Botanical Drawing

ITALIAN ARUM FRUITS AND SNAILS

Down in the far corner of our back garden, next to the compost bins, there is a clump of Italian Arum (Arum italicum). Early one morning, after heavy overnight rain, I spied the dramatic orange fruits and the snails that had emerged from hiding to feast on their bounty.

While I love using colour, I must confess that drawing is an absolute passion. It is immensely satisfying to create a work of art using simple materials that every Australian school age child takes for granted – a sheet of paper and a pencil.

For this particular tonal drawing, I selected a softly marbled sheet of pale pewter-coloured paper. Because my style is precise and detailed, I prefer