Tania Kovats

Another reason to marvel at a peony. How does she manage to look so beautiful in her blooming; then go over her perfect moment, be exhausted, and yet still look spent beautifully.

The first twist of a bean. Plant intelligence a joy to witness. Always enjoy how the spindle of the runner bean shoot finds the help that’s offered by the stick and takes the support, and it’s reliably a glorious anti-clockwise curl.

Happy May Day! Sharing a little clip of spring riot from this morning’s cloudy dawn chorus.

Flower Moon blooming for Beltane. Peak spring joys.

Peak Peony. Delights of the spring keep arriving.

LUNA I find myself pouring over the mind blowing images of our moon that NASA have put out in circulation from Artemis ll. Those of a moon-mind would enjoy the exhibition COSMOS, in its last few days at the RWA in Bristol. LUNA is made up of 28 ink and watercolour drawings on canvas of the lunar cycle. The show has been curated by the artist curator Ione Parkin who has assembled an expansive galaxy of works that reflect on how artists look at space. In my work LUNA, I draw the moon, not from close observation, more to make it present as my timekeeper, moving through its repeating patterns in simple renderings of ink and watercolour. The exhibition gathers together many contemporary and historical creative strategies for how to make sense of our place in the universe. Artists in this galaxy include: @Louise.Beer , @K.Bernstein2 , @AnnieCattrell , @ianchamberlainartist , @RichardchristopherCox , Geraldine Cox @findingpaterns.info , @susanderges , Otto Dettmer, @SarahDuncan @eyresusan , @annagillespiesculpture , @tomhammick1 @alex._hartley @simonhitchens , @janettekerrstudio @melaniekatking @kovats66 @ulrikekuchner @_lyndalaird @_Christopherlebrun , @johannaljungberg_drawing , @GillianAdairmcf @rachaelnee.art , @pale.blue.dot.collective @corneliaparkerartist , @ioneparkin , @Michaelporterart_ , @benroweartist @sewell762 , @rev_jane_sheppard , @yinkashonibarestudio , @karlsingporewala , @wolfgang_tillmans The show at the RWA is ticketed 🎟️ Tickets from £11 🔗 rwa.org.uk/cosmos 📅 From 24 January 2026 till 19th April. So last few days this weekend… 🪐 Exhibition catalogue is available with foreword by astrophysicist, author and broadcaster, Chris Lintott | rwa.org.uk/shopcosmos

‘Book of Earth’ 2025 ‘All the strata of the earth had their origins at the bottom of the sea ‘ James Hutton. Some more pages from my new work ‘Book of Earth’. These drawings chart my subjective and messy response to Hutton, geology, time, soil and worms. I remain in awe of how Hutton made the connection between land and sea. A place to learn that world’s waters are the sculptors of the land. ‘Book of Earth’ is part of a thoughtful exhibition that marks 300 years since James Hutton was born. His publication ‘Theory of the Earth’ published in 1788 radically reframed how we conceive of time and laid the foundations of geology. A while back I was lucky enough to view ‘The Lost Album’ of drawings made by Hutton’s friend John Clerk Eldin. These are drawings and etchings that conceptualised and communicated this epic reimagining of landscape. When asked to make a work for ‘Earth Matters’ I wanted to make a book. Books change the way we see things. My drawings are made onto Scottish Soil Surveys supplied to me by the James Hutton Institute. ‘Earth Matters’ marks 300 years since the birth of James Hutton, the Edinburgh-born farmer and writer who revolutionised our understanding of Earth’s creation and the ground beneath us. Inspired by Hutton and subsequent trailblazers, I am one of 30 artists delving into soil, this living ecosystem to reveal its importance, beauty and fragility. ‘Earth Matters’ features work by Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Louise Bennetts, Stevi Benson, Stefanie Ying Lin Cheong, John Clerk of Eldin, Constanza Dessain, Joan Eardley, Nancy Fuller, Cara Guthrie, Ilana Halperin, James Hutton, Adam Johnston, John Kay, Tania Kovats, Viv Lee & Jonathan Wade, Becky Little & Tom Morton, Sekai Machache, Maria McStay, Kevin Andrew Morris, Kelly Murray, George Perry, Carol Rhodes, Natalie Taylor, Graeme Todd, JL Williams, Clare Woods, Eleanor White, Alberta Whittle, Crunch Willoughby, Fiona Young, and others. #RoyalBotanicGardenEdinburgh #EarthMatters #InverleithHouse #DesignExhibitionScotland

