2020 has certainly been very challenging for many people, and I am no exception. One of the most powerful tools for my mental health this year has been gardening. I have always held a very special place in my heart for nature, in all its forms, and gardening has long been part of that. However this year it took a new, magical significance, consuming me and distracting me from the challenges of the human world. Clichés are clichés for a reason, and the well known theory that the steady routine of plants brings certainty and joy to uncertain times, feels very impactful this year. 

 

I found myself drawing and painting the nature unfolding in my garden and around me. Simple and quick, pen and water-colour illustrations. Their delicate, simplicity is different to my usual style and yet feels very symbolic of what nature means to me.

 

I have turned these illustrations into a collection of Botanical Cards-one for each month of the year, complete with an ode to the month- and a handmade Botanical Calendar for 2021. As always, taking care of the planet is at the forefront of my products, so these are plastic free and the Calendar is reusable as 12 illustrated postcards once the month is over.

 

These products are available in my shop and at Blue Tin Produce, Ipsden, Oxfordshire.