Susannah Nicholls - botanical artist and illustrator

Botanical illustration is for Sue something of a third career. A biological science degree was followed by a Ph.D and a few years working as an electron microscopist. After a career change and M.Sc. in information science Sue spent most of her career as a medical librarian in the University of Sheffield Health Sciences Library.

Early retirement offered an opportunity to combine life-long drawing habits and a return to her roots with the University of Sheffield Certificate in Botanical Illustration.

Sue is the holder of two Grenfell Silver-Gilt Medals from the RHS awarded for studies of the family Ericaceae (November 2002) and for studies of the family Proteaceae (November 2006).

Sue is a member of IAPI (Institute for Analytical Plant Illustrators) and a founder member of The Florilegium Society at Sheffield Botanical Gardens of which she is one of the first Fellows having had four pictures accepted for their Archive.

Sue has contributed illustrations to Vegetative Flora to the British Isles (Poland, J and Clement, E. (2009)) and to forthcoming Birmingham and Black Country Flora.