Cocktail, Cake and Botanical Micro Illustrations in Watercolour
It has been a busy but wonderful week with a spot of all things!
Following last weeks wonderful Gold Coast painting workshop, Ive returned back home super eager to get back to working on my book illustrations once again, especially as I move through the final handful of paintings for this enormous, all consuming project… But first another happy little detour has found me and as it turns out, it has been a perfect easing back into studio and work life back here at home. Being one of my favourite clients makes it all the better too.
For many years now I have sidestepped into cocktail and cake illustrations for The Grounds Of Alexandria, creating what has amassed to dozens of tiny, botanically inspired food illustrations over time. I have to say, I really love them. So what began as a one off, jumping in to help a client out, has in fact become something very ongoing that Ive come to thoroughly enjoy creating. Measuring about 8 to 9 centimetres as a rule, each of these tiny paintings always feature a botanical element to them, so they are right up my alley. They are as wonderful, magical and beautiful as everything the Grounds create. I look forward to each of them, seeing what new wonders theyve come up with in their ever evolving visions, tackling the micro detailing and intricacies of each in watercolour illustrations for them.
As we set upon overhauling their menus, we draw on plenty of my older illustrations whilst creating some wonderful new ones to add to the mix. To embellish, I put together 3 banner botanical illustrations of daisies and citrus, both lemons and oranges before continuing on to the cocktail and amazing cake studies that will adorn each page. I have to admit, I absolutely LOVE working on the little cake illustrations. Below Ive captured 3 very unique and different cakes to add to the mix of magic… How beautiful their cakes are hey? Certainly as painting studies, each brings plenty of challenge to render beautifully, and I fall into every one of them happily.
The next part of the brief focusses on a series of new cocktail illustrations, again, each so unique and beautiful. Some are sleek and sophisticated, others are so full of whimsy and character, each of them such fun to play with. As a realistic botanical artist, I truly love this continuing opportunity to explore its depths, its many practical applications and the endless ways I see people appreciating and enjoying my work. Working with other creatives, brilliant at what they do, remains such a privilege to me.
The next part of the brief focusses on a series of new cocktail illustrations, again, each so unique and beautiful. Some are sleek and sophisticated, others are so full of whimsy and character, each of them such fun to play with. It is amazing to me to see how many textures are required in these studies too, everything from metal to cut crystal, ceramics and glass, fruit, flowers, foliage and frills, theres a bit of everything to capture.
As a realistic botanical artist, I truly love this continuing opportunity to explore its depths, its many practical applications and the endless ways I see people appreciating and enjoying my work. Working with other creatives, brilliant at what they do, remains such a privilege to me. I am looking forward to seeing the new menus hit the Potting Shed tables and even more so to trying their new cocktail experiences. And with that wonderful sidestep a wrap, its time return the last artworks for my book illustration project. Thanks for stopping by!