Julie Puchalski - 'Botanical On Black'

Wednesday 23 March - Saturday 9 April 2022

"I have returned to a reoccurring theme in my work, the natural world of the garden and the flowers which grow there. I have taken the process used by the 17th century collage artist Mrs. Delany and presented all my images on a simple black background. While not strictly botanical illustrations, I have worked within the botanical representation of flowers and plants.

The plants and flowers have been seasonal and have been plants I have access to from local gardens and parks to friends and family’s gardens. The few exceptions to this are flowers which have a connection to favourite paintings or painters, like the Datura which was painted by Georgia O’Keefe and the Rose Fantin-Latour which was named after one of the great French flower painters.

The Face of Flowers series are small portraits of a single flower and, like a human face, represent a flower through its construction and its shape and colour. It provides a myriad of information about this short, exquisite life. Even the most simple and understated flower is unique and beautiful when in bloom.