Iam a big fan of painting specimens at a less than perfect stage, such as autumnal leaves, seed heads or fading flowers. My interest in the latter subject came about by accident, when the pressures of family life didn’t allow me time to paint a fresh bunch of flowers immediately. I love the way the colours become muted and petals twist, sometimes becoming translucent.
Nowadays, I dry out flowers, especially for painting purposes. Some, such as roses, fade better than others. I might leave a whole bunch of flowers in a vase without water, or hang them upside down in a warm, dry place, although once desiccated there may only be one or two specimens that appeal to me.