I’m sticking with the nature theme for Burnham Art Trail 2025. I’ve made small mixed media paintings inspired by the flowers that were blooming in some of the artists’ studio gardens during Art Trail week last year.

Come and visit 4 Fernlea Road, Burnham-on-Crouch, CM0 8EJ 11am-5pm from Saturday 21st until Sunday 29th June 2025 

You an check out the info for all the venues and artists on the Burnham Art Trail website.

These eryngiums were shining in the sunshine in the garden of Studio 4A in Witney Road. 

Also known as giant sea holly – they are spitefully sharp – and Miss Willmott’s ghost after a legendary nineteenth century gardener who would secretly sow the seeds in other people’s gardens.

I started painting these while hanging out in the Franklins’ beautiful garden at 4 Fernlea Road (my own venue). I finished them off with a crackle glaze and glitter gel as I felt that they reflected the shiny, spininess off the plant.

I was really drawn to these blousy giant scabious flowers which were blooming in the Frankins’ garden. 

I started with permanent marker and watercolour paint and then deepened the greens of the centre of the flowers with coloured pencil and felt tip pen.

I accentuated the shape of the circular centre by transferring gold ink with the rim of a glass and added the contrast of the collaged text.

The next three paintings were inspired by the gorgeous water lilies in the Franklins’ pond.

And I chose to depict the daisies in the three paintings below:

I apllied little blobs of acrylic paint to add texture and intense colour to the yellow centres.

And then I painted three versions of the verbena / vervain:

And these pansies were blooming on the patio at home during Art Trail week, rather than in the Franklins’ garden: