The flower dance

My travel sketchbooks are a continuing source of imagery for my larger drawings, as they were always intended to be. This one began with the large eucalypt leaves in the centre, and my original plan was for each element to be just leaves, but somehow a few flowers crept in, but always with attendant leaves, no matter how small! They are not perfectly botanically accurate, but I think most of them are identifiable. As far as I know they are all Australian natives, as they were all found growing wild in various places across outback Australia.

This is a companion piece to the shells drawing (see here) I did towards the end of last year, they are the same size, and both with the imagery sourced from my travel sketchbooks. All being well they will be part of an exhibition I will be having in April with a friend, here in Sydney. Now I will be returning to my more abstract pieces, which are also inspired by the travel sketchbooks, but with the ideas developed in a more experimental direction.

The drawing is 50 x 70 cm, on 300 gsm Magnani Corona hot pressed watercolour paper, and I used Caran d’Ache Luminance pencils. I do struggle to get good photographs, keeping the white of the paper while maintaining the colour within the drawing, so please bear this in mind!

Author: anna warren portfolio

I draw, I paint, I am a printmaker. Always searching for the interesting detail in the world around me.

12 thoughts

  2. Anna, I love all of your artwork but this one is so beautiful. It gives me such a good sense of the plant life in Australia and how you depict your subject matter through the use of colored pencils. The expansion to add florals with leaves gave the piece the additional warmth but also your handling of the delicate parts of plants. You will have to share the details of your exhibit in April. Both this piece and your seashell piece together will be stunning! Thank you for sharing this piece in detail.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you so much Cathe – these kind of drawings are my core work, even though most of the time now I am doing the more abstract pieces. I feel instinctively drawn to do these, and they are a real pleasure to do. Whether it is because they remind me of my trips away, or a simple enjoyment of working in pencil I don’t know! I will certainly let you know about the exhibition – fingers crossed we don’t end up with another lockdown!

      Like

      Reply

  3. There’s all kinds of greens in leaves however you have chosen leaves that are green/grey or olive. I seem to remember very hardy plants have that type of green – which makes sense when you found these in parts of Australia. Anna, you’ve rendered these so carefully that I feel there is a kind of reverence in this art work. Or perhaps it inspires reverence as my response – it does. None of these are showy flamboyant plants. They are quiet treasures. And for once there is no sinister undertone – but – your gentle observation and love.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. It is quite different from my bolder, more abstract works isn’t it? I have a sense of calmness when I do this kind of work, it is not experimental in any way, although there are constant decisions to be made, in placement, use of colour, choice of specimen etc. I like the thought that there is a reverence or respect for the subject matter – I think that is my love of these plants coming through!

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment