Author: Gaynor's Flora

Society of Floral Painters exhibition

| Gaynor's Flora

On Monday my husband and I spent all day at the Oxmarket galleries in Chichester. We were helping with the preparation for the  SFP exhibition – taking in pictures and helping with the hanging. it was a really hot day and quite tiring- as you would expect. The opening was on Tuesday evening and was open to the public on Wednesday.

The flower festival starts in Chichester at the weekend, so hopefully it will draw people in to see the floralpaintings hanging there.

By the way, I got a ‘highly commended’ award for the Chairman’s trophy. This was for my dissected Magnolia flower.

A very delayed update!

| Gaynor's Flora

I have not updated this blog for a very long time. My excuse is like for everyone else – too busy.

But, a lot has happened in recent month. We decided last year that we were going to re-organise the house to accommodate my botanical art classes and open studios in May (with the Chichester Art trail) and in August. We started building works after Christmas and have continued since then. The main area, including kitchen, was done in time for the open studios in May. In fact the door into the gallery was only hung the night before – a close shave!

We had a huge increase in the number of visitors this year although the weather was very bad the first weekend with loads of rain. Two couples turned at the door and said that my type of art was not for them. A few others who came, came to have a look in other people’s houses (own admission), but became hooked on what they saw.  that was a fantastic result. I spent a lot of time telling people how I paint and why, showing them the process and giving them an opportunity to at least try out the colour pencils. Some became smitten and several signed up for classes and workshops.

I have loads more to tell, including about the Society of Floral Painters exhibition to take place this year in Chichester. I will come back to that tomorrow.

Subject for next RHS submission

| Gaynor's Flora

As a botanical artist, I have been thinking about what subject to illustrate for the next time I submit my work to the RHS. Having won a silver for my Magnolia series in March this year, I want to choose a subject that is likely to earn me an additional medal. As Wisteria flowered not long after the exhibition, I had thought about plants from the Pea family, then seeing red berries from one of the Nightshade family (Solanum) in the hedgerows, I thought of doing that. I am in the middle of one botanical watercolour painting (Solanum dulcamara), but they have quite a sprawling habit and therefore a painting needs to show this.

We have four crab apple trees in our garden and three of them are heavily laden this year. They too make a good subject. I would have to find four more trees though to make the series of eight.

Today, I have been doing drawings, making colour samples and taking pictures of the fruit and leaves, so that I have something to start with. Hopefully I can add the flowers and young spring leaves to the preparatory work next year. I might do this series in colour pencil.

This means that in fact I have some material already on the go to do two separate series. I wonder which one will get there first?

Trying to set up this Blog

| Gaynor's Flora

A kind friend showed me how easy it was to set up this blog the other day. I have now spent all day trying  to replicate what he told me. Unfortunately, I must be a little slow on the uptake, as it hasn’t gone quite as smoothly as I imagined. But I will get there and I will have this blog linked to my website at http://www.gaynorsflora.com.

I spent ages reading the instructions for my website; If all else fails read the instructions! After that I think I understood the terminology a little better.

As I am a botanical artist and the work I do is very time consuming for each picture, I inevitably feel that the time I used here was used in painting. Also the sun shone brilliantly today and the garden weeds called.