Artist focus: Lorene Forkner Edwards
The coloured square lady
Welcome to Behind the Brush… I’m so happy you’re here. Artist Focus is my mid-month feature where I invite botanical artists from all over the world to share their favourite five picks for plant art and beyond.
I’m an Artist Member of The Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society in London. When our Chair Mary Ellen Taylor recommended artist, gardener and writer Lorene to me just before the Pandemic Lockdown, I enthusiastically followed her on Instagram. This talented creative paints squares of the colour she sees in her plants, a lovely daily exercise in paying attention, and since I’ve affectionately come to refer to her as the coloured square lady.
Lorene also writes here on Substack in her publication “a handmade garden”. Her background is in art but primarily she’s a writer and a gardener. She is the author of five books, the former garden editor of Horticulturist magazine, and the current garden columnist for The Seattle Times, where her column is read by 700,000 gardening enthusiasts each week. She lives in an old house by the beach in West Seattle with her husband of 44 years. Her daily painting practice began 6 years ago as a way to participate in The 100 Day Project, an initiative that encourages people to do something creative for 100 days and post it online.
Whilst she is not a botanical artist, I admire her work as it embodies a process connected to plants, but with a focus on her colour studies more than the finished piece. Her practice is one all botanical painters could benefit from — a masterclass in plant observation, colour, and colour mixing. I am so thrilled to have her here on Behind the Brush sharing some of her favourites:
Paintbrushes
My favourite paintbrush is a ratty water brush, the kind with the reservoir of water. I don't use the brush like that but I love the square tip. I use a smaller round to drop in colours wet on wet. Several brands of water brushes are available - judging from the colour of the handle of my oldie-but-goodie, it might be a Pentel. To my mind, more important than the brand is the shape of the brush -- the squared off head determines the nature of the marks I make.
Paper
I use #140 cold press paper from Fluid —I like the organic surface.
Botanical artist
I very much like the work of Jennifer Orkin Lewis (August Wren) who did a painting a day for 5 years. I'm inspired by artists of any sort who have a daily practice —again, process over production.
Plant
Ha! All of them, along with oyster and mussel shells, rocks and the occasional piece of driftwood.
Studio drink
Nothing, I'd just end up rinsing my brush in it or drinking my paint water.
What an inspiring artist…until my next letter, happy painting,