Famous Saatchi Gallery to exhibit South Cumbrian artist

Norma Gregory, from Grange-over-Sands, is a well-known self-taught botanical illustrator who has won acclaim for more than 20 years for her highly detailed paintings of plants.

New work by her is now being exhibited as part of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Botanical Art and Photography Show 2026 at the world-renowned Saatchi Gallery in London until August 2.

Asked about how it feels to be exhibiting at such a gallery, Mrs Gregory said it was an “honour” to be included.

Norma Gregory is exhibiting six pieces of art illustrating garden roots (Image: Supplied)

“It is not something I aimed for,” she added, “it just sort of happened [to be the case] that it [the exhibition] was going to be in the Saatchi Gallery”.

Mrs Gregory, a former teacher who also spent many years organising courses for inmates in His Majesty’s Prisons, is exhibiting six paintings of garden roots at the gallery.

Much like the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Mrs Gregory’s work gets judged by experts in the craft too.

Norma Gregory is exhibiting six pieces of art illustrating garden roots (Image: Supplied)

The RHS will hand out awards, ranging from gold, silver gilt, silver, bronze or no award at all.

In her illustrious artistic career, Mrs Gregory has secured many awards for her work with her first botanical illustration gold medal coming in 2006 at Kew Gardens.

However, Mrs Gregory’s love for art is more than just about winning critical acclaim and medals, she explained.

“Art is a great way of losing and forgetting [everyday life],” she said. “You have to concentrate so much that you forget the problems.”

Talking about this therapy-like experience, she added: “So when you put the brush down, they do not feel half as bad.”

Asked about whether she would encourage everyone to one day pick up a brush or a pencil to start creating, Mrs Gregory – who leads art classes herself – said she would highly recommend it.

Norma Gregory is exhibiting six pieces of art illustrating garden roots (Image: Supplied)

The artist said she loves nothing more than having a group of people who have never picked up a brush come to her and say, “I cannot do it”, only to prove them wrong.

“It is just [about] finding the right person to help you do that [learn] and encourage you to do it.

“I get a great deal of satisfaction from seeing someone draw something and they say, ‘I did not think I could do that.”