Margaret Stevens Botanical Painting

I am so delighted to have had one of my paintings selected for Margaret Stevens' new book on botanical painting. The painting is 'Liquidambar styraciflua Worplesdon'. It is painted in watercolour and gouache.

Margaret's book is full of practical advice and a very interesting read. It also features the work of many SBA artists and students.  It is a book filled with beautiful art work.

Margaret Stevens is a Founder Member and Past President of the Society of Botanical Artists. She is also a Royal Horticultural Society Gold Medalist.

SBA Woburn Abbey

A new venture for the SBA this year. We have an exhibition as part of the Woburn Abbey Garden Show. Gates open at 10 AM this Saturday, 23 June and the event runs until Sunday. I have originals, prints and cards for sale. Come along and see what promises to be a fascinating show. If you want to say hello, I'll be stewarding on Sunday. At other times you might find me out amongst the plants.

Rhododendron moupinense and Ladybird

Some of the painting stages of 'Rhododendron Moupinense and Ladybird'. I love painting raindrops and thought that they looked particularly beautiful on the leaves of the Rhododendron Moupinense. I thought a pencil background would help to make a highlight of one branch of leaves. The ladybird was just a bit of fun and a splash of colour to the composition.

This painting is one of two pictures selected for the Williamson Open Art & Photography Exhibition 2018. Held at the Williamson Gallery & Museum, Slatey Road, Birkenhead CH43 4UE. It is open now until 6th May 2018.

SBA Madrid

Exhibition entrance

Crowds at the opening

View of the gardens

Beds of tulips

Madrid

Around Madrid

The Society of Botanical Artists exhibition 'Tulipa Tulipae - el tulipan ilustrado' held by the Real Jardin Botanico in Madrid is fantastic, so many beautiful paintings of tulips. It is open until 20th May.
The gardens are a lovely setting. They are planted with tulip varieties to match each of the paintings in the exhibition. The gallery is a large space with natural light.
What can I say about Madrid? It is a beautiful city and so much to see. We visited the Royal Palace, El Retiro - a fabulous park right in the middle of the city. We set aside a whole afternoon for the Prado Gallery. It wasn't long enough. What an amazing place.
It was fun trying out my Spanish although we only gave ourselves a few weeks to learn. I am not sure how much people were able to understand, but we managed to order food and buy tickets, and we survived.
We fell in love with Madrid. If you ever get the opportunity it's a city well worth visiting and I am sure you would fall in love with it too.

SBA Madrid

Practising my Spanish

Tulipa Peaches and Cream

The Society of Botanical Artists are holding an exhibition 'Tulipa Tulipae - el tulipan ilustrado', at Real Jardin Botanico, Madrid 20 March to 20th May 2018.

'Peaches and Cream' is one of my paintings in the exhibition. I am really looking forward to visiting this exhibition and seeing a little of Spain. I have never been there before.

I am trying my best to learn some Spanish. With not much luck. I can say hola (Hello) and Gracias (Thank you). I know a little French and German, but Spanish is such a hard language to learn. I think I need to carry my phrase book with me wherever I go. If you are visiting the exhibition and come and talk to me and I reply de nada (your welcome) and nothing else, I apologise, I am trying.

House plants brighten your days

Coral Cactus

Sedum Burrito

Rhipsalidopsis

It might be cold outside. Too cold to go out and garden. But plants grown in your home are a great comfort at this time of year. I don't have a lot of space for plants but all my window sills are full of them.

A Painting has a life of it's own

Green background

Black Background

When I planned this composition I originally decided to have a green background.

In the first photo you can see the green background is in place. I was unhappy with it, I felt it would not highlight the plant the way I wanted it to.

Sometimes a painting has a life of it's own.

In the second photo you can see I have changed it. Lots of neutral tint. Much better.

I finished the painting and hated it. I could not decide what was wrong, so I put it away out of sight.

Reaching it out again, months later, I knew what was wrong. Too much neutral tint! I added more Sea Holly to the background.

More Sea Holly

Sometimes a painting definitely has a life of it's own.

Some paintings give you no trouble to paint, but then you always get one that is wilful, awkward, and puts up a fight.

Writers often talk about how their characters follow their own paths. Well who says plants can't do the same.