Midnight Herbarium

Midnight Herbarium is an original gouache painting that explores botanical forms through a simplified, folk-inspired visual language. Painted in layered shades of deep blue and indigo, the composition brings together stylised flowers, leaves and root-like forms into a balanced, rhythmic arrangement.

Rather than depicting specific plant species, the work draws on memory, pattern and intuition, allowing organic shapes to emerge through repetition and flow. The limited palette creates a sense of quiet cohesion, while the hand-painted marks retain movement and warmth.

This work would suit a contemporary interior, particularly spaces with natural materials, neutral tones or a blue-and-white palette. The artwork is unframed and painted on paper. if you would like to receive this piece already framed, please select the framing option when you check out.

Follow

I’ve been making art for most of my life, though the path here hasn’t been completely straightforward. What was meant to be a one-year trip from the UK to Sydney in 1994 somehow turned into a permanent move, and Australia has felt like home ever since.
A lot of my work begins outdoors; walking, noticing plants growing through fences, strange colour combinations in nature, or bringing home flowers and cuttings to paint in the studio. Painting has always been a way for me to slow down and pay attention. It’s where I feel most myself.
Before returning to painting full-time in 2015, I worked across surface pattern design, printmaking and graphic design, and those influences still shape the way I paint today; through colour, rhythm, line and composition. I’m also deeply inspired by the simplicity and spontaneity of Chinese and Japanese ink painting, calligraphy and woodblock prints, though my work has gradually evolved into something much looser and more contemporary over time.
Since returning to full-time practice, my work has been exhibited in solo and group shows across Australia and selected as a finalist in prizes including the Calleen Art Award, Lethbridge Prize, Bluethumb Art Prize and the National Contemporary Watercolour Prize. My paintings and prints have also been licensed onto homewares and collected internationally.
I still feel genuinely grateful that I get to spend my days painting, and I hope that sense of joy, calm and curiosity finds its way into the work itself.