SQUEAKY BINDERS
Botanical Illustration - Cyclamen
Where art, nature and science meet.
6 Designs
Leaf Front, Plant, Leaf Back, Flower Dissection, Tuber and Roots, Flower Cross section
Available as
Illustrated Notebook
A handy sized wire bound notebook containing 6 ‘Cyclamen'’ illustrations with blank, lined and squared pages for all your notes - makes a great gift too.
Squeaky’s Special Edition Illustrated Notebook
Our Special Edition handmade Notebook has a truly distinctive hard case cover containing all the ‘Cyclamen’ illustrations and pages inside ready to be filled with all your lovely words.
Art Cards and Postcards
6 ‘Cyclamen’ designs available as individual cards with envelopes. Postcards available too.
Art Cards Wallet Gift Set
Complete set of 6 Art Cards presented in a lovely folding wallet for storing and display.
Squeaky’s First Choice Edition Illustrated Notebook
Our First Choice Edition handmade notebook contains all the ‘Cyclamen’ illustrations with plenty of room inside for all your creative writings - makes a great gift too.
Prints
Box framed prints available individually or as a set of all 6 designs
Mini Journal, Art Card and Pencil Set
Inspiration and technique
I was awarded a Certificate in Botanical Illustration with Distinction from the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh - a course which included graphite and watercolour
“Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start…
…when you sing you begin with do-re-mi”
When you draw you begin with H, F and B!
Apologies for my reimagined song lyrics but -
when I started my studies, understanding and practising the basics before attempting anything more advanced, was indeed a very good place to start. How exciting it was though to open a brand new tin of pristine graphite pencils, sharpening to a fine point and then carefully making each precise mark.
Really pleased with my ‘pencil wheel’ layout which I designed myself - makes a good companion alongside classic colour wheels if you are looking for ways to get started yourself.
‘…Fa-So-La-Ti-Do…’
Here’s one of my pencil sketches from the course. It features a study of the flowers of the mini cyclamen plant, drawn to scale, from tight bud to fully open. It shows a good range of graphite tones and gives a fascinating little insight into the stages of how these flowers open.
I soon discovered the vast amount of patience and observational skills required for this type of illustration. It is not to be underestimated but the appreciation of nature’s infinite beauty I gained was so rewarding and to be able to share it through my work, amazing!
I hope the next time you see one of these cheerful little plants you’ll make the time to take a second even more closer look and think just how truly remarkable they actually are as I do.
“…a cyclamen that looks like a flight of butterflies, frozen for a single, exquisite moment in the white heart of Time…”
- Beverley Nichols, Down the Garden Path
For more details about the ‘Cyclamen range please visit our shop.