Billy Showell

Billy is an internationally known botanical painter, illustrator and tutor and is based in Kent in the UK. Originally Billy trained and worked in fashion design and illustration but she swiftly returned to her first love, painting and illustration. Her works are distinguishable by her striking, fluid and sometimes unusual compositions. She has won several botanical awards, an RHS SGM, several SBA Certificates of Botanical Merit and a Gold medal from the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society as well as numerous ‘People’s Choice’ awards. Billy’s work is held in the collections of Kew Botanic Gardens, the Hunt Institute USA and in the Shirley Sherwood Collection. Her work is also held in many private collections worldwide. Billy served as Co-President of The Society of Botanical Artists from 2018 -2021 and remains a member to this day. Billy was made a member of the Society of Graphic Fine Art in 2024.

Alongside Billy’s painting and illustrating, she is also a prolific teacher, teaching at her studio and regularly across the UK as well as around the world. Passionate about sharing her tips and skills, Billy has produced four best-selling books on her painting style.

Billy runs a successful and popular online tutorial watercolour website - The Billy Showell School of Botanical Art -  teaching thousands of budding botanical painters, and in doing so, launching many new painting careers.

Describe your approach to teaching
At the heart of my work is the love of plants, the love of watercolour and the desire to bring as many people to this art form as I possibly can. Over the past 27 years that I have been painting and teaching, I have introduced the love of painting plants to huge numbers of budding students.

What inspires your own work?
Sharing what I do is my passion and loving what you do' is my mantra. Botany brings enlightenment and painting helps celebrate its beauty.