During lockdown in 2020 I began to do preliminary work for a new painting series inspired by the flowers growing in my garden.
This will be a celebratory creative project to mark my reaching half a century!
I plan to make 50 large painting studies of the flowers. Limited editions of signed Fine Art Giclée Prints will be made of each original painting: 250 A3 prints, 150 A2 prints and 100 A1 prints – 500 in total. The A1 print will have the image printed at the exact dimensions of the original painting: 50cm x 70cm.
Each flower painting will be matched to a charity and a sizeable percentage of the profits from the sale of the prints will go to the chosen charity: for each A3 print purchased £15 will be donated to the charity; for each A2 print purchased £30 will be donated to the charity; for each A1 print purchased £50 will be donated to the charity. You can purchase the prints here.
To keep up-to-date with my progress, discover facts about each flower and learn more about the charities I am supporting you can follow my 50 Flowers blog and my 50 Flowers Instagram
If you want to receive email notifications with occasional updates on the project, please send me a message via my contact form.
Like many people, during the covid enforced lockdowns, I had some extra time to pay more attention to things closer to home. I tried to identify all the flowers and plants that were already in my garden as well as try to grow some new ones (with varying degrees of success!)
I began listening to gardening and foraging podcasts, reading gardening books and visiting plant identification websites. For this project, as well as sharing my art, I would like this to be an opportunity to share some of the interesting facts I have discovered about many of the flowers in my garden.
These are some of the photographs I took of the flowers that appeared in the garden during 2020. There are already more than 50, so I may decide to partner some of the flowers for a few of the paintings.
I will be displaying the flower paintings, as they are completed, in separate posts on the front page of this website. I will include information about the charity I have matched them to and details on how to purchase the limited edition prints.
I will be selecting charitable organisations which work to protect the natural environment and wildlife.
Also charities that promote the importance of the natural world for our health and well being.
I hope to support small, community and voluntary led charities as well as the larger, well known organisations.
Below are links to some of the charitable organisations I would like to support. If you would like to recommend a charitable cause or organisation that you think is appropriate and would benefit from my fundraising please get in touch via my contacts page.
Horatio’s Garden Wales – Horatio’s Garden is a national charity creating and nurturing beautiful gardens in NHS spinal injury centres to support everyone affected by spinal injury. They are currently working with award-winning Welsh garden designer Sarah Price to create a garden sanctuary at the new, purpose-built spinal and neurological centre at University Hospital, Llandough, South Wales. Horatio’s Garden Wales is the first charity I have chosen to support, with the sale of prints of Bellflowers and they have created a wonderful feature page for my project on their website.
Noah’s Ark Children‘s Hospice – set on a 7.5-acre nature reserve in Barnet, it is a home-from-home for seriously unwell children. It’s an inspiring space for relaxation, adventure and the opportunity for children and families to connect with others facing similar challenges. Noah’s Ark is the second charity I have chosen to support with the sale of Limited Edition Giclée Prints of my painting Yellow Roses #3, plus the sale of the three more original paintings Yellow Roses #1, #2 and #4.
May Project Gardens – a community permaculture garden in Morden, South London that works with urban communities, to address poverty, disempowerment and access to resources and influence.
Greenpeace UK – is a movement of people who are passionate about defending the natural world from destruction, using non-violent creative action to pave the way towards a greener, more peaceful world, and to confront the systems that threaten our environment.
Blue Ventures – award winning marine conservation in places where the ocean is vital to local cultures and economies.
Buglife – the only organisation in Europe devoted to the conservation of all invertebrates.
The Big Sunflower Project – raises awareness of rare neuromuscular conditions known as centronuclear and myotubular myopathy by sending sunflower seeds to people who have never heard of the conditions and requesting photos of the grown sunflowers in return.
Sea Shepherd UK – a an international non-profit, marine wildlife conservation organisation whose primary mission is to end the destruction of habitats and illegal killing of wildlife around the UK’s coastline and across the world’s oceans in order to conserve and protect xmarine ecosystems and species.
Plantlife UK – a British conservation charity working nationally and internationally to save threatened wild flowers, plants and fungi.
Sweet Tree Farming For All – making a positive difference to the lives of vulnerable people who are experiencing social or educational exclusion, by providing meaningful experiences in a natural environment, and to help them grow to become confident, well balanced individuals who are socially included.
Women’s Environmental Network – fights global problems around gender, health and our environment by taking action on issues affecting our bodies, homes and neighbourhoods.
Plants For A Future – an online, free-to-use, information database and associated website for those interested in edible and useful plants. The main aims of the charity are researching and providing information on ecologically sustainable horticulture, as an integral part of designs involving high species diversity and permaculture principles.
Greenfingers Charity – a national charity dedicated to supporting life-limited children who spend time in hospices around the UK, along with their families, by creating inspiring gardens for them to relax in and benefit from.
Woodland Trust – the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity.
Friends Of The Earth – an environmental campaigning community dedicated to the wellbeing and protection of the natural world and everyone in it.
Amelia Trust Farm – an educative countryside sanctuary in South Wales for all to enjoy and where disadvantaged and vulnerable people are supported within a Care Farm setting.
Ellis Park Wildlife Sanctuary – Ellis Park is on adjoining land next to the Sumatra Wildlife Centre and will provide long term care for those that cannot be released into the wild. Ellis Park will also be used as a hub to educate the public, locals and visitors to the park about the negative impacts on wildlife used in the tourism industry and those saved from the illegal pet trade and wildlife smuggling.