The Pineapple and a new workshop

January 31, 2015April 4, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

I was reminded today by a friend that I have been remiss in my blogging. I am sorry for that. Therefore to catch up-

Last Saturday Robin and I were at the Society of Floral Painters(SFP), AGM and lunch. It was a very good meeting and lunch finishing off with an interesting talk by Roy Lancaster. It is the first such meeting I have been to and I gained a lot from it – as well as meeting lots of other botanical and floral painters.

The SFP have their next exhibition in Chichester Oxmarket arts Centre 20 May – 7 June. Look at my website http://www.gaynorsflora.com for details.

But since Saturday I have been continuing with the Pineapple picture – when time has allowed. I am adding a few more pictures at the end of this blog.

Tomorrow I am having a new two-day workshop here in Bosham. The topic is ‘Twigs and things’. It will be very interesting to see what people bring with them. I hope to be able to post some pictures after the workshop.

The next workshop is Friday 27 February – Sunday 1 March and the topic is Hellebores – floating. This means one has the opportunity to paint the flowers face up, showing their beautiful and colourful detail. There are a very few vacant places, so do contact me or look at my website (details above) for more information.

The pineapple-

Another Pineapple in watercolour

January 22, 2015April 4, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

It is now several years since I painted my last pineapple and I have been asked to paint another one. I started the drawing before I went to Norway and today have got back to it having caught up (sort of) with other outstanding tasks that accumulated whilst I was away.

The trouble is, we had to eat the last pineapple before we went away! So what do I do? It was delicious by the way.

When you buy a pineapple, it has been cut and removed from the parent plant. This of course is obvious, but what is less understood is that it will not become riper after it has been cut. As far as I understand the pineapples are cut at their ripest. Some buyers prefer to buy them green and if the golden yellow colour is wanted they are sprayed about a week prior to harvest with a plant growth regulator. If you want to check this up read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapple.

The pineapples that I have bought are mainly from Costa Rica and I think are the cultivar “smooth cayenne”.

I normally take pictures of my subject first so that I have an idea of what it originally looked like, so that when it dies or rots too much, I can replace it with a fresher specimen. In this instance my original drawing and placing of segments will be different to any other pineapple I get. But, I can use segments in the new pineapple, making sure that they are in a similar position and lit in a similar way to the original specimen. Thus I can continue to paint from life – which for a botanical artist is far the best thing to do.

My initial work:

Note the tramlines in a Fibonacci spiral. I observe the lines, draw the crossing tramlines and at each intersection place a segment. Once a tracing has been made, I do a very rough shading on the original sketch to indicate the form of the fruit.

I traced over onto a Fabriano Classico HP 640gsm paper in a manner that I have previously described in one of my blogs. This leaves no indentations from the pencil and is easily removed before painting.

I used a watercolour pencil to lightly outline my segments in an area of the pineapple I can manage initially. When I begin to paint, this colour will be absorbed into the painting avoiding lines. I don’t do too many at once in case I really need to change any of the segments in a later pineapple.

Winter prep trip to Norway

January 19, 2015April 4, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

In case anyone thinks I have forgotten all about the important subject of Botanical Art – I haven’t!

But, for the last few days Robin and I have been in Norway preparing for the botanical art course there 28 June until 5 July. But at the moment it is deliciously cold there.

We have been checking a few things out, buying more wool for yet another Norwegian jumper and stripping some beautiful old stairs.

My daughter has a house in Tønsberg, a few kilometers down the coast from Åsgårdstrand. Her stairs have a very lovely shape to them which is identical to ones in the house where she grew up. In those days I stripped, sanded and varnished those stairs to bring forth their natural beauty. She wanted to do the same thing with her own stairs and we agreed to help her. We got as far as stripping!

Yesterday we took the day off and went for a drive to The End of the World. Verdens Ende. This is a beautiful NAtional Park area on the southern tip of an island called Tjøme. If you want to look at a map, find Tønsberg, follow a few kilometres south onto an island called Nøtterøy, And the main road leads to Tjøme and the Verdens Ende.

The pictures are from that area before the snow came. That arrived as we left Norway today.

To finish off that lovely day, cards on a soft surface!

Happy New Year!

January 4, 2015April 4, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

This is a rather delayed New Year greeting, but as soon as our Christmas Guests left I went down with a ‘large’. I think I am recovering!

The holiday period has not given me much time to paint, but I have now managed to finish off the Bear’s Britches in Pen and Ink. The only problem now is that I am looking for a suitable title. All the titles I have thought of so far seem only to be understood by me.

The Acanthus has quite a history in that it is well known and used a lot in Greek and Roman designs. It is a very stately and elegant plant. The one in our garden is very tall, and quite beautiful particularly as the flowers open down the stem. But get too near and it pricks you. Yes, it is an extremely prickly plant and certainly looks after itself. It is even more prickly in its dried state as I have been drawing it. Does this give anyone any ideas for a meaningful title?

Now I am in the process of marking more assignments and clearing up the shed to start another picture. I always have to go through this process. Once a picture is finished, the shed has to be cleared of all the debris accumulated from the making of it, so that I can start off with new thoughts and feelings about the next picture. I know what it is going to be, but first out with the old!

It is very fitting isn’t it? Out with the old year and artwork and in with 2015 and a new picture and its challenges.

A Peaceful Christmas to all

December 18, 2014April 4, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

I am at last beginning to calm down a little and prepare myself for relaxing at Christmas with the family.

I haven’t done any more of my Acanthus, but it is still in the house in case I get five minutes. But I haven’t!

