© Ann Swan
Ann works primarily in graphite and coloured pencil and is well known for her fine detail, vibrant colours and strong contemporary style. She favours the underdog or the unusual in the plant world, drawing our attention to their beauty through her striking compositions. She is constantly experimenting with her chosen medium, trying to achieve a more painterly effect and ever brighter colours.
Ann is passionate about coloured pencils believing they are easy to master, forgiving and accessible so that even a complete beginner can very quickly produce work of quality. Retired from many years exhibiting at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and judging on the RHS Picture Panel she now devotes her energies to teaching and is happy to pass on all her techniques and knowledge. She runs workshops at her studio in Wiltshire, online and around the world including Europe, Africa and the US although latterly these have mainly been on Zoom.
Ann’s popular book Botanical Painting with Coloured Pencils is published by Harper Collins and available in the USA as Botanical Portraits in Colored Pencil and has been translated into South Korean and Russian. Her Creative Colour Mixing Workbook will soon be published in a third edition. Her work is represented in the prestigious Shirley Sherwood Collection and features in many private collections around the world including the RHS Lindley Library. Over the years many of her images have been produced on china, giftware, greetings cards and limited edition prints.
Society Achievements
Signature Status 2021
Awards/Exhibitions
Medal History
1990 RHS Silver Gilt Medal
1991 RHS Gold Medal
1993 RHS Gold Medal
1994 Silver Medal 14th World Orchid Conference
1997 RHS Gold Medal
1999 RHS Gold Medal (jointly with Gillian Barlow and Pauline Dean)
Awards
2004 SBA President’s Award for work in other media (shared)
2004 SBA People’s Choice ‘Teasel’
2006 SBA Certificate of Botanical Merit
2008 SBA Certificate of Botanical Merit for ‘Prickly Pear’
2011 SBA Suzanne Lucas Memorial Award
2011 SBA Certificate of Botanical Merit for ‘Collection No. II Summer Seed Pods’
2012 SBA Certificate of Botanical Merit for ‘Walnut Life Cycle’
2011 UKCPS 3rd Best in Show
2011 UKCPS Staedtler People’s Choice Coloured Pencil for ‘Oriental Poppy
2011 UKCPS Staedtler People’s Choice Mixed Media for ‘Merlot’
2011 UKCPS Exaclair Pan Pastel Highly Commended Award for Mixed Media for ‘Merlot’
2016 UKCPS Derwent Award for Best in Show ‘Larger than Life – Nectarines’
2016 UKCPS Derwent & Lyra Award for Best Flora/Fruit/Vegetable ‘Larger than Life - Nectarines’
2021 SBA Award of ‘Exhibiting Excellence’ for Solandra grandiflora
2021 UKCPS ‘Highly Commended’ for Solandra grandiflora