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 six picks for plant art and beyond.
I first met Toni Dade in Portugal, at one of her exhibitions in 2022. She is fortunate to live and work in Sao Bartolomeu de Messines, in the south of the country, a place abundant with glorious plants including the magnolia. She won her second RHS gold medal this June with her “Magnolia grandiflora: From Bud to Desiccated Seedpod” at The annual RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show at The Saatchi Gallery in London.
Toni shared, “Over many seasons I have witnessed the transformation from bud to flower and then seedpod of the beautiful Magnolia grandiflora. I was especially interested in the metamorphosis of the seedpod during their maturation. This progression was the catalyst that inspired this project. After many failed attempts at getting a magnolia flower that remained in a stable condition long enough to paint, one morning I awoke to the most beautiful scent and the flower you see above. I would like to express my gratitude to the late Gren Lucas, OBE, FLS for his wise counsel.”
I have been following the progress of the seedpods on her Instagram with great interest and saw two of them IRL in the SBA exhibition last summer when they won the St.Cuthbert’s Mill Award. It was wonderful to see the full compliment of six pieces this summer. The bold colour and confident composition of this body of work contrasts starkly with the minute detail close up — the photos don’t do them justice! I also appreciated the traditional arrangement of the bloom and its dissections alongside the more contemporary composition of the five seedpods. Congratulations to Toni on her continuing success!
Here are Toni’s six favourites:
brushes: I am trying to use synthetic brushes… I’ve been a vegetarian for 44 years. God I am so old! I still don’t know how sable brushes are made but I know it’s animal friendly. So where possible I’ve been using Billy Showell’s synthetic brushes in all sizes. For dry brushing I use Raphael Kolinsky Sable 8404… they are a round brush too but shorter which gives me better control.
paper: I try not to be too precious about paper and experiment on many different types but most of my big work is done on Saunders Waterford HP, high white 640gsm. At the moment my preference for small work is Magnani 1404, HP 300gsm. If I can’t get that I am happy to work on Fabriano Artistico.
paint: A mix of Sennelier and Winsor & Newton. I’m really heavy on brushes but I’m sure they seem to last longer with Sennelier paints… I think it’s the honey in them!
artist: Do I have to give one artist only? Fiona Strickland.
plant: my favourite plant to paint has to be Strelitzia…they never fail to provide inspiration.
studio drink: Yorkshire tea and my husband is well trained in making it for me! Thankfully he feeds and waters me otherwise I would probably forget to eat and drink whilst I am painting… I get lost in another world!
Happy plant painting,