Welcome to the home of The Birmingham Watercolour Society

Valerie Dugan RBSA

About the artist:

Having won an art school scholarship athe age of thirteen, my love of calligraphy was formed and this was my way of life through various advertising agencies and as a freelance artist.

I am a member of the Society of Scribes and illuminators also the Calligraphy and Lettering Arts Society, and have won many awards over the years for my work. Included is a winning design which is part of the National Silver Collection now housed in 10 Downing Street. Also I am a committee member for our local art group.

My Botanical art career started in 2000 when I became a member of thr Gloucestershire Cociety for Botanical Illustration and the Gloustershire Society of Artists with whom I show regularly. Since then I have had a one woman show and exhibited three times at the RRHS London shows and won three silver medals. I am now one of the official painters for the RHS Orchid Committee.

At the end of February 2012 I put forward the second set of five paintings to the Society of Botanical Artists and have been awarded my Associate Mebership.

In August 2011 I exhibited for the first time in the Royal Birmingham Society Open Watercolour Show where I was amazed to be awarded second prize for my slipper orchid. I was asked to become a friend and entered the September Friends Exhibition, again I was awarded a Highly Commended for my copperplate calligraphy of the Owl and the Pussycat poem.

I then entered the Open All Media Show in November and was again awarded a Highly Commended for my Horse Chestnut Leaf painting. In the same month I was accepted as a member of the Birmingham Watercolour Society.

I paint mainly in Watercolour and all my flower paintings are life size on 300gsm Fabriano Classico Watercolour Paper.

At present I am painting a series of watercolours of English Butterflies on vellum and getting ready to exhibit at the Hampton Court Flower Show in July.