My inspiration for art is the natural world.

My medium is usually watercolour, occasionally oil. Using photographs I have taken I like to produce realistic images, in detail, often in miniature.

Travels over the years have taken me to the Nepalese Himalayas. Some of my recent paintings have involved the high peaks and mani stones found there.

People often ask "but why all the butterflies?" When studying for a Certificate in Biological Recording and identification at Birmingham University. I decided painting butterflies would be a novel way of learning about them. Unlike some lepidopterist I don,t collect butterfly specimens from the wild preferring to “capture” them on paper and camera.
In nature the vividly coloured patterns on the wings of butterflies and moths are made up of a mass of minute coloured scales. In my watercolour paintings I use a stippling technique with a fine brush to create this effect. It is the fine detail and wing shape that separates one butterfly species from another. Each butterfly illustration is life size and takes over ten hours to paint. I use my own photographs and those of museum specimens as references.

I also volunteer at my local RSPB reserve, so birds are occasional a subject matter.





I have exhibited and sold at many exhibitions/galleries. Further details of these events and future are in the "news" section of the website.

To see my most recent paintings evolving do visit the "work in progress" sections.

If you are interested in purchasing a painting, or a limited edition print please press the "contact me" button in the main menu.

I update the website regularly so if you like my work do visit again soon.

Thank you again for visiting.

Judith Swift 14/06/24