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Deborah Lambkin

@deborahlambkin

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Botanical Illustrator, mostly orchids but lover of all plants. RHS Orchid Artist. 🇮🇪 London #rhsorchidartist Manages @botanicalillustrationpenandink

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Excitement is building and plans are well underway for the 2025 World Orchid Conference and botanical art exhibition ‘Orchids, orchids, orchids…’ in Dresden in March.

I look forward to exhibiting three paintings of orchids from Madagascar.

The exhibition, which has been organised by @vbk_deutschland will run alongside the conference organised by @deutsche_orchideengesellschaft

@esmeewinkel and @audrey.reilly will be presenting ‘The art of painting orchids’ at the conference and there will be daily art demonstrations at the exhibition too.

Shown here is my painting of little Angraecum lecomtei, an epiphytic orchid I observed in Madagascar’s Eastern Highlands 2025.

I look forward to meeting the artists from Germany and all the other international participating artists too.

#WorldOrchidConference #WOC2026 #Orchidsorchidsorchids#botanicalartexhibition #angraecumlecomtei by @deborahlambkin

“The RHS Orchid Committee is unique among RHS plant groups in that they have continuously retained an artist to paint their awarded orchids since 1897, when Nelly Roberts started as the first artist. Nelly held the role for an astonishing 56 years, painting over 1,000 orchid portraits, an achievement likely to remain unchallenged for the foreseeable future!

In 2005 the position had become vacant and one of the botanists I had worked with at Kew encouraged me to apply.

Since then, I have painted over 500 orchid illustrations for @the_rhs collections at the Lindley Library, London which now numbers over 7,000 orchid portraits.”

To celebrate our new botanical art exhibition Rory McEwen: Nature’s Song, we’re spotlighting a series of contemporary botanical artists working today. First up, @deborahlambkin, the current RHS Orchid Artist.

We asked Deborah a few questions in last week’s newsletter to find out more about her love of orchids, painting and getting out into nature to see flowers in their natural habitats.

🔗 Head to the link in bio to read! by @deborahlambkin

I had a busy weekend at the @ericyoungorchidfoundation with the @the_rhs Orchid Expert Group. It was our first time back after four years and it is great to hear about all their exciting plans for the future under the guiding hands of their new curator @gregrgriffis

I had lots of nice conversations with the many orchid enthusiasts visiting from every orchid society in the UK for the British Orchid Council judging symposium.

And as always at the @ericyoungorchidfoundation there were plenty fabulous orchids to see and lucky me gets to take home a beautiful selection of flowers to paint.

Many thanks to Greg Griffis, Mariano Medda and all the rest if the team for having us.

#ericyoungorchidfoundation #orchids
#RHSOrchidExpertGroup #rhsorchidartist by @deborahlambkin

Congratulations to Johan Hermans and Louis Nusbaumer on the recent publication of Angraecum goldschmidii, which I had the pleasure of illustrating for the paper.

Angraecum goldschmidii (Orchidaceae), a new species from northern Madagascar
Johan Hermans, Louis Nusbaumer

It is Open Access too which means it is free to read online. Published by Candollea, Jardin Botanique de Genève.

Candollea, 81(2):99-104 (2026). https://doi.org/10.15553/c2026v812a5 by @deborahlambkin

A few shots from my Orchids in Colour Masterclass in @theunitedartsclub last weekend.

Our venue was the studio in the kitchens of this beautiful, partially restored, 18thC building. The building feels like it has hardly been touched since the day it was established by W.B. Yeats, George ‘AE’ Russell, and Augusta Gregory. Unusually for clubs of that era, woman were the founders members right from the beginning. I was honoured to teach in such hallowed ground.

We had a great collection of orchids to work with from @hopelessbotanics and my 9 students all worked hard and produced great results. I really hope they have been inspired to illustrate more orchids and pursue in their botanical art careers.
Many thanks to @alankeaneart and Trina for great food and taking great care of us.

#unitedartsclubdublin #botanicalillustration #botanicalartmasterclass #orchidpaintingclass by @deborahlambkin

En la sala central de Ellas ilustran botánica entramos en un bosque donde se encuentra, junto a obras contemporáneas, un pequeño patrimonio científico: modelos botánicos y cajas de colecciones cedidos por los institutos IES Goya de Zaragoza e IES Ramón y Cajal de Huesca.

Hasta el 1 de noviembre en el CDAN de Huesca
@cdanhuesca
@ramonycajalhuesca
@ip.goya
@deborahlambkin
@aina_bestard
@pamelataylorbotanicalartist by @deborahlambkin

Stanhopea orchids all come from Central and South America and the flowers open very quickly and are only at their best for a day or two if you are lucky. They have a lovely scent when they open first but very quickly start to smell a bit overpowering and ‘off’!

