From Drop Box
Hello, many thanks for coming to visit my print shop.
So here is a little bit about me and how I ended up becoming inspired by 'plants'.
My background is in architecture and I have a BA(hons) in architecture from Kingston University, so an appreciation of structure and form has been with me from the outset.
After living and working in London for 15 years, I relocated to sunny Cornwall with my husband Seb where I set up and ran a small giftware company. We then somehow managed to end up in Seville in 2001.
We fell in love with Spanish countryside and bought a 30 acre olive farm. I then spent the next few years designing, project managing, and building our own house in the middle of nowhere surrounded by a stunning national park in Andalusia. With the wonderful light and beautiful plants around me I decided to pick up my paintbrush and I seriously got stuck into drawing and painting watercolours.
As I managed to get more time off when the 3 kids went to school, and learning the art of fending off the local wild pigs, I had the time to study and gain a diploma from the Society of Botanical Artists. (Oh, and that was also done in between running our organic olive farm, so the olive print on this site may well have ended up in my bottle of olive oil at home!)
After several years living in this idyll, we recently relocated back to England where opportunity took us. I have set up another studio and am getting stuck into my own projects and commissioned works. (luckily no wild pigs and 40 degree temperatures to contend with! but I still have a husband and 3 kids to keep me busy as a bee!)
I have used my maiden name Darling to promote my artwork, instead of my married name which is Sheppard, purely because Darling is hopefully more memorable!
Many thanks for visiting
Belinda
Belinda Darling SBA (Society of Botanical Artists) BA(hons)
Please feel free to email me [email protected]
Update: The Garlic, Artichoke and Olive have all been selected for the Royal Watercolour Society 2012 competion. They are 3 of the last 149 chosen for the final and exhibition in London Bankside from 24th Feb to 17th March! My work is listed under Belinda Sheppard http://www.royalwatercoloursociety.co.uk/documents/4037b9ed-43b0-4c06-9baa-548f4a9897cd.pdf
Update September 2012: I am now taking commissions for Pet Portraits. This is proving to be very popular!