Artist focus: Mayumi Hashi
Botanical artist painting in Surrey, UK
Welcome to Behind the Brush… I’m so happy you’re here. Artist Focus is my mid-month feature where I invite botanical artists from all over the world to share their favourite studio picks for plant art and beyond.
This month I am spotlighting the wonderful (and modest) artist, Mayumi Hashi who is a fellow member of The Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society. She began her botanical illustration journey in September 1996 at the Bromley Adult Education College where she now teaches the subject. She exhibited one of her first paintings of Fuchsia in colour pencils at the RHS show in London in February 1997 as a group entry of the Bromley Adult Education College which was awarded a Silver-Gilt Lindley Medal and is now in the RHS Lindley Library.
Since then she was awarded a Silver-Gilt Medal at the RHS show in January 2003 for watercolour paintings of Orchids and a Silver Medal in January 2005 for watercolour paintings of the Encyclia species. She was then awarded a Gold Medal at the RHS International Orchid Show in September 2005 and she was the only Gold Medalist at the show. She was also awarded a Silver Medal at the Gardening Scotland Show in Edinburgh, under the auspices of the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in June 2006.
In May 2006, she became the first awardeee of the RHS Dawn Jolliffe Botanical Art Bursary and went to Peru to draw, paint and take photographs of orchids there for two weeks. Mayumi’s work was selected for inclusion in The Highgrove Florilegium created under the umbrella of King Charles III Charitable Fund to celebrate and record in a permanent way the Flora in the garden at Highgrove.
She was awarded the second Gold Medal at the RHS London Show in November 2007, and her third last week at The RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show at The Saatchi Gallery in London, as well as Best Botanical Art Exhibit.
Quite a lady I am sure you will agree! Over to the artist …
1.Favourite paintbrush Mainly Winsor & Newton Series 7, but not miniatures. I also tried daVinci, Rowney and Raphael. I should name one of my favorite brushes apart from Winsor Newton. It is Daler Rowney's Aquafine series (Sable Round). One of my students used this many many years ago. That particular brush was so good, so I bought one, but mine was not that great. I left it for months, and then I found its quality had improved! Perhaps it needed "seasoning". Recent introduction is ProArte Connoisseur 100 series. I used to use No.6 and No.3, and then No.4 and No.2. Nowadays I use No.2 to 3/0. Somehow my favourite brushes are getting smaller and smaller.
2. Favourite paint Winsor Newton and Schmincke.
3.Favourite watercolour paper My favourite ones used to be Fabriano Artistico Extra White and Fabriano 5. Since they changed the paper surface, I tried to look for a better paper but eventually went back to Fabriano Artistico Extra White, at the moment 640gsm (300lbs). (I couldn't use Fabriano 5 anymore). For smaller paintings, I may use Canson's Moulin du Roy.
4. Favourite botanical artists Paul Jones, Susannah Blaxill, Raymond Booth and many more.
5. Favourite plant to paint Magnolias
6. Favourite studio drink Weak darjeeling tea or jasmine tea.
7. Favourite studio music/pods I like listening to my favourite Japanese Singer-songwriter, Miyuki Nakajima or English rock band, Muse. I also like listening to Mystery audiobooks.
