Botanical art is all about recording the features of plants. Many gardening books and plant science books rely on these representations to identify species of plants. It requires concentrated observation and provides a great opportunity for you to look closely at flowers that we may normally take for granted. Many artists have been inspired by flowers and gardens and they have become one of the most popular subjects for painting and drawing. Some flowers have also become highly symbolic, such as red roses being associated with love and the poppy with remembrance.

Karen Pearce, Lilies, 2002

ACTIVITY: BOTANICAL STUDIES

Pick a flower or plant and take a good look at it. See how many features you can distinguish and record them in your sketchbook. What are the main features of the flower? The artist Georgia O’Keefe, who is known for her large paintings of flowers, said: “When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it’s your world for the moment’’. Using the flower or plant you selected, try to paint it as large as possible. Make sure you include all the parts. You could try and create your world in that flower by adding in other things that are important to you. Using scale in your artwork can often allow you to accentuate key features and emphasise what you want to communicate. It can also help you paint in a much looser style and can lead to creating a more abstract picture. By painting something on a large scale, we can often open up new ways of seeing.

Pamela Leonard, Autumn Flowers

MATERIALS

• Wallpaper lining paper
• Watercolour paints
• Water pots
• Large brushes

TIPS

Don’t be intimidated by painting on a large scale - it can be very liberating! Wallpaper lining paper is a great size to paint big pictures on. See W for Watercolour.

Artist Inspiration: Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keeffe, Vincent Van Gogh

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