Mary Grierson

Mary Anderson Grierson (27 September 1912 – 30 January 2012) was a Welsh-born Scottish botanical artist and illustrator. The youngest of three children to parents hailing from Dumfries, she was encouraged by her mother to paint from an early age but preferred watercolour over oil. Grierson served in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force as a flight officer in a photographic reconnaissance unit and used the skills she learnt into use later in her life. She joined De Havilland's public relations department after demobilisation and moved to Hunting Aerosurveys in 1947. Grierson was sent on a week course in pen and ink drawing in Suffolk ten years later and returned there for another ten years after finding the experience fulfilling.

In 1960, she became employed by the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew as the Herbarium's resident artist. Grierson later illustrated several books and had her work exhibited at various locations across the globe. She officially retired from Kew Gardens in 1972 to enable her to take up more private commissions. Grierson was the recipient of several medals, including the Victoria Medal of Honour by the Royal Horticultural Society in 1997. Provided by Wikipedia