Welcome to Floral Collection 2. Here we have a gallery of original watercolours, mixed media and acrylic on canvases, using more interpretative stylistic approaches. Many originals are available to purchase.
Click on the thumbnails to explore. (If you click off the caption, click again to restore) If you are interested in buying an available original from this collection, you will find it on this page
Fruits and Flowers, watercolour on paper, 40 by 57cm £195
An exploration of the wonderful variety of forms and textures found in the plant kingdom
Euphorbia Spurge, acrylic on canvas, 40 by 40cm £195
A play with the structure and colours of this fascinating plant to produce a 'confection' of tones using complementary colours.
Water Lilies, watercolour on paper, 35.5 by 35.5cm £150
Two water lilies float on the surface of a pond on a rainy day, at one with each other and with nature.
Columbine ,watercolour on paper, 31 by 41cm £195
A monochrome tonal painting of columbine seed heads which I dried out from my garden. The fruits split vertically to release the packed together glossy black and beady seeds when the conditions are fair.
Opium Poppies, watercolour on paper, 31 by 41cm £195
A monochrome tonal painting of some dried poppy stems from my garden caught at the stage of being a subtle blue-grey colour with a chalky bloom.
Winter Berries 1, acrylic on canvas, 40 by 40cm £220
I wanted to make these berries 'pop' with colour and contrast their smooth surface with the woolly textures of the lichens. Inspiration taken from autumn and winter hedges in my part of the world and for the composition, Japanese asymmetry.
Hogweed surface pattern, acrylic on canvas, 50 by 60cm £270
I love hogweed for its umbrella-like flower heads and branching stems, so I used its forms for a surface pattern kind of design, using beech leaf stems as filler, as well as printed patterns from lace.
Summer Seed Heads 1 of 3 series, watercolour and mixed media on paper, 31 by 41.5cm, £220
This is the one of three paintings I've done of the same seed heads through the seasons of summer, autumn and winter. I used PVA modelling on the hogweed and sweet cicely seed heads, tube-lining on some stems and blown ink runs for grasses. The willow herb is such a resilient plant, holding onto its structure well into winter. I wanted to show how the elongated seed pods split along their length to release the packed fluffy cotton-like seeds which are dispersed by the whimsy of the wind.
Sunset Seed Heads 2 of 3 series, watercolour and mixed media on paper,31 by 41.5cm £220
The second of a series of the same seed heads through the seasons, this one being autumn. I used tube-lining on the stems and seed heads, together with blown ink runs for grasses and dead stems. Willow herb and hogweed are such resilient plants, holding onto their structure well into winter.
Frosted Seed Heads 3 of 3, watercolour and mixed media on paper, 31 by 41.5cm £195
This is the third of three paintings I've done of the same seed heads through the seasons of summer, autumn and winter. For the frosty winter one here, I used silver tube-lining for the main stems and seed heads and a good deal of masking fluid patterning for the snowy air and frosted grasses in the background.
Clematis Mrs N. Thompson, watercolour on paper, watercolour, 36 by 41cm £260
A study of the Clematis Mrs N. Thompson, chosen for the deep magenta stripes in the petals against the paler purple tones. I find Clematis plants hard to grown in my garden, so the nearest I get to them is in paint!
Autumn Leaf , watercolour and mixed media on paper, 21 by 26cm £22 clearance
I was marvelling at how many colour transitions this geranium leaf was going through one autumn and wanted to capture the full glowing range of tones. I used sections of the same leaf to add to the background for a sense of falling leaves and a faint spectrum of colour washes as the final touch. The stem was modelled with pva and painted gold on the highlighted side.
Ferns and Horsetail , acrylic on canvas, 40 by 40cm £220
I wanted to show the way tightly compacted young fern fronds unroll like a scroll as they mature, and a little of the life cycle with the developing spores on the underside of the leaves. Adding a snail for a visual and colour contrast focal point made the painting complete for me.
Daffodils and Drystone , watercolour on paper, 39.6 by 28cm £180
Daffodils growing wild by a drystone wall, or 'drystane dyke' as they say here in Scotland, with vibrant green mosses mantling the weathered and lichened blocks of stones.
