Indigo Rosellas and Native Flora Ed. 6 of 50

I have been painting lots of Aussie birds recently. This pair of Rosellas in varying hues of Indigo are perched on the branches of a Banksia tree. The botanicals on the tree and the leaf motifs along the bottom of the page are my own stylised versions of the native specimens I collect on my walks around my neighbourhood.

I enjoy working on heavy watercolour paper with calligraphy brushes and using a limited colour palette – usually one or two colours. I have been captivated by old botanical and animal engravings since I was a child, and this, as well as my love of Chinese ornament is the inspiration behind much of my work.

This is a limited edition Giclée print of 50 on thick textured watercolour paper using archival inks. All prints are hand signed, numbered, catalogued and come with a certificate of authenticity.

This artwork is sold unframed and is carefully wrapped and rolled into a cardboard tube for safe shipping.

Purchase of this artwork does not include reproduction rights. Artwork cannot be copied or used without the artist’s prior permission.

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Floriosa is the botanical painting practice of Australian artist Sally Browne.
I've been making art for as long as I can remember. What was meant to be a one-year trip from the UK to Sydney in 1994 somehow became a permanent move, and Australia has been home ever since.
Much of my work begins outdoors. I love wandering through suburban streets noticing flowering trees, plants spilling over fences, unexpected colour combinations and the small details that most of us walk straight past. I often come home with armfuls of flowers, seedpods and odd little cuttings that eventually find their way into my paintings.

Although my work begins with observation, it rarely stays there. A vase of flowers, a flowering gum or a bird perched in the garden might provide the starting point, but colour, memory and imagination soon take over. I'm less interested in painting a particular flower than in capturing the feeling of being surrounded by nature.

Before becoming a full-time artist in 2015, I worked in graphic design, surface pattern and printmaking, experiences that continue to influence my love of colour, rhythm and composition. I'm also inspired by the simplicity and spontaneity of Chinese and Japanese ink painting, though over the years my own work has evolved into a looser, more contemporary style.

Alongside Floriosa, I maintain a contemporary fine art practice under my own name, exhibiting regularly throughout Australia. Over the past decade I've been fortunate to place hundreds of original paintings into private collections both here and overseas. These days, if I'm not in the studio, there's a good chance I'm wandering around Sydney with secateurs in my bag, bringing home flowers, seedpods and whatever else catches my eye.