Description

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Paint inspiring, luminous orchids in watercolour using this practical, contemporary guide from respected artist Vivienne Cawson, published in association with Kew Gardens.

Vivienne Cawson's luminous painting style and original use of background patterning gives her work a contemporary, beautiful feel all of its own. Published in Association with Kew Gardens as a celebration of their annual Orchid Festival, this stunning book teaches you how to paint a selection of orchids in watercolour.

The book contains a thorough techniques section that guides you through Vivienne's decision-making, colour-matching and painting process; capture form with speed and confidence, practise painting different leaves, flowers and roots and learn how to create different textures with paint. The book contains exercises that will hone your skills and encourage your painterly instincts, followed by 3 complete step-by-step projects that feature a range of wild and still-life flowers grown at Kew.

The book is interspersed with historical images from the Kew archives, showcasing the rich variety and beauty of this much-loved family of flowers.

About the Author

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Vivienne trained in printed textiles at Leicester Polytechnic College. Her working career began as a freelance designer of printed carpets; during this period she began teaching art and design in Further Education, which then led to becoming Head of Department for Art and Design, working full-time in Further Education for 26 years in total. During her teaching career she painted and exhibited as time allowed. She began painting professionally in 2005. She is a member of The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA) and the Leicester Society of Artists (LSA). She runs workshops at her studio, demonstrates to art groups and societies and national events in the UK. Her passion lies in painting flowers and portraits in watercolour.

Praise For…

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Paint Magazine - Jan 2020
You might think that painting orchids was a subject too specialised to be of general interest. They are, however, one of the most varied flower types and, of course, some examples are highly prized by collectors. Not all types are exotic, though, and there's a good chance you have some in your own garden or at least locally.

The result is a book which is endlessly fascinating and which tells you far more about flower painting in general than you'd ever expect. 

In practical terms, the introductory sections contain succinct yet thorough information on colour, tonal values, positive and negative space, shape, brushwork and a whole lot more. It's all thoroughly practical and there are plenty of examples and exercises to get stuck into. It's actually quite easy to forget you're dealing with orchids specifically as you learn about stems, leaves and petals - even roots - and how everything complements something else. It's all rather good fun, which is perhaps the most important thing. 

The Artist - Feb 2020

Orchids might seem like a rather over-specialised subject for a whole book, but they are one of the most varied species around and offer a wide variety of shapes and colours. As a result, this has plenty to offer the more general flower painter and Vivienne Cawson's methods of working and teaching have much to commend them. Whilst being recognisable blooms, these are not detailed botanical illustrations, in spite of the Kew connection, which might suggest they would be. Rather, Vivienne takes advantage of the opportunities variety has to offer and explores colour, tone, shape and setting in ways that have broad appeal and can be applied to any flower or plant. After discussions of palettes, leaves, flowers and even roots, there are three detailed projects where the quality of the illustrations makes following the instructions particularly straightforward. This is a book which promises much and delivers at every stage.