Tanya Scharaschkin

Dr Tanya Scharaschkin is a botanist, artist and teacher. Tanya is intrigued by patterns in nature and is keen to share the beauty of plants that she sees at different scales as a botanist. Her artwork combines traditional botanical art with photography and digital art using a variety of media. She hopes her art will inspire others to not only admire plants but also develop an understanding and appreciation for the biology of plants. 

Tanya is an enthusiastic and well-organised instructor. Her lectures, talks and workshops enable the general public to understand scientific concepts. Tanya conducts a variety of workshops as a way of sharing her enthusiasm for plants and bringing art and science together.

Tanya was born and brought up in Pakistan. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Botany and Zoology and a Master’s in Science degree in Zoology from Pakistan, followed by a Master’s degree in Vertebrate Paleontology and a PhD in Plant Systematics from the US. Much of her academic career was spent at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane. She is now a free-lance botanist and artist, living and working in Collinsvale, Tasmania. Most of Tanya’s projects incorporate a botanical theme, although she has designed, made and exhibited mathematically-motivated quilts. Her artwork is held in private collections, in Australia and overseas.

Dietes grandiflora
Side view

$265

Graphite & ink

340 x 440 mm

I enjoy drawing plants that might be quite common but to draw them enlarged or from an angle that most people don't often see. I have two artworks of Dietes grandiflora (top and side views) in this exhibition. Both works are closeups of the flowers.  Dietes, and other members of the Iris family, have showy and colourful flowers, with very interesting pollination mechanisms. The centre of the flower has petaloid styles. Most botanical artists aspire to capture the colour of their subject matter, but given my interest in plant structure, I find it very rewarding to concentrate on the form by working in graphite and/or ink.

Dietes grandiflora
Top view

$265

Graphite & ink

340 x 440 mm

I enjoy drawing plants that might be quite common but to draw them enlarged or from an angle that most people don't often see. I have two artworks of Dietes grandiflora (top and side views) in this exhibition. Both works are closeups of the flowers.  Dietes, and other members of the Iris family, have showy and colourful flowers. The centre of the flower has petaloid styles. Most botanical artists aspire to capture the colour of their subject matter, but given my interest in plant structure, I find it very rewarding to concentrate on the form by working in graphite and/or ink.

Lomatia silaifolia

$210

Ink

520 x 440 mm

This Australian native shrub has dissected leaves, delicate white flowers and dehiscent fruits that release winged seeds. I drew this species as it presented a challenge for me to show the floral and fruit structure using pens. The winged seeds were especially challenging and I was pleased with the way they turned out.

Nelumbo lutea
Lotus

$295

Graphite

440 x 340 mm

I can recall the first time I saw a pond full of lotus flowers as a teenager in Pakistan. The flowers are beautiful, the leaves magnificent and the fruit intriguing. As a botanist, I find the structure of the flower an interesting subject. The centre of a lotus flower is an expanded receptacle with numerous free carpels, which in turn have sunken ovaries. The evolutionary relationship of Nelumbo has been fascinating research topic and the nearest relatives are the plant family Proteaceae (banksia, grevillea, etc). This flower was quite a challenge to draw and I spent numerous weeks working on shading.

Capsicum sp.
Chillies

$185 (unframed)

Watercolour & Ink

440 x 340 mm

This artwork is of a plant I had growing in my garden in Brisbane, before I moved to Tasmania. It was a prolific shrub and I would often take lots of chillies to share with my research group at the university, many of whom were international students who appreciated the fresh green chillies. I enjoyed observing, drawing and painting one leafy shoot with buds, flowers and fruits. It’s a simple subject matter but one that was fun to work on.