Snowdrops

Sketch a day - Day34/365

I think about how traditionally, botanical drawing/pictures of plants and flowers have been looked down on. As with musicals, romantic comedy, melodrama. All ‘Women's pictures’, in one form or another, are deemed less-than/silly/unserious. I remember my mum (who was from a family of ‘proper’ artists) always telling me that she was no good at art. She could ‘only’ do botanical drawings. I didn't realise it then, but it's obvious to me now, that she must have been told that over and over as a girl. Not a real artist. Not real art. Less than. I wish I had some of her drawings. I remember her drawing a dandelion and it being so lovely. I wish I could go back and draw with my mum now and tell her that there was never anything ‘just’ about her. She was absolutely extraordinary.

Anyway,when I draw flowers or nature now, I make a point of thinking to myself - not ‘just’ flowers. Flowers are alive,alive, alive. Determined. Coming up though the cracks. Coming up in the least expected places. Coming ready or not. And we all might be wise to remember that power. And to get inspired by it. That's what I thought about when I saw that the snowdrops have come up in a rush of life in our garden. All messy and thrusting up for light. With leaves that look like just fucked bedhead hair. Sure they’re pretty. But more important, I thought, they mean business. Nothing ‘just’ about a snowdrop.