'Native Wildflower Meadow on Salisbury Plain'  This plaster cast depicts some of our beautiful wildflower meadows on Salisbury Plain - a diverse landscape of rolling chalk grasslands, which is the biggest area of unimproved grassland in northern Europe.
This plaster cast is painted with watercolours and framed in dark blue wooden frame - size 44cm x30cm  (cast size 37cm x 23.5cm)
The process of botanical bas-relief is an ancient method used by botanists to record the finest details of plant species. Real flowers are carefully arranged onto a piece of flat clay, and pressed in to make a 'negative' relief. When the flowers are carefully removed and any seeds picked out, they leave behing their unique impression. The clay is used to create a mould and a strong plaster of paris (Crystacal R) is poured into that mold to create this unique art form of delecate, detailed botanicals.
From this original master a silicone mould can be made to develop a limited series of these flowers in concrete, or, in this case,  a plaster cast painted in fresco style. The watercolour is painted whilst plaster is wet so the watercolour pigment is absorbed into the plaster. Each cast is hand painted and is unique. 
Included in this cast are: Common Knapweed, Common Cats Ear, Field Scabious, Queen Anne's Lace, Vipers Bugloss, Lady's bedstraw, Silver weed (Argentina anserina) and grasses (Timothy, Wild oat etc) Spiny Restharrow (Ononis spinosa), Hogweed, Pyramid orchid, Bird's foot trefoil.
Plaster casts are for inside use only and should be not be displayed in areas with condensation, ie bathroom. The cast can be dusted with a brush or dry cloth.