£500
Lily heads and stems, 1950s
Unmounted (ref: 1745)
Pencil and watercolour, 18 x 11 in. (47 x 29.8 cm.)
Provenance: The Artist's Studio
'Beneath the south wall of his studio my father made wigwams of canes to support multicoloured gourds and deep blue Morning Glory trumpets. He grew many kinds of Polygonum. Some, like P. cuspidatum, were statuesque giants, others [such as cat. 106] were delicate and lacy. He appreciated flowers such as tulips and Opium Poppies for their slender upright form with a burst of bloom at the top, as they popped up between bushier plants throughout the garden. Lilies likewise shot through the foliage of other plants and exploded in exquisite flowers. Auriculas were a particular passion. He loved the primly formal arrangement which complemented the sumptuous colour combinations.' Elizabeth Bulkeley, the artist's daughter, letter to Paul Liss 15th March 2005.
