Revealing the Invisible: From Botanical Drawings to Patinated Bronze
- Feb 17
- 2 min read
My journey as an artist has always been rooted in meticulous observation, a commitment to precision, and a fascination with the often-overlooked details of the natural world. This pursuit began with formal training in fine art and, years later, botanical art at the Botanical Art Society in the UK, laying the foundation for a practice that moves seamlessly between delicate drawings and bronze sculptures.
Drawing the Unseen
The Papaver somniferum, 2022, using coloured pencils on 600 gsm Fabriano paper. This artwork the study of the poppy seed, was executed with exacting precision under the scrutiny of a magnifying glass, capturing minute details often invisible to the naked eye.
The following year, I turned my attention to Conophytum truncatum, 2023 continuing my exploration of small-scale flora. Also produced with painstaking accuracy. This drawing was not just an exercise in observation but statements of scale and impact, a way to document engaged plants in the Karoo. By enlarging diminutive plants, the viewer is
invited to appreciate textures, forms, and structures normally overlooked in nature.
Both drawings are grounded in my training, where scientific accuracy and botanical knowledge underpin every mark,
From Pencil to Bronze
Building on these drawings in 2025, I embarked on transforming the small, precise studies of Papaver somniferum and Conophytum truncatum into bronze sculptures. Working with Robert Leggat, whose mastery in bronze casting is unparalleled, we captured both anatomical correctness and textural subtlety. Leggat’s ensures that each bronze embodies the essence of its subject with realism and sensitivity.
The Papaver somniferum drawing and the poppy seed bronze were exhibited at the Valentini Foundation in 2025 as part of my Energeis exhibition at the Valentiny Foundation. Energeia, meaning the Power of Seeds.
Both the drawing of the Papaver somniferum and some other works of the poppy seeds are now in the Ministry of Culture's collection in Luxembourg.
The Conophytum bronze, patinated and cast with the same dedication to detail, now resides at Knysna Fine Art Gallery.
Bridging Observation and Impact
Across all mediums, my work is driven by a desire to illuminate what is often overlooked. The careful, magnified rendering of small plants invites viewers to engage with the subtle intricacies of life that surround them. From the precision of botanical drawings to the boldness of a bronze sculpture, these artworks demonstrate a continuum of study, craftsmanship, and artistic interpretation, a practice grounded in both scientific observation and fine art technique.
Through this work, what is minuscule in nature becomes monumental in experience, revealing the hidden architecture of seeds and small plants and elevating them to a form both beautiful and enduring.
If you would like to read more about my public sculptures, you can click here, and if you would like to know more about Leggat’s foundry, Robert Leggat, please click here.
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