Oriental Poppies , mixed media on paper, 35.5 by 41cm £250
Watercolour painted from life using oriental poppies growing in my garden. My favourite flower for their scrunched tissue flowers and dark blotched centres. I also used mixed media tube-lining for definition as well as acrylic inks for vibrancy. Oriental, poppies, vermillion, crimson, flowers, foliage, garden, plant, nature, leaves, glowing.
Roses and Alliums, mixed media on paper, 31.5 by 31.5cm £150
A juxtaposition of pink rose heads and fruiting stage, green allium heads, for a sense of abundance, with pink and green being complementary colours to add some 'zing'. PVA modelling was used to build up the allium fruits and tube lining was used for the rose petal edges.
Marine Marigolds ,watercolour on tinted paper, 25 by 30.5cm £195
Marigolds release their petals and seeds into the water of life. I painted it using masking techniques with watercolour to achieve the style of an oriental batik silk painting.
Lotus Flower, watercolour on tinted paper, 25 by 30.5cm £195
This was inspired by Batik painting and the lotus flower, which can be a symbol of the sun, creation, rebirth and spiritual awakening. And I just love the seed pods.
Sea Poppies, watercolour on tinted cream paper, 25 by 30.5cm £195
Sea poppies thrust themselves to the surface of a turbulent ocean. Painted using watercolour masking techniques to evoke the style of an oriental silk batik painting. Lots of bubbles and energy!
Primrose on Wall, watercolour on paper,29 by 24.7cm £95
A primrose makes use of a weathered and mossy crevice in the top of a red sandstone wall. I was also attracted by some of the petals being edge-tinted in pink which compliments the pink of the stones.
Sea Pink, mixed media on paper, 45 by 61cm £
The natural habitat of sea thrift is on a rocky shore growing in crevices, as shown here. I've used sand and pva modelling for the rock lichens and sections of the beach. There's just a little patch of blue sea and sky on the left for a sense of scale and distance.
Winter Hogweed, watercolour and mixed media on paper, 25.5 by 28.4cm SOLD
I love the structural branching forms of this plant, snap dry in winter, yet packed with seeds in the umbrella-like heads. There is a purple and white colourway of this available as a print too.
Honesty , acrylic on canvas, 40 by 40cm, SOLD
I love the changing colours in this plant as it goes to seed, especially when backlit by the sun, so I played with the colours to give added vibrancy, with a suggestion of the last silvery stage when the seeds have been released.
Physalis, acrylic on canvas, 40 by 40cm £220
I love the arching stems of this plant when the papery seed pod lanterns show and I wanted to track the changes through from the flower stage, to the lacy transparent stage with the developing fruit inside. An appropriate species of butterfly was included as a focal point. Rich colours and an asymmetrical feel for the whole was my aim here.
Ox-eye Daisies, watercolour on paper, 37.8 by 37.8cm £195
An eye level view of naturalised ox-eye daisies 'from life' with blown ink runs for grasses.
Helenium and Large Copper butterfly, watercolour and mixed media on paper, 17.8 by 22.8cm £120
Some luscious helenium flowers rendered in vivid colours attract a Large Copper butterfly. I used pva modelling and gold paint for the more imaginative elements to evoke a sense of the exotic and magical.
Parrot Tulips, watercolour and mixed media on paper, 34 by 48cm £290
Parrot tulips are so inviting to paint for their dramatic contortions and bold colour. I also wanted to convey a certain mystery in the background to complement the rather strange nature of them.
Hawthorn Berries, watercolour on paper, 20.3 by 25.4cm £160
A section of a hawthorn branch in an autumn hedgerow, painted for its luscious red berries, and to build up an evocative background using negative shape painting techniques. A joy to do with all the layering
Peony millefiori ,acrylic on canvas, 50 by 60cm £320
This painting was driven from the start by the intention to represent the background of a luscious flower head using a blown glass effect of multiple added 'canes' of colour, but keeping it simpler than the true millefiori (thousand flower) Italian glass making technique. I am always drawn to stained glass effects in my work, so the vibrancy hopefully evokes this too. Mosaic and marbling effects also feature, hopefully bestowing a sense of life and energy.
Poppy Millefiori, acrylic on canvas, 50 by 60cm £320
This painting is a pairing for Peony Millefiori because I so wanted to repeat the painting experience of the style. A background for a frilly flower, using a blown glass effect of multiple added 'canes' of colour, but keeping it simpler than the true millefiori (thousand flower) Italian glass making technique. I am always drawn to stained glass effects in my work, so the vibrancy hopefully evokes this too. Mosaic and marbling effects also feature, hopefully bestowing a sense of life and energy.
