The Old World swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon) illustration Painting

My name is Ksenia Tikhomirova, I live in Moscow, Russia. Since childhood, I loved to draw, from 8 to 13 years old I studied at the art school and graduated with honors but then there was a break that lasted for many years. During this time, I graduated from the Chemistry Department of Moscow State University, defended my Ph.D. thesis in organic chemistry and became a scientist. But all these years I dreamed of returning to my passion again. And in 2018, after the birth of my second child, my dream finally came true: I began to study watercolor painting and from that moment I found inner harmony again, found a part of myself. It was watercolor that always attracted me, but it also seemed to be the most complex technique. Independent attempts to return to drawing brought only disappointment, so I started with studying on a large online watercolor course, and then continued to study on my own through many online lessons and master classes by different artists, I practiced really a lot, I painted every day. ⠀ It gave the result: I drew better and better every day. I won more than 15 times in different online art competitions and marathons, including international. ⠀ I tried different watercolor techniques and genres, but finally I realized that nature inspires me the most: flowers, birds, insects. ⠀ Most of all I love realistic depiction of the beauty of the nature with maximum details. ⠀ In April 2020 I became a member of SABA (Society of Russian Botanical Artists) and every day I fall more and more in love with botanical art. I hope this love is felt in my paintings.