Margot Thigpen

Margot Thigpen completed her Certificate of Botanical Art at Lewis Ginter Gardens in Richmond Virginia in 2019 and was taught by acclaimed artists including Juliet Kirby and Hee Young Kim. She works in graphite, silverpoint, ink and watercolour. Margot has been featured in a number of exhibitions in the USA, NSW and Tasmania.

Banksia integrifolia
with Phylidonyris novaehollandiae
Pollinated by New Holland Honeyeater

$750

Watercolour

440 x 490 mm

Following my return to Australia in 2019, I became very interested in Australian birds as pollinators and began a series of paintings which depict birds rather than insects that pollinate our tough and hardy plants. This is one of them and I thank Les Main for his supporting reference material.

Leucadendron argenteum
Silver leaf tree

$850

Watercolour

400 x 500 mm

During one of my visits to the Evandale markets, I found a cutting of a plant that was incredibly beautiful and very sculptural. It took me a long time to identify it as it is quite rare and grows on a small cape in South Africa. It is used by florists for its silvery leaves. It is from the Protea family and over time, the pod opens and fluffy seeds appear within the cone.

Leucadendron sp.
Cone flower

$875

Watercolour

550 x 450 mm

When I first moved to Launceston, I was overwhelmed by the beauty and quality of the leucadendrons that are prevalent in urban gardens. Their size, prolific growth and changing colours really made me want to paint them.

Strelitzia reginae
with Manorina melanocephala
Bird of paradise with noisy miner

$1050

Watercolour

860 x 690 mm

This striking sub tropical Strelitzia requires birds for pollinating. The S. reginae is designed so that the bird must stand on the blue inflorescence which opens up the nectar cavity, allowing the beak into a position that can then transfer pollen. The noisy miner was a regular in my plant.