But I have been busy cleaning and making the place sparkle. My husband has done all the the heavy stuff, cleaned ceilings etc., whilst I have been busy with the nooks and crannies, cupboards and drawers. How much dust and muck can enter a house when you are receiving botanical art pictures for an exhibition, and then delivering them back to the owners afterwards? Palmengarten is now washed out of the house and my hair. Thank goodness!

The day after tomorrow our Christmas visitors arrive. It will be lovely to see both the adults and grandchildren. I am hoping that they will want to decorate the tree.

But now, whilst I do have five minutes I would like to wish you all a very peaceful Christmas.

My Christmas Greeting is unusual this year, but as it is cold and damp outside (we are in the UK), I thought that this might remind you and me of what is to come. The picture is watercolour on Vellum (Goat’s skin) and called ‘Bean here before’. You might have seen it before as I was painting it.

I think that Bees buzzing amongst the Runner beans is a very peaceful sound and by wishing for peace at Christmas, it is a good start to the New Year. I hope you think so too.

Botanical art Painting holiday in Norway 2015

December 10, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

The SBA botanical art exhibition in Palmengarten, Frankfurt, has almost left my to-do list for this year! Our SBA member Sue Henon and Palmengarten have already started having meetings about the next exhibition in 2016, but I will now have nearly a year free to decide about any involvement I might or might not have.

The pictures that came back are nearly all out of the house and there is only one last collection due. The house almost looks empty – so much so, that I can now see all the dust that quickly collected when so many people were in and out of the house collecting pictures. We will have exactly six days to clear up before our Christmas guests arrive!

As so many people were coming and going, I decided it was best to leave the Acanthus work in the house so that I could do a little of it whilst waiting for people to arrive. This is where I have got to with the picture. It is taking its time.

More importantly for me – and hopefully for a few of you out there, I now have all the details for the next Botanical Art workshop holiday in Norway. By clicking on the image below you will be linked to my website to download further information including the booking forms.

Bosham craft trail and Palmengarten pictures!

December 3, 2014April 4, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

As usual life is hectic, but once we got everything ready for the Bosham Crafts trail and pictures were hung, I could relax. That was 02:00 in the morning in Friday.

We had a very good trail and although this is the first time we have done it at this time of year, I was very pleased with the number of people who came to see us and of course what they took with them and left behind! I was even more pleased that very occasionally in between visitors, I was able to carry on with my Bear’s Britches(Acanthus).

I will show you a couple of pictures prior to visitors, but compare them with a couple of them at the end of this blog.

Now imagine the nice and cosy relaxed atmosphere of the last pictures and then imagine today!

About 160+ pictures came back from Palmengarten today, at the same time as students arrived, at the same time as other visitors arrived – including a policeman on duty!

All the pictures had to be checked off the van and into the house, then sorted. As did returning cards, books, banners and paperwork! What happened to my poor students unexpectedly up in the middle of this? The pictures were due to arrive yesterday! They were really lovely and understanding, as was my husband who had delayed his trip up to London today so he could help, as were my other visitors. But chaos reigned.

I am now sitting with a cup o tea and a cat trying to add to this blog. I am surrounded by this-

And left with this!

Bosham Christmas Craft Trail starts today!

November 28, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

I don’t think that I have ever been so late at putting together everything when participating in an art trail – or in this case a craft trail!

I have hardly had time to think these last few months because of the SBA exhibition at PalmengArten. I thought I would get a bit of a break whilst the exhibition is on, but I forgot that I need to use that time preparing for the next stage – return of unsold paintings. Having said that, Sue Henon has worked solidly the last month for us.

Anyway, all of the above meant that I was not as well prepared as I should have been. But, it looks as though the ‘gallery’ is ready for a few visitors when it opens in the morning. We just need to bring my easel up to the house and the picture I started months ago; Acanthus – Bears Britches. It is much too wet and muddy for people to traipse down to the shed, so it will be lovely and cosy and everything in the house.

Just imagine; a nice warm, light area to view the paintings and the smell of Mulled wine and Mince pies. Do come and join us. Your invitation and instructions to find me are attached. I am number 6.

Palmengarten botanical art exhibition – Wednesday last week

November 20, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

A good class this morning and progression with the brochure for the Norwegian botanical art holiday.

I have heard from Sue Henon that we have two further red dots on pictures. I am so glad that botanical art is being so warmly appreciated in Frankfurt. It would be lovely if we could awaken a similar interest in Norway.

Some more pictures. This time they are three pictures by Norma Gregory. I first met Norma when I first exhibited with the RHS. She won another Gold Medal with her fantastic paintings of roots. Amongst others was a Rhubarb plant which I will never forget. The RHS added that picture to their Lindley collection.

Solanum tuberosum 'Potato'. Watercolour by © Norma Gregory — Solanum tuberosum ‘Potato’. Watercolour by © Norma Gregory

Cynara scolymus 'Globe artichoke'. watercolour by © Norma Gregory — Cynara scolymus ‘Globe artichoke’. watercolour by © Norma Gregory

Rosa gallica 'Versicolor' Rosa Mundi. Watercolour by © Norma Gregory — Rosa gallica ‘Versicolor’ Rosa Mundi. Watercolour by © Norma Gregory

But now you are possibly ready for a couple of pictures in a different style coloured pencil than those shown yesterday. These two pictures are by Sue Henon and are on coloured paper.

Hyacinthus orientalis , 'Hyacinth I'. Coloured pencil by © Sue Henon — Hyacinthus orientalis , ‘Hyacinth I’. Coloured pencil by © Sue Henon

Hyacinthus orientalis , 'Hyacinth II'. Coloured pencil by © Sue Henon — Hyacinthus orientalis , ‘Hyacinth II’. Coloured pencil by © Sue Henon

GAYNOR'S FLORA

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Author: Gaynor's Flora