Flowers in Art - Resources for Artists

Flowers in Art - blog posts on Making A Mark 

Making a Mark: Flowers in Art

An introduction to the project on Flowers in Art.

Making a Mark: Flowers in Art: what's on my bookshelves?

A list of the books about drawing and painting flowers on my bookshelves - with a brief synopsis of each one

Making a Mark: Flowers in Art - and Van Gogh #1

An introduction to Vincent Van Gogh's approach to painting flowers

Flowers in Art: Kazu Shimura: Sumi-e paintings of flowers

Links to a number of sumi-e videos of flowers being painted on You Tube. They were all created by a sumi-e artist called Kazu Shimura who lives in Tokyo.

Flowers in Art... and Dame Elizabeth Blackadder RA

Information about the work of Dame Elizabeth Blackadder RA and an analysis of her approach. Links to various sites providing information about her and her work.

Flowers in Art.... and Charles Rennie Mackintosh

Information about the flower drawings of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and an analysis of his approach. Links to various sites providing information about him and his work.

Making a Mark: Potentially Peonies

A post illustrating how a work in coloured pencils was developed for this project.

Making a Mark: Flowers in Art: French nineteenth century artists

This post focuses on notable French nineteenth century artists who painted flowers (excluding Monet - who I'm doing next month). Two of the best known painters of flowers are Eduoard Manet and Henri Fantin Latour. Links to further information about both artists.

Making a Mark: What is a still life?

This post attempts to answer the question "what is a still life?" and provides some context for flowers in art in this context. Extensive research relating to definitions and approaches at different points in time and links to further information

Making a Mark: Flowers in Art: William Morris - herbals, flowers and making patterns

William Morris (1834-1896) has had a significant influence on decorative art in the UK. His designs are based on natural forms - many of which are flowers. Of the nearly 600 designs which are attrubuted to him there are very few which do not feature flowers, leaves, trees or plants. Links to various sites about the man, his work, his homes and archives of his output.

Making a Mark: Flowers in Art: Tips and Techniques for working from life

This post is a summary of a number of tips and techniques for working from life when drawing or painting flowers.

Making a Mark: Flowers in Art: Contemporary Artists #1

This post is about some more of today's contemporary artists who paint flowers and interest me and/or have influenced my own approach to art. This one is about three men - Joseph Raffael, Charles Reid and Paul Riley - and provides links to their websites and books.

Making a Mark: Flowers in Art: Contemporary painters #2

Following on from Flowers in Art: Contemporary Painters #1, this post highlights a number of female artists who paint flowers - Geraldine Girvan, Pamela Kay, Diana Armfield, Shirley Felts, Nel Whatmore, Kim Parker and Shirley Trevena. This post provides links to websites showing images of the flowers they paint and/or their books.

Making a Mark: Flowers in Art: Van Gogh #2 - Sunflowers and the value of repetition

This post is Van Gogh's sunflowers and a drawing of sunflowers that I developed in pen and ink and coloured pencil.

Art History: Artists who drew and painted flowers 

Vincent Van Gogh

Irises, 1890 by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890). See the rest of the website to see more flowers.

Pierre-Joseph Redoute - Biography

A biography of artist Pierre-Joseph Redoute

William Morris - Victoria and Albert Museum

William Morris

Making a Mark: Georgia O'Keeffe Month: Macro Flowers

Georgia O'Keeffe is one of the most famous women artists - mainly due to the popularity of her flower images. She was born near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin on November 15th 1887 and died in Santa Fe on March 6th 1986 at the age of 98.

BBC - Painting Flowers - Homepage

Homepage for Painting Flowers, an online gallery in association with the BBC Four TV series of the same name, broadcast in 2004.

Hunterian Museum - Mackintosh Collections: flower drawings, watercolours and designs

There are 49 records relating to flower drawings, watercolours and designs in the Mackintosh online catalogue. Click on the title of a record to see more detail

National Gallery - Flowers in a Terracotta Vase by Jan van Huysem

The flowers, as is common in van Huysum's pictures, are of different seasons and most of them are depicted larger than their natural size.

National Gallery - Flowers in a Vase by BOSSCHAERT the Elder, Ambrosius

On this small copper panel Bosschaert has painted with great delicacy and precision a bouquet of relatively common flowers - among them tulips, roses, wallflowers, daffodils and a carnation. He has described them with the precision of a botanical illustrator and yet carefully balanced the composition in terms of form and colour.

National Gallery - Hollyhocks and Other Flowers in a Vase by Jan van Huysem

As in other paintings by the artist, the composition consists of flowers from different seasons, which suggests that the picture does not represent a single bouquet. Instead, as these flowers bloom at different times of the year, the artist must have painted this picture over a period of time, or after drawings from nature.

