waiting for spring

wonder | wander | women's word for the year so far is "deluge". Between grey or freezing weather, natural disasters, and the man-made disasters of our collective governments, the year has barely started and it already feels like we're being swept away.

Kalachuchi (Frangipani) in ballpoint and watercolour

In our travels, on our daily walks, when we find time for ourselves, we take pictures of flowers. There is something about a flower that asks to be seen. We can't help but respond with our attention (and our camera phones.)

Daisies, rose and hydrangea, in Pentel Slicci gel pen

Sometimes we would walk with a friend who would pick the flowers that they liked and take them home. But picking a flower means ending its life. So we were happy to take our pictures, but we're also grateful to find another way to keep our favourite blooms forever.

Bougainvillea in Pentel Slicci gel pen

Drawing a flower is a wonderful adventure because it seems so simple at first. We've all seen the diagrams of flowers in our grade school science textbooks: petal, stem, pistil, stamen, leaf. Every child grows up drawing flowers. Only a few adults sit down to really look at these familiar beauties, and discover how complex and unpredictable a simple ring of petals around a yellow heart can become.

Rose in watercolour

There are so many ways to draw flowers. In Chinese painting there are two main styles: gong bi, the "meticulous", and xie yi, the "sketching thoughts" style. In the Western world botanical art is experiencing a resurgence, with collage and new schools of painting, as the almost photographic style moves from scientific illustration to decorative art.

Magnolias with brush pen and watercolour

Many other artists love to paint loose watercolour or gouache studies of flowers from their garden or neighbourhood. Flowers in their endless colours, shapes, and varieties provide a never-ending source of inspiration and easy reference for the studious artist.

Orchid in calligraphy pen and watercolour

We don't even need to go outside to find flowers to paint, which is a relief in the cold and rainy seasons. Stay at home and draw portraits of your potted plants, or go to a cafe or cozy spot where you can take a table for an hour and draw the centrepiece. 

Hiroshige study in ballpoint

Artists throughout history have been studying and drawing flowers, most famously the Japanese print masters. Last year we saw the Hiroshige exhibition and marveled over his sketchbooks and on-the-spot drawings. 

Hiroshige study in brush pen and Japanese watercolour

Artists like Hiroshige and Hokusai followed the Chinese and Japanese painting tradition of depicting birds among flowers to indicate the seasons, especially the coming of spring. In these cold grey months we soothe our impatience for the return of sunshine and growth by painting spring flowers. 

Tulips in green fountain pen ink and watercolour

We anticipate the days when colour and light will return to the world. Until then we will keep off the grey mists by drawing flowers.