It is always a bit of a race to paint them when they look and smell good. This painting has taken 11 hours 45 minutes (ish). It could probably be more finely finished 😀 but right now I want to get out into the garden.

Thanks to @the_mathers_foundation for trusting me to care for their plant for a few days, it will be back in its greenhouse on Monday.

#stanhopeafrymirei #stanhopea #botanicalart #orchids by @deborahlambkin

My second week in @transylvaniaschoolofbotanicart was lived at a slower pace, I was simply allowed the time to work on my illustrations of plants from the meadows and woods around Copșa Mare. I had nothing else to do. What bliss!

Thanks to Rachel De Candole, she filled my walks with plant knowledge, stories and local lore. A wonderful cook too, Rachel works really hard to produce all the food from absolute scratch, literally, farm to table or nature to table.

We were treated to another beautiful ‘farm to table’ meal at Lavinia and Joels @biomosna with each plate decorated with fresh edible flowers.

James De Candole’s sociability with shepherds/cheesemakers, goatherds, local kids and the all-important village matriarchs, ensured friendly interactions on every outing.

The De Candole family, generously shared their home, their books, the growing herbarium (carefully crafted by botanist @mihaela.a.sava ) and illustrations collection for study and enjoyment. Their kind hospitality made my time there easy and comfortable and productive workwise.

#transylvaniaschoolofbotanicalillustration #botanicalartcourses #copsamare #botanicalillustration by @deborahlambkin

I just spent a week teaching @transylvaniaschoolofbotanicart. Five students, a small class, which allowed me to give each student enough time to practice and learn.

The students made every minute of that week a joy. We had such fun in the studio, eating together and walking in the hills around Copșa Mare searching for plants.

The students were an enthusiastic and talented bunch and actually, we all learned a lot from each other.

Thanks to @yaroslavakiyan for sharing her knowledge about her collection of rare pigments.

Thanks to @beataharenda for telling us about paleobotany and the @ma.biskupin Project where she works. She also kept us all laughing. Thanks to @srijita.janaray who having spent three whole weeks in Copșa Mare already, knew where everything was and how everything worked. We certainly enjoyed the spices and treats made by her Mum.

Thanks @nancynancy_unm for her great photos of our outdoor activities and Wren, our youngest student, who impressed us all with her enthusiasm and her fabulous work.

If you are a botanical artist and have not yet been to @transylvaniaschoolofbotanicart - put it on your bucket list, it’s a wonderful place. by @deborahlambkin

My illustration to accompany the newly described Platylepis avaratraensis a species from Madagascar.

Platylepis avaratraensis (Orchidaceae), a new species from northern Madagascar and its taxonomic position in Goodyerinae.
Johan Hermans, Patrick Ranirison, Alessandra Havinga, Iharivolana, Louis Nusbaumer.

Article citation
Hermans J., Ranirison P., Havinga A., Iharivolana & Nusbaumer L. 2026.
Platylepis avaratraensis (Orchidaceae),
a new species from northern Madagascar and its taxonomic position in Goodyerinae.
Candollea 81: 1-6.
https://doi.org/10.15553/c2026v811a1

#Candollea #Madagascar #newspecies #Orchid by @deborahlambkin

There are still a few tickets left for this study day/workshop at the @the_rhs Lindley Library, London. I would be delighted if you would join me! Link in my bio.

‘Join RHS Libraries as we delve a little deeper into our collections with a study day inspired by the RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show.

We are excited to welcome artist and RHS Botanical Art Judge, Deborah Lambkin, for this study afternoon exploring the process of developing a botanical artwork, including preparations and research, fieldwork, equipment and materials.

It will be made up of a lecture by Deborah, sharing her insight as a professional botanical artist and experience on expeditions, including her 2025 trip to Madagascar. This will be followed by a tour of selected historic and contemporary works from the RHS Lindley Library collections, led by RHS Art Curator, Charlotte Brooks.

Event times: 1.30pm – 4.30pm
Doors will open to ticket holders at 1.15pm.
Tickets £20-£25.
#botanicalartworkshop #botanicalart #rhsbotanicalartandphotographyshow by @deborahlambkin

I met some old friends today @parham_house_gardens two of the lovely old trained apple trees ‘Crawley Beauty’ and ‘Lord Lambourne’. I drew these (pen and watercolour wash) a couple of years ago.

Each tree carries a little world of lichens, mosses, mistletoe and ferns. In the Spring they feed the bees and in the Autumn they feed us.

Wonderful to see them today and I hope they survive and thrive for many more years.

#BotanicalArt #parhamhouse #midsummersday #summersolstice by @deborahlambkin