INDEX_USED_Chrysanth_Gold_Tip_studyinwatercolour_CORALGUEST1984 - Copy.jpg

City of Lights Series

 

CITY of LIGHTS Series
 

Chrysanthemums grown in metropolitan gardens

 

In 1979, and the mid 1980's, I engaged in a journey to visit various Chrysanthemum growers in private gardens, firstly in Japan, where this national flower is known as the kiku. Thereafter, in London's East End and beyond to suburban Metroland, where I was born and raised. Here, the art works were inspired by John Betjeman's book of verse, A Few Late Chrysanthemums (1954).

Further of these rare beauties were gifted to me from horticulturists in Westminster, London and travelled back to the Limehouse studio with me. The petals, in-curved, always caught the light rather like satin buildings arranged as a suburban town plan, with each exquisitely formed petal juxtaposed in a perfected unity of purpose. These hybrids touched my love of quiet harmony and I continued the series in Venice, one early autumn evening in 2000. I would paint a cross or dot on some of the petals, to correspond with the drawing and allow me to keep track of their location as the observational work progressed.

Again, in 2016 in my studio in Hertfordshire, I used the monochrome work from 1985 as reference for larger pieces where the arrangement of petals, which I affectionately term the City of Lights, has found a place in my visual mythology as a euphemism for optimism.

Coral G Guest

 
Late Summer City Sunset, Gold Light, Limehouse Chrysanthemum 'Gold Tip' Large Colour Study Watercolour on paper 70 x 70 cm 1984

Late Summer City Sunset, Gold Light, Limehouse
Chrysanthemum 'Gold Tip'
Large Colour Study
Watercolour on paper
70 x 70 cm
1984

 
 
From Westminster to Wapping Chrysanthemum 'Skaters Waltz' Large Colour Study 100 x 100cm Watercolour on paper fragment 1985

From Westminster to Wapping
Chrysanthemum
'Skaters Waltz'
Large Colour Study
100 x 100cm
Watercolour on paper fragment
1985