Floral Inspiration
Anyone who follows my work will know I’m hugely inspired by all things floral. I love to create floral pieces with an abstract feel and in bold colour combinations, so whilst they resemble the real thing, there is something a little different about them.
In this blog post I will talk a bit about how I find inspiration for my floral designs. I will go through some sources, offer a quick review about a major current exhibition dedicated to flowers and also contribute some ideas to help you start thinking about creating your own floral collections.
Flora is ubiquitous in many areas of life - and especially in art and design. A floral illustration is easily recognisable and can add an elegant and sophisticated aesthetic, but also depending on the style, something bold and offering a strong statement (think Marimekko’s oversize floral prints or Andy Warhol’s Flower Paintings).
In a recent exhibition I visited at the Saatchi Gallery in London, I was introduced to galleries full of flowers as represented in painting, sculpture, graphic design, film, photography, fashion, literature and science. As a source of inspiration for so many, it was clear in this exhibition that flowers have such a strong presence in our lives and as a motif can adorn so many different surfaces.
Some of my favourite pieces from the exhibition were a film poster from the Wicker Man, dresses by Mary Quant and Vivienne Westwood, a floral painting by Gary Hume and of course Andy Warhol’s floral paintings as mentioned above.
The exhibition, Flowers : Flora in Contemporary Art and Culture, runs until 5th May and I highly recommend a visit!
Taking such inspiration and then using it in our way to spark our creativity is the next step, and some of my favourite sources of floral inspiration are detailed below.
BOOKS :
Flower : Exploring the World in Bloom (Phaidon)
Flower Colour Theory (Phaidon)
Botanical Inspiration : Nature in Art and Illustration (Viction:ary)
Flora and Fauna : Design Inspired by Nature (Viction:ary)
Fashion and Textiles:
Floral Artists and Designers:
Georgia O’Keefe
Andy Warhol
William Morris
Hokusai
Henri Rousseau
In the final section of this post, I will look at how I use flowers in my illustration and surface pattern design.
Here are some examples of my floral art - as you’ll see I love to use abstract floral shapes, especially petals and wavy leaves. I love to use dreamy and delicate colour palettes with bold pops of colour to create an ethereal aesthetic.
Symmetry is a great tool to use in your designs and this can be influenced by traditional folk art where the technique was very popular - think Scandi style folk flowers. A flora frame or border is also very effective. Singular flowers can make a strong statement as well as intricate and dense floral patterns. Depending on the nature of the design, a strong colour palette will also add further depth.
I hope you feel inspired by this post and are excited to create your own unique pieces!