Crafting a collection: Flower Show

Flower Show is a series of six intricate hand-drawn repeating artworks inspired by traditional village flower shows and their fantastical displays of perfected vibrant blooms. Originally created using coloured pencils on a textured watercolour paper, these digitally printed fabrics retain the beautiful characteristics of a hand drawn artwork with the exquisite softness and tactility of a fine linen. Here is a look behind the scenes into the making of this collection, my inspirations and processes.

Inspiration.

*Inspiration images from https://www.nzgeo.com/stories/bloom-or-bust/ & mccormickcharlie.

This project grew from childhood memories of summer afternoons spent exploring local village flower shows. Enormous church halls, with their worn wooden floors and sky high ceilings filled with neat rows of trestle tables bursting with botanical scent and colour. Extraordinary specimens of Roses, Dahlias and Peonies in clashing tones of yellows, reds and pinks, both as single stems and manipulated into extravagant botanical arrangements worth of any gallery space.

Process.

*Image of the design Dappled, created as part of the Flower Show collection.

Starting with sketching individual flowers from photography taken on visits to some of my favourite places, Bodnant Gardens in North Wales, Kew Gardens and Chelsea Flower Show in London, I experiment with colour combinations, scale and texture using colouring pencils on rough watercolour paper. Using bright and bold tones, intricate details and fluid shapes I look to capture the characteristics of each plant and explore ways to bring these imagery to life through flowing repeats.

Pattern.

*Image of the original drawing for Pansy, created as part of the Flower Show collection.

With a strong body of original drawings created I map out the shape of the repeating patterns I want to achieve for each individual design, aiming to capture movement and energy. Over the collection I vary the scale of the artwork and the intensity of the pattern allowing for impactful colour bursts and more calming moments with less complexity. My pattern inspiration comes from the Arts & Crafts movement, decorative ironwork and the twists and turns of branches and stems.

Fabric.

*Image of the design Buds on 100% natural linen, part of the Flower Show collection.

The final stage of the process involves transferring the original hand drawn repeating artworks onto beautiful printed fabrics. The digital printing process retains all the wonderful characteristics of a hand drawn artwork including subtle pencil marks, and intricate details and combines it with the stunning texture of a fine natural linen, making a wonderful final product to enjoy across the home from upholstery to drapery and accessories such as cushions and lampshades.