Immortelle
I found a bouquet of large and striking vintage bead flowers in a bric-a-brac market. I read that in the 1800s in some French funerals, glass bead flower wreaths or bouquets called ‘Immortelles’ were left on graves to preserve memories and the wires which supported the beads disintegrated over time. Then, when only a pile of beads remained, the beads were gathered together and re-worked to create new memorials. So, I have separated each Immortelle flower and drawn it with a dancing paper Hallowe'en skeleton (made by my son in primary school) and black antique millinery bead butterflies. I was intrigued by the possibility of echoing still life Vanitas or Memento Mori imagery in this context.
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Immortelle with Painted Ladies and Purple SkeletonImmortelle with Painted Ladies and Purple SkeletonThe pink and white Immortelle flower remains unchanging while the purple skeleton dances, joined to the flower by a black bead butterfly. In making this drawing, I had in mind images from Maria Sibylla Merian’s gorgeous book ‘Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium’ of 1705. This drawing shows the life cycle of the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) butterfly on the Immortelle flower. I used a plastic toy set of a Painted Lady egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly from the Natural History Museum, London. I also painted from a faded real antique Painted Lady specimen. I drew around my own hand and used my purple nail varnish to feed the flower. This drawing references a variety of painted ladies.
h:66cms x w:50cms (framed).
2015 -
Immortelle with Painted Ladies and Purple SkeletonImmortelle with Painted Ladies and Purple SkeletonThe pink and white Immortelle flower remains unchanging while the purple skeleton dances, joined to the flower by a black bead butterfly. In making this drawing, I had in mind images from Maria Sibylla Merian’s gorgeous book ‘Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium’ of 1705. This drawing shows the life cycle of the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) butterfly on the Immortelle flower. I used a plastic toy set of a Painted Lady egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly from the Natural History Museum, London. I also painted from a faded real antique Painted Lady specimen. I drew around my own hand and used my purple nail varnish to feed the flower. This drawing references a variety of painted ladies.
h:66cms x w:50cms (framed).
2015 -
Immortelle with Painted Ladies and Purple SkeletonImmortelle with Painted Ladies and Purple SkeletonThe pink and white Immortelle flower remains unchanging while the purple skeleton dances, joined to the flower by a black bead butterfly. In making this drawing, I had in mind images from Maria Sibylla Merian’s gorgeous book ‘Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium’ of 1705. This drawing shows the life cycle of the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) butterfly on the Immortelle flower. I used a plastic toy set of a Painted Lady egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly from the Natural History Museum, London. I also painted from a faded real antique Painted Lady specimen. I drew around my own hand and used my purple nail varnish to feed the flower. This drawing references a variety of painted ladies.
h:66cms x w:50cms (framed).
2015 -
Immortelle with Painted Ladies and Purple SkeletonImmortelle with Painted Ladies and Purple SkeletonThe pink and white Immortelle flower remains unchanging while the purple skeleton dances, joined to the flower by a black bead butterfly. In making this drawing, I had in mind images from Maria Sibylla Merian’s gorgeous book ‘Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium’ of 1705. This drawing shows the life cycle of the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) butterfly on the Immortelle flower. I used a plastic toy set of a Painted Lady egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly from the Natural History Museum, London. I also painted from a faded real antique Painted Lady specimen. I drew around my own hand and used my purple nail varnish to feed the flower. This drawing references a variety of painted ladies.
h:66cms x w:50cms (framed).
2015 -
Lavender Immortelle with Butterflies and Ochre SkeletonLavender Immortelle with Butterflies and Ochre SkeletonI think this could be a lavender flower stem. The lavender flower remains unchanging while the ochre skeleton dances and the black butterflies spiral downwards to the darkness from which the flower stem grows.
h:45.5cms x w:30.4cms (unframed).
ink on paper
2015 -
Lavender Immortelle with Butterflies and Ochre SkeletonLavender Immortelle with Butterflies and Ochre SkeletonI think this could be a lavender flower stem. The lavender flower remains unchanging while the ochre skeleton dances and the black butterflies spiral downwards to the darkness from which the flower stem grows.
h:45.5cms x w:30.4cms (unframed).
ink on paper
2015 -
Lavender Immortelle with Butterflies and Ochre SkeletonLavender Immortelle with Butterflies and Ochre SkeletonI think this could be a lavender flower stem. The lavender flower remains unchanging while the ochre skeleton dances and the black butterflies spiral downwards to the darkness from which the flower stem grows.
h:45.5cms x w:30.4cms (unframed).
ink on paper
2015 -
Immortelle with Butterflies Egg and Blue SkeletonImmortelle with Butterflies Egg and Blue SkeletonThe flower remains unchanging while the blue skeleton dances. There is a plastic Red Admiral butterfly egg (from the Natural History Museum, London) within the flower. Above, the black butterflies writhe, mate and fight in a heavy black cloud of their own making.
h:66cms x w:50cms (framed).
ink on paper
2015 -
Immortelle with Butterflies Egg and Blue SkeletonImmortelle with Butterflies Egg and Blue SkeletonThe flower remains unchanging while the blue skeleton dances. There is a plastic Red Admiral butterfly egg (from the Natural History Museum, London) within the flower. Above, the black butterflies writhe, mate and fight in a heavy black cloud of their own making.
h:66cms x w:50cms (framed).
ink on paper
2015 -
Immortelle with Butterflies Egg and Blue SkeletonImmortelle with Butterflies Egg and Blue SkeletonThe flower remains unchanging while the blue skeleton dances. There is a plastic Red Admiral butterfly egg (from the Natural History Museum, London) within the flower. Above, the black butterflies writhe, mate and fight in a heavy black cloud of their own making.
h:66cms x w:50cms (framed).
ink on paper
2015 -
Immortelle with Butterflies and Red SkeletonImmortelle with Butterflies and Red SkeletonThe blue flower remains unchanging while the red skeleton dances and the black butterflies descend into the textured darkness from which the flower grows.
h:45.5cms x w:30.4cms (unframed).
ink on paper
2015 -
Immortelle with Butterflies and Red SkeletonImmortelle with Butterflies and Red SkeletonThe blue flower remains unchanging while the red skeleton dances and the black butterflies descend into the textured darkness from which the flower grows.
h:45.5cms x w:30.4cms (unframed).
ink on paper
2015 -
Immortelle with Butterflies and Red SkeletonImmortelle with Butterflies and Red SkeletonThe blue flower remains unchanging while the red skeleton dances and the black butterflies descend into the textured darkness from which the flower grows.
h:45.5cms x w:30.4cms (unframed).
ink on paper
2015