The Artists

Deborah Crago was born and brought up in Cornwall until studying woven textile design at Loughborough University of Art and Design and graduating with a BA Hons in 1999. Following a career as an interior textile designer for over 20 years, she now works from her home in Horsham, West Sussex as a floral artist.

Deborah has a passion for flowers, gardens and the environment that is forever increasing and provides her with endless inspiration. Her floral illustrations are all created using pencil, either watercolour pencils or graphite. For Deborah, pencils have always been her favourite medium, and she loves the sheen they create on the paper giving the artwork a luxurious finish.

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Hazel grew up in rural Broadbridge Heath in the 1950s, where painting, drawing and the natural world featured strongly in the school’s curriculum. The watercolour illustrations in Edith Holden’s Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady inspired Hazel to develop her love of flower painting, and today she uses subject matter from the surrounding countryside and her garden – often favouring less glamorous specimens. Later, Hazel further developed her skills attending adult education classes in botanical illustration at Collyer’s College in Horsham, as well as local workshops, tutored by authority Leigh Ann Gale.

As an active member of Southwater Art Club and the Association of Sussex Artists, Hazel regularly displays work in the annual exhibitions. In 2015, she contributed to Horsham Museum’s exhibition on Capability Brown, and in 2019, at the same venue, she exhibited in ‘’A Garden of Botanical Art’’ as a member of the newly formed Horsham School of Botanical Artists.

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Helen gained a degree in Environmental Science and worked as an environmental journalist for a number of years before moving into film-making as a script supervisor. Unfortunately, long hours on film sets were not compatible with family life, so after the birth of her first child Helen looked around for a new project. She started botanical illustration classes with Leigh Ann Gale in 2010, fitting painting around looking after two small children.  In 2019 she completed a two-year full-time diploma with the Society of Botanical Artists.

As well as using traditional watercolour paints Helen also produces graphite drawings and works in oils. She has produced a number of commissions, including a series of greetings cards for local flower farmer Intheflowers. She often paints her subjects as they really are - warts and all, believing that there is beauty in imperfection. Her paintings are in private collections in the UK, Australia and the US.

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Heather has always loved plants and flowers and grew up in the Surrey countryside. As an adult she was originally taught by Pat Harby, a botanical artist who also produced illustrations for books and cards. Since then, Heather has attended many short flower painting and botanical art classes including three at RHS Wisley. She is a member of several local art groups including the Association of Sussex Artists.

In 2010 Heather was asked by the Horsham Museum and Art Gallery to paint a book of flowers from their Museum garden and she completed this in 2012.

She has also undertaken some local commissions; in 2017 one of these was presented to the Friends of Chesworth Farm depicting their relatively new wetland area, and two others were painted papier-m├óch├® animals in 2013/15 that were sold raising money for charities.

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A professional botanical artist, tutor, and author, Leigh Ann began her artistic career as a graphic designer after graduating from Ravensbourne art college with a BA (Hons) in Visual Communication in 1989. Following a move to Sussex, she took up botanical illustration and in 2004 completed a diploma in Botanical Art and Illustration at the English Gardening School, Chelsea Physic Garden, London. This was followed in 2008 with a post graduate teaching certificate. Leigh Ann is a Fellow member of the Society of Botanical Artists (SBA).

Over the years Leigh Ann has been awarded medals for her work and has exhibited extensively around the world. As a member of Horsham School of Botanical Artists (HSBA) she exhibited at their inaugural exhibition at Horsham Museum and Art Gallery during The Year of Culture in 2019 and her painting of Camellia x williamsii ‘Bow Bells’ was purchased for the Museum’s  

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Working as a botanical artist in West Sussex, I moved to the Horsham area in 2016 after retiring from my main career in antiques and sales and running my own business for many years. I have always had a passion for watercolour painting and combined with my love of nature and plants, botanical art was my natural choice. I particularly love very detailed work and draw a lot of inspiration from my garden and varied travels worldwide. 

I have exhibited in and around Sussex, London and Scotland and have enjoyed sales of my originals, prints and cards in the UK, Europe and New Zealand. In 2011 I completed my Diploma with The Society of Botanical Artists (SBA), and exhibited with them at The Westminster Halls, London. Since 2016, I have been a member of The Association of Sussex Artists and have exhibited annually with them. Additionally, I have taken part in the Artists in Residence programme at the Horsham Museum and Art Gallery.

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Suzanne is a keen gardener and grows many of her favourite subjects herself, particularly lilies.

She holds the RHS Silver-gilt medal for a collection of eight heritage vegetables nurtured from seed in her Sussex garden. Her theme was “Grow it, paint it, eat it”. She follows this practice today feeding family and friends with bumper crops of soft fruit, asparagus and organic vegetables, and cooking and preserving still play an important role in her life.

In her thirties she studied botanical illustration at Flatford Mill under Mary Grierson, the Kew Illustrator, and was taught and inspired locally by Jill Coombs, highly acclaimed RHS Gold medal winner, and the doyenne of Horsham School of Botanical Artists.

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