Beautiful watercolour plates of more than 100 Hong Kong trees a real labour of love
- Sally Grace Bunker spent up to six hours a day for 7½ years to complete this stunning book
- Her watercolour plates depict more than 100 trees in different stages of development
Portraits of Trees of Hong Kong and Southern China, by Sally Grace Bunker (illustrations), and Richard M.K. Saunders and Chun-Chiu Pang (text). Published by Earnshaw Books. 4/5 stars
Hong Kong-based British botanical artist Sally Grace Bunker has been painting the trees of Hong Kong for six hours a day during the past seven and a half years.
After exploring the city (including four hikes up Sunset Peak to capture the rare IIllicium angustisepalum or Lantau star-anise) for the better part of a decade, the result of Bunker’s labours is a stunning collection of more than 100 of Hong Kong’s most significant trees gathered in Portraits of Trees of Hong Kong and Southern China, which includes text by Richard M.K. Saunders and Pang Chun-Chiu.
Ten years ago, Bunker, who previously worked in education, wanted a career change and at the urging of a friend, she undertook a three-year course with the Society of Botanical Artists, which awarded her a distinction. Bunker wanted to work on a project focused on Hong Kong’s trees and teamed up with Saunders and Pang, who decided which of Hong Kong’s 390 indigenous trees to highlight in this book.
