Deirdre Bean

Deirdre is an internationally awarded natural history artist. Her artworks in watercolour on paper and vellum are painstakingly executed over many hours.

Influenced by traditional painting methods, Deirdre brings her fine illustrative style into a fresh contemporary practice inspired by the natural world. Deirdre paints her subjects closely, revealing intricate detail and perfect forms that the eye sometimes misses. She sources her subjects from field trips and methodically composes her paintings in the studio.

Environmental threats to Australia’s flora have inspired Deirdre to paint species of environmental importance and vulnerability. Her PhD in Natural History Illustration focused on Australia’s mangrove species.

In recent years, Deirdre has travelled with recognized Australian contemporary artists to Gallipoli and the Western Front in France and Belgium. Her artwork depicts her own unique artistic response to the battlefields and has been exhibited throughout NSW’s regional galleries.

Deirdre was the inaugural winner of the 2015 Executive Director's Prize at Botanica and a finalist in the 2012 Waterhouse Prize for Natural History. She received highly commended in the same prize 2011.