I’d never noticed before how triangular tulips are. But as I wandered out, there it was, seen from above, three-pronged stamen, trios of petals, neat, three-sided colour change at the petals’ base. Cue drawing tea break…
Having got my eye in as I drew, I started seeing the particular shapes brought by the Spring bulbs.
There are a lot of narcissi this year, the latest flouncing out from long, elegant trumpets of yellow-green. And just showing on the smallest species are tiny buds, like little lemon chillis, both drawn on washes of flower ink.
The late galanthus are loveliest in bud, tiny blue-striped lanterns glowing out from the early Spring flower bed.
The tulip is drawn on the back of a proof and I’ve used the natural ink on the backs of an old postcard print run. It’s an absorbent surface that takes the colour particularly well, sinking in and zinging out. I like the unpredictability of materials not meant for drawing – the feeling that it’s all a bit of an experiment.
Ballpen, natural ink, watercolour and fineliner on waste paper.
Rose sketches from this project are now available as greeting cards, from the Garden Museum shop in London, at Hackney Wick Underground and on my Etsy shop.
New on my Teemill shop: my new rose collection of t-shirts and tote bags.