Snowdrops - 2023 version

I know I love the seasons. When I went to university I was on the coast and would walk along the seafront regularly. But something I realised was that I missed the seasons. They were still there obviously - the parks were full of the changes, flower beds and trees, the daffodils on the bank at the train station... but I was used to being completely enveloped in them back at home in the south Shropshire hills.

I like going for walks, and I like familiar places - because I love playing spot the difference in these scenarios. I like studying the hedgerows and watching them turn yellow with hazel catkins, or white with blackthorn blossom, or green when the hawthorn bursts into leaf. 

It's not really a surprise that I have, once again been excited by the snowdrops this year. 

I've drawn them before - yes. Many, many times. But that doesn't take anything away from them. I still like drawing them. I like looking at them, working out their structure and shapes and colours (yes green and white but the colours and shades within those colours too!).

So, this year I picked just one from my parents garden - they have lots and lots of them, like little white rugs around the garden. I spent a couple of very happy mornings sitting in the sun at a desk and drawing then painting them. With huge mugs of tea - bliss.

From here, I then wanted to continue with my cut flower explorations. So I carefully and slowly cut out each one with a scalpel.

Oh so slowly behind the scenes I've been continuing my exploration of my cut flowers. In January I began creating some origami vases - an exciting development in this project. 

So here are some of those snowdrops in a vase. My cut flowers seed is slowly growing into more of an idea each month.