Some of my drawings have a long – and often tortuous – gestation. This one was longer than most. The original drawing began some time in 2013. There were interesting marks and forms, but the drawing didn’t satisfy me as a whole, so it was put into a drawer for ideas to ferment.
In 2020, it was brought out again for radical reworking, in this case cut up and built into a tower.
This was much more exciting, but had a number of practical flaws, in that it was impossible to keep the tower from tipping over with the least breeze, despite numerous different attempts to address this. However, it remained a (sometimes collapsing) tower for a few more years.
Early this year I decided to be brutal, took it all apart, trimmed off the rough edges and cut the panels into smaller squares. The outer pieces that had no marks on were discarded and the remainder were culled, then the chosen pieces rearranged many times until I got a block arrangement that I felt worked. I added and intensified some of the marks where needed. Each little panel was attached to a piece of foamcore board, then glued to a backing board so they appear to float.
The title ‘Things we cannot see’ came from ideas of plants but looking beneath the earth, into the very essence of where life begins, the mycelium network making connections to the past and to the future. Each panel has a story of its own, but together they create a whole.
The initial blots were made with Liquid Pencil, on hotpress watercolour paper, then drawn into with graphite and coloured pencils.
anna warren portfolio 
You will be surprised by my comment. First of all I love this. You have brought the artwork home – it is complete.
The funny thing is that today I saw a photo of Lauren Sanchez Bezos dressed for The Met Gala. While I have nothing good to say about her, the skirt part of her dress has a pattern I think very beautiful. What a gorgeous design. The fabric pattern is not dissimilar (to me) of your panelled work.
Aubrey Beardsley would probably approve of both.
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I have searched for Lauren Sanchez Bezos dress, but have only come up with her in a plain navy number, presumably not the one you saw! I am intrigued, it sounds rather wonderful, especially with the Beardsley connection!
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You’ve seen the dress now and I’m glad you love the skier’s pattern as well.
Your drawing is sublime.
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skirt’s
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Thank you, that’s a lovely thing to hear!
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I really am drawn to and inspired by this. In fact, I love all of the things that you do. I have finally emerged from lurkdom to tell you this. I paint (watercolor, gouache) and draw and knit and crochet and make jewelry. Botanical art is my main focus.
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I really am drawn to and inspired by this. In fact, I love all of the things that you do. I have finally emerged from lurkdom to tell you this. I paint (watercolor, gouache) and draw and knit and crochet and make jewelry. Botanical art is my main focus.
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Welcome out of lurkdom! Thank you so much for your comment, it is wonderful to get this kind of support for what I do!
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