Flowers & Folklore: Part 1

I’m keeping things short and sweet today. It’s a beautiful sunny afternoon here on the Jurassic Coast and to feel the early spring warmth on my skin, is pure ecstasy after the long dark winter we’ve had in England. I’ve been so desperate for spring to arrive that I find myself thinking about the flowers that will hopefully bloom in my garden very soon, while my hands draw clusters of fresh flowers whenever I sit and draw. I’ve been working on a little collection for a project that I’m keeping under wraps for now but I thought I’d share some of my favourites with you.

These are all drawn freehand using Procreate and as always, I have been very strict with the colour palette to create harmony throughout the collection.

I love working with symbology so I was keen to find out about the history and folklore around the flowers I’ve been drawing and I’ve made some fascinating discoveries. Once I’ve finished this project I’ll curate some of the stories into a post to share with you. I have been collecting a beautiful library of reference books over the years and I found these two gems in my collection, which were a good place to start my research.

The Secret Language of Plants: Art, Nature & Symbolism by Hope B. Werness.
One of my favourites, an absolutely gorgeous book which I highly recommend, especially if you love art history.

Floral Folklore: The Forgotten Tales Behind Nature’s Most Enchanting Plants, by Alison Davis and illustrated by Wild Lune
An enchanting book I wish I’d illustrated!

Check back soon for the project reveal some magical flowering folklore in part 2!