Albany artist salutes to our native flora and fauna with her latest exhibition showcasing botanical beauty

Artist Maxine Holman has a passion for dipping her paintbrush into colours and bringing her botanical visions to life. Holman will be exhibiting at the Museum of the Great Southern Co-op Building until October 11, and visitors can expect to see her depictions of nature’s treasures. The watercolour artist normally holds an exhibition during the Art South WA Southern Art & Craft Trail, which was cancelled this year because of COVID-19 restrictions. Not to be stopped, Holman has decided to go it alone. “Because of the lockdown, I’d done a lot of work, so when things started to look brighter, I just decided to do it on my own, and that’s how it came about,” she said “The museum was very welcoming and made it all possible.” Showcasing a year’s work, the exhibition features a range of native flora, bird species and other small animals. Also featured are detailed pieces of botanical artwork displaying the phases of plants. “A true botanical piece has to show all the old growth, the new growth, the development of flowers, seeds and nuts — you have to paint the whole story of the tree or plant in one painting,” Holman said. Holman said she could spend 300 hours on her bigger paintings. “For the most complicated piece here, I worked on it every day for four weeks,” she said. “For me, it’s once a year. “I don’t market or sell product anywhere else except for this one time. “That way I don’t feel over-exposed and it’s just a one-off.” The original work from this year’s exhibit has sold out but there are still prints and calendars for sale. Holman is working on-site every day so visitors can see her in action and watch how she creates her finely detailed pieces. The Albany woman decided to pursue art in her retirement 15 years ago. “I’ve never done art before at all,” she said. “I did a course at the Albany Summer School and that set me on the path. “I like the natural environment anyway. I love the plants and the animals that frequent the plants. I like the detail, “I’m never short of inspiration. “Over the years, the birds and animals have sneaked into the paintings and just put more life in it.”