Fuchsia 'Snowburner' ,watercolour on paper, 21.2 by 21.2cm £60
A close up of some pendant heads of the frilly fuchsia, Snowburner. They look reminiscent of layers of petticoats underneath a pink satin gown.
Sweet Cicely, acrylic on canvas, 40 by 40cm £220
A design inspired by the umbrella-like forms of sweet cicely seed heads. I added a spiders web of dew drops and a lady bug for added focus. The silhouettes were vital for depth in the background.
Scottish Thistle, acrylic on canvas, 40 by 40cm £220
Painted to show how packed the seedheads are with such an abundance of tiny seeds carried on their feathery floaty parachutes, in contrast to the sturdy prickly flower heads and stems
Tulips and Dewdrops, watercolour and mixed media on paper, 17.8 by 17.8cm £85
A semi-abstract painting of some tulips with a spattering of dewdrops for the freshness of Spring. Some tube-lining was used to help retain flushes of watercolour in particular areas, lending the feel of stained glass which I love.
Malva, acrylic on canvas, 40 by 40cm £195
An exploration of the seed pods of the malva/mallow plant in autumn with the gratuitous use of a ladybird to add interest. I played with a textured ground, silhouettes, and water drops clinging to spiders webbing.
Parrot Tulips 2, mixed media on paper, 19.6 by 25.8cm £95
I love tube-lined ceramics like Moorcroft pottery with Art Nouveau styling using forms from nature. So I created this effect on paper. The vibrant watercolour within the tube-lined shapes also evokes stained glass.
Snowy Berries, watercolour on paper, 17.5 by 17.5cm £28
A design for a Christmas card of overhanging berried branches gathering a coating of snow, using printed lace patterns in the background to suggest snowflakes.
Snowdrops, watercolour on paper, 17.4 by 17.4cm SOLD
A snowy scene using sprinkled salt effects in wet watercolour.
Montage of Summer Flower Heads ,coloured pencil on paper, 31 by 21.5cm SOLD
These are all flower heads drawn from life from my garden and arranged in a scatter montage, for a seasonal surface pattern.
Montage of Autumn Leaves , coloured pencil on paper, 31 by 21.5cm £22 clearance
A collection of autumn leaves drawn from life and arranged in a scatter montage for a seasonal surface pattern.
Spring Summer Florilegium, acrylic on canvas, 60 by 60cm. (Not for sale)
A collection of spring and summer garden flowers arranged in a compositional bouquet to celebrate the abundance of the seasons, with little creatures to discover.
Opium Poppies , watercolour and mixed media on paper, 31 by 40cm £260
I love the crinkly fluted edges of these poppies and used a lot of 'wet into wet' with inks to render the flushing of colour intensity. Tube lining was used for a strong sense of line which, for me, evokes an Art Nouveau style. One of my personal favourites.
Sunflowers 2, watercolour and mixed media in paper, 51.2 by 37.7cm SOLD
With ladybird and tortoiseshell butterfly
Hibiscus, acrylic and gouache on black card, 24.5 by 19cm £150
A portrait of a red hibiscus drawn from some of my own photographic reference while visiting a butterfly hot house - hence the waterdrops! The hibiscus is the state flower of Hawaii, Malaysia and South Korea.
Virginia Creeper, acrylic on canvas, 20 by 20cm, £95
I have a Virginia creeper growing on our cottage wall and the best time is in autumn when the leaves are turning from green, to gold and red. This year I was moved to capture the colour changes and the nature of the plant which gives such pleasure. The flowers are very insignificant so I concentrated on the buds which provide a needed focal point.
Dandelion Clocks, acrylic on canvas, 20 by 20cm , £95
A lacy interpretation of dandelion seed heads with fantasy foliage, using printed on relief patterns.
Frosted Flora, acrylic on canvas, 40 by 40cm, £220
In this work I wanted to explore textures, using painted-on sections of raised relief found objects, such as wallpaper scraps, and working into them to create a frosted, crystalised feel for dandelion seedheads, love in the mist pods, and broad leafed plantain wild flowers. The idea of frosted leaves came later in development to lend variation of colour and to provide a 'grounding' for the whole composition.
