http://www.painters-online.co.uk artistMay 2020 39PRACTICAL
T
his month I have chosen another
of my much-loved white flowers
and one that I have enjoyed
painting over the years. The
snowdrop (Galanthus) is the first of the
spring flowers to bloom and it’s such a
welcome sight after months of very few
or no flowers in the winter garden. This
small perennial flower belongs to the
Amaryllis family of plants. It is grown
from a bulb and although this wonderful
flower may appear dainty and small
of stature it has a huge visual impact
and is a firm favourite with many flower
painters. It symbolises purity, rebirth
and hope, as its appearance brings the
promise of spring.
There are around 20 species and
about 2,500 varieties of snowdrops.
This magical flower has a very special
place in my heart, as my late father-
in-law was an avid collector and had
a very impressive collection of some
very special varieties of this exquisite
flower. In fact acquiring rare snowdrops
has become something of a cult over
the years and serious snowdrop
enthusiasts, known as Galanthophiles,
are prepared to pay handsome prices
for the rare varieties.Shape
From afar most snowdrops look
the same but a visit to a specialist
snowdrop nursery (highly
recommended in February) can be
quite a revelation. It’s fascinating to see
the vast varieties available, including
some very rare and expensive ones –
snowdrops are surprisingly varied inSnowdrops in
mixed media
Snowdrops make a wonderful subject for a still-life
painting or even a landscape when shown growing
in drifts in a woodland setting, as Soraya French
demonstrates here
height, flower size, shape and even
colouring.
For painting, however, my favourite
variety remains the common snowdrop
(Galanthus nivalis) with its classic-shaped
petals and formation. Each stem has
a single flower; there are six petals
altogether, the outer petals are larger
and the inner three are shorter, with a
green notch at the top. The bell-shaped
drooping flowers resemble an earring.
Two or three sword-shaped leaves grow
from the bulb and frame the flowers
beautifully. Small oval-shaped buds
complement the flower heads and can
be incorporated into the painting for a
more interesting composition.u Snowdrops in White Jug, mixed media,
103 8in (25.5 3 20.5cm).
For this still life I created a textured surface
with crumpled tissue paper, then painted
with heavy body acrylic colours. Most of the
snowdrops were painted with titanium white;
the few faded ones in the background were
painted with zinc whiteSoraya French
is president of the Society of Women
Artists. She tutors occasional mixed-
media workshops at her workshop in
Hampshire, and overseas. She
is the author of several books.
http://www.sorayafrench.comColour
Generally most varieties of snowdrops
are white with some green blotches on
the inner petals. But some have a hint
of green and a few have a slight hint of
yellow. My personal preference is to
preserve the white of the paper for the
white areas of the petals (really only
seen where the flower has been lit up).
In watercolours you can mask out the
white using masking fluid. Alternatively,
you can opt to paint the white flowers
with titanium and zinc white. Zinc white
should help you create translucent
flower heads that merge into the
background and create recession and
depth in the painting. Of course there