In no way am I a gardener - but I do love the structural nature of plants and find this extremely inspirational. I love the cross over of their geometric structure, symmetry and repetition - with their unexpected appearance, random aspects and free flowing shapes. It is similar to linocutting - you can plan out what you wish to cut out very precisely, but unintentional marks are made and accidental effects happen. I also always enjoy looking at the interpretation of flowers and plants by artists. The flat areas of colour and the fine lines of the pine trees of the kimono above really appeal to my aesthetic.
Lots of towns and cities have botanic gardens, and I always enjoy visiting their glass houses. They often host fantastical tropical plants which have the most extraordinary structures. These white flowers at the University of Dundee Botanical Gardens resemble pom poms. The yellow flower looks like one of those paper, fold out Christmas decorations, with white flowers slotted in, and its level of symmetry is incredible. All of these aspects are inspirational to me. You can see in my Blue Dacnis wallpaper and fabric design how integral the simple plant is to the design - and yet by using symmetry and repetition, a complex design can be produced.
