{"id":36298,"date":"2024-06-05T12:32:30","date_gmt":"2024-06-05T10:32:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/9f8d843d-2413-4cec-8c31-7bb30ffc9b68"},"modified":"2024-06-05T13:33:18","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T11:33:18","slug":"the-artist-who-makes-exquisite-nature-inspired-pieces-from-her-garden","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/rss_feed\/the-artist-who-makes-exquisite-nature-inspired-pieces-from-her-garden\/","title":{"rendered":"The artist who makes exquisite, nature-inspired pieces from her garden"},"content":{"rendered":"

Allison Sylvester\u2019s beautiful nature-led artworks require close observation \u2013 both in their making and in their appreciation. Words Natasha Goodfellow, photographs Rachel Hoile <\/p>

By <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 05 June 2024 at 10:32 AM<\/p>

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There\u2019s something transfixing about Allison\u2019s Sylvester\u2019s artwork. Small though the majority of pieces might be, their detail is so intricate, one can\u2019t help but take a closer look. Just how is this beautiful, almost heraldic geranium<\/a> leaf image made? Is that monochromatic moth<\/a> photographed, drawn or painted? And just what is that glint of gold on a block across which miniature flower vines ramble and twine?<\/p>

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\u201cI\u2019ve never been interested in drawing or painting landscapes,\u201d says Allison. \u201cIt\u2019s always been the small things that catch my eye.\u201d This fascination started in her childhood in rural Devon<\/a>, where she spent a lot of time outside. \u201cI was left to my own devices for much of the time and anything I found \u2013 flowers, birds, dead bees \u2013 I would draw,\u201d she says. \u201cNature was my sanctuary, my retreat and a place of constant inspiration \u2013 it still is.\u201d<\/p>
Examples of artist Allison Sylvester\u2019s eclectic work fill her studio wall, alongside images and objects that inspire her work. \u00a9 Rachel Hoile<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Having originally studied jewellery (where etching into metal was her preferred technique), Allison then went on to do a Masters\u2019 degree in fine art printmaking<\/a>, which allowed her to expand her loveof drawing still further. \u201cA print is never exactly the same as a drawing,\u201d she says. \u201cEvery time you runit through the press and lift off your paper, it\u2019s always a bit of a surprise. It\u2019s very addictive.\u201d<\/p>
$\"Allison$
In her basement studio Allison prepares one of her intricate moth paintings. \u00a9 Rachel Hoile<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Today, monoprinting (in which leaves are painted with ink and then pressed on to paper or a pre-painted wooden block) is one of Allison\u2019s favourite processes \u2013 something of a revelation for Allison as she had never particularly enjoyed drawing foliage<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019d always preferred to draw flowers and was trying to find a way to speed up the drawing of leaves,\u201d she says. \u201cI was blown away by the amount of detail a monoprint can produce.”<\/p>
I hope I can help people to see the hidden beauty in things they might have thought mundane before<\/p><\/blockquote>
Another technique she enjoys is hammer printing \u2013 literally hammering plants to transfer their colours on to fabric or paper. \u201cIt\u2019s especially satisfying when you\u2019re using herbs such as mint, rosemary<\/a> or sage<\/a>, which release their scent as you work,\u201d she says. She also paints and draws exquisite miniatures, and frequently combines techniques for greater effect.<\/p>
$\"Allison$
Allison reveals a monoprint of a Petasites fragrans leaf. \u00a9 Rachel Hoile<\/figcaption><\/figure>
For all but her largest pieces, for which she commandeers the kitchen table, Allison works in her \u201ccave\u201d, a small, dark-walled studio in the basement of her Totnes<\/a> home. Many years of trial and error have taught her what gives the best results. \u201cEvergreen leaves aren\u2019t great for printing because the veins and pores aren\u2019t so evident,\u201d she explains. Likewise, fresh leaves work better than dry, though she allows them to wilt slightly, \u201cso that they give me more\u201d. Stems, spikes and prickles tend to be too juicy or too sharp to print well and so Allison removes them, drawing or painting them, with the help of a large magnifying glass and the finest brushes available, on to the completed print. <\/p>
$\"Allison$
Brushes and mark-making tools fill the studio shelves. \u00a9 Rachel Hoile<\/figcaption><\/figure>
While she often looks for symmetrical leaves, or those with a strong silhouette, she also loves nibbled specimens (\u201cthey remind me of lace\u201d) and weeds which others might overlook. \u201cI think we dismiss a lot of plants out of hand,\u201d she says, citing goose grass with its star-shaped flowers and sticky seedheads<\/a>, and enchanter\u2019s nightshade, \u201cwhich threads its way through a shady part of our garden, its tiny white flowers aglow\u201d. <\/p>
$\"Allison$
Allison experiments with a range of techniques for her drawing, using a selection of marking tools, including bradawls, metal jewellers\u2019 punches and lino-cutting tools for mark making on paper. \u00a9 Rachel Hoile<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Allison is drawn to moths for a similar reason, finding their understated patterns more interesting than brighter, showier butterflies<\/a>. \u201cI hope I can help people to see the hidden beauty in things they might have thought mundane before,\u201d she says. <\/p>
$\"Allison$
For printing larger pieces Allison takes over the family dining table. \u00a9 Rachel Hoile<\/figcaption><\/figure>
To underline this feeling of treasure that she wishes to instil, Allison finishes her woodblock pieces inone of three ways \u2013 mounting them in painted frames, edging them in soft, grey velvet, or gilding the ends of the blocks. \u201cAll just add that little extra something to a piece,\u201d she says. \u201cI want the people who own them to feel they are precious.\u201d <\/p>
$\"Allison$
Allison collecting leaves in her Totnes garden. \u00a9 Rachel Hoile<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Useful information<\/strong>Follow Allison on Instagram at @allison_sylvester<\/a> and look out for her workshops at Kokutan flower farm in Devon (kokutan.co.uk<\/a>) and at Damson Farm in Bath (alisonjenkins.co.uk<\/a>). Allison will be part of regenerative fashion project The Loom, the Stitch and the Wardrobe at Craft Festival at Bovey Tracey (7-9 June).<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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