Dear Reader
The hartstongue fern is a favourite plant of mine. Here in Dorset it turns up in woods and on roadsides, even close to the sea in shady places. When I took up artwork again after a very long gap, it was one of the first plants I drew. Its shape is both elegant and intriguing.
This drawing was based on a photograph I took on a shady bank in the grounds of Sherborne Castle. I take a lot of photographs of plants – choice garden varieties, wildlings or weeds – they're all equally interesting to me. I have taken thousands of pictures – so when I want to make a drawing, I usually have something to work from. I don't mind admitting that my style is influenced by William Morris and other artists of the Arts and Crafts or Art Nouveau movements: flowing shapes and a touch of the medieval woodcut. Not all plants lend themselves to this type of treatment, but the hartstongue fern certainly does, and it remains one of my favourite drawings.
These days it not only appears in my magical story The Herbarium, for which it was designed, but also appears on the covers of handbound notebooks, greetings cards and mini easels. This just goes to show that the right drawing can go a long way.
My daughter Nina and I have made these items to sell at a local Christmas art and craft fair later this year. It's all very small-scale, but we really enjoy it, and it generates some very joyful mother-and-daughter time, too. It's surprising how much good stuff can come from sharing a simple bit of artwork with a family member.
With best wishes
Kathy
No comments:
Post a Comment