Judy Morris

Judy studied Zoology at Melbourne University before a long career as a research  neuroscientist first in the USA and then in Adelaide, Australia. She began life as a full time artist in 2009, working from her Adelaide Hills studio, and botanical subjects soon became some of her favourites. Her strong motivation is to respond to, and interpret the fascinating shapes and textures in nature. Judy uses graphite and coloured pencil to render both native Australian and exotic plants in larger-than -life drawings. Her scientific background provides a strong framework for how she responds to nature, however Judy produces strong aesthetic interpretations rather than scientific illustrations of her environment, aiming to lure the viewer to closer inspection and respect for the world around them.

Judy has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions within Australia since 2009, and Internationally with the Pencil Art Society in Ottawa, Canada, in 2016. She has been selected as finalist in many local and national art prizes. Judy joined the Botanical Art Society of Australia in 2017 and exhibits regularly with the society, winning the Best in Show Award in 2019 , an Honourable Mention Award in 2021 and a High Commendation in 2022. She joined the American Society of Botanical Artists in 2022.

Judy has had her drawings published on the covers of several books of poetry, and in 2015 published a book of drawings accompanied by poems written specially by her long term collaborator, Ian Gibbins, as part of their ‘Floribunda’ exhibition.