British Museum - Mary Delany (1700-88)

An article about Mary Delany (1700-88). She developed a remarkable series of flower collages that were bequeathed to The British Museum

Classic paintings of flowers in the history of art 

The Herbarium: Flowers in Paintings

Flowers in Paintings
This is a collection of works on flowers and gardens from some of the great masters of painting.Pierre Bonnard
Poppies in a VaseJan Brueghel the Younger
Still Life: Basket of FlowersWilliam Merritt Chase
Pink Azalea - Chinese VaseHenri Fantin-Latour
etc

Flowers in the Art Collections of Museums and Art Galleries 

SAN DIEGO MUSEUM of ART | Collections - Flowers

Flowers in the collection of the San Diego Museum of Art

Themes and symbolism in flower painting 

BBC - Painting Flowers - Themes

About themes and symbolism in flower painting, on BBC Four's Painting Flowers website.

Contemporary Artists: drawing and painting flowers 

Elizabeth Blackadder RA - Painters - Royal Academicians - Royal Academy of Arts

Biography of Royal Academician painter Elizabeth Blackadder RA at the Royal Academy of Arts, London

GERALDINE GIRVAN

Chris Beetles Gallery: Various watercolour images of flowers by Geraldine Girvan

Shirley Trevena

Watercolours by Shirley Trevena

Pamela Kay

Richard Hagen - exhibition of work by Pamela Kay 28 October - 11 November 2006

Jo Self

Jo Self has been Artist in Residence at Kew Gardens and has also painted flowers from the garden of His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama.

Biography and Private View of an Exhibition of Paintings by Jo Self at The Temperate House, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Coral Guest - Flower Painter

Coral Guest - Flower Painter. Tulipa Blue Parrot Painting.

BBC - Painting Flowers - Coral Guest interview

Transcript of interview with flower painter Coral Guest on BBC Four's Painting Flowers site.

Painting Tulips 

BBC - Painting Flowers - The Tulip

The tulip in flower painting through the ages - on BBC Four's Painting Flowers site

Selected articles and blog posts about painting flowers 

Jana's Journal and Sketch Blog - My art in the book!

I got the book this week and was so excited! Not only did they do a really nice job with my artwork and the descriptions, but it's a really good and comprehensive book on flower painting in watercolor. The most exciting part for me is that I'm sharing the pages of a book with some truly amazing artists........

(see link to The Watercolor Flower Artist's Bible below)

Guardian - Van Gogh's Sunflowers have become monsters. But I'd rather have them than 'botanical art'

Germaine Greer: Despite the phenomenal marketability of flower paintings, no one does them any more. What proliferates instead is botanical art

Painting sunflowers 

BBC - Painting Flowers - Sunflowers

About painting sunflowers, from BBC Four's Painting Flowers site

National Gallery - Vincent van Gogh - Sunflowers

This is one of four paintings of sunflowers dating from August and September 1888. Van Gogh intended to decorate Gauguin's room with these paintings in the so-called Yellow House that he rented in Arles in the South of France.

Painting Lilies 

BBC - Painting Flowers - The Lily

The lily in flower painting through the ages - on BBC Four's Painting Flowers site

Painting Roses 

BBC - Painting Flowers - The Rose

The rose in flower painting through the ages - on BBC Four's Painting Flowers site

BBC - Painting Flowers - Fantin-Latour's Roses

About Fantin-Latour's Roses on BBC Four's Painting Flowers site.

Painting Clematis 

Clematis on the Web

The database now contains about 3200 clematis varieties and more than 3250 photographs showing over 1400 of them. More varieties and more photographs are regularly being added.

Blogging about flowers 

Human Flower Project - Art & Media

The Human Flower Project, directed by author and sociologist Julie Ardery, is a weblog of international flower news and floral customs.

The site promotes research and discussion of how flowers are used and understood in many cultures, with special emphasis on the florist industry, flower rituals, religious traditions, and the social and psychological dimensions of gardening.

The Human Flower Project also includes a photo album featuring flowers in social contexts.

Pastels and Pencils - Drawings and Prints of Flowers and Plants 

Katherine Tyrrell's website - original fine art drawings

Pastels and Pencils - Fine art drawings & fine art prints of flowers and plants

Fine art drawings and fine art prints of flowers and plants by Katherine Tyrrell - pictures of flowers in coloured pencil, soft pastel and pen and ink

Pastels and Pencils - Fine art drawings of flowers in colour by Katherine Tyrrell

Original fine art drawings of flowers by Katherine Tyrrell - drawings in colour using soft pastels or coloured pencil

Pastels and Pencils - Small Works: Floral and Botanical Drawings by Katherine Tyrrell

Small Works - original fine art drawings of floral and botanical subjects in coloured pencils by Katherine Tyrrell

Pastels and Pencils - Flower drawings and botanical drawings in pen and ink or pencil

Flower drawings and botanical drawings in pen and ink or graphite pencil by artist Katherine Tyrrell. These drawings of flowers or botanical subjects were all drawn from life. These drawings do not involve tracing, copying photos or use of grids.

Pastels and Pencils - Drawings of plants and cacti by Katherine Tyrrell

Drawings of plants and cacti by Katherine Tyrrell. This gallery is about what plants - and in particular cacti and succulents - look like in close-up

Pastels and Pencils - Fine Art Prints of original drawings by Katherine Tyrrell ASGFA

Fine art prints of original art by Katherine Tyrrell, this page links directly to specific fine art print galleries of works by Katherine Tyrrell at Imagekind