosity and empathetic tutoring style. Making plenty of time to assist each students' needs and abilities.

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