Lois Nakhleh

Mine is a typical story.  When I was 13 years old I was told that I had no talent. So, I continued as someone who dearly loved the paintings of others. To my delight, I started to draw and paint 7 years ago when I was 54 years old and haven’t stopped since.

All my remembered life, I have loved and respected the natural world. Therefore, I am most happy when painting plants and animals from nature.  I work nearly every morning when the light is best from my windows, and do not like to be disturbed. A day without painting is not a good day, especially as my plant specimens are continually in a state of change. I am particularly interested in botanically documenting the indigenous plants of our beloved Palestine.

I am referred to as a self-taught artist. But it is not actually so because I have seriously studied books written by other artists about how to paint. Mostly, I prefer to paint in watercolor but also like colored pencil.

I am a retired neonatal ICU nurse. After 30yrs of patiently caring for the smallest and weakest of people, I feel it is just right for me to transfer that patience to botanical painting, which uses the smallest brushes and takes the longest time to produce.