Meet our new committee members!
After a successful AGM, we now have four new committee members to help our society move on!
Farewelling long term committee members, Elizabeth Yuill Proctor, Lisa Dickson and Jennifer Duval-Smith is always sad, but we hugely appreciate their time on the committee and they can be very proud of their huge contribution to the society.
Our new members are:
Sara Bissielo - Secretary
‘I have painted and drawn my whole life, dabbling in many different mediums. The majority of my artwork until last year had been acrylic on canvas, but the call for Botanical Art submissions last year inspired me to get my watercolours out again. I am thoroughly enjoying diving into the world of Botanical art, photographing and painting specimens from my own garden and what I discover when I'm out and about. I would love to do some formal studies in this area, but for now I content myself with being inspired by what others are doing and working on my own compositions from the dining room table. I live in Upper Hutt with my husband and two young adult sons.’
Flo Pirotais
‘I discovered botanical art three years ago and what began as a quiet personal retreat has since grown into a vital and fulfilling artistic practice.
My work is rooted in close observation of the natural world, often inspired by plants in my own garden or those encountered during visits to gardens across New Zealand and Europe. I am especially drawn to both exotic and native species.
Botanical art, for me, is a meditative process—one that invites deeper connection with the living world and offers a space for reflection, curiosity, and wonder. Capturing fine details, exploring the play of light and shadow, and working with colour all form part of this ongoing journey.’
Jane Marshall Fitzgerald
‘I am a retired clinical research physiotherapist who has refocused my attention to a new project - learning to paint botanical subjects and developing our coastal garden in Karitane.
I completed the SBA Distance Learning Diploma in 2022 and since then have become part of the relatively new Dunedin group the ‘Botanicalists’ - many who are members of the Society. We exhibit regularly and have a lively group that has become busy with different events.
I have very much appreciated the support of our Society, especially Lesley who guided me in a way that gave me confidence to exhibit, and Elizabeth who hosted my first NZ botanical art course in Hanmer some years earlier. I realised then botanical artists are a fun group of people.
I am very pleased to be one of the newly elected members and hope to develop a specific focus within the committee in the near future.’
Tulia Moss
‘I am a botanical illustrator and artist located in Karori, Wellington, New Zealand. With a background in design and education, my pen-and-ink and watercolour works follow the time-honoured conventions of scientific botanical illustration.
Exploring the plant world with a sense of wonder and careful observation drawing from life, I aim to capture the fleeting, complex, and poetic moments that plants evoke. My journey continues as I bring a blend of global influence and local inspiration. Currently distance learning, completing a Diploma in Botanical Illustration with the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh (2021-2025).
I welcome the opportunity to participate and facilitate in the dialogue between art, science, and our living environment with the Botanical Art Society of New Zealand.’
