Costa Rican Pineapple T-Shirt

A watercolour botanical portrait of a Costa Rican pineapple, showing the colour transitions of the individual fruits. The fruits are reminiscent of pine cones the way they are arranged on the 'core', hence the name pineapple being given when they were discovered by European explorers in the Americas. A symbol of welcome and hospitality, they feature heavily in architectural decorations such as finials, pediments and door knockers. A challenge to draw, a pleasure to paint!

Artist and illustrator in natural history, botanical painting, generic landscape, still life. A love of detailed observation of the natural world, vivid colours, textures and decorative effects hopefully all come together in my work. Stylistic influences medieval paintings, the Pre-Raphaelites and the decorative art movements, so it's clear I enjoy line, colour and detail. I love the journey through a drawing or painting, from initial brief or idea, to processes, to final result. Having taught my own art classes for ten years, I drew these to a close a few years ago to make more time for my creative writing, which dovetails beautifully with my painting. I work in a wide range of media with a passion for methods and techniques,...