Drawing — Anna Connor

Nasturtium, Calendula & Borage

“Nasturtium, Calendula & Borage (Star Flower)”

All of these flowers were grown from seed. I was late sowing them and so they didn’t get done until May which coincided with a very warm couple of weeks and all the seeds were successful, coming up within ten days or so. And they are still flowering now, in September. I might leave it that late again! I sowed the nasturtiums specifically to draw, while the calendula and borage seeds were a gift. It was a lot of fun to draw the ‘blue star’ flowers of the borage.

Since I drew this, caterpillars have munched their way through nearly all of the nasturtiums, but I think I can see tiny, resilient buds reforming at the base of the plants. Sometimes I feel like I have lost some of my ‘leaves’ and ‘petals’, so I shall take a tip from the nasturtiums to not give up, and to keep sending up shoots and buds. Who knows, maybe some will flower.

“Nasturtium, Calendula & Borage (Star Flower)”

Caran D'Ache Luminance pencils on Fabriano Artistico HP paper, Extra White

50 x 35cm

Black Somniferum and White Rhoeas Poppies

I have really enjoyed the somniferum poppies this year. We had tall, imposing dark purple almost black, poppies, and mischievous frilly ones too. The seed was from a mixed somniferum packet so it was very exciting to see what (if anything!) would appear. The white rhoeas poppies self seeded from last year and occasionally had a pink blush on them as they were unfurling. Their seeming delicacy contrasted wonderfully with the larger, showier (and why not) ’black’ poppies.

I love poppies as to me they are so characterful, each one has its own personality. You can’t force them to ‘behave’, you have to be prepared to let them do their own thing. They have such a long season too: when they are coming into bud they look good, all the way through to the full open flower to the seed heads. And, more come all the time. They have definitely been my constant buddies in the garden this year.

“Black Somniferum and White Rhoeas Poppies"

Caran D'Ache Luminance pencils on Fabriano Artistico HP paper, Traditional White

45.5 x 30.5cm

Yellow Roses, Geraniums & Mock Orange

This is the largest picture I have made with my Caran D’ache Luminance pencils so far. I used 300 gsm (140lb) Fabriano Artistico smooth watercolour paper, extra white. I could fill an entire wall with these drawn flowers; they just spill out and grow on the paper. It’s difficult to stop.

This rose is one of my favourite roses and lives in the front garden. The flowers are large and a beautiful soft yellow colour. I love to draw and paint it: it seems to me as though this rose in particular is dancing, and I am dancing with it using my pencil and brush. It flowers on and off all summer, unlike the mock orange which blossoms for just a few short weeks at the end of June, beginning of July. The mock orange is a pure white flower, but I had fun teasing out all the coloured shadows within the small, cup shaped flowers. I adore the mock orange and draw and paint it nearly every year.

The most challenging flowers were the geraniums in terms of colour. The violets and lilacs are so deep and glowing; I can only get an approximation, but it was so pleasurable to have a chance to play with the deep violets through to the pastel lilacs.

Drawing from these flowers at my kitchen table really gave me the strong impression that flowers spend their short lives dancing, and in so doing to remind me to dance; firstly with my brush and pencil, and then with my whole body. Dancing my way through life.

"Yellow Roses, Geraniums & Mock Orange"

Caran D'Ache Luminance pencils on Fabriano Artistico HP paper, Extra White

55.5 x 37.5cm