Motifs: Flowers

Motifs

Flowers

I have always been drawn to flowers as I grew up with a garden abundant with many different types of flowering plants. One type of flower that I am fascinated by most is the Daisy flower which in Afrikaans, my home language, is called the ‘Magrietjie’. I find it intriguing how daisies open up into a magnificent flower from a tight closed up bud and how some daisies close up after sunset. I have drawn inspiration from this dazzling flower to create a series of jewellery items that realistically depict the Magrietjie flower in different stages of growth with moving petals.

'Magrietjie' with bee - Marissa Enslin

 For hundreds of years, jewellers and artists have been making use of imagery of flowers in their art. Some of the most iconic fabric and wallpaper designs of the nineteenth century were produced by William Morris who incorporated floral motifs into many of his works. One of his most Iconic prints is known as ‘The Strawberry Thief’ which is a print that depicts images of thrushes, strawberry fruits and flowers and various other types of flowers and greenery. This narrative piece tells a story “based on the thrushes that would steal strawberries from the kitchen in his country home at Kelmscott Manner, and was therefore imbued with nostalgic sentiment”. Victoria Walker, a jeweller artist from Cornwall (I will be discussing Walker’s style and techniques more in depth in chapter 2) also makes use of flowers in her designs. She draws inspiration from many of the wild flowers and seedpods that grow in the fields of Cornwall near her home. 

William Morris - Strawberry Thief Print