Ellis Rowan Collection

 Marian Ellis Rowan (1848 -1922) was an extraordinary Australian painter, naturalist, writer and explorer. For almost fifty years she traveled to remote parts of Australia, India, Europe, America and New Guinea in pursuit of exotic flowers and wildlife to paint. She had no formal training in art and her success was sometimes envied by artists who viewed 'flower painting' as an inferior form. She was a strong-willed yet fascinating woman, an enigmatic character who forged her way through life, captivating others while pursuing her ultimate goal—the finding  and painting of wildflowers, birds, insects and butterflies of many countries, often for the first time.  (Image - portrait of the artist)