This series of paintings of wild flower posies are inspired by the work of Mary Delany (1700 – 1788), in particular her extraordinary collection of over 1000 botanical studies made in paper ‘mosaiks’ or collage that she created between the age of 72 and 82. The collection of these are held in the Paintings and Drawings Archive of The British Museum, where I was fortunate to be able to spend some time studying them. Her attention to detail, the dark backgrounds and rich palette, and the compositional repetition are reflected in these works. The posies depicted in these paintings were made of wild flowers blooming in rural Fife in June.

These are a continuation of the ‘Votive Offerings’, a project begun in 2014, depicting posies of wild Scottish flowers made (and left) by me around Scotland.

”Neither (Lorenz or Delany) could be considered strictly botanical painters, but both paint with a mix of accuracy and poetic representation that elevates the work beyond photorealism, allowing them to explore deeper themes.”
Catherine Coyle, Homes and Interiors Scotland