Marianne Hazlewood (Third, MES 1991) has an exhibition at the Open Eye Gallery in October 2020. Marianne is a botanical artist and produces work for exhibitions, international botanical art competitions, scientific and independent commissions, she is also a tutor at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE).
Marianne left school in 1991 to complete an Honours degree in Hospitality and Tourism, at Strathclyde University, she felt that a good business grounding would help her move into the working world and she loved the variety and social nature of the work and camaraderie with her teams. She decided to switch career after meeting her husband.
Her first passion had always been the Arts so she enrolled at Telford College on their graphic and web design course. Graduating with a distinction, she was offered a job, at her end of year show, in a small Edinburgh agency.
5 years on, Marianne decided start her own graphic and web design company little angel design. She partnered with her husband, Alex to also offer IT services, and their sister company Really Good Computer Services is going strong and has been running for over 15 years.
As a teenager Marianne had been really taken with the work of Rory McEwen, a celebrated Scottish botanical artist and polymath. She took some night classes on botanical illustration at RBGE and got the bug! She had some fantastic tuition there and was encouraged to enter an international competition, Botanical Images Scotia (BISCOT), which she did in 2014. Marianne was awarded a silver for her efforts. Jacqui Pestel MBE who heads up the botanical illustration department at RBGE saw her work and asked Marianne if she would like to join the diploma program that they run there, and offered her a bursary.
Marianne graduated with a Diploma in Botanical illustration in 2017, with a distinction and the Eve Bennet Book prize. She has since gone on to win Gold at BISCOT and at the RHS London Botanical Art and Photography Show, which is one of the highest achievements in the botanical art field.
In 2019 having entered the Visual Arts Scotland Open exhibition at the RSA Edinburgh galleries on the mound, Marianne was selected by the Open Eye Gallery to receive their exhibition award, and that exhibition is now imminent!
Marianne’s work nods to traditional botanical illustration in watercolour, however her unique layout and eye for detail gives her work a distinctive style. She also creates less structured work using a dip pen and Japanese ink paste where pattern and structure take prominence. She has developed this further through a series of screenprints with bold colour and geometric stylings.
As with most things in lockdown, galleries have had to change the way that they operate, but this has the effect of making their shows more accessible as the exhibition will also now be online at www.openeyegallery.co.uk
If you go along to see it or view it online, send Marianne a message, she would love to hear your thoughts, mail@mariannehazlewood.co.uk. You can also see her work on her own website www.mariannehazlewood.co.uk.
“Fine Hair, Soft Nibs, depictions from a shady bed”
All works illustrated at: www.openeyegallery.co.uk
6th – 24th October
Tuesday to Friday 11am to 5pm
Sat 11am to 4pm
Visits are by appointment only, please contact the Gallery before arrival to book a slot.
Open Eye Gallery
34 Abercromby Place
Edinburgh EH3 6QE
Phone: 0131 557 1020
Email: mail@openeyegallery.co.uk
In accordance with Government guidelines all social distancing measures will be in place with hand sanitiser at the door upon arrival. For the safety of all the gallery respectfully asks all visitors to wear face masks.
ESMS Community 