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!

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.

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

Palmengarten exhibition – Last Tuesday

November 18, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

In trying to catch up my own paperwork today (not that I have succeeded), I have at least put in the forms for the Chichester Open Studio event starting the weekend of the May Bank holiday in 2015. One box ticked off.

Since then I have been putting together my brochure for the Botanical Art Holiday in Norway 28th June to 5th July at Åsgårdstrand, near Tønsberg in south eastern Norway. A beautiful area, with lovely light and very peaceful. The brochure still isn’t finished.

People who might have their pictures returned from Palmengarten after the exhibition are arranging dates with me for collection. That is good as I will want to put my family up for Christmas!

I have my weekday class tomorrow morning and then its back to the grindstone in the shed.

Many of the artworks at Palmengarten have made quite an impression on me and some the artists have helped me considerably on my journey. The pictures that I will show for the rest of the week are a mix of these.

I love working with coloured pencil and although all of these pictures are not CP, the ones I am showing you today are by the artist who first taught me to use this medium – Susan Christopher Coulson.

The fourth picture by Maggie Fitzpatrick is just a picture that stood out for me. It isn’t big and flamboyant, but beautifully delicate. Please enjoy them as much as I have. Sorry they are wonky!

The Dose Makes the Poison - Coloured pencil. Susan Christopher Coulson — The Dose Makes the Poison – Coloured pencil. Susan Christopher Coulson

Medieval Medicinals from an Apothecary’s Garden. Coloured Pencil by Susan Christopher Coulson

Cures from the Potager Garden. Coloured pencil by Susan Christopher Coulson

Ivy &White Bryony on Horse Chestnut branch. Watercolour by Maggie Fitzpatrick

Palmengarten – Thursday week three

November 14, 2014April 3, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

I hope that you realise why I’m titling the blog in this way. It is to let you know how long the Palmengarten exhibition is on and therefore how long before you miss the opportunity to go and see it. (That almost sounds like a double negative). Next week is the last week.

I have been working on the pamphlets to advertise the workshop 28 June to 5 July 2015 in Norway. I hope that it won’t take too long, but I am waiting on flight schedules for summer 2015 to Oslo Torp airport.

Tomorrow, and for the next three days I have a workshop based on the beautiful, autumn colours. It will be interesting to see what sort of subjects students will bring with them. I will of course show some of the results.

But back to Palmengarten.

Artwork by Claire Ward, Rosemary Lindsay, Anne Lawton, Denise Heywood Mills and Gael Sellwood.

Artwork by Maya Thomi-Luck, Gael Sellwood, Janet Pope and Penny Gould.

Milling visitors at the opening of the Palmengarten exhibition.

Artwork by Maya Thomi-Luck

Artwork by Penny Brown, Christine Flintham, Charlotte Linder and Sheila Etchingham

Last day of Norwegian holiday

July 13, 2014April 4, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

Imagine, following the week of botanical art where weather and temperature were ideal, we have had a heatwave. It was hot by UK standards at 30 degrees and over for a whole week. But we are in Norway – further north. It apparently has beaten records for the last 70 years!

Today it broke. We have had some sun, but this afternoon it clouded over and we actually had a little rain. With any luck it will pass over night and we will have a nice day for travelling back home tomorrow. But the hot heat is past and today I can think – just a bit as I am still on holiday.

As my brain is still trying to cool down I will just give you some photos taken at Stavern the day before yesterday.

Time for a relaxing beer:

Dreams are made of this:

The Norwegian Heatwave

July 10, 2014April 4, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

It has been and is very warm. It is 23:00 now and the coolest it has been for 3 days – 22 degrees C. The temperature has gone over 30 the last two days and has been warm at night. Too warm for me but Robin enjoys it.

Two days ago we went round the Slottsfjell (Castle mountain) Museum in Tønsberg, which included a tour round the tunnels within the hill, dug out by the Nazis during the 2nd World War. It was lovely and cool in the tunnel system and my glasses steamed over when I got out into the daylight again.

Yesterday we visited Bærums Verk outside Oslo. We did a lot of walking up hill and down dale, in the blazing sun. It was a lovely area.

However the evening was best. My family took me for a lovely walk around Føynland, an island off the island of Nøtterøy outside Tønsberg. There lovely pictures were taken about 20:30, including my husband swimming. Can anyone wonder why I love Norway?

Continuing the holiday in beautiful Norway

July 7, 2014April 4, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

On Sunday, after a lovely long breakfast with all from the Botanical Art course overlooking the Oslo Fjord, we said our sorrowful fairwells. It was very sad as we had grown quite close as a group during the week.

We had struggled together ( including me in trying to paint a picture too fast), laughed a lot. Listened to each other and got to know one another a whole lot more than we had done initially. Funnily enough we were also satisfied in staying in Åsgårdstrand for the whole Week with just a couple of small excursions. The focus was definitely making the most of the opportunity to paint botanically as much as possible.

The result was as you saw in the last blog. Pretty amazing.

When I went home to my daughter, she and my son were very busy getting food ready for a barbecue with friends I hadn’t seen for very many years. We had a lovely reunion with a lot of catching up to do in addition to eating all the lovely food that had been prepared. I feel very spoilt all round.

Today we took things very easy, had a coffee in Tønsberg, then climbed up Slottsfjellet (The castle’s mountain). Tønsberg is the oldest town in Norway And therefore has a lot of history. I took the next pictures from the top – obviously using the zoom on my camera.

Can you believe the day was finished off with my son cleaning my daughter’s driveway with a high pressure washer. I think he actually enjoyed it!

Last day botanical art workshop holiday overlooking the Oslo Fjord

July 6, 2014April 4, 2015 | Gaynor's Flora

What a day! Busy, busy and some lovely botanical art finished using both coloured pencil and watercolour.

I have to say that I was amazed at the results. Those who hadn’t painted before and those who hadn’t done botanical art before used the week extremely constructively and beneficially. Some of the results really astounded me. The change was huge. They know which ones they are!

Absolutely all of the finished paintings were very good and every person progressed. All I can say is that I am grateful to those who came – for coming. In achieving so much, they gave me a huge thrill.

The last supper!

Served by Sarah,

In the celebration of:

Some of the plants are not common , so in case you are wondering what they are;
Gentian, Pink Cornus, Magnolia, Harebell, Blåklokke, Hydrangea Paniculata, Rose, Multe (Norwegian) or Cloudberry.

GAYNOR'S FLORA

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