Tulipa 'Rory McEwen'

We had a lovely delivery in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art this week - six bottles of beer, filled with water and each holding one cut Old English Florists’ Tulip. Naturally, these are no ordinary Tulips - they are very special varieties which had come all the way from Wakefields. Dating from 1836, the Wakefield andNorth of England Tulip Society is a long established floral society with a tradition of growing English Florists' Tulips and today it is the only society left specialising in Tulips. They have an Annual Show which is held in the Wakefield area each year. This is open to the public and I really want to go!

           

Tulipa 'Rory McEwen'

English Florists' Tulips had their peak of popularity in the early 19th Century, with many florist societies growing the Tulip and other florist's flowers such as Carnations, Anemones and the Auriculas. The English Florists' Tulip has to conform to certain strict standards, particularly in having a shape like half a hollow ball, and having a base colour cleanly white or yellow, on top of which the darker colour is overlaid. The attractive markings on some of the flowers arise when their bulbs are infected with Tulip Breaking Virus. The markings have been known about since the days of 'Tulipomania' in the 17th Century, but it wasn't until the 1930s when Tulip Breaking Virus was discovered to be the cause. The flowers do not seem to suffer from the infection (one of the oldest cultivars known is Habit de Noce (Wedding Coat), dating from the 1790s, and it is still grown by society members today). 

Tulipa 'Rory McEwen'

Two of the six bottles in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art each had a very special Tulip in – Tulipa ‘Rory McEwen’, named after the man himself! They were so uttlery beautiful. You can really feel their rarity - they are like diamonds in a botanical world. I just had to take a photograph, complete with the traditional beer bottles in the background, which Wakefields traditionally exhibit their Tulips at shows.

Web Cow Girl has lots of images from one of the shows if you are interested...

Coffea arabica - a painting still very much in progress!

Coffea arabica - a work still very much in progress!

A great day in the studio today - even if I say so myself! I was really happy at the board and got totally lost in the leaves. It felt great. I haven't posted a picture of the entire painting for you all for a while - I kept doing 'cropped' and 'crazy angled' shots to try to keep you on the edges of your seats! But I have had such a good day and feel so positive I thought 'what the heck?' ... So here she is! 

Anne Middleton Gates of Paradise - Rebecca Hossack Gallery

2nd May - 1st June 2013

Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London

This exhibition shows the incredible and sublime paintings of Anne Middleton. It’s apparently taken her 3 years to create this beautiful body of work. The show marks a major development in her investigation into the natural form - her paintings continue to push the boundaries of botanical art and photorealism. I hope to go to the exhibition tomorrow... will keep you posted, but if you are in London for Rory McEwen I think it's worth the trip into town to see this show too.

Sardine. The Burial of Winter, 2013 Oil on Belgian linen 96 x 126cm

Red Tulip; the day of death, 2012 Oil on Belgian linen 96 x 126cm

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14th May 2013

Popped over this morning to see the work. Stunning pictures, but I have to say they weren't my cup of tea. I was surprised at how vanished they were and I didn't like the contrast of the shine with the mattness of the canvas behind - but that's my personal take on the works. I have to say the strawberries were outstandingly good and it is very clever how Middleton gives such a 'dewy' effect on the subjects. My favourite were the fish - they had so many amazing colours in them - Middleton had captured the rainbows in the silver scales superbly. I also think that I may have been a bit spoilt by seeing Rory McEwen's work this week, so all plant matter is inadvertently compared to his in my silly brain. Can't help it, the thought process goes something like this:  'fish = good, plants = not as good as Rory's' - how ridiculous is that?!

Furthermore, the trouble is that it's got me doing it with my own work now too and I am beginning to feel daunted when looking at my paintings and slightly overly critical. I guess this happens to a lot of artists some of the time and I presume that it's good character building stuff - strengthening your confidence as an artist, allowing yourself to recognise how debilitating it can be for the creative process when focussing too much on the end result. There is also the added bonus though that self critiquing your work does force you to stop  and ask yourself why you are doing what you are doing and what it is you are hoping to achieve. I personally think it is good to stop now and then and align yourself with whatever it is that speaks to you so that your work has integrity. Things change, we change. 

Botanical Illustration in East London

A day off from work on Friday meant that I could sit at the big drawing board and paint my big coffee plant. It was slow going though, as I am a bit tired after helping to install the Rory McEwen show. On top of that I feel a bit daunted painting all these leaves after seeing Mr. McEwen's work! Still, I soldiered on and am glad I did.  Progress in small steps is still progress and I am glad I have seen Rory's work, as it's given me a new perspective on how to achieve certain textures and hues with a brush.  I do wish it was vellum I was painting on though rather than this quite 'spongey' Saunders Waterford (I just can't get the detail on this paper). I wonder how much piece of A0 vellum would cost, if indeed you could ever go that big...?! I am not sure calves can be that big. 

