T-illustration

August / Allamanda flowers 💛🧡
Calendar “Bali Flowers in Watercolour”

A beautiful day by the lotus pond 💖🌸🥰

Despite my busy schedule this month, I carved out a few days to work en plein air. Even the unfinished, imperfect quick sketches I made in the open air have a charm of their own. Looking at them, I remember the entire day in every detail: the movement of light and shadow, the splashing water, the curves of the flowers. Finally, just when I felt like I’d truly become part of the landscape, a red dragonfly landed on my toe, stayed there for a few precious moments, and flew away. But the fairytale feeling remained! 💫✨🌸

Frangipani 🌸
Watercolor on paper

Temple flowers (Frangipani and globe amaranth) 🌸🙏💚

Today, on the first of July, I decided to pause and think about what beauty really means. Is it just certain patterns in nature that change how our brains work, or does it come from something deeper and spiritual? How often do we truly see and appreciate beauty, instead of just glancing at it?

Red Frangipani
Bali Flowers series

Watercolor on paper

Wind at The Devil’s Tears / Pandanus Tectorius
Devil’s Tears is a picturesque overlook on Lembongan Island, near Bali, with scenic views of sunsets and waves crashing over rocky coves. There’s always a mist of water in the air there from the crashing waves, and the wind blows it into your face. I visited this place for the first time in January of this year, when the wind and waves were particularly fierce. And there I saw the pandanus plant for the first time. It seemed to be enjoying the atmosphere, its partially dried leaves with ominous spines fluttering in the wind, rustling and glorifying the elements.

This work is presented at the SBA Plantae 2026 exhibition, which runs online from June 1 to 30.

This year, during Ubud Open Studios, we invited our visitors to collaborate on a living botanical journal. Everyone was welcome to contribute a small drawing to the sketchbook. I think the idea was a success! We now have over three dozen beautiful sketches from a wide variety of people, from experienced artists to aspiring amateurs. 🤗😍🌺🌹💫

I never cease to be amazed by the human capacity and passion for creativity. This is perhaps the most precious quality for me, especially when creativity is combined with a loving heart. Inspired, filled with joy, and sometimes even overcoming inertia and resistance, we strive to create and share beauty. Thank you, wonderful people, for this experience and for your creativity! For me, this was the most wonderful moment of the entire event ❤️‍🔥🤗🙏

With love,
Tania