Help preserve our future
West Dean is part of a registered charity and relies on the support of generous donors, friends, legacies to help us deliver world-class education in conservation and the creative arts and maintain our award-winning gardens.
Amber Halsall
Amber trained at the University of Creative Arts in Canterbury. She then went on to specialise in watercolour and coloured pencil in botanical art. Amber currently works on private commissions and teaches botanical and watercolour classes. Her work is highly detailed with a contemporary style. She is a Fellow Member of the Society of Botanical Artists, exhibits regularly in London and Germany, and has sold work to private collections in the UK, Germany, France and China.
What is your approach to teaching?
I teach in a structured way using regular demonstrations. Students
are encouraged to explore subject matter and test materials before
embarking on a finished piece. Time is spent with students on a one
to one basis to enable them to achieve their specific goals.
What inspires your own work?
Originally inspired by a trip to Kew Gardens in 1995 I am often
captivated by the complex structures and textures that nature gives
us. My aim is to show the beauty and detail of these by using
layers of watercolour to build depth with a dry brush technique on
top.