THE work of three award-winning botanical artists is set to go on display at Dawyck Botanic Garden, near Stobo.

The paintings will be shown as part of the 'Plants from the Woods and Forests of Chile' exhibition, which opens at The Studio on February 1.

'Plants from the Woods and Forests of Chile' is a collection of specially-commissioned, unique watercolour paintings that show the remarkable beauty and diversity of plants native to Chile.

The works have been created by three award-winning artists from Turkey - Gülnur Ekşi, Işık Güner and Hülya Korkmaz and depict a range of iconic Chilean species such as the monkey puzzle (Araucaria araucana) as well lesser known gems, including the southern beech tree (Nothofagus alessandrii).

True to the discipline of botanical art, each painting accurately depicts dissections of flowers and fruits, and together the collection makes an important contribution to the legacy of botanical illustration in Chile.

The paintings - commissioned for the decade-long RBGE project 'Plants from the Woods and Forests of Chile' - provide a taste of the richness of Chile’s forested habitats which are some of the most iconic and important forests in the world.

These areas are under great environmental pressure and the exhibition also aims to provide an explanation about why organisations such as RBGE are fighting against time to conserve these natural resources and protect the services they provide.

Curator Graham Stewart said: “Plants from the Woods and Forests of Chile features fine botanical art and I am sure it will be appreciated by our visitors over the coming months.

"Exhibitions such as this are an important way of showcasing the diversity of plants and making people aware of the important plant research and conservation work that RBGE is undertaking both nationally and internationally.

“I am hoping that when visitors see the exhibition they will be encouraged to go into the Garden and seek out plants from Chile that we have growing here at Dawyck.’’

The exhibition will run until Monday, 29 July and admission to the Studio is free.