Page 63 - David Burr Rooftops Magazine Winter 2017/2018

IBA are rare and endangered and are largely or entirely restricted to the Breckland region. These include, Spiked Speedwell, Breckland Speedwell, Fingered Speedwell, Breckland Thyme, Spanish Catchfly, Perennial Knawel, Grape Hyacinth, Proliferous Pink, Red- tipped Cudweed, Tower mustard, and Field Wormwood.
The painting of many of the specimens was not for the faint hearted. Breckland Heaths are arid and sandy, which results in the plants being very small and with a short window of opportunity in which to work. Some of the flowers only open in full sun and for
short periods of the day. Preparational drawings and colour matching had to be done, for the most part, in situ, working prone on the ground with a magnifying lens to hand.
Most of the work was carried out in the early spring months, starting in February, and regular checking of the optimal day on which to do the recording was essential otherwise the opportunity to see the plant at it’s best would have to wait for a further year. It became necessary to be able to get advice on plant identification, and location at very short notice, combined with a network of phone calls to
discover just which artist might be available to go out “into the field” at a moments notice.
Since 2015 the 45 paintings have been taken as a touring exhibition to 10 locations in Cambridge, Norfolk and Suffolk and to the Royal Horticultural Society’s Botanical Art Exhibition in London.
n The Iceni Botanical Artists book Breckland Wild Flowers – Heaths and Grasslands can be bought locally, or through the Iceni Botanical Artist’s website www.icenibotanicalartists.co.uk
Top left ‘ Spiked speedwell’ Veronica spicata painted by Isobel Bartholomew. Top right and below ‘Perennial knawel’ Scleranthus perennis painted by Reinhild Raistrick
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