Sania Pell

winter flower

February 3, 2012  in flowers

I have several favourite flowers but I would have to say Hellebores are up there in my top ten, maybe even my top five.  They are little patches of colour in an otherwise desolate winter garden, with their heads bowing down towards the earth. This particular one is especially dear to me as it originally came from my parents’ garden before they moved, the family garden where I grew up. I took these photos last week after a long day of phone calls and writing emails. I had had enough of technology and before the afternoon light faded I picked these from the garden and grabbed my camera for a little creativity.

The delicate colour, neither pink nor purple but somewhere inbetween, is just beautiful and the splashes of deeper colour add a beautiful texture. The beasties have nibbled them in parts making them imperfect, but I like that and it just adds to their character.

They also add ground cover all year round as their leaves are evergreen. I have other Hellebore varieties planted too, pure white ones and pale greenish too,which catch my eye as I look out from my kitchen.

They are a welcome sight in my garden but I will occasionally  pick a small bunch like this to bring inside and enjoy. I love the simplicity of a sweet little posy on my mantlepiece. This year I planted them in pots on my window sill in the front garden too, to welcome me home. They will then be re-planted in my garden later to bring joy again next year.

I played about with the flowers, shooting them in a favourite vase at first, then against painted canvases, and finally dissecting one rather like in a Victorain botanical illustration.

Placed flat on this handmade paper, that I roughly painted with household emulsion, the flowers themselves look almost painterly…

Ooh, that’s given me an idea on where to take this next… now where did I put my paints and brushes?

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first peek inside my new book

February 1, 2012  in books, news

The first peek inside my new book The Homemade Home for Children is available on the newsagent’s shelves! The new March issue of Elle Decoration magazine in the UK features one of my projects as an ‘inspired idea’ in their decorating section, showing the ideas in my book aren’t just for kids and can be interpreted however you like.

I’m afraid that’s all I can share for now but if you want to be one of the first to receive my new book you can pre-order now at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk

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