botanical |bəˈtanɪkl| adjective: pertaining to, made from, or containing plants
All things plant related make me happy…despite not having a green thumb. My studies in Textile Design were fundamentally based on botanical drawing and painting, all of which was done by hand from live specimens. The intricate structure of plants and flowers is not only beautiful, but quite awe-inspiring in its complex creation. My mother was a botanical artist and her work continues to inspire me when I design.
The Botanical Collection is a carefully curated selection of botanically inspired designs that each tell their own tale. The story behind the design, is for me, the most exciting part of a print. It gives a real sense of depth to a pattern and tells a tale beyond the surface of a textile print.
The Botanical Collection expresses my love for the sophistication of plant shapes portrayed in a simple way.
BLACKJACK
Growing up in the countryside of Kwa-Zulu Natal, I would come back from playing outside with Blackjack seeds stuck to my socks. They would take forever to pick off, their spiky little bristles gripping tight onto anything that brushed past them. This print is named after that wearisome weed with its tenacious offspring, forever stuck in my childhood memory.
POPPY
Tucked away in my sketchbook I found a little envelope safely storing some red poppy seeds, collected from my mother’s garden. A hasty scribble of a poppy flower on the envelope reminded me of its contents. This quick sketch inspired a bold retro print featuring the iconic merry bloom.
BILLY BUTTON
A print that began on paper. This time as a stencil cut out from paper during a cold winter day in my studio. I was in the mood to design a stripe of some sort, and noticed the shadow created on the floor from a vase of Billy Buttons on my desk. You know those cheerful little yellow pompom flowers that sit perched on their stem like a sunny lollypop? The shadow from the stems and roundish flower head made the perfect stripe…peppered with a button-like spot.
FIELD FERN
Walking alongside a river in our suburb, my son noticed that the falling leaves of a nearby tree had the distinctive shape of a fern. He thought it would make a great design. We collected some leaves to bring home, laid them out top-to-tail, and Field Fern was created.
PINCUSHION POLKA
My favourite flower is the Pincushion Protea. I love its dainty yet sculptural beauty. We have a protea flower seller that sells cut stems from the back of his old truck nearby our home. He plays his guitar while waiting for customers. I will seldom drive past without stopping for a chat and to pick up a bunch of my favourite pincushions. This design is a traditional polka dot print, but imagine you were looking at the top of the pincushion protea flower instead. That’s Pincushion Polka.
