Audrey Reilly lives and works in the Wedemark in northern Germany, but she has also had a previous life in Ireland where she grew tall and studied art. When not experimenting with various painting media or visually studying the intricacies of nature, she tends passionatley to her sprawling garden with her husband, walks her magnificent dogs, and dreams in watercolour.

The artistic path and transition to Botanical Art.

"I grew up in the lakeland district of Ireland’s midlands and from an early age was drawn to animals and nature. After art college on the northwest coast of Ireland i discovered city life, and my move to Germany continued on this urban road. An enlightening and lively time it was too, making ends meet by teaching English but always keeping in touch with artistic endeavours. I was a member of the artist group Atelier Block 16 where our studios were housed in a converted factory building in Hannover’s Nordstadt. My work was more figurative and expressionistic then.

After moving to the country in 2011 I turned more and more towards nature in my painting. Botanical Art had been so forgotten in Germany that I was not even aware of it as a contemporary art practice. Meeting a botanical artist in Ireland in 2018 made me curious and, after participating in a short weekend workshop with her, I was hooked. It ticks all the boxes for me: art, history, nature, an interest in science, biodiversity and environmental awareness.

It has definitely been a fruitful and rewarding journey so far.“

In 2020, she completed the Certificate in Botanical Illustration at the Royal Botanical Garden Edinburgh with a distinction. She immediately enrolled and was accepted into their online Diploma course and will be busy with this until March 2024.

Audrey is president of the newly founded German Botanical Art Society, VBKD, a non profit organisation dedicated to the promotion of botanical art and artists and to reawaken a passion for botanical art in Germany. (Website coming soon)

She is also a member of the Irish Society of Botanical Art (ISBA), the American Society of Botanical Art (ASBA), and the Association of Botanical Artists (ABA).