So I did some work on the leaves in the middle this time, one just left of the darkest one, and the two lighter ones above it. I am still stunned by how much pink I am getting through with this piece. It's amazing how much there is in this green. 

Caroline, the East London Coffee Plant, is doing amazingly well. She loves her new abode. There's lots of light for her here and she's put on another two sets of leaves. I think she'll need a trim soon. I am doing my best to 'bonsai' her so she remains portable. She'll be 10 next year but you wouldn't think it looking at her size. 

Exhibitions Galore

Rory McEwen The Colours of Reality is now open until 22 September 2013 at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Kew Gardens. It was my day off of work on Friday so I didn't get to see the final bits that needed to be done when I finished on Wednesday. It was really refreshing and exhilarating coming in this morning to see it all finished, polished and ready. 

Longer version of the Rory film is here:

The Telegraph have published an article on the show today in their Saturday paper if you are interested and there is a lovely slideshow on their website.

Whilst thinking about the Rory McEwen show I thought it a good idea to visit The Whitechapel Gallery to see their Karl Blossfeldt exhibition yesterday. Rory McEwen was a big fan of Blossfeldt's work and held a number of 'Homage to Karl Blossfeldt' exhibitions during his lifetime. 

I thought that the Whitechapel show was really well curated. The spaces lent themselves to Blossefeldt's work. The sharp edges of the false walls and the industrial grey backdrop contrasted, and at times complimented,  the different shapes, textures and hues found in all of his photographs. Everything in the exhibition was arranged sensitively and the photographs were grouped together with an impeccable about of consideration and thought. Seeing Karl's original work in the flesh like this was extraordinary and I can see why Rory was so inspired. The amount of detail that Blossfeldt managed to capture is mesmerising - I felt like an insect. This exhibition exposes plants and their secret world. No frond is left unfurled and no hair is left tucked away. Everything is examined and elegantly composed.

Inside the Karl Blossfeldt exhibition, The Whitechapel Gallery

A Botanical Summer's Day at Saltwood Castle

Thursday 27th June 2013

10.30- 3.30pm  

£150

Saltwood Castle Hythe Kent CT21 4QU

A special day has been organised by Saltwood Castle giving a select few the rare opportunity to see its beautiful art collection. Mrs Jane Clark will personally conduct a full tour of the interior of the historic private Gatehouse, allowing the privileged group to study and discuss in detail, her family’s substantial art collection, which includes the fantastic botanical paintings of Raymond Booth. 

Magnolia by Raymond Booth 

To secure your place on this Botanical Forum, you'll need to complete the Booking Form and send with a cheque made payable to: Hazel West-Sherring to Hazel West-Sherring, Guilton House, Guilton new Ash, Canterbury, Kent, CT3 2HR. 

Please note that numbers are restricted to 18 places which allows for a more personal and enjoyable visit.

YOUR NAME:……………………………………………………………………………….
ADDRESS:……………………………………………………………………………….......
TELEPHONE:………………………………………………………………………………..
EMAIL:……………………………………………………………………………………….

A PERCENTAGE OF TICKET SALES GOES TOWARDS HISTORIC BUILDING CONSERVATION COSTS FOR WHICH THE FAMILY DO NOT RECEIVE ANY GOVERNMENT GRANTS.

Picture, Painter, Printer, Framer

Yesterday I didn't manage to do any painting. This is because I was officially exhausted. I've been overdoing it again, what with the garden needing a 'good old dig', the seeds needing a 'good old sow' and the bamboo needing a 'good old removal'. Plus it's been very busy at work and my other half has been poorly. I felt like I had been riding a wave and I pushed it just a little bit too much last week. It was time for a break and today I feel much better for it.

So on my day off I went off to the printers to drop off Monstera problema and Chelsea Tulips. I don't think I will offer these two pieces as prints, but I like to have a scan as a record. Neither of these are as finished as I'd hoped, but I am keen to move on with new work. At least Monstera is alright not being perfect as that was the whole point. I painted this one at a time when I had an ovarian health issue going on and felt 'imperfect' and like I was missing something. I painted it because the leaf has egg-shaped holes and is itself missing bits... Problem was, I was in a fit of absolute upset when I started it. You know how it goes - you got to get what ever it is out of your system with a brush... I just had to paint there and THEN, but I had no paper big enough, so I grabbed some Intaglio printing stuff I bought a while back from the bottom of my wardrobe. What a mistake that was - this paper is great for Intaglio - but completely unsuitable for botanical art. The paint didn't really stay on the paper very well and the masking fluid took bits of the paper off. It was a nightmare. So this is an unfinished painting of an imperfect leaf on imperfect paper by an imperfect artist. It's finished - as an unfinished piece.

Then I went to the framer to check on my latest frames... "Hey nice going there framer - you did a good job!" - I am really pleased with the job so far. I see a lot of frames in my other line of work and this really helps me to see what shapes a piece well and what doesn't. Over the past year I have seen a lot of David Nash's work and he seems to have the same taste as me when it comes to framing. He uses either no mount at all or a floating one. What I like about this is it looks modern and gives a contemporary feel to botanical art. I'd like to think that customers feel like they are getting a present in a box. 

Kate Nessler at the Jonathan Cooper Gallery

Kate Nessler 

At the Edge

Jonathan Cooper Gallery, London

24 April - 11 May 2013

Click here for the catalogue

Changes at the Gallery

 One of Rory McEwen's Leaves * 

(I want to know which shade of green he used to get this colour - ideas anyone?)

So it's all change here in the gallery this week! At 8am this morning I witnessed two of our David Nash sculptures leaving on the back of a lorry - The Sliced Cedars. A sad moment in the morning drizzle (below), and the end of a season. I am glad that the exhibition closed during Spring though, as it's a time of new leaves and colour and that makes me feel more hopeful.

So less about what is going on outside the gallery and more about what's happening indoors! Like a chrysalis, there is a lot going on inside our walls. We've been having lots of deliveries... all paintings. The Rory McEwen show is starting to take shape as we get work from Kew, the family and from private collections. It's really exciting to be part of this. The paintings arrive all wrapped up in white opaque bubble wrap and we have no idea what's in them. Unwrapping each one if like unwrapping a very expensive and delicate chocolate truffle. It's a million Christmas' all at once. I have never seen so many beautiful pieces of work in such a short space of time. I felt like crying.  It's going to be an extraordinary show - real food for the eyes and soul.

Laying out the paintings for the Rory McEwen show

As a point of interest, I feel that now is a good time to talk about frames. Many of the frames around Rory McEwen's work are now roughly 40-60 years old. Some are amazing - my favourite one is a bamboo piece which looks very 1970s! However, what I really wanted to talk to you all about is how frames deteriorate over time and what we can do as artists to prevent this.

 A close up on one of Rory's Fritillarias*

*Please note that these pieces might not be in the exhibition. We are still selecting work. This is how we work - we select a whole collection of work, and then lay them all out and decide which paintings work well together in each gallery space.

Now I know all us good artists invest in proper frames with acid free boards and mounts and a proper seal at the back. Rory probably did too. But something I have discovered since working in this show is what happens to frames over time and how badly they can age. I had a chat with a conservator about frames as I was interested to know more about them and how damage occurs. Apparently, the biggest killer is just neglect on the owners part. Even acid free materials don't last forever. This brought back memories of me working in a museum and the fact that we have to repackage objects every few years because acid free tissue paper loses its effectiveness. I guess the same goes for frames. 

So apparently we need to check our frames every 5 years for damage and bugs. We need to pay particular attention to the seal at the back, the state of the mount and for rusty nails etc. Even if acid free board has been used, this still needs replacing roughly every ten years. So, if anyone owns a piece of artwork which they love and value, like a classic car - you need to maintain it. I think there is a bit of a mentality in many of us that once you have parted with your hard earned cash for a piece of art, one feels that they don't need to pay anymore. They own it and it's theirs, but like a classic car or a house - you need to keep injecting the cash now and then to keep it looking good and structurally sound.

 

Bugs are the worst problem - they get in all sorts of ways, but it's especially bad if the taped seal at the back is broken. Acid boards are pretty bad too, as are woods that emit a lot of acidic gas. Apparently pear wood is the best wood you can use as it emits less gas and lignins and isn't on a CITES list unlike other woods.

A close up on one of Rory's decaying leaves*

*Please note that these pieces might not be in the exhibition. We are still selecting work. This is how we work - we select a whole collection of work, and then lay them all out and decide which paintings work well together in each gallery space.

New culitvar of Magnolia finished

I have he commissioned painting of a new Magnolia cultivar is now finished and will be posted today. Pretty pleased with it now it's finished, it just took me a while getting used to the acrylics after 2 years of not using them.