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.

NS11 Nature’s Gems: November

Botanical Illustration. Artist Code: NS11. Completed November 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 July 2015.

In dingy, dark November, I was perplexed by the lack of plants to paint for this month’s calendar picture. I play tennis in Cambridge, and a SSSI footpath (to Coton) runs alongside the clubhouse. So after one of my winter ‘tennis afternoons’ I searched the footpath for something to inspire me. These little gems attached to the woody nightshade stems were criss-crossing in abundance through the grass and dead plants, and the ivy appeared to be holding up the leafless trees. So they got plucked and drawn!

Poem:

November skies, darkness threatens.
Foggy mists roll over time.
The glistening woody nightshade berries—
solace in the winter’s grime.
As ivy shows her different faces,
Fauna runs to sheltered places.