Double, single or ruffled…each one unpredictable, each highly detailed and exquisite at every stage…
Hello everyone,
I am delighted to invite you, at last to a workshop that’s been so very, very long in the planning: THE POETRY OF THE POPPY with artist ROSE COLBECK on SATURDAY 22 OCTOBER.
Timed to coincide with this fleeting annual occurrence, we intend for the day to be a celebration – as much about immersion in the pure unadulterated joy of the spring garden when the poppies are at their peak, as in the hypnotic process of capturing these exquisite specimens in all their parts.
Whether the particular poppies in the garden here should be referred to as Papaver somniferum; Papaver paeoniflorum, or somniferum var. paeoniflorum is something upon which I can only speculate. It seems to me everyone has their own idea and as I grow them purely for their captivating flowers and pods…for their delicate form and the vision they create; I don’t mind too much about their nomenclature! It’s their sheer beauty that fascinates me…from swelling buds through unfurling petals to reveal single, double or ruffled flower; through the slow dance of petal shed that reveals at first, a fresh new pod with stamens intact, which slowly ages through hues of green to blue/grey and onto dull mauve, before drying to paper-bag brown. In time, each pod ‘pops’ its deeply etched oriental-style hat to reveal a circlet of tiny holes, resembling little windows – the reason I would delight in suggesting to the girls when they were very young that surely fairies must dwell inside!
The seeds of these beauties first came to me a long time ago, when I was just setting out on my gardening path. I became captivated during an early garden visit in South Australia and the owner kindly sent me a little envelope containing fine seeds the following autumn. In turn, I’ve been posting little envelopes to all those who become equally enchanted with them here, as I was back then.
ROSE COLEBECK was just such a one who, on her first visit to Glenmore, enquired not after the magnificent pink blooms dancing on their tall stems in the spring (her visit was in mid-winter!) but about the pods – the dried seed heads of which I keep many in the Dairy. She was as enraptured as me with their form at every stage and over time I’ve subsequently posted stems to her, shared images of flowers as they journey and, as is the nature of those who share a love of gardens and flowers, a friendship evolved. While I have the ability to grow the poppies and they mark a highlight for me and all who visit in the spring; drawing is not my skill! But in turn, I am enamoured with Rose’s detailed interpretations.
Rose has been an independent art teacher for many years and suggests you should have no fear in coming along to try your hand…she will coax beautiful work even from a beginner. (I’d be joining in if it wasn’t for the need to produce lunch!). Rose’s own work is highly detailed and illustrative and she will patiently guide you through postcard drawings, as well as lengths of Archers paper for tall poppies!
The date has been chosen especially to coincide with what has been…these last 30 or so years, the peak peony poppy flowering moment in the year. How I hope this doesn’t jinx them! But I think we’re good to go…I sowed hundreds of seeds inside the fig cages just in case! Whilst I rarely pick them (they’re short-lived in a vase and even if I were to do so, I’d miss out then on the impact the pods that follow have in the garden) on this occasion I intend to snip them at their various stages (we can select which ones together) for you to study…to capture in pencil, fine liners and to tint with watercolour, under Rose’s encouraging guidance.
There will be a long table seasonal lunch of course, inspired by the bounty in the kitchen garden. I promise to dream up something for the plate to equal the beauty you’re committing to paper!
Truly, we can’t wait! All the details and the booking form are here, and if you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Rose and I will much look forward to seeing you on the day!
With very best wishes
Mickey
ps Just in case some of you are wondering…yep, they’re still there after yesterday’s big hail storm!
