Heidi Willis is an emerging Australian talent in botanical art. She is not only an entirely self-taught painter of botanical specimens, but has quickly established herself in the field. She started work as a full-time botanical artist only in 2003 and that shows how quickly she has learnt the ropes. Her fame is already such that her Lotus Study work has already become part of the world-famous and prestigious Dr. Shirley Sherwood collections.

So much so that she was selected as a finalist for the Waterhouse Natural History Prize on 3 occasions, once in 2004, and then in two consecutive years 2006 and 2007. Hosted by the South Australian Museum, it recognizes excellence in art associated with natural history. Heidi's work as a botanical artist was selected by this august institution from among 600 entries worldwide in 2007.

Two of her botanical illustrations on graphite were selected for the Margaret Flockton Award hosted by the Sydney-based Royal Botanical gardens. The award recognizes outstanding work in the field of scientific botanical art. Her pencil work in the field won awards for Heidi in both 2005 and 2006.

Her work as a botanical artist has also been recognized in the US. She is a finalist in the Focus on Nature exhibition for the Natural History Art Prize in 2006 and 2007 held in the New York State Museum. She also had two of her botanical art paintings approved for entry in the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation exhibition in the US. The institute is famous for presenting top quality botanical art exhibitions.

Heidi is now only about 37 years old. Considering the high rate at which her talent is getting honed with time it is reckoned that she will become one of the foremost botanical artists in the world by the time she becomes 50 0r 55 years old. Her work already finds inclusion in public and private botanical art collections and in exhibitions held around the world not only in Australia, the US and in Europe, but also in Asia.

Besides Female satin Bowerbird some of her acclaimed botanical paintings include a number of bird paintings. She has painted the Crimson Rosella, the Black Cockatoo, and the Little Red Wattlebird. She has also painted the Lotus and Dusky Moorhens, the Blue Wren, and the Black Cockatoos. It also includes Water Lilies, Satin Bowerbirds and Magnolias, Wattle Birds and Sophora, Telopea Speciosissima, and Regent Honey Eater.

She has also painted the Sacred Kingfisher that finds inclusion on the cover of the color catalog and posters on the 2006 edition of the Focus on Nature exhibition. The New York state Museum also displayed Heidi's wildlife and botanical illustrations for five months in 2007.