mrs. delany

Friday, October 28, 2011







current bedside book The Paper Garden just arrived yesterday from the library - amazing

from the book's inside front flap

Upon her second husband's death (after 23 years of marriage) she arose from her grief, picked up a pair of scissors &, at the age of seventy-two, created a new art form, mixed media collage. Over the next decade, Ms. Delany created an astonishing 985 botanically correct, breathtaking cut-paper flowers, now housed in the British Museum and referred to as the Flora Delanica.
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10 comments:

  1. chickoryOctober 28, 2011 at 10:10 AM

    oh my goodness. that spider flower! I have GOT to get some black gesso. You know about Anna Pugh? She is my patron saint of painting.

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  2. SusanOctober 28, 2011 at 10:55 AM

    No I don't know about Anna Pugh ... lookin'her up now ! I just ordered me some black gesso - stay tuned xos

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  3. MakingSpaceOctober 28, 2011 at 12:31 PM

    WOW!!!!!!

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  4. SusanOctober 28, 2011 at 1:06 PM

    Hey Chick, & an amazing + perfect patron saint Anna Pugh is. Lovely.
    Have no idea who mine would be ... still trying to find my way with painting and generally feeling freaked out a little by it all. oh well ...part of the process. I'm beginning a big (for me) painting next week (20x20) xos

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  5. SusanOctober 28, 2011 at 3:13 PM

    us again ...
    & Shammy Sham says_________

    ;-)

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  6. Big ShamuOctober 28, 2011 at 7:01 PM

    ....????what???

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  7. stampernancy@hotmail.comOctober 29, 2011 at 12:22 AM

    ditto 'MakingSpace' WOW!!!!!

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  8. rachelOctober 29, 2011 at 6:10 AM

    I didn't know about Mrs Delany. This is breathtaking.....

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  9. SusanOctober 29, 2011 at 11:08 AM

    Not only are they stunningly beautiful & botanically correct, she created nearly 1000 mixed media floral pieces after the age of 72 & between the years 1772 and 1782.

    Yikes ! no luxo lamps, exacto blades or self sealing cutting mats. No packs of pantone coloured papers - she painted the paper with water colours before cutting the often teeny tiny pieces. She often worked in the evenings and preferred to work by "short" candlelight as it gave her better, less shadowy light. Working by short candlelight with no google !! ... I shudder at the thought.

    The book is a gem (with many lush colour plates)... and one that I will certainly purchase & add to our library here at 29 Black Street.

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  10. MarieNovember 7, 2011 at 1:41 AM

    Good gracious.

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