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.

NS06 Nature’s Gems: June

Botanical Illustration. Artist Code: NS06. Completed October 2004. Original SOLD. Water colour on Aquarelle Arches 100% Hot Pressed cotton rag paper. Unframed size 9″ x 12″. Framed size 19” x 15” 

SOLD at my Cambridge Open Studios Exhibition 2014.

The foxglove, poppy and spearwort all grow in my little wild garden and the burnet moth sometimes shows amongst the flower heads. Poppies come in all sizes and reddish hues and are fascinating to watch as their silken petals ripple in the breeze.

Poem:

Pompous poppies grab the scene,
voluptuous red and silver green.
In windswept fields a shimmering light,
Rippling red for our delight
Lest we forget, a tearful eye,
For killing fields of years gone by.
But greater spearwort dazzles too,
whilst foxglove, sombre violet hue,
hides behind the sunny sight.
See burnet moth, its wings so bright.