This is part of a duo of drypoint prints I made whilst on my Art Foundation. I was so intrigued by the drypoint method - the harshness of the metal plate, the force needed to etch into it. Rather than do a very intricate, traditional still life image, I decided to use harsher gestural lines which I feel reflected the act of etching into the metal. These lines would become the stems of the flowers, whilst I used the ink itself to suggest the petals. I loved the sweeping, circular motions needed to wipe excess ink away and knew that I needed to include it in the print.

The intial pencil drawings of the flower case (found in the Shenkman Bar at the Royal Academy) focused more on the flowers themselves, but I was very struck by the lighting of he bar; the sombre, mysterious tone it suggested. This print aims to capture some of that allure.