Photo: Tony Kearns
"My work is inspired by the minutiae of nature. I explore the detail, colour and form within the realm of plants and their environment. My wish is to share with the viewer my fascination with the beautiful and bizarre in a world which we all too easily take for granted."
Yanny Petters
Yanny is one of Ireland's foremost botanical artists and she is represented by The Olivier Cornet Gallery, Dublin.
Yanny's illustrations on a special set of An Post stamps 'Changing Leaves'
"Changing Leaves" stamp collection first day cover
An Post's "Changing Leaves" is a special stamp collection launched on September 25, 2025, to celebrate native Irish trees. Illustrated by Yanny Petters and designed by Jenny Dempsey, the stamps feature the leaves of the silver birch, rowan (mountain ash), and hawthorn trees. The designs can be used on envelopes in landscape or portrait orientation to mimic the motion of falling leaves, and are available to purchase online here or at selected post offices.
Key features of the "Changing Leaves" stamps:
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Theme: The beauty of Irish native trees and their changing autumn leaves.
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Trees featured: Silver birch, rowan (mountain ash), and hawthorn.
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Artists: Watercolours by Yanny Petters and design by Jenny Dempsey.
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Design element: The stamps are designed to be applied in either landscape or portrait orientation, emulating the motion of falling leaves.
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Availability: Sold as a sheet of six, a strip of three, or a First Day Cover.
Various native tree species grow in Ireland, including oak, silver birch, ash, hazel, hawthorn, scots pine, rowan (mountain ash) and willow. They all have important roles to play in our ecosystem and many of them have been essential to the rural economy and have featured prominently in our culture. Irish folklore is full of stories, beliefs and custom relating to these important florae, which glorify our landscapes and are at the heart of so much rich tradition.
Each native tree has distinctive leaves with unique shapes and textures. With the exception of scots pine – an evergreen with glossy green needles – their leaves gradually change colour and fall as the weather grows colder in the autumn. As winter draws near, the green of chlorophyll surrenders to the yellow of carotene and the pinks and reds of anthocyanin. This happens each year – but the results are never quite the same, because annual changes in climate and rainfall mean that the colour palette is a little different every time. The one thing that never changes is the emotional charge we get from viewing the autumn display.
Yanny chose these three native tree species for their instantly recognisable and distinct shapes and their wonderful autumnal colours.