Nature’s Gems Series

Between 2002 and 2004 I produced twelve water colour paintings which I hoped might be used in the design of a calendar. I went out and about at the beginning of each month and decided what flora and fauna might be of interest in a particular month and what would make nice little paintings to go on my proposed calendar. These 12 paintings have the codes  NS01 to NS12 (‘NS’stands for Nature Series). However, when I designed and published the A4 limited edition calendar in 2005 for the year 2006, it ended up with the title: “Nature’s Gems”. All 300 editions were sold. And each year since then I have designed and produced a calendar based on my artwork done during the year, or re-using some popular pictures from previous years. The calendars remain as popular now as they were in 2005 and lovely people come back to purchase them year after year. The calendars have been sent all over the world. I also now produce A5 and Half A3 Calendars, as well as CD size calendars in a plastic case.

NS03 Nature’s Gems: March Hellebore and Primrose

NS04 Nature’s Gems: April Frog Cowslip Tortoiseshell

Botanical Illustration. Artist Code: NS03 and NS04. Completed April 2004. Original SOLD. Water colour on Aquarelle Arches 100% Hot Pressed cotton rag paper. Unframed size 16″ x 12″. Framed size 20” x 23”.

SOLD at the Natural World Art Group (NWAG) Easter 2010 Exhibition at Banham Zoo.

The cowslips, field pansy, dandelion, butterfly and frog in this April picture were all found in my little wild garden, so the field trip was nice-n-easy!

Cambridge Botanic Gardens provided the flora for March; I attended a two-day session to paint spring flowers, and these were the only British ‘wild’ flowers on offer (all the others being exotics).

Poems:

March brings winds to chill you more.
Tucked in woods the hellebore,
flowers black with ebony sheen,
others, brightest shiny green.
Primrose yellow at your feet,
burst into flower—a real treat!
Fantastic purple hellebore
With blackened seed pods to ensure
Perpetual growth for this lovely sight
Bursting open with all their might
The seeds to earth cocoon in sleep
When spring is come again they peep.

April
Tortoiseshell, the nectar sips,
from dandelion’s golden lips.
Field pansy creeps amongst the leaves.
A frog sits silent, never breathes,
as cowslip towers to the sky,
April rain comes by and by.