As a painter I’m known for my pictures of everyday objects and clothing, so I was surprised and pleased to be asked to take part in the Wildflower Meadows Project at Birches Farm. One of my early memories is sitting on grandad’s knee looking through, not a story book but ‘The Observer’s Book of Wildflowers’, I’ve known the names of the more common species since I was quite young.I was really pleased to be involved in the project, especially as we were to have a whole year to develop a closeness with a small piece of landscape, a chance to observe every season and watch the changes in the meadows and hedgerows.
I was excited to see Birches Farm Nature Reserve at it’s summer best on our first visit in early June last year, ‘so many wildflowers all in one place and topped with a haze of pink grasses. I made a lot of notes and sketches and came home with more ideas for paintings than I would have time for! My focus was mainly on the wildflowers and hedgerow species. I was interested in what grew where, harebells in Crossway, birdsfoot trefoil on Little Bank and dyers greenweed in Coppice Field. I also liked the idea of journeys, through the meadows and also through the year. I’ve enjoyed using a long linear format for my watercolours to convey this sense of ‘journey’ through seasonal observations along sections of hedgerow, and wildflower walks across meadows and along Coppice lane.
I wanted to get a sense of place, and to gain a familiarity with Birches Farm. I decided to walk across the reserve in every compass direction, through each meadow and into every corner.