‘Book of Earth’ 2025 Delighted to have been able to visit ‘Earth Matters’ at Inverleith House in Edinburgh last week. My new work ‘Book of Earth’ is part of this thoughtful exhibition that marks 300 years since James Hutton was born. His publication ‘Theory of the Earth’ published in 1788 radically reframed how we conceive of time and laid the foundations of geology. A while back I was lucky enough to view ‘The Lost Album’ of drawings made by Hutton’s friend John Clerk Eldin. These are drawings and etchings that conceptualised and communicated this epic reimagining of landscape. When asked to make a work for ‘Earth Matters’ I wanted to make a book. Books change the way we see things. My drawings are made onto Scottish Soil Surveys supplied to me by the James Hutton Institute. These drawings chart my subjective and messy response to Hutton, geology, time, soil and worms. ‘Earth Matters’ marks 300 years since the birth of James Hutton, the Edinburgh-born farmer and writer who revolutionised our understanding of Earth’s creation and the ground beneath us. Inspired by Hutton and subsequent trailblazers, I am one of 30 artists delving into soil, this living ecosystem to reveal its importance, beauty and fragility. The exhibition arises out of creative partnership between Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Susanna Beaumont | Design Exhibition Scotland, Earth Matters is set within Inverleith House Gallery, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. ‘Earth Matters’ features work by Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Louise Bennetts, Stevi Benson, Stefanie Ying Lin Cheong, John Clerk of Eldin, Constanza Dessain, Joan Eardley, Nancy Fuller, Cara Guthrie, Ilana Halperin, James Hutton, Adam Johnston, John Kay, Tania Kovats, Viv Lee & Jonathan Wade, Becky Little & Tom Morton, Sekai Machache, Maria McStay, Kevin Andrew Morris, Kelly Murray, George Perry, Carol Rhodes, Natalie Taylor, Graeme Todd, JL Williams, Clare Woods, Eleanor White, Alberta Whittle, Crunch Willoughby, Fiona Young, and others. #RoyalBotanicGardenEdinburgh #EarthMatters #InverleithHouse #DesignExhibitionScotland

Worm Full Moon last night. With a worm of a cloud squirming across the sky.

Snake skin. Our son had two corn snakes for a while and they lived in vivarium in the kitchen. I collected their skins when they shed them, fascinated by how a snake grows. As the year of the snake ends this evening, I’m remembering the value of easing off a skin and slipping off what you don’t need any more.

Saturday is the final day to see ‘Last of my summer blooms’ that are included in the inspiring group show ‘After Nature’ at Proposition Gallery, Bethnal Green, London, curated by @ben_tufnell Valentine’s Day is a day of flowers. So sending out these flowers for Valentines. These works are made with my favourite flowers - dahlias. Their delicate tubers are currently stored in a crate for the winter before the dahlia cycle begins again in March. In these drawings I take my favourite blooms at the end of the summer, soak and compress them into paper. These blooms are in good company for one more day with this group of artists that are all attempting to navigate our complex and broken relationship with nature and the beyond human world. The show includes works by Richard Long, David Nash, Mercedes Balle, Chris Dury, Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, Alex Hartley, Simon Hitchens, Alistair & Fleur Mackie, Onya McCausland, Nissa Nishikawa, Aimee Parrott, Lotte Scott and Fred Sorrell. THIS EXHIBITION BRINGS TOGETHER LEADING AND EMERGING ARTISTS OFFERING A TIMELY EXPLORATION OF THE WAYS IN WHICH ARTISTS ARE LOOKING AT AND THINKING ABOUT NATURE IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY, FEATURING WORKS SPANNING A RANGE OF MEDIA, INCLUDING SCULPTURE, CERAMICS, DRAWING, PAINTING AND PHOTOGRAPHY. AFTER NATURE 📍 Proposition Bethnal Green, 279 Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, London, E2 0EL 🗓️ 21 November 2025 - 14 February 2026 
 #AfterNature #PropositionLondon #CLOSEGallery #ArtAfterNature #EcologicalArt ContemporaryArt LondonExhibitions

‘Last of my summer blooms’ are included in the thoughtful group show ‘After Nature’ at Proposition Gallery, Bethnal Green, London, curated by @ben_tufnell and @freeny_yianni that is now in its last weekend. In these drawings I take my favourite summer blooms, soak and compress them into paper. These blooms are in good company with a group of artists that are all attempting to navigate our complex and broken relationship with nature and the beyond human world. The show includes works by Richard Long, David Nash, Mercedes Balle, Chris Dury, Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, Alex Hartley, Simon Hitchens, Alistair & Fleur Mackie, Onya McCausland, Nissa Nishikawa, Aimee Parrott, Lotte Scott and Fred Sorrell. THIS EXHIBITION BRINGS TOGETHER LEADING AND EMERGING ARTISTS OFFERING A TIMELY EXPLORATION OF THE WAYS IN WHICH ARTISTS ARE LOOKING AT AND THINKING ABOUT NATURE IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY, FEATURING WORKS SPANNING A RANGE OF MEDIA, INCLUDING SCULPTURE, CERAMICS, DRAWING, PAINTING AND PHOTOGRAPHY. AFTER NATURE 📍 Proposition Bethnal Green, 279 Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, London, E2 0EL 🗓️ 21 November 2025 - 14 February 2026 
 #AfterNature #PropositionLondon #CLOSEGallery #ArtAfterNature #EcologicalArt ContemporaryArt LondonExhibitions