Gathering at the zoo was more of a meet-up than a class. We met outside the front gate, went our separate ways to work, then came back together after a few hours to look at each other's projects. 

These drawings were never meant to go anywhere, but having this set time just to sit, observe, and experiment became important to my practice. These drawings have acted as a starting place and helped me work towards other ideas.

Like the work from the Zoo, drawing wildflowers started simply as a practice. I drew the flowers  because they were pretty, and complicated, and for the challenge of finishing before they were bought or moved. I wanted, in as simple a way possible, to show their weight and the way they pressed against each other. 

I have found that it is sometimes very hard to keep working. So I create systems during the week, for example making sure I draw at the farmers market even if it has to be before work each Sunday. If I have a system in place I will keep working. To be an artist, which is my goal, I need to practice art. The wildflowers became a system for me.

Over 2020, when it became unsafe to work in a large crowd, I worked on the other wildflowers. These are a series drawn entirely in ink. I worked from photographs I took from the farmers market on other occasions. They look different but their function for me was exactly the same. They gave me practice, they kept me focused, they made me question form, pattern, and design. 

If I were to display this work I would hang these two collections side by side. I like the way that they contrast and they act as a reminder that even systems need the flexibility to change. Also I work from life, it would have felt dishonest to me if my work looked the same when everything in